UnderstandingbyDesignTemplate

Title: Exploration
Teacher(s): Chris Glatfelter, Bruce Holbert
School: Colorado State University/ Fossil Ridge High School
Subject: Pre-AP/ World History
Grade level: 9th grade
Duration: 2 weeks
IdentifyDesiredResults(Stage1)

IdentifyDesiredResults
PlanningtheUnit
WithDemocracyandSocialJusticeattheCenterofInstruction
FocusingontheNationalNetworkforEducationalRenewal(NNER)Mission
TheFourPartMissionoftheAgendaforEducationinaDemocracy
EqualAccesstoKnowledge|Enculturation|NurturingPedagogy|Stewardship
Thissetoflessonswillreachallpartsofthemissionbutitismyhopetoreallyhaveitfocus
ontheStewardshipastheclimaxofthelessonswilltrytobeanemotionalpush.Itismyhope
thatstudentswillreallybegintoseetheroleofhistoryinourworldandthatnotallofithas
beenfiguredout.
ContentStandards:
History
1.Thehistoricalmethodofinquirytoaskquestions,evaluateprimaryand
secondarysources,criticallyanalyzeandinterpretdata,anddevelop
interpretationsdefendedbyevidencefromavarietyofprimaryand
secondarysources
2.Analyzethekeyconceptsofcontinuityandchange,causeandeffect,
complexity,unityanddiversityovertime
3.Thesignificanceofideasaspowerfulforcesthroughouthistory
Geography
3.Theinterconnectednatureoftheworld,itspeopleandplaces
Understandings
OverarchingUnderstanding
Understandtheexplorationandglobalizationasamovementofpeople,plants,
animals,andideasallaroundtheworld.Thisisthefoundationofglobalizationandthe
creationofempires.
OverarchingQuestion:Whatisglobalization?Howdoestheageofexplorationcreatea
globalandinterconnectedworld?
Topical:

Explainsomewaysthatglobalizationisbeneficialtosocieties.Howisitalsobad?
WhatmightourworldlooklikewithouttheColumbianexchange?Canyouimagine
howyourlifemightbedifferentwithoutsomeofthesethings?
Whyisitimportanttounderstandthenecessitiesofourowncountriesaswellas
others?
Duringthistime,whatdevelopmentsintechnologymighthavechangedthewaya
countryviewspower?Howdoesthisinteractwithsocialconstructs?
Whydoyouthinkmoneyandcapitalbecamesuchimportantfactorsforacountrys
progress?
Howcanwechangeoursociety?Whyisitimportanttocontinuelearning?
Whyissimplyoutlawingslaveryanineffectivewayoffixingourproblem?

RelatedMisconceptions
ChristopherColumbusdiscoveredAmerica
Priortothisera,mostpeoplethoughttheworldwasflat
Thisiswhenslaverywasinvented
Veryfewbenefitscamefromtheageofexploration

Knowledge
Studentswillknow
Inventionsanddiscoveriesthatmadeexplorationpossible
Thesignificanceoftheageofsciencethatledtoexploration
Theeconomic,social,andreligiousmotivationsoftheageofexploration.
ThesignificanceoftheColumbianexchangeandtheglobalizationofpeople,plants,
andanimals.
Theimpactsofslaveryonpastsocieties
Theroleofslaveryinourcurrentsociety
Skills
Studentswillbeableto...

Readandanalyzehistoricalsourcesbothwrittenandvisual.
Expresstheimportanceoftechnologicaladvancementsasagentsofchange.
Explainthesignificanceofmercantilismonsocialandpoliticalpractices.
Utilizeamultitudeofresourcestoexpressideasaboutthetimeperiod.
Recognizetheatrocitiesofslaveryinthepastandinourworldtoday

AssessmentEvidence(Stage2)
PerformanceTaskDescription:Analysisofprimarysourcematerialandevaluationofkey
ideas.
Multiplesourceswillbeprovidedandeachgroupwillbecomprisedofdifferenthistorical
sources.Studentswillbeaskedtoreadapieceofaprimarysourcedocumentandsummarize

itskeyideals.Followingthis,theclasswillworkingroupstodiscusstheideasportrayedin
theirdocumentandwillcompareandcontrastthemwiththemesfrompriorcivilizations.
OtherEvidence

Throughdiscussionandwrittenactivities.Studentswillexpresstheirideasaboutthe
importanceofhumanismanditsoveralleffectontheidentityofwesternnations.
Useofmultipleprimarysourcesasameansforexpressingtheirknowledgeonthe
topic.
Expressionofideasandcollaborativeprowessasaplatformfordemonstratingtheir
knowledgeoftheassignedcontentandcollaborativecontent.

LearningPlan(Stage3)
Whereareyourstudentsheaded?Wherehavetheybeen?Howwillyoumakesurethe
studentsknowwheretheyaregoing?
Priortothis,studentshavelearnedabouttheclassiccivilizationsandtheculturaland
structuralfoundationsofcivilizations.Theyhavelearnedabouttheimportanceofcertain
formsofleadershipandtheformationofthecountriesandcontinentsthatmakeupthe
contemporaryworld.Fromthispointforwardtheywillbeaddressingtheimportanceof
nationalambitionsastheyleadintoexplorationandthebeginningofimperialism.Inthis
specificunittheywilllearnabouttheimpactsofglobalizationandthecreationofan
interconnectedworld.Studentswillalsolearnaboutthewayslaveryhasaffectedourpast,
andtheroleitplaysinthepresent.

Howwillyouhookstudentsatthebeginningoftheunit?
Studentswillbeintroducedtotheunitbylookingintothetechnologythatmadethisera
possible.Wewillalsobeginbymeetingtheexplorersofthepastandhavinganintroductory
assignmentthathasstudentsbecomecrewmembersontheirvoyage.
Whateventswillhelpstudentsexperienceandexplorethebigideaandquestionsinthe
unit?Howwillyouequipthemwithneededskillsandknowledge?

Thisunitwillbeheavilyfrontloadedwithinformationandastheunitprogresses
studentswillbegintoputtogethertheimpactsoftheeraandwillhopefullybecome
advocatesforchangeintheirownworld.
Studentswillbegivenanopportunitytogetintocharactertohelpthemseethe
waythatinnovationandcuriositydroveexploration
WelldiscussmainIdeaslikeinnovation,technology,socialprogress,curiosity,and
greed.
Followingintroductoryconcepts,studentswillthenbegintoapplytheirskillsthrough
variousactivities

Theunitculminatesintheslaverylessonwhenstudentswillhavetofacethefacts
thatsomeoftheseoldworldconstructsstillexist.Wellalsobediscussingtheimpacts
ofperceptionsandsocialconstructions.
Howwillyoucausestudentstoreflectandrethink?Howwillyouguidetheminrehearsing,
revising,andrefiningtheirwork?

Byaskingchallengingquestionsandhavingthemcompareandcontrastwhatthey
knowandwhattheythinktobetrue.
Askstudentstoassessthiseraasapieceofagreaternarrativethatishistory.Whyis
thistimedifferentandhowdoweseeitreflectedinthecontemporaryperiod?
Asweapproachconceptsofthisunitthematically,theywillbeconsistentlyaskedto
relatethistotheirownlife.Doestheirunderstandingofthepastaffecthowtheyview
theirdailylife?Doesunderstandingofthiserahelptoexplainhowthingsprogress
intothefuture?
Howwillyouhelpyourstudentstoexhibitandselfevaluatetheirgrowingskills,
knowledge,andunderstandingthroughouttheunit?
Allowthemtoexploretheirowninterests(toanextent).Askthemtoexploreand
stimulatetheirintellectualcuriosityandexpressitinwritinganddiscussion.

Howwillyoutailorandotherwisepersonalizethelearningplantooptimizethe
engagementandeffectivenessofALLstudents,withoutcompromisingthegoalsofthe
unit?
Thisunitencompassesanumberofintriguingthemes.Wewillexplorevisualsources,
writtensources,andauditorysources,allforthepurposeofunderstandingthe
renaissanceasanallencompassingshiftinthought.
Thisunitisveryinterdisciplinaryandwewillbeexploringanddiscussingthingsfroma
multitudeofeducationalperspective.Math,science,astronomy,history,religious
studies,andtechnologywillallmakeanappearanceinthisunitandwillallow
studentstolatchontoprinciplesthatinterestthem.
Theunitwillbetailoredtomeetdifferentlevelsofskillandwillhavebothinterpretive
writingandformwritinginordertomeettheneedsofdiverselearners.
Howwillyouorganizeandsequencethelearningactivitiestooptimizetheengagement
andachievementofALLstudents?
Thisunitwillbeapproachedthematically.Hopefullythiswillallowstudentstoengage
inthematerialwithoutbeingspreadtoothinortryingtokeeptrackoftoomany
themesallatonce.
Thegoalistogainanunderstandingoftheageofexplorationasamultifaceted
movementthatisinmanywaysallencompassingforpeoplesofthetimeinWestern
Europe,andinalltheworld.
Theunitfocusesonpersonalconnectionstothistimeperiod,eachstudentshouldbe
giventheopportunitytoassociatethemselveswithsomeaspectoftheexploration
andglobalismasawhole.