Italy

Gallivant to Italy on a Gondola Ride!


 * Instructor**: Ms. Kay Balagtas
 * Subject**: 6th Grade Social Studies
 * Class Period**: 55 minutes


 * Location**: Italy
 * Introduction**: Bordered by France, Austria, Switzerland, and Slovenia, The Italian Republic –commonly known as Italy – is a peninsula in southern Europe. While Milan, Rome, and Naples are Italy’s major cities, the Vatican City and San Marino are independent states located within Italy. In terms of history, Greece is seen as the pioneers of civilization in Europe; however, Italy was the dwelling of the continent’s most powerful empire. After the collapse of the empire, Italy continues to remain a crucial influence not only in Europe, but the world today. The following lesson will be taught once students have been introduced to the geography and other physical characteristics of Italy.


 * Objective**
 * 4.03** Examine key ethical ideas and values deriving from religious, artistic, political, economic, and educational traditions, as well as their diffusion over time, and assess their influence on the development of selected societies and regions in South America and Europe.


 * Goals**
 * As a result of this lesson, students will be able to:**
 * Locate Italy on a map
 * Investigate Italy’s cultural and political traditions
 * Identify factors that have influenced Italy’s values and how they have changed over time

**Materials**
 * Journal/paper/pen/pencil
 * 6th Grade Social Studies Textbook
 * Canoe/Kayak
 * 1:1 computer access
 * Doc Com
 * Handout of flowchart for presentations
 * Poster paper to create timelines/markers


 * Procedures**

//1. Hook// [6 minutes] – · “WELCOME TO ITALY” will be written on the board. · I will use the doc cam to display a large image of an Italian gondola passageway on the overhead screen. I will be dressed up as the typical gondola “driver”, in a striped shirt, black pants, and a hat with a ribbon. I actually have a kayak that I would like to bring in and place in the middle of the classroom, which will suffice for a GONDOLA. (Disclaimer- gondola rides are common only in Venice, but I feel as if this hook would really grab students’ attentions.) · I will prompt students to close their eyes and imagine that they are in the gondola exploring Italy. Then, they will freewrite in their journals, including a brief itinerary of what sites they would see along their gondola ride, as well as any activities that they would like to do.

//2. Class Discussion// [7 minutes]- · I will encourage students to share their freewrites. We will make connections between each student’s reflections and how their perceptions of Italy influenced their responses.

//3. Minilesson// [12 minutes] – · Teacher-centered presentation regarding key facts, such as location history, etc., using this website: [] (Students will follow along with their laptops.)

//4. Group Activity// [30 minutes]- · The class will be split into five groups. · Each group will be assigned a specific aspect of Italy: o art, religion, politics, economy, and educational traditions. · Through internet research (WebQuest), students are to investigate their assigned topic, how it has changed over time, and its’ influence on Italy, and society in general, in terms of ethical standards that Italy may have. · Using the provided poster paper and markers, students will construct a timeline of demonstrating the changes throughout time of their particular topic.

**Assessment:** With a creative visual, such as posters, Prezi, or powerpoint, groups will present their timelines and research to the class using a creative visual. [On a handout, students will fill in a chart with each category - art, religion, politics, economy, education - as groups are presenting.] · Group grades will be based on delivery, engagement, accuracy, and creativity. · //Reflection:// //Once all the groups have presented, I would like students to write a letter to me, reflecting on how each groups’ presentation topics helped shape Italy’s ethical ideas and values.//

Although I will be student-teaching a seventh grade class, I immediately knew that I wanted to do a lesson plan on a place in Europe (which is taught in the sixth grade). There are, indeed, many fascinating places in the world, but Italy just stands out to me. My original focus was only on Rome, because the Vatican City is of great importance to me, but after flipping through a social studies textbook, I realized that the entire country of Italy is just fabulous. When I think about Italy, I can’t help but think about Italian food (yum!), fashion, soccer, Gladiators, and beautiful scenery and priceless landmarks. The countless topics that are associated with Italy fascinates me, and I am thrilled about fusing my interest with the country’s geography, culture, and cities into the classroom. The lesson plan above is relevant to the sixth grade social studies curriculum because Objective 4.03 focuses on ethical ideas and values’ diffusion over time, in terms of religion, art, politics, economics, and education. Through this lesson, students will be given the opportunity to become exposed to Italy’s culture, values, and its’ influence.
 * __Narrative Lesson__**

As soon as students enter my classroom door, I would like for them to imagine that they are stepping into a gondola ride into Italy. The image of a passageway on the board, my authentic Venetian gondola driver attire, as well as an actual “gondola”’ in the middle of the classroom will hopefully spark the fire, as students will free-write in their journals for six minutes, regarding a brief itinerary of things to do and places to see in Italy. After we have shared free-writes in a class discussion, I would like to address any connections between the students’ itineraries and any prevalent themes throughout their writings, which will be an allotted seven minuets.

This will lead into a mini-lesson, in which I will engage students with a brief twelve-minute presentation, pertaining Italy’s culture and how it has been shaped by many factors. The Catholic Church, local traditions, and regional geography are among the factors that have influenced Italy. I will use this website [] to discuss key facts regarding Italy’s location, history, etc., while students will follow along with their individual laptops. The “Sightseeing Guide” is a great interactive tool for students to catch a glimpse of some of Italy’s cities. I would also like to use our classroom textbook to supplement my lesson regarding the cultural traditions of Italy.

We will then transition into a thirty-minute group activity, in which the class will be split into five groups. Each group will be assigned a certain topic to engage in research: Italian art, religion, politics, economy, and educational traditions. Through internet research (WebQuest), students are to investigate their assigned topic, how it has changed over time, and its’ influence on Italy, and society in general, in terms of ethical standards that Italy may have. Students must portray how their topic has changed over time through a timeline that they will construct on the provided poster paper.

I will continuously walk around the classroom and appear approachable, in case students need my help with their research. Depending on productivity, I may delegate roles for each individual (i.e.: timekeeper, notetaker, etc). On the following day, groups will present their timelines and research to the class using a creative visual, such as a posterboard, Prezi, powerpoint, to aide their findings and presentation. As groups are presenting, the audience will fill in a chart with each category: art, religion, politics, economy, and education. Group grades will be based on delivery, engagement, accuracy, and creativity. After presentations, I would like to wrap up the lesson reiterating the importance of each of the factors (as presented by the groups) in the overall make-up of Italy today. Students will reflect on Italy’s ethical ideas and values and how they were derived from each of the factors, in a letter that they will write to me.