Learning Experience/Unit
The Cultural Environment During the Great Depression
Course, Subject
Social Studies, United States History and Government, Social Studies
Grade Levels
Commencement, 11th Grade
Assessment
See materials listed below:
Learning Context/ Introduction
In this learning experience, students are giving a real-world situation and problem to solve through role-playing as if part of a professional work environment. Through the experience, student will research American culture and art during the Great Depression, interpret and synthesize their findings, and present them to the class.
Objectives:
- Students will use the internet and resources provided to research American culture and art during the Great Depression.
- Students will interpret and derive conclusions based on their findings and develop main issues or “talking points” for their assigned topic.
- Students will develop this synthesized material and content into a PowerPoint or Hyper Studio presentation with a fully developed script.
- Students will deliver their presentations to the class.
Duration
One week (depending if there is a team-teaching approach).
Essential Question
What was the cultural environment during the Great Depression as reflected through creative and artistic expressions?
Instructional/Environment Modifications
Before beginning with this learning experience, test all the links in the in the student resource guides to ensure they are all connecting properly. Remove any URLS that are not connecting correctly and add additional URLS to sites you have reviewed.
In order for the students to access the WNED videos, the teacher must have a username and password. The students must have access to a computer lab with high-speed internet access and word processing and PowerPoint or Hyper studio software.
Because of the strong ties to the ELA Learning Standards, the teacher may consider team teaching with the ELA teacher to maximize the time during the week. The math instructor may offer extra class credit if a group of students act independently on developing a comprehensive budget for the project. Obviously, the criteria for the budget would have to be predefined before the students begin their work.
Procedure
Assuming there are 25 students in the class, divide the class into teams of five. Have envelops containing the project description, resource guide, time keeper form, guide for using time keeper, peer review and self evaluation, and the performance evaluation rubric for each team.
As soon as the students are situated, immediately give an overview of the project, by reading the task or project description. Answer any questions and actively facilitate the groups to provide explanations and assistance.
After all the information is research and synthesized, students will develop a PowerPoint presentation with a fully developed script and present their information to the class.
Reflections and Feedback
This approach to real life problem solving allows the students to become proactive in the learning process, discovering the content, and using higher level thinking skills to work with it and to make sense of it.
The process of this learning experience requires the students to work with the tools and skills they will use in their future work place while increasing the chance they will remember the content.
Students are the owners of the learning process within a structured environment with the teacher as a guide and facilitator. This engaging methodology can become the model to develop student centered learning experiences throughout the year based on real life, problem-solving situations.
Author
Michael Horning Jr.
