ARE YOU BEING MANIPULATED?

Grade 11 Social studies, ELA, Art, German, Early Childhood Education

Authors: Sarah Aylesworth, Amanda Cassar-Rohs, Melinda Nevison, and Laura Hewett -Smith | EDUC 520 Section 03 Fall 2015

Es war einmal...

creating a nationalist

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES
fosters creativity where subjects
and disciplines meet. In this unit
study, students will learn

that Early Childhood

Educational theories of play
can be applied from K-12.
In English Language Arts
that the world can be read
through a variety of lenses.
that Art is integral part of
identity
In Social Studies that society
is shaped by story.
studying German gives a
cross cultural appreciation of
identity.

integrations

authenticity

This interdisciplinary learning task is authentic because it

deals with the rights and freedoms of Canadians in our free
and democratic society. At this age, grade 11s are nearing
adulthood and independence, they have opinions about
themselves, their situation and the relationship between
power, control and authority in their lives.
This Interdisciplinary learning study will enable
students to inquire into questions concerning the
relationship of power, authority, and manipulation
through our final assignment. By completing this
assignment, students will experience how propaganda
has current and real-world applications and
consequences.

ELL:

Play

Visuals
Home culture

Non-verbal
Art:
Emotional connections

Symbols
Tech: iMovie

Assistive technologies

Translation apps

INCLUSION
This unit has
multiple entry
points via play
for all learners
while maintaining
the same overall
learning goals.

Wie sollen wir nun aus dem Wald kommen?

How are we to get out of the forest now?RATIONALE
Students will engage with these questions through a study of fairy tales and
their place in German society from 1933 to 1945. As students of history,
language arts, visual arts, and German language and culture, they will explore
questions of symbolism, national narrative and identity, and power structures,
as well as how these institutions influence an individuals actions. Bringing
the connection to modern Canadian society, students will find themselves
personally implicated in nationalist rhetoric and systems. In this way they will
learn to identify these trends and think critically about them when they
encounter them in their own world, leading to engaged and ethical citizens.

events
In what way do

1 How do structures of power

and authority shape
our identity?
Task play centres

3 Do authority figures
harness a
national
narrative
to their own ends?
Task propaganda posters

LEARNING GOALS

stories and art

permeate our
individual identity and
dictate our performance
in the community?
Task fairy tale creation

4Could Canada become

an ultranationalist
society?
Task-iMovie

Social Studies: Understanding of nationalism and its impact on different societies

German: Understanding of German culture, identity, outsider perceptions, the
form and structure of values
Art: Organization of visual material, the role art plays in people's lives and how
people respond to it
Early Childhood: Understanding through object, social, imaginative, narrative,
and creative play
English: Understanding the role of text and context in popular culture and stories
around the world

inspiring education
Students will develop competencies in literacy through
reading and writing fairy tales.
They must be creative in order to create an engaging and
authentic fairy tale.
Group work is incorporated throughout the unit, helping
students to acquire skills in communication and leadership.
Students are becoming aware of different cultures, their
history and forms of communication.
As the students are creating a video at the end of the unit,
they are expanding their knowledge of digital literacy.
All of the skills and competencies they are obtaining through
this unit will help students succeed in their future careers and
lives once they leave school

coherence

Once upon a time

How are nationalists created?

Are they manipulated by the state or members of the community?
Does this make their actions excusable?

Students will be able to

understand the impact of
nationalism in
contemporary society as
well as the past. By the
end of the unit they will
be able to identify
nationalism in
propaganda as well as
fairy tales and use what
they have learned to
produce their own
nationalistic propaganda
in the form of a fairy tale
movie.

Aber, Gromutter, was hast du

fr ein entsetzlich groes Maul!

But Grandmother, what a

big mouth you have!

ASSESSMENT
Formative: Students will be assessed continually
throughout all parts of this unit. For example, at
the play stations, students will have a graphic
organizer where they make connections and this
will be reviewed by the teacher and students will
be given written and oral feedback regularly, both
individually, in small and large group formats.
Summative: As a class, the students, with guidance
from the teacher and various experts, will
collaboratively create rubrics for assessment for
each task, while the teacher ensures that crucial
criteria are included.

...And they all lived happily ever after

Und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute

References

http://laurahewettsmith.wix.com/unit-study

Alberta Education. (2007). Program of studies: Social studies, kindergarten to grade 12. Edmonton, AB: Alberta Education. Retrieved from http://education.alberta.ca/media/456082/sockto3.pdf
Alberta Education. (2010). Inspiring Action on Education. Edmonton, AB:Alberta Education.
Retrieved from https://ideas.education.alberta.ca/media/2905/inspiringaction%20eng.pdf
Ishaq, Z. (2015, March 15). Why I intend to wear a niqab at my citizenship ceremony.Toronto Star. Retrieved from http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2015/03/16/why-i-intend-to-wear-a-niqab-at-my-citizenship-ceremony.html
National Institute for Play. (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.nifplay.org/
The Best Film Archives. (2013, December 23). The thrifty pig | 1941 | WW2 anti-nazi animated propaganda short film by walt disney | WWII cartoon [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8fjvfmnMqc