Ms.

Cooze Grade 10 American History Self-Directed Unit Overview

Self-Directed Unit
Purpose Students will engage in an exercise of Self-Directed Learning following an inquiry-based approach to history. Students will investigate special interest topics (as generated through their interests) covering the time period of roughly 1763-1880. Students will move through the four basic stages of self-directed learning and take responsibility for: a. Determining what they need to learn as specified in the curriculum and what is needed to answer their research question b. Identifying resources and how best to learn from these resources c. Using resources and research to support and report learning d. Assessing their progress in learning through assessment for, as, and of learning (defined below) Students will take the initiative and be largely responsible for seeing that they successfully complete their learning in a given area.

Components
Research Question : Inquiry involves engaging students in the research process and aims to build research skills in students. Students will generate their own research questions, based on their interests, which they will work towards answering. Example research questions students have investigated include: 1. What were the continuities and changes that settlers faced and to what extent did these changes transform life for people living in the Thirteen Colonies (1770-1861)? 2. To what extent does The American Civil War demonstrate the complexities of nation building and settle survival? How were Americans impacted by the Civil War? What repercussions did they face after the war? 3. What are the causes of the Louisiana Purchase and to what extent is this event historically significant in itself and its influence? 4. What were the origins of slavery and how were they altered during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade? To what extent did African slavery in the New World not allow for the development of the same sort of society that colonists were accustomed to in Europe? What were the short and long term consequences of American slavery?

Ms. Cooze Grade 10 American History Self-Directed Unit Overview

Must -Know s students will identify for their given time period the information as covered in the Manitoba Canadian History curriculum, along with any key terms needed to understand the content. The Must-Knows list will serve as the hub for the Self-Directed Unit. All projects and research must incorporate the must-knows. By the end of the unit, students will have covered all of the must-knows of the curriculum. Please note: each Must-Know must be covered at least once in the entire unit. a. Curricular topics - As outlined in the American History Curriculum. Examples include: the Continental Congress, Lexington and Concord, Civil War and borders, presidents, trans-Atlantic slave trade, etc. b. Key terms - Any terminology used in the curriculum and terminology necessary for covering student topics. Examples: red coats, mercenaries, three-fifths rule, Loyalists, federalism, embargo, Monroe Doctrine, Fugitive Slave Act, etc. Minor Projects Students are required to complete a minimum of 2 minor projects; however, they must cover all of their must-knows at least once throughout their projects. This may mean a student chooses to do 4 or more smaller assignments or 2 larger ones. Minor projects are any form of assessment that ordinarily occurs in the classroom. Examples include: a. Quizzes and tests d. Posters b. Reading responses e. Essays c. Reflections f. Powerpoints/ prezi Ie. A minor project remains within the walls of the classroom (the audience of the project is the instructor and/or fellow classmates) and allows the instructor to assess student understanding of their Must-Know topics. Major Project
The major project is major due to the scope. The major project leaves the walls of the classroom and includes an audience broader than the teacher and/or other students in the Canadian History course. Examples of major projects students have worked on include: 1. Self-publishing a childrens book and sharing it with an elementary school class 2. Creating a blog, website, or YouTube video launching it 3. Creating a cookbook of traditional food, through interviews and oral history, and sharing it with the public 4. Re-creating colonial clothing, through traditional techniques, and showcasing it at an exhibition 5. Writing an essay and submitting it for scholarly review and comment at a publishing house 6. Hosting a webinar 7. Writing an article for the school newspaper

Ms. Cooze Grade 10 American History Self-Directed Unit Overview The Major Project is defined by students, with guidance from the class and instructor, and will vary for each student.

The Experience
Part of inquiry-based learning involves recognizing the rich educational experiences and benefits that can come from experiences outside of the classroom (think of these as field trips). Learning in the field should be regarded as a process of creating meaning in real-life situations (Squire and Klopfer, 2007), encouraging reflection (Boud et al., 1985), and enabling learning through experience (Kolb, 1984). The field trip is unlike the controlled and planned environment of the classroom because responsibility falls to the student to guide their learning experience. Each student is required to complete a minimum of one experience. Examples of experiences include: 1. Viewing artifacts in a different cultural setting 2. Seeing museum exhibits unavailable in the classroom 3. Interviewing experts in the field (Skype interviews with university professors in the United States. 4. 5. 6. 7. Attending a university lecture or reading Attending cultural events Visiting a historic site in the United States Visiting the archives

Calendar
1. How the SDU will work: Students meet 6 times per 8 day cycle for class. The calendar can be found on the course website. These six days will be divided into 2 categories a. Crash Course Days: 1 day of the 6 days will be set aside for teacher-directed instruction on specific topics. These days will be posted on the calendar. These include: the Road to Revolution, Declaring Independence, The Birth of the Republic, The Civil War, and slavery b. SDU research time: students will have time to work on their projects, research, conduct interviews, and conference with the instructor. The calendar will fluctuate as students negotiate due dates, topics, and time frames. Updates will be made on the course website and master hardcopy calendar. It is crucial students check the course website for updates and changes.

Due dates
To be negotiated as a group and updated on the course website

Accountability
Students will brainstorm and negotiate how they will be kept accountable for submitting assignments on time. Examples include: Daily work logs, self-reporting to parents & guardians, daily/ weekly progress reports, mark penalties/ deductions, etc. Students will set and maintain their own due dates on a master calendar.

Ms. Cooze Grade 10 American History Self-Directed Unit Overview

Assessment The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. The first stage of the project requires students to draft their rubrics and specification sheets for their project(s) with teacher support and guidance. Having students involved in and direct their assessment provides more meaningful opportunities to engage with the material through critical analysis using the 6 historical thinking portals. Once student assignment outlines, rubrics, and specification sheets have been approved, students then begin working to complete their projects. Late mark penalties (as outlined in the Student Handbook) will apply. Students will cover the 3 types of assessment: a. Assessment of learning: refers to the process of judging the quality of student learning on the basis of established criteria and assigning a value to represent that quality. Ie. Assignments that are marked. b. Assessment as learning: Provides some mechanism (interviews, drafts, minutes of group meetings, bench mark activities, etc.) to help students monitor their progress within the course and promotes reflection. Ie. Students reflect upon how they learn. c. Assessment for learning: Allows the instructor to determine where learners are in their learning, establish what needs to be done to get learners to where they need to be, and establish where learners are headed. Ie. An ongoing process where instructors determine student understanding.