LESSON TWO ... PUZZLING THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT

Standard/Unit Goal:

What are the historical circumstances of the Arab-Israeli Conflict? How can student collaboration lead to a community of inquiry?

Performance Objective:

(What will the students know and/or be able to do by the end of this lesson?)

Given the historical event of the Arab-Israeli Conflict, students will demonstrate their understanding of the historical circumstances through blogging their findings in order to contribute to the completion of the 8-piece puzzle.

Prerequisites:

(How can we connect prior learning and be sure students have the knowledge necessary for success?)

Students will have a complete understanding of how to create their own blog. Students will also be proficient in the use of APPARTS worksheets. Students will also have a thorough understanding of the belief systems of Judaism and Islam.

Cue set:

(How will I motivate the students to learn and focus them on the goal?)

I will ask students to count from one to eight around the room. I will then ask them to get into groups by number, for example all of the "one's" are one group, the "two's" are another, etc. I will then give each group a puzzle piece which contains the name of the group to which they correspond. The eight groups are:

1. The Roots of Anti-Semitism

2. Carving Up the Empire

3. Zionism and the Holy Land

4. World War Two and the Holocaust

5. The State of Israel

6. Wars in the Holy Land

7. Attempts at Peace

8. The Holy Land Today

Each group will be given a puzzle piece with the name of their group on it, and they all will be asked to put the puzzle together physically. After the puzzle is put together, it is flipped over and it says "The Historical Puzzle of the Arab-Israeli Conflict."

Best Shot:

(What is the best way to teach the most new material to the most students in an actively engaging manner? What two modes am I using to reach various learning styles?)

1. Students will be guided to the Arab-Israeli Conflict WIKI page UNIT_TWO_..._THE_ARAB-ISRAELI_CONFLICT, where they will be asked to enter, and read their task and process. I will give students 10-15 minutes to read this.

2. I will then have them all access the evaluation piece, which is the same for each group. I will then read it aloud as I show it on the projection screen.

3. I will ask students to begin their process. Students will be given five class periods on reasearching their piece of the puzzle.

Guided Practice:

(While students are actively practicing/using their new knowledge, can I assess their understanding of the content?)

I will facilitate student's research while formatively assessing each student's progress.

Closure:

(Am I closing the lesson so that every student is engaged, and is demonstrating new learning they have acquired?)

At the close of each class period of research, I will remind students that they will have to post a blog entry on thier progress, respond to two other blogs, and engage each reply to their own blog each night.

Independent Practice:

(Are the students being held accountable for new learning?)

Students are expected to work on their process outside of class. They are also expected to collaborate nightly through the use of their blog entries.

Adaptations/Enrichments/Extensions:

(Have I accounted for the special needs of my students on all ends of the learning spectrum?)

Formal Assessment:

(Is my formal assessment aligned with my lesson goals and standards?)

Students will be assessed based on their evaluations, as well as their ability to present their findings as a group, telling the whole story of their puzzle piece.

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