Sable Parker

4/29/15
LT 3120
Learning Environment Portfolio

Learning Environment: For this unit, the Civil War will be discussed. As this is an eighth grade
history class, the state of Georgia requires that eighth graders are taught Georgia history. This
subject is important to the learning environment because it changed the face of America and so it
is necessary for the students to learn about this topic.
Physical Environment: Within my classroom, there arent many learning centers due to the fact
that I am only teaching one subject throughout the year. I have utilized two separate media areas
for the classroom. One to the left is where the physical computers will be located and there
should be enough space for three computers. The round table to the right of the class will be
where the students will utilize their school issued iPads to complete some of their assignments. I
have grouped the students desks into groups of four so that if there are any group assignments
that can be done, the desks will already be set up and prepared for the students.

Unit Plan: The unit should last one week. The goal of the unit is to not only discuss the Civil
War and the Civil War as it relates to the State of Georgia but to cross teach and to include a
historical medical lesson about the Civil War. A majority of the lessons will be individual lessons
until it is time for the students to come together to work on their group projects.

Within my classroom, I have twenty students. The students live in the Metro-Atlanta area
and many were raised in the area. The most common learning style within the group is
the audio/visual so this group will prove much more easier for myself to connect with and
teach.

Lesson Plans:
Lesson Title:

A Tale of Two Sides: The Civil War

Grade Level:

8th

Subject:

Georgia History

Description of Learning Goals, Standards, Objectives, and Assessments

GPSs:

SS8H6 The student will analyze the impact of the

Civil War and Reconstruction on Georgia.
a. Explain the importance of key issues and
events that led to the Civil War; include slavery,
states rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise,
Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform,
Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of
1860, the debate over secession in Georgia, and
the role of Alexander Stephens.
b. State the importance of key events of the Civil
War; include Antietam, the Emancipation
Proclamation, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the
Union blockade of Georgias coast, Shermans
Atlanta Campaign, Shermans March to the Sea,
and Andersonville.

National Technology Standards:

1. Creativity and innovation

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or
processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group
expression

2. Communication and collaboration

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or
others employing a variety of digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple
audience using a variety of media and formats
Cultural Context and Learner
Characteristics:

Diversity:

Learning Styles:

Background Knowledge:

Long-Term Learning Goal or

Outcome:

The students in my class are of varying ability levels. There are

a few with learning disabilities such as attention deficit and
hyper activity as well as dyslexia. This is an urban-light school
in the metro-Atlanta area (not located downtown) with 50%
African American, 25% Hispanic, 20% Caucasian, 5% Asian.
There ages are 12-13 with 52% female and 48% male. Many of
the students speak a 2nd language and are 1st generation
American citizens.

As 8th grade students, many are dependent learners that

require scaffolding and structure until they are comfortable with
the assignments. They tend towards auditory and visual
learning and communication styles.

At this point in their educational careers, the students have

learned about the Civil War so there is a basis of information
unto which the teacher will build upon by giving more in-depth
details about different events that occurred within the Civil War.
By the end of the unit, the learner will be able to craft a
presentation about a particular event that occurred in the Civil
War through the use of a video presentation and will upload the
video to YouTube.
They will be able to use appropriate technology to locate
information, create and present their projects.

Observable Objectives or Outcomes:

Objective: The students will be able to work together in

groups and complete assignments that are given in a
timely manner.

Assessment Plan:

Formative Assessment:
Students will turn-in essay for feedback and link to YouTube
video

Rubric for essay and video presentation.

Description of Activities with Technology and Materials
Activity Design:

Day 1:

Class starter and lesson connection:

Class opening: What do we as a class know about the Civil

War? What was the reasoning behind the Civil War? Who was
involved in the Civil War?
Students will spend five minutes on individual brainstorming
about anything pertaining to the Civil War.
After their five minutes, the students will share within their
groups for three minutes. Within these three minutes, the
students will designate a group leader that will come to the
board and will write what their ideas and topics were that were
brainstormed.
Teacher will then lecture about the topic which will include

Teacher and student activities:

The Beginning of the War:

Differences between North and South over states

rights
Different events that occurred during the Civil War
Different major figures during the Civil War, such as
Abraham Lincoln, William Sherman, etc.

Ending Activity: Students will complete a short blog that they will
turn in through the class online Weebly site, http://sparker28lt3120.weebly.com/blog/civil-war-blog
This assignment will in turn also count as a homework
assignment

Day 2:
The students will gather in their own groups to prepare a skit
that they will film and upload to a YouTube account that the
teacher will access to watch the video.

In the skit, the students will act out any event that was
involved in the Civil War. This can range from
Shermans March to the Sea to the Dred Scott decision
but there will be no weapons or foul language so the
students will have to utilize their own creativity and

imagination to retell the story that they have picked.

The students will utilize two class periods to work on
their skits and/or film their skits and will have until the
end of the week to upload to YouTube and provide a
working link to the teacher.
The teacher will provide an example of a Civil War
reenactment that will provide an example of students
participating in a the reenactment through the
classroom experience so the students can see how
reenactments are typically
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMaGHWmBdts

Technology Connection:
Internet usage (teacher and student-use)
Use of computers and iPads for research purposes
Materials and Resources:

Use of cameras on school-issued iPads

Appropriate websites that give information about the topics that
the students

Reflection on Lesson Design

Design:

As a teacher, I built on their prior knowledge of the Civil War

and their own understandings of what they have been taught
prior to the subject being taught in class. I used student
grouping to facilitate knowledge and idea sharing then I used
whole class instruction as well as individual instruction to
facilitate learning.

Cultural Relevance:

As an educator, I was able to employ culturally relevant

teaching by creating a learning environment that honors all
students knowledge and understandings. I asked students to
discuss their own understanding of the Civil War and this is a
topic that can have a different outlook about the topic
depending on where the person is from and what their cultural
background.

Actions :

Lesson Title:

As an educator, I will take more time to locate resources for my

students. I will take the time to find primary source documents
that can be displayed in class for the students

Death to the Soldiers: A Short History of the Civil

Grade Level:

Wars Medical Practices

Subject:

8th
Georgia History

Description of Learning Goals, Standards, Objectives, and Assessments

GPSs:

SS8H6 The student will analyze the impact

of the Civil War and Reconstruction on
Georgia.
a. Explain the importance of key issues
and events that led to the Civil War;
include slavery, states rights, nullification,
Missouri Compromise, Compromise of
1850 and the Georgia Platform, KansasNebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of
1860, the debate over secession in
Georgia, and the role of Alexander
Stephens.
b. State the importance of key events of
the Civil War; include Antietam, the
Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg,
Chickamauga, the Union blockade of
Georgias coast, Shermans Atlanta
Campaign, Shermans March to the Sea,
and Andersonville.

National Technology Standards:

1. Creativity and innovation

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,
products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or
group expression
2. Communication and collaboration
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,
experts, or others employing a variety of digital
environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to
multiple audience using a variety of media and
formats

Cultural Context and Learner Characteristics:

Diversity:

The students in my class are of varying ability levels.

There are a few with learning disabilities. This is an
urban-light school in the metro-Atlanta area (not
located downtown) with 50% African American, 25%
Hispanic, 20% Caucasian, 5% Asian. There ages are
12-13 with 52% female and 48% male.

As 8th grade students, many are dependent learners

that require scaffolding and structure until they are
comfortable with the assignments. They tend towards
auditory and visual learning and communication
styles.

Learning Styles:

Background Knowledge:
Long-Term Learning Goal or Outcome:

At this point in their educational careers, the students

have learned about the Civil War so there is a basis of
information unto which the teacher will build upon by
giving more in-depth details about different events that
occurred within the Civil War.
By the end of the unit, the learner will be able to craft
a presentation about the medical practices of the Civil
War and present the assignment to the class.
They will be able to use appropriate technology to
locate information, create and present their projects.

Observable Objectives or Outcomes:

Objective: The students will be able to work

together in groups and complete assignments that
are given in a timely manner.

Assessment Plan:

Formative Assessment:
Students will turn-in essay for feedback and link to
Prezi presentation.
Rubric for essay and presentation.
Description of Activities with Technology and Materials

Activity Design:

Day 3:

Class starter and lesson connection:

Class opening: What do we as a class understand

about todays medical standards?
Students will spend five minutes on individual
brainstorming about anything pertaining to todays

medical standards.
After their five minutes, the students will share within
their groups for three minutes. Within these three
minutes, the students will designate a group leader
that will come to the board and will write what their
ideas and topics were that were brainstormed.

Teacher and student activities:

Teacher will then lecture about the topic which will

include

The medical standards of the Civil War

Reasoning behind spread of diseases
Hospital and Medical knowledge
Amputation as a typical means of survival for
soldiers

Students will gather in their groups and will being

working on a presentation about medical conditions in
the Civil War battlefield which they will present
through the Prezi program

The students will use the following example of

a Prezi presentation so that they will have an
understanding of the program and then they
will effectively create their own presentation.
https://prezi.com/kdzm2rycyrk-/the-atlanticslave-trade/

Students will have two days to work on presentation in

class and then will present at the end of the week.
Over the weekend, the students will complete a two
page writing assignment about the topic and turn the
essay in on the following Monday.

Technology Connection:
Internet usage (teacher and student-use)
Use of computers and iPads for research purposes
Materials and Resources:
Use of cameras on school-issued iPads
Appropriate websites that give information about the
topics that the students

Reflection on Lesson Design

Design:

As a teacher, I built on their prior knowledge of the

Civil War and their own understandings of what they
have been taught prior to the subject being taught in
class. I used student grouping to facilitate knowledge
and idea sharing then I used whole class instruction
as well as individual instruction to facilitate learning.

Cultural Relevance:

As an educator, I was able to employ culturally

relevant teaching by creating a learning environment
that honors all students knowledge and
understandings. I asked students to discuss their own
understanding of the Civil War and this is a topic that
can have a different outlook about the topic depending
on where the person is from and what their cultural
background.

Actions :

As an educator, I will take more time to locate

resources for my students. I will take the time to find
primary source documents that can be displayed in
class for the students