Melissa Merritt ITEC 8134 Fall 2012 Technology Based Module

Learning problem: Students of history often feel that they are bad at the subject due to past experiences in history classes where they have been primarily required to memorize names and dates and then they often have to take difficult multiple choice tests that do not adequately or authentically assess learning. These tests are more of a way to determine if memorization has taken place because the information is generally not presented in such a way as to provide it with context that is important to the learner and students are so overwhelmed with the data that they cannot retain it. It is important that history is presented as a story. It is so much more interesting and digestible when presented in this way. Historical aspects also should be related to each other and current situations so that students can relate to the information. In this online module, students will be presented with material and assessed according to the tenants of behaviorism. Good performances will be encouraged through positive reinforcement and the instructor will attempt to shape inadequate behavior into good through negative reinforcement. An online environment is an ideal atmosphere for this type of learning because the material is being presented in multiple ways, the learner can engage the material at his or her own pace, and there are multiple forms of assessment being applied to determine that learning and retention have occurred.

Design Documentation: Understanding by Design Instructional Design Model Title of Unit Curriculum Area World War II Grade Level 12 Two weeks

World History

Time Frame

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1) Content Standards Georgia Performance Standard - SSWH18 SWH18 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the global political, economic and social impact of World War II. a. Describe the major conflicts and outcomes including Pearl Harbor, El-Alamein, Stalingrad, D-Day, Guadalcanal, the Philippines, and the end of the war in Europe and Asia. b. Identify Nazi ideology, policies, and consequences which led to the Holocaust. c. Explain the military and diplomatic negotiations between the leaders of Great Britain (Churchill), the Soviet Union (Stalin), and the United States (Roosevelt/Truman) from Teheran to Yalta and Potsdam and the impact on the nations of Eastern Europe. d. Explain allied Post-World War II policies including formation of the United Nations, the Marshall Plan for Europe, and McArthur's plan for Japan.

Understandings Students will understand that World War II occurred largely as a result of the unfair peace negotiations with Germany in the Treaty of Versailles after World War I. Nazi ideology flourished and Hitler rose to power in Germany because the country had been devastated by the aftermath of World War I. Hitler was allowed to gain so much power and ground because of the policy of appeasement. Though Germanys actions caused the outbreak of the war, Italy and Japan had been doing bad things as well and greatly contributed to the war. Alliances shifted throughout the war and paranoia and fear outweighed trust.

The outcome of the war was tenuous throughout the entire process and came down to a series of battles won by the allied powers. After actual combat was over, problems and issues persisted and that led to the Cold War.

Essential Questions Why study World War II?

Where does the information about the war come from and how do we know its valid? Could World War II have been avoided? What long term affects does World War II have on the modern world if any?

What can we learn from World War II that could prevent the outbreak of World War III or other devastating conflicts? What was the post World War I world like? Why was Europe ripe for totalitarianism, fascism, and Nazism? What do followers of these ideologies believe? Who was Hitler and how did he come to power in Germany? Who was Mussolini and how did he come to power in Italy? Who was General Tojo and how did he come to power in Japan? What was the policy of appeasement? Who was allied with whom and why? What event caused the actual outbreak of the war? How did alliances shift throughout the war? What battles were significant to the outcome of the war? What was the Holocaust? What policies shaped the post-war world? How did the aftermath of the war lead to the outbreak of the Cold War?

Misconceptions: - Hitler was not the only antagonist in the war. - Though the Holocaust is a devastating blight on world history, it was not the only or main motivation for Hitlers policies.

- America was not entirely neutral in the war before their actual war declaration in 1941 Knowledge Students will know 1. 2. 3. Key terms, events, people, and battles in the war. The causes of the outbreak of the war. The atrocities committed during the Holocaust.

4. The consequence of the outbreak of the Cold War as a result of tenuous alliances throughout the war and during the peace settlement.

Skills Students will be able to 1. Explain how the uneven peace settlement of World War I led to the outbreak of World War II. 2. Explain how totalitarianism and leaders of the movement came to be so popular. 3. Interpret the common peoples acceptance of such policies through the perspective of people living at the time. 4. Explain how the war played out in terms of key battles.

5. See the Holocaust through the perspective of those who experienced it and empathize with the experience. 6. Explain the peace settlement.

7. Explain how shifting alliances and mistrust led to the outbreak of the Cold War. 8. Explain other long term consequences of the war.

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2) Performance Tasks:

Before the lecture and supplementary materials are presented, students will read Chapter 33, New Conflagrations: World War II, in their textbook.

The students will read an article entitled World War II that was written by Dr. Charles Thomas in the history department at Georgia Southern. This article very concisely and eloquently delineates the causes of and other significant factors involving the war. Students will summarize the contents of their readings in their own words in a 5 page summary. The goal of this assignment is to familiarize the students with the material so they will be more apt to remember it, so they can participate in class discussion, and as a means for the instructor to elicit performance and provide feedback. Students will watch a screencast lecture provided by instructor. Students will participate in an online discussion.

Students will create a project using Web 2.0 tools to indicate that learning has taken place. Students will write a 5 page reflection over the unit. Students will be given a quiz that they can take up to 3 times.

Other Evidence: - A test that consists of short answer, matching, and essay questions will be administered upon completion of the broader unit.

Learning Plan (Stage 3) Learning Activities: Read chapter in assigned textbook Read World War II Article Summarize the readings in a 5 page paper Watch a screencast of lecture material Participate in online class discussions Complete a Web 2.0 Project Take an online quiz

Gagnes Nine Events of Learning:

1. Gain Attention: The module will begin with a brief video clip to grab the attention of the students and to engage them.

2. Inform learners of the objective: This objective will be on the assignment page.

Objective:

To have students understand the origins of World War II and why it is significant to world history and the modern world as well.

To have students understand essential questions and big ideas in the unit: Why study World War II? How did World War I lead to World War II?

Where does the information about the war come from and how do we know its valid? Could World War II have been avoided? What long term affects does World War II have on the modern world if any?

What can we learn from World War II that could prevent the outbreak of World War III or other devastating conflicts?

Self Evaluation

Throughout the lesson and after, you should ask yourself the following questions:

Do I understand why World War II occurred and why its relevant to my life and the modern world? What questions or ambiguities are causing me concern? How does this unit connect to other leanings?

What follow up work do I need to do to make sure I understand this material? Am I doing the appropriate amount of work to keep up with class? Do I need to seek outside help?

3. Stimulate recall of prior learning: In a required, pre-arranged synchronous online chat, students will be asked to recall and explain the conditions in the world and especially in Germany after World War I that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War II.

4. Presenting the content: Students will read assigned material and listen to a screencast lecture.

5. Provide learner guidance: Students will be encouraged to e-mail the instructor with any questions, the instructor will participate in the online discussion to guide students, and an optional online chat will be offered for any students who have problems or questions.

6. Elicit performance: Students will be required to write a five page summary of the readings and to post on the discussion board. They will be required to address at least two of the following questions and reply in a substantive manner to at least two classmates posts:

How did World War I lead to World War II?

Where does the information about the war come from and how do we know its valid? Could World War II have been avoided? What long term affects does World War II have on the modern world if any?

What can we learn from World War II that could prevent the outbreak of World War III or other devastating conflicts?

7. Provide feedback: The instructor will comment on discussion posts, ask questions, help to guide the discussion, and provide comments on the students five page summary assignments.

8. Assess performance: Students will be required to use Web 2.0 technology tools for a project that they feel best indicates that they learned and understood the material being presented.

9. Enhance retention and transfer: At the end of the section on World War II, the students will be required to write a two page reflection over what they learned and also take an online quiz that they can take up to three times.

Justification:

This lesson plan has been created based upon the ideas of behaviorism which hold that a learners motivations and understandings cannot be known, but behaviors can be observed and data can be obtained to indicate whether or not learning has taken place. The desired operant behavior is that each learner does all of the tasks assigned to them and that the work is acceptable. However, some students operant behavior might be that they do little or unacceptable work, no work at all, or inaccurate work due to misunderstandings. A learners operant behaviors can be positively and negatively reinforced with stimuli in order to strengthen the performance of desired behaviors and limit or end the performance of undesirable behaviors. The lesson sets behavioral goals. These goals are that the students read the material, listen to the screencast lecture, write a summary paper, participate in discussions, create a Web 2.0 project, write a reflection paper, take an online quiz, and seek the assistance of the instructor if needed. The reinforcers are the positive or negative feedback that the students will receive from the instructor on their initial performance indicators that are not penalized, but help to indicate that the student has done the work and allow the instructor to elicit performance and provide feedback. The grades received on assignments also serve as reinforces. Other reinforcement will be a token economy as part of a classroom management plan. Students can earn extra credit points for exemplary work and these can be traded in at the end of each unit. However, there is a response cost because students can lose their points if they do not perform up to the standards set by the instructor. The procedures for changing behavior will be done through shaping as the instructor reinforces students as they are making their way to the desired behaviors. This module design does include some aspects of traditional test based assessment, but that is not the primary means of assessment. There are several types of assessment built into the lesson so that students can perform different types of behaviors that can be assessed to indicate that learning and retention have occurred. The instructor also has to take into consideration that the way in which

the material is being presented might need to be modified to help one or all of the students in the class. Therefore, another part of behaviorism is evaluating the progress of students and making revisions where necessary.

References: Driscoll, M.P. (2005). Psychology of learning for instruction (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Graham, George . (2010). Behaviorism. The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2010 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2010/entries/behaviorism/>. Standridge, M.. (2002). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved 11-08-12, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/