As for the higher-order intellectual achievements, mastery will be displayed when the students can evaluate the reasons behind the decisions made by these historical figures, and then to assess whether they were good or bad decisions, effective or ineffective. For example, the students will have met this objectives when they can answer a series of questions such as: "How would you describe the way Kennedy presents his call for equality in public places to the American people? Was it a good strategy? Why or why not?" Students should be able to engage with the material and form their own opinions as to right and wrong -- not empty opinions but informed ones. Finally, the teacher will have achieved his or her goals if the students are able to go beyond simply repeating the statements of the historians in the secondary sources and assess the biases and viewpoints of these authors.
Making the material accessible and personally relevant to the students is an essential objective of the Unit Plan. The teacher will do this by using a multi-media, multi-dimensional approach. He or she will assign not only secondary-source readings but primary sources such as newspapers and documents including media other than print. For example, videos of TV news broadcasts...
Students can connect with this material not only by consuming it but by interacting with it and creating their own versions; for example, they can write and stage their own mock TV news broadcasts, or write their own news accounts in the style of the period.
The use of technology is key in creating a multi-faceted, dynamic learning environment for this American Social Studies unit. Audio-visual input supplements the written word and makes the material more vital and present for the students, leading them to relate the events of the past to the present and to appreciate their influence on the students' lives and social environments.
Works Cited
Bloom, B.S., Engelhart, M.D., Furst, E.J., Hill, W.H., & Krathwhol, D.R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals, handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: Longmans.
Gagne, R. (1985). The conditions of learning (4th edition). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
Peterson, P.L., Clark, C.M., & Dickson, W.P. (1990). Educational psychology as a foundation in teacher education: Reforming an old notion. Teachers College Record, 91(3), 322-346.
