Lesson Plan Template Candidate Name: Mike Womack

UNIT NAME
Freakonomics

LESSON NAME Time Needed (Hours/Days)

Six Hats Introduction to Freakonomics One and a half class period/90 mins.

Grade Subject Course

10th English TAG Literature/Composition

STANDARDS/ELEMENTS: CCGPS, GPS/GSE (where applicable) and TAG Standards

STANDARDS:
 ELACC9-10RL1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly
as well as inferences drawn from the text.
 ELACC9-10L5: Analyze how an author’s choice concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and
manipulate time create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
 ELACC9-10SL3: Evaluate and/or reflect on a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric, identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
 ELACC9-10SL5: Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

TAG STANDARDS:
Higher Order Critical Thinking Skills
1. The student asks probing, insightful, and relevant questions.
2. The student responds to questions with supporting information that reflects in-depth knowledge of a topic.
6. The student extrapolates verbal-linguistic (e.g., analogies) and visual-spatial patterns (e.g., tessellations) to
determine relationships.
7. The student examines an issue from more than one point of view.
9. The student identifies stereotypes, biases, and prejudices in one’s own reasoning and that of others.
10. The student distinguishes between assumptions, inferences, and conclusions.
11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant information.
14. The student identifies and illustrates basic principles and the foundational concepts that are central to
understanding the essence of a field of study.
15. The student recognizes that the responsibility to examine and challenge existing ideas and theories is an ongoing
process.

ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:

The study of human behavior is a study of economics. Nearly all people respond to incentives at some level and
understanding this behavior can help us understand.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION(s)
Clearly stated, Specific, Unambiguous, Detailed
What should students know, understand, and be able to do when lesson is completed?
 In what ways do e respond to incentives in your lives?

TEACHER LESSON PREPARATION

Students will have access to the book Freakonomics but will not have read any of the text. Teacher will
have video clips prepared ahead of class as well as table preparation for the six hats.

ACTIVATING STRATEGY
Contains one of these in a well-developed, clearly explained format: related pre-assessment, motivating introductory activity
(hook or mini-lesson), opportunity for students to link content to prior knowledge and interests, an advanced organizer, and/or
clearly stated learning expectations using related focusing and guiding questions

Notes:
 Students are seated in tables of 4
 Text in bold = teacher words
 Text in italics = actions/directions
Time
Indicated time to the right may be adjusted while teaching based on need and necessity
Teacher will show class the Golden Ticket Assignment Pass. Students are familiar with these
from the beginning of the school year. The GTAP allows them the opportunity to submit an
assignment one day late without penalty.

T: “I have one free Golden Ticket Assignment Pass for someone in this room. Who wants it?”

It is assumed all students will ask for the ticket. 5 min

T: “What are you will to do or give me for this ticket?” Teacher will continue entertaining
offers until the best offer is reached.

Instructional Sequence and Activities including use of technology

Includes all essential aspects of strategy, demonstrating clear understanding of how to use the strategy.
The procedures are well-scripted and very clear.
Technology is utilized efficiently, seamlessly, and creatively
Notes:
 Students are seated in tables of 4
 Text in bold = teacher words Time
 Text in italics = actions/directions
 Indicated time to the right may be adjusted while teaching based on need and necessity

T: At your tables, I need you to assign one the following four portions of text to each group
member. Once everyone at your table has completed the reading, we’ll share our
information with the other members of the table using a mini version of our Three Levels of
Text Protocol. For the protocol, we’ll modify each of the three rounds to one minute per
speaker.

Teacher will project Three Levels of Text Protocol on the board with the following page
numbers. Each student will read one of the four section. This protocol has been used in class on
multiple occasions before and students are familiar with the directions:
  p. 1 “Anyone living in the U.S….”  p. 5 “…as a cause? Zero.” 25 min.
 p. 5 “It is the quintessential…”  p. 8 “…to do otherwise.”
 p. 8 “Of all the truisms…”  p. 11 “…year on chewing gum.”
 p. 11 “This isn’t a book…”  p. 14 “…have in common?”

T: So the chapter ends with this question asking what these seemingly random grouping of
ideas have in common. We’ll watch this clip to get a better understanding of what
Freakonomics is about.
8 min.

Play this clip explaining the overall clip introducing Freakonomics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1YjkXGxbT0&list=PLBD4E8D68EB4706F5&index=16 with
brief debrief after watching, taking time to answer questions that might arise.

T: In the spirit of Freakonomics, we’re going to watch one more clip that pairs two
uncommon elements.
Play this clip comparing crime rates and abortion: 7 min.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6gOeggViw&index=4&list=PLBD4E8D68EB4706F5

T: Hanging on the walls around the room, you’ll notice 6 giant post-it notes with a color
written on each and a brief description of what each station requires. In groups of 5-6
people, you will rotate from each station and respond on the paper. Don’t move until give
directions to do so.
30 min.
Students will move into six groups and participate in the Six Thinking Hats activity answering
the following questions:
White – Facts: What information is known or is needed?
Yellow – Optimism: Explore the positives and probe for value and benefit
Black – Judgment: Play the devil’s advocate. Spot the difficulties and dangers
Red – Feelings: Express emotions and feelings and share fears, likes, dislikes, loves, and hates
Green – Creativity: Examine possibilities, alternatives, and new ideas.
Blue – Thinking Process: Explain your thinking process while reading and decoding the
presented information

Students will then join together for a discussion of the Freakonomics video Crime Rates and
Abortion. 15 min

Whole Group Questions:

Based on the evidence in the video, do you believe that there is a correlation between the
two uncommon elements?

What assumptions do the authors of Freakonomics make about between crime and
abortion?

Do the authors have any persuasive or ulterior motives in their research?

How do incentives function in this clip?

Assessment Strategies
Assessment is all of these: aligned to the essential question(s), includes either informal or formal assessment of student learning,
and any assessment tools or questions used are included
Informal assessment: Students will discuss their perceptions of the video and, more specifically, the
causality between the decrease in crime and the legalization of abortion?

Informal assessment: Students written responses in the Six Hats wall charts.

Differentiation
Lesson is clearly differentiated for gifted learners by use of one or more of the following: acceleration, extensions, enrichment,
tiered activities.
Lesson incorporates concepts, principles, cognitive skills, and methodologies that can be transferred across disciplines.
Activities require students to analyze, synthesize, and/or evaluate.

Because of the nature of this volatile topic, this chapter received large amounts of feedback after
publication. Students who are interested in furthering their understanding of the presented material may
choose to find additional research and responses directly related to this chapter of Freakonomics to
present to the class or in a written report.

Materials/Links/Text References/Resources - Thorough

Freakonomics Book
Digital listing of page numbers from reading selections in Freakonomics
Clip 1 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1YjkXGxbT0&list=PLBD4E8D68EB4706F5&index=16
Clip 2 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zk6gOeggViw&index=4&list=PLBD4E8D68EB4706F5
Hanging post-its with 6 Thinking Hats directions
Markers for writing on hanging post-its