Interdisciplinary Activity

Names: Tyler Marcous and Erin Edmonds Content Areas:

Social Studies and English

1. What big idea or CONCEPT could frame both of your content

areas?

Social Studies and English , studies in

Perspective.
(Content) (Content)
(Concept)

2. What UNITS, in particular, would revolve around this concept

Content 1: Revolutionary War

Content 2: Point of View

3. What UNDERSTANDINGS and/or ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS might

you explore related to this concept. List and describe their
application/importance in both content areas
NOTE: You should include your concept in your Understanding
statements.

o Devise ONE understanding useful for BOTH content areas units:

Identifying perspective impacts understanding

o Devise understandings and essential questions more specifically

designed for each content areas unit:

Content 1: Students will understand that identifying perspective

in revolutionary documents helps us recognize bias in primary
sources.

EQ: how does bias affect an account of a historical event?

How does bias infiltrate historical documents?
Why do we need to recognize bias in primary sources?

Content 2: Students will understand that identifying perspective

in literature helps us understand characters motivations and
actions.
 Interdisciplinary Activity

EQ: How is perspective determined?

Why do we need to understand character motivation?
How does a characters perspective impact his or her actions or
motivations?

4. Identify what SKILLS students could exercise or practice within this

unit. Aim for at least two skills that span content areas and two skills
specifically designed for each content area

Sample spanning skill stems:

Making inferences Analyzing cause and
Making predictions effect relationships
Gathering evidence Justifying conclusions with
textual support

Content Spanning Skills:

Making inferences/predictions
Gathering evidence/justifying conclusions with textual support
Cause and effect relationships

Content Specific Skills:

Content 1:
Students will be able to predict opposing sides reactions to
documents.
Students will be able to analyze the bias in primary sources
and its impact on the credibility of the document.

Content 2:
Students will be able to distinguish how a character would
appear from two different perspectives.
Students will be able to interpret or predict character
actions based on characters perspective.
Students will be able to support conclusions with evidence
from the text.

5. Identify the KNOWLEDGE or VOCABULARY youd address in

each of these units. The Knowledge will most likely be specific
for each content area.

Content 1:
Revolution, tyranny, founding fathers, rights, liberties,
freedoms, colonies, Declaration of Independence, Common
Sense, Constitution, Articles of Confederation, Stamp Act,
Intolerable Acts, Townshend Acts, Boston Tea Party, Boston
Massacre

Content 2:
First, second, and third person; omniscient and limited
omniscient, narrative point of view, characterization

HOOK:

Describe how youd go about introducing this concept to your

students. You may use any of the strategies from Chapter 5, a
 childrens book, or any other ideas you have (Note: If you use the
childrens book idea, follow the directions below).

Who Dunnit?

The teacher will tell a murder mystery narrative. The teacher will
then split the class into groups, giving each group a different
perspective or clue of the crime. Based on the information each
group receives, the group predicts the events of the crime and
who committed it. Then groups will pair up and share their
information and make revisions to their prediction of the crime.
The teacher will conclude the story by revealing the events and
perpetrator of the crime. The teacher will then lead a discussion
into the importance of perspective in solving the case.

Example questions: What could have made predicting easier?

How has your new information changed your insight on the case?
How did collaborating perspectives lead to a better
understanding?
Why do we need to understand different perspectives?

This discussion would be continued in history class by

considering more perspectives and resources in a historical event
in an attempt to find truth. The discussion would be continued in
an English class by considering multiple characters perspectives
in understanding the same story.