Katie+Maltby+Week+7


 * Grade Level/Subject Area:** 10th Grade World History


 * Unit:** Post WWII and the Cold War


 * Lesson Topic:** The Thawing of the Cold War


 * Standard 8:** Recognize significant events and people from the post World War II and Cold War eras.

SS.912.W.8.5 Identify the factors that led to the decline and fall of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.


 * Objectives:**
 * SWBAT create a timeline correctly placing the governing of key historical figures and significant policies in time order.
 * SWBAT identify the factors that led to the decline and fall of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe through a creative project.
 * SWBAT create a digital story using Windows Movie Maker, to tell a first-person narrative from the point-of-view of a key political figure from the targeted era.


 * Lesson Overview:** To learn about the decline and fall of the Soviet Union, students will be asked to research several key political figures and the policies used to make this transition. Through a first-person narrative, students will be asked to tell the story from one of the key figure’s point-of-view by creating a digital story using Windows Movie Maker.


 * Procedures:**
 * 1) Anticipatory Set – To set the stage for the assignment, students will view an example of a digital story created using Windows Movie Maker. Through whole-group discussion, students will be asked to evaluate the benefits of learning historical information through this medium.
 * 2) Next, students will be presented with a list of key political leaders that contributed to the decline and fall of the Soviet Union and the policies each enacted. They will be given the option to work with one other person, however someone different from the previous lessons, to complete the remainder of the assignment.
 * 3) Through historical research using the class textbook and the Internet, students will be asked to create a timeline, putting the list of political leaders and policies in time order, accompanied by a description of the significance of each to the fall of the Soviet Union.
 * 4) Based on their findings, they will select one leader they would like to further research and tell his story through a digital story.
 * 5) Using a provided storyboard graphic organizer, students will complete a layout of graphics and words to be included in the story.
 * 6) Before they begin creating the story digitally, students will receive a "technology workshop" on how to use Windows Movie Maker.
 * 7) As students locate pictures, graphics, and research, they will be asked to continue bookmarking the sites using Delicious.
 * 8) While students are creating the digital story, the teacher will again act as facilitator and provide one-on-one help as needed.
 * 9) Specifiic requirements of the finished product will be outlined through a rubric the students will receive at the beginning of the lesson.
 * 10) When the digital stories are complete, they, too, will be uploaded to the unit wiki.


 * Technology:**
 * Computers
 * Internet
 * Windows Movie Make
 * Delicious
 * Wikispaces

To complete the assignment, students were given the option of whether or not to work with a partner. This will most likely be determined by their interpersonal and/or intrapersonal strengths. In addition, the teacher will provided one-on-one assistance where needed as students complete the assignment. Giving students the option to utilize technology creatively to tell a story is an accommodation in itself.
 * Accommodations for Diverse Learners:**


 * Assessment:**

Informal: Informal observations will continuously take place as students complete the assignment. Exit slips at the end of each class periods can be utilized to monitor progress being made and areas in need of further explanation or assistance.

Formal: After the digital stories have been uploaded to the class wiki, each project will be assessed based on the provided rubric. In addition, students will be asked to turn in the historical timeline completed during the first part of the lesson as an assignment grade. At the conclusion of the unit "scavenger hunt-type" questions will be created as students use the wiki posting to further learn key concept from the unit.