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Lesson
Plan implementing Inspiration 8 software Supplemented with
informational software: His Name Was
Lincoln
Grade:
Eight Subject: Unit: Causes
of the Civil War Topic: Time: Three
fifty-minute class periods This
lesson integrates Inspiration 8 software
into instruction and assessment as a way to guide students in their
comprehension and organization of new information using a visual model/diagram. It also demonstrates how to utilize a
multimedia program such as His Name Was
Lincoln in a way that enhances, rather than clutters, the curriculum (Alignment with State of CT Social Studies Standards). Embedded in a unit covering causes of the
Civil War, this lesson challenges students to decipher the political side of
the story by forming their own opinions based on excerpts of the delegates’
speeches. Political agendas, especially
those from a different culture and time, are often difficult to follow and
understand. The integration of graphic
organizers using Inspiration 8
software will guide students as they form statements and opinions on what
they see and hear in His Name Was
Lincoln. While this
is a lesson for U.S. History, the organizers it includes are intentionally
basic so that beginners can see how adaptable Inspiration 8 software is in the content areas. Inspiration.com
offers content rich resources for use with the software including lesson plans that align
with curriculum standards (these are only teasers for what you can
purchase from the site). In addition
to the resources provided in this lesson, the software’s own step-by-step
tutorial is a great place to start if you are thinking about how to integrate
Inspiration 8 into your
classroom. Enjoy! LESSON
OBJECTIVES:
Students will be able to… Content Area: …draw out an agenda/position from
political discourse. …relate political
agendas/positions of the mid-1800s to causes of the Civil War. Inspiration Software: …organize their thoughts using a
prescribed template. …defend a position by creating a
simple multi-media diagram. 2-3 days in the computer lab Computers with sound, CD-Rom,
and internet capabilities Headphones for each computer Inspiration 8 software
loaded on all computers His Name Was Print-outs of City Template for each student Projector and master computer
with whiteboard or Smartboard® Directions for creating Political Opinion Diagram Initiation: 1) Introduce topic by projecting a video clip from His Name Was Lincoln Volume 1. Going through this process on a projected
screen will help students to navigate His
Name Was Lincoln on their own. Load disc. -Open chapter
four: Abraham Lincoln is the first and
only choice -Click on
the Scholar’s View button -Choose The crowd in the debates under Holzer. Video that
plays will be less than a minute long. 2) Get discussion going by having students compare
political debates they have seen from today with the loud hecklers in the
days of Lincoln and Douglas. Sample
guiding questions: What do debates look and sound like today? What did Holzer
say about what they looked and sounded like in the mid-1800s? Why do you think that in just 150 years
they are so different? Which would you
prefer to see and why? 3) Introduce content objectives of the lesson & access
debate section of program: -Click the
CHAPTER 4 button from SCHOLAR’S VIEW screen -Click on
the middle icon to access the debates Development of
lesson:
4) Have students load their CDs, open chapter four and
click the middle icon Read aloud
the introduction as students follow along.
Return to discussion, this time getting students to think about causes
of the Civil War (note-taking recommended). Sample
guiding questions: Based on notes we have taken so far about causes of the
Civil War, what do you think Lincoln and Douglas will be debating about? This is a
Senate race, how is that different from a Presidential race? Click around
on different cities to show students what they will see when they go on their
own. When this is
done, have students back up from their computers. 5) Introduce Inspiration
8 objectives and display the City Template on
the screen. Click around as students watch. Describe what the template will be used for and read directions to students –
demonstrate how to use the template as you go. 6) Have students open Inspiration
8 and access the template (saved where you choose). Give them a few minutes to click around and
ask questions about the directions.
Circulate to answer questions, encourage students to ask each other
questions about how to use the software.
Send students who are easily navigating the template to assist
others. When done with this part of
the lesson, have students close Inspiration 8. 7) Have students return to His Name Was Lincoln and access the debates by clicking on the
middle icon and past the introduction.
Assign students in pairs or triplets (depending on
numbers) to listen to the debates of one city. Handout City Guide
and go through the directions with the class before releasing them to work. 8) When students finish filling in the City Template on the computer. Give them the Multimedia sheet that guides them to
insert pictures and sound. 9) Tell
students to: SAVE YOUR WORK!!! 10) A student representative from each
group will share with the class what they discovered about Lincoln and
Douglas in each city. Students will
take notes about the different debate points from each city that their classmates
share. 11) Hand out the Political Opinion Guide and go through
the directions with the class. From here students will create their own diagrams. You or other tech-savvy students can
circulate to help those struggling with creating the diagram. Everyone will do something different with
their diagram, but do not let students get carried
away with time. Remind them that they
need to finish by the end of the class period or by a certain time the next
day. Closure 12) Have students share their
finished diagrams with each other and have them comment on how each student
used Inspiration software
differently. 13) Show the class a final video to
close the lesson: Load His Name Was
Lincoln, access chapter four, and click on SCHOLAR’S VIEW. Choose WHO WON THE
DEBATES? under McPherson. The video will last less than a
minute. Extend class discussion by
asking: Who would you have voted for and why? Challenge students to support their answers
with evidence applied in the Political
Opinion Diagram Assessment of the first diagram,
City Template, will be informal. If there is any question about students’
participation in that part of the lesson, a version their diagram is under
their full name and city in the class period’s folder for evaluation. Assessment of the final Political Opinion Diagram, will be
formal and the rubric from the Political Opinion Guide is below: Rubric Content 0-10 10: Evidence
matches information from debates.
Information from previous classes used to support answer. Answer is clearly spoken and
well-supported. 8: Evidence
matched information from debates.
Answer is clearly spoken and well-supported. 6: Some
evidence matches information from debates, some does not apply. Answer is clearly spoken
and adequately supported. 4:
Limited evidence. Answer is not clearly
spoken and is poorly supported. 2:
Little to no evidence. Answer is not clearly
spoken and is not supported. 0:
Incomplete Diagram 0-5 5: Has an
easy-to-follow structure, colors that identify relationships between ideas,
and appropriate pictures 4: Has an
easy-to-follow structure, no color changes, and appropriate pictures 3: Has a
good structure, but the colors either distract or do not make sense in the
structure. It has one of two assigned
pictures. 2: Structure
is hard to follow because of color choices and design. It has one of two assigned pictures. 1: Structure
is hard to follow because of color choices and design. No pictures. 0:
Incomplete Total possible points = 15 Leads students
through the audio of the debates with guiding questions A blank template for students to
fill-in before they go electronic Directions
on how to add pictures and voice to the City Template Leads
students to create their own diagram on Inspiration
8 A sample of what students’
diagrams could look like |
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| Review of His Name Was Lincoln | Lesson plan for Inspiration
8 Software © D. Tager | Last Revised |
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