Aussie+Land


 * Lesson Plan**: Ello My Influential Mates!

7th Grade Social Studies


 * Amount of Time**: 90 Minutes


 * Class Size**: 25


 * Location**: Australia


 * North Carolina Standard Course of Study Objective**: 8.01 Describe the role of key historical figures and evaluate their impact on past and present societies Africa, Asia, and Australia.

After this lesson SWBAT: 1. Identify key historical figures in Australia's politics, pop culture, and athletics. 2. Use research strategies to gather information on historical figures. 3. Compare and contrast the attributes of the historical figures. 4. Determine the qualifications of being an influential person, and how it differs from the qualifications of the United States.
 * Goal(s)**:


 * Materials/Technology Required**:
 * Class Textbook
 * 1:1 Laptop
 * Poster board, Colored Pencils, Markers (optional)

Given Internet Website Resources:
 * National Library of Australia - http://www.nla.gov.au/oz/histsite.html
 * U.S Department of State (Australia) - http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2698.htm
 * 200 Significant Australians - http://www.whitehat.com.au/australia/people/People200.asp
 * Commemoration of Historic Events and Famous People in Australia http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/programs/chefp/index.html
 * Famous Australians - ttp://www.aussieeducator.org.au/reference/general/famousaustralians.html


 * Procedures**:
 * **Ice-breaker** (5-10 minutes):
 * Share my photos and experiences from when I went to Australia, which was summer after seventh grade.
 * Talk about some of the language differences and similarities.
 * Students are to questions and comments.
 * **Introduction** to a variety of Historical Figures from the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st Centuries (20 minutes):
 * I will present a power point presentation on several key figures from the centuries mentioned above. Information will include:
 * Where did they come from? (background information:birth place, birth date, death (if applicable), family, education, interesting facts), What did they look like? What did they do? How were they thought of then? How are they thought of now? How do they relate to some of the United States key figures in history?
 * To start off I will open the power point with famous figures that are known in today's society from Australia to peek the student's interest. Examples: Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban, Russell Crowe, and Heath Ledger. Next, I will dive into various figures of Australia's past.
 * I will review with the students why these figures are so important no only to that time period, but also in today's society, pinpointing the major headings I centered my research on will lead to the group activity.
 * **Activity** (50 minutes):
 * Purpose: To have students work collaboratively in groups by gathering research and creating a presentation on a historical Australian figure.
 * Students will be split up into groups of five (assigned by me). They are allowed to pick any historical figure from the 18th and 19th century with my approval. Research can be done through the textbooks and the websites I have provided, as well as any other websites they find useful (as long as it is reliable).
 * Each group has the option of chosing between a Power Point Presentation, Poster Board, Voki, Presi, or a Voice Thread. Each must include background information, their influence on past and present societies (Australia and United States), images/pictures.
 * I will give examples of each to give students an idea of what I am looking for as well as a rubric.
 * Students will have 3 days in class to complete this assignment, and it is up to them how much time they will spend time on it outside of class.
 * **Presentations** (5 - 7 minutes)
 * Each group will have five to seven minutes to present their project. Each member of the group must participate.
 * **Assessment**:
 * Students will be assessed on the information they gather during the research process of their project, as well as how much they contribute to their group (Peer reviews will be given once all of the presentations are over) 30%. They will also be assessed on how they present their project (hows its delivered, do they cover all the information, do they read straight from the power point, note card, etc, do they keep the audience engaged, do they make good eye contact, etc) 70%.


 * Lesson Narrative:**

I chose to focus on this particular objective because I have been to Australia, but I realized I knew nothing about the historical figures. All I remember is the beautiful lush land, the clear blue waters, and endless amount of wild life, plant life, and marine life. I want to share with my students my adventures and experiences as a way of introducing the subject matter, therefore I decided to share my photos and explain my time in Australia.

In every country there are historical figures that have some how influences the past and present societies, and to peek my students' interests I decided to start with a few familiar Australian faces such as Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Keith Urban. Of course these people are well know for being celebrities, but I think it is an great way to intrigue students on the subject matter because it is relatable. Next, I will move on to famous people who are known for more than their acting and singing abilities. I will present a variety of influential people from the 18th, 19th, and 20 centuries explaining their background and roles that led them to being so well know. I will also include pictures and maps to give my students a visual representation. After I have finished my slide-slow, I want to review with my students the importance of studying and learning about historical figures because without them who knows where Australia might be or the United States for that matter.

I want my students to be imaginative and creative as possible, and that is why I will give them the option of choosing between one of these methods of presenting: power point, poster board, voki, presi, or a voice thread. Students will work collaboratively in groups assigned by me to research and create their presentation. Students will have their textbooks as a resources, as well as the internet. I have provided several websites that should help guide them in the process of finding information. My presentation prior to the introduction of the activity will serve as a guideline to what I want students to do with their presentations. However, I will show several examples from each method of presenting to show students an idea of what I want their presentation to look like and include.

I will assess students based on peer reviews given by their group at the end of the presentation as well as how much they participate in the presenting of their historical figure. I will also assess students based on the quality of information they have gathered, and how well they represented their historical figure. My end goal is for students to understand that their are historical figures not only in the United States, but around the world. Also, that these figures not only have an influence on one area, but can effect the whole world.