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current topic:
Point A: Most if not all of my students have a very limited understanding of the Cold War and the events that led up to it. History courses are generally accustomed to covering topics that are not as recent as the Cold War. Aspects of the Cold War that students may not be as familiar with are the international diplomatic/political policies and idelologies of countries such as the United States, the Soviet Union, China and Korea. In addition students may not understand how these differnet ideologies came into conflict and they may have misconceptions about communism, socialism, democracy and capitalism. The topic of the Cold War is extremely relevent today due to the United States' current conflict with Irag and North Korea's recent development of nuclear weapons. Because the topic fits into our countries current real-life circumstance I think the topic will be of great interest to my students, particularly in regards to the arms race and the conflict between socialism and democracy and America's fear of communism (similar to America's fear of terrorism today). In order to further understand my students knowledge base I will use the K-W-L technique. This will allow me to have a concrete observable measure of what my students already know, what they are interested in learning and eventually what they have actually learned as a result of the lesson. The K-W-L technique will also allow me to see many of the students misconceptions right from the start and in turn I will be able to clear them up as soon as possible in order for them to have a better understanding of the truth.
Point B: The test for this unit will be the final assesment of the students understanding of this topic (The Cold War). However it is not always true that the test is an accurate reflection of the students knowledge of material. If students are not satisfied with their test grade they will have the option of writing a 5 page research paper on The Cold War in order to recieve a maximum of ten points added to thier test score. The most important aspect of the unit is that students understand the larger principles that motivated and sustained The Cold War. All students should have an accurate understanding of various forms of government and the economies they subscribe to. Basic factual knowledge can not be replaced and students will be able to identify the various individuals involved in The Cold War and what countries they represented. To give me a better understanding of how well the students learned the material the final stage (L) in the K-W-L technique will be used. Two days prior to the test students will be given time at the end of class to write down what they have learned (as much as possible - but place more emphasis on the big picture). On the day before the test (which will be dedicated to a review session of the material) I will go over the "L" responses and clear up any misconceptions or discuss various topics for further clarity.
Students and Parents can contact Mr. Padilla at:
1-570-208-5900 ext. 1111
jpadilla@kings.edu