Introduction to the Teacher Materials

All of the unit plans which follow from the teacher page are organized in a similar fashion. Each page begins with the set of Oregon Common Curriculum Goals (CCGs) that are addressed in the unit. While these may not apply in other states, they may be a help to teachers in Oregon, and I had to show their connection to the curriculum anyway, so here they are. In the future, I hope to post the national standards in history which are addressed in each unit, but haven't had the time yet to do so.

After the CCGs, the specific content goals of the unit are stated. These are the important concepts that students are expected to master in the unit. Following these content goals, the various resources used to convey the content knowledge are listed by category (reading, video, link, other). Finally, below each resource , I've listed some teaching strategies and assignments that might be used to have students become engaged with the material. Most of these assignments and activities are themselves the assessment for students' mastery of the material.

In the parentheses that follow the labeling of each type of assignment or activity (Individual assignment, Small group activity, Whole-class discussion, etc.) I have also listed the different intelligences required for completion of the task. These labels draw from the work of Howard Gardner and his theory of Multiple Intelligences. Most of the assignments require work at levels of Bloom's Taxonomy beyond the first level of knowledge. Instructors may wish to add some work at this level (memorization of definitions, dates, names, etc.), but I am confident that students who can successfully complete the tasks described in the unit plans can also demonstrate lower levels of thinking. (See bibliography below for more information regarding Multiple Intelligences, brain-compatible education, teaching methods, and assessment)

Bibliography

Armstrong, Thomas. Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Alexandria, Virginia. 1994.

Armstrong, Thomas. 7 Kinds of Smart: Identifying and Developing Your Many Intelligences. Plume. New York. 1993.

Campbell, Linda; Cambell, Bruce; and Dickinson, Dee. Teaching & Learning through Multiple Intelligences. Allyn & Bacon. Needham Heights, Massachusettes. 1996.

Fried, Robert L. The Passionate Teacher: A Practical Guide. Beacon Press. Boston. 1995.

Gardner, Howard. The Unschooled Mind: How Children Think & How Schools Should Teach. Basic Books. New York. 1991.

Gardner, Howard. Multiple Intelligences: The Theory in Practice. Basic Books. New York. 1993.

Healy, Jane M. Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think and What We Can Do About It. Simon & Schuster. New York. 1990.

Kovalik, Susan. ITI: The Model Integrated Thematic Instruction. Susan Kovalik & Associates. 1994.

Olsen, Karen D. Synergy: Transforming America's High Schools Through Integrated Thematic Instruction. Susan Kovalik & Associates. 1995.