Example Lesson 1: Worldview

Context within
Unit Plan:
This is the first lesson within the unit plan. At this point, students have not
begun either The Book Thief or The Diary of a Young Girl. This lesson introduces
the theme of worldview.
It was designed with unit goals 1, 2, & 6 in mind.
Objectives: Students will have a basic understanding of worldview
Definition: your worldview is the framework with which you
view and understand the world.
Worldview is shaped by our beliefs about the world and
experiences that weve had.
Our worldview help us answer basic questions of human
existence.
Everyone has a worldview conscious or unconscious.
Your worldview determines how you act in the world.
Students will struggle to define the Christian response to these basic
questions of human existence, aka a Biblical Worldview.
Students will be able to explain what worldview is.
Students will work together in groups to predict how people will act in
the world.
Materials: Biblical Worldview/ Interviewees Worldview handouts for every student
(See Appendix 4)
Scenarios for every pod (See Appendix 6)
Classroom Setup: Desks will be arranged into pods of students for group work. From their pods,
however, students still need to be able to see the board.
Assessment: Pre-assessment: Students discuss scenarios.
Formative Assessment: Students discussion of Christian worldview.
Summative Assessment: Interviewees Worldview handout homework
Outline:
Group discussion
of scenarios: 10
minutes
Group share:
5 minutes
Explanation of
Worldview:
5 minutes


Group
discussion:
10 minutes

Explanation of
Metaphysical
questions:
5 minutes


Class discussion:
10 minutes
Tell students that they will be working with their desk pods on some
scenarios. Have students read scenarios and discuss questions in their
table groups.
Ask groups to share what they answered.
All these people in the scenarios had different worldviews. A worldview
is the framework with which you view and understand the world. It
works like a lens with a tint. Every person sees the world with a different
tint. Write this definition on the board. Our worldviews are defined by
our beliefs and experiences. Everyone has a worldview, whether
conscious or unconscious.
Have students discuss ways that their beliefs and experiences shape the
way they see the world
Throughout the ages, there have been questions that humans have been
seeking the answers to. Who am I? Why am I here? Where do I come
from? Where am I going? Write the four metaphysical questions on the
board and further explain what they are asking. Distribute Biblical
Worldview/ Interviewees Worldview handouts. Ask students,
Philosophers have tried their hand at answering these questions and
religions have answered these questions in different ways. The answers
to these questions help define our worldview What would a Christians
answer to these questions look like? How does the Bible speak to these
questions?
Have students volunteer what they think the biblical answers to these
questions would be. Guide students.
Explain to students that the books that they will be reading in the next
unit will help them explore the concept of worldview.

Homework: Interview: Have students interview someone they know who they would
guess has a pretty different worldview than their own asking the
interviewee the metaphysical questions.
Reading
Reading Journal 1.
Accommodations: Aaron: This lesson involves a lot of group discussion which may be difficult
so I need to be aware of how Aarons pod is doing.
Talia: Should need no accommodations for this lesson.

Example Lesson 2: Symbolic Representation Interview
Context within
Unit Plan:
This lesson occurs after finishing Part 1 of The Book Thief.
The idea for a SRI came from Wilhelm pp. 64-65
It was designed with unit goals 6 & 7 in mind.
Objectives: Students will retell what they have read in The Book Thief using their
own created symbols.
Students will fill in gaps in their understanding and establish a solid base
of the story on which they can build as they continue reading.
Materials: Craft materials: scissors, glue, markers, colored pencils, ribbon, tape, etc.
Classroom Setup: Students work in groups of three.
Assessment: Pre-assessment: Watch students create symbols and tell stories.
Formative Assessment: N/A
Summative Assessment: Students journals
Outline:

Explain SRI to
students:
2 minutes


Allow students to
create:
13 minutes

Students retell
story: 30 minutes
1. Today you will be retelling the first art of The Book Thief in your table
pods. You will begin by using the craft materials to construct whatever
symbols you need to tell your story. Go over the types of craft materials
are there. Dont think you necessarily have to draw the characters. You
can create something that you want to represent them if youd like. I am
going to give you a minute to think about what you want to create before
I set you loose.Wait a minute. Avoid giving too much detailif you over
outline what to do students may not be as creative.
2. Set students free to create. Make sure that you give students time
warnings so that they can begin telling their stories promptly.
3. Have students begin retelling the story. Each child gives 10 minutes.
Alert students to when the 5 minutes are done and then 10.
Homework: Reading
Reading Journal 3
Accommodations: Aaron: Aaron may find it difficult to listen to others without interrupting.
Talia: This should be fine for Talia. There are parts with anti-Semitism in part
1, on page 51 for example, but since the retelling is in small groups this should be
low stress.



Example Lesson 3: WWII Propaganda and Todays Advertisements
Context within
Unit Plan:
Since students are studying Marcus Zusaks The Book Thief and The Diary of a
Young Girl, WWII propaganda is particularly appropriate as both the Axis and the
Allies used it to promote their worldview. Students explore the ideas of
worldview and perspective through propaganda.
One of the propaganda pieces, Kultur-Terror, was chosen not only because it
demonstrates a Nazi perspective on American but because it is also a helpful way
for students to begin thinking about Americas role in the war. (This pieces leads
well into lesson on Bob Dylan and the Bible on Justice.)
The other piece We Can Do It was selected because it is likely that students
have seen it before and may know something about its origins. In this way,
students preexisting knowledge is activated and they are better able to scaffold
new material. The lesson plan was designed with a variety of students in mind as
it involves classroom discussion, group work, and individual work.
I hope that by studying the propaganda which played an important role in
WWII students will realize that propaganda and similar media, for example, ads
in magazines and TV commercials, are tools wielded by humans with agendas.
Ads and commercials appeal to the viewers needs and can stir thought or spur
action from the viewer.
I hope that this lesson causes students to consider deep, essential questions
(though they may not be directly addressed), such as, Can media be morally
neutral? and Does everything that we create reflect our worldview? and God
created the worldis His media neutral or does it bear the fingerprints of its
Potter? The disequilibrium that students may feel with these difficult questions
will be capitalized on in later lessons.
This lesson was designed with unit goals 4 & 6 in mind.
Objectives: -Students will be able to define what propaganda is.
-Students will be able to apply what they have learned from WWII propaganda to
advertisements in their own world.
-Students will be able to examine propaganda and decide which human need is
appealed to (using Maslows hierarchy of needs.)
-Students will consider the larger question: Does everything that we create
reflect our worldview?
Materials: Projector
PowerPoint of selected propaganda and commercials
Propaganda from WWII:
We Can Do It by J. Howard Miller (Rosie the Riveter)
Kultur-Terror by Harald Damsleth
Commercials:
Coke Keeps You Thin (1961 commercial)
Other pictures:
Joseph Goebbels
Nazi book-burning
Coke Commercial and Magazine Ad handouts. (See Appendix 2)
Magazine ads (enough for everyone in the class)
Classroom Setup: Students desks will be moved into pods during group discussion. If this is not
an option, have students move their chairs into groups.
Assessment: Pre-assessment: Asking students what they know about Rosie the Riveter and
propaganda.
Formative assessment: Walking around and monitoring group conversation
and examining turned-in handouts.
Summative assessment: Homework
Outline:

We Can Do It
Hook: 5 minutes






Defining
Propaganda and
the
Role of
propaganda in
the WWII: 10
minutes











Kultur-Terror:
5 minutes


















1. Show slide with We Can Do It (Rosie the Riveter). Raise your hand if
you have seen this poster before. Students will raise their hands.
2. What do you know about this poster? Students will raise their hands
and answer. See if students know of this posters connection to World
War II.
3. This poster was a piece of American propaganda during World War II
and was created to inspire women to get involved on the home front.
Propaganda. Lets define propaganda. Does anyone have any idea what
propaganda is? Write propaganda on the board. Students attempt to
define propaganda. Listen, but do not record answers.
4. Heres the definition that well use in this class. Write the definition of
propaganda on the board, a form of communication used to sway
popular thought toward some perspective. Propaganda can be posters,
films, speeches, etc. What perspective does the Rosie the Riveter poster
convey? Students will raise their hands and answer. Students may say
that she represents an American perspective or the belief that women
should join the war effort.
5. What features of this poster make it an effective use of propaganda?
Students will raise their hands and answer. Students should be saying
things like, Rosie looks fierce and muscular with her fist raised and her
raised eyebrows. or The colors and font that are used in the poster are
very bold and dark.
6. Propaganda was used by all the members of the Axis and the Allies
during WWII, but today you will only be looking at a few pieces, German
and American propaganda. Hitler particularly recognized the importance
of propaganda and Joseph Goebbels was appointed the Minister of
Propaganda. It was Joseph Goebbels who called for Germans to burn
books. Show a picture of Joseph Goebbels and a book-burning in
Germany. You should remember a book-burning in one of the books
youve been reading.
7. Show the next slide of the Nazi propaganda, Kultur-Terror. Ask
students,
8. Who do you think created this propaganda? Why?
9. What is the feeling you get looking at this piece of propaganda?
10. What do you think this propaganda promotes? Why?
11. Propaganda affects popular thought by appealing to human desires. The
Rosie the Riveter poster appealed to women because it showed a strong
woman who had an impact on her country. Women in America didnt
have the right to vote and were not considered equal to men, but many of
them wanted this right and equality. This poster appealed to their longing
for equality.
12. Show slide of Maslows Hierarchy of Human Needs. During WWII, a
psychologist named Abraham Maslow created a theory which described
human motivation-- what makes humans do what they do? He believed
that there was a hierarchy of human needs. Read through the different
levels of needs and explain.
13. Different propaganda, all art for that matter, makes appeals to different
human desires. What level of need do you think the Rosie the Riveter







Coke Ad: 12
minutes







Magazine ad: 10
minutes


Journal: 3
minutes
poster appealed to? Why? Students should pick either the level of Self-
actualization or Esteem because women longed to be seen as equals and
be esteemed in American society.
14. When the Nazis created the second poster, Kultur-Terror what human
need do you think they were appealing to? Discuss with the person sitting
next to you. Walk around and listen to students explain for a couple of
minutes. Then return to the front of the classroom.
15. Divide students into groups of three and hand-out the Coke Commercial
and Magazine Ad handout. TV commercials and ads in magazines also
appeal to a basic need and promote a certain lifestyle. I am going to show
you a Coke ad from the 60s and I want you to discuss the ad in your
group and fill-out the hand-out that Ive provided. Show students the
coke ad and have them discuss in groups what level of need they think the
ad appeals to. While they discuss walk around to make sure each student
is filling out their worksheet and guide students where they are getting off
track.
16. Once they finish discussing the Coke ad, hand them a magazine ad and
have them respond to the questions on the back of the handout in
reference to the ad.
17. For the last three minutes, journal about the following question, What
role do you believe worldview has in propaganda? Can you create any
form of communication that isnt affected by your worldview? Students
journal.
Homework: Advertisement/Commercial Analysis:
For homework have students take an advertisement or commercial they see
and write a paragraph in response to each of these three questions to be handed in
the next class:
1. What is the purpose of this ad? Is this ad effective? Why or why not?
2. Which of Maslows basic needs does this ad appeal to? Why?
3. In your own words explain what propaganda is and whether or not you
think your ad is propaganda.
Reading
Reading Journal 5
Accommodations: Aaron: I think this lesson would be good for him because students with
Aspergers often respond well to visual stimuli and, while there is group work,
the social-interactions should be low stress since students compose their own
responses rather than a collective group response.
Talia: The Nazi propaganda, Kultur-Terror, which ridicules Americans, has
a small star of David on it. I purposefully chose this piece of propaganda over
other pieces which had more overt anti-Semitic themes in them in order to be
sensitive to Talia. Kultur-Terror does accurately touch on the anti-Semitic
themes prevalent in Nazi propaganda, but uses the theme for its larger of agenda
of casting Americans in a horrific light.


Example Lesson 4: Bob Dylan and the Bible on Justice
Context within
Unit Plan:
This lesson occurs later in the unit. Through this unit, students explore
worldviews of justice and essential questions such as What does Justice look
like? Can non-Christians show Justice? Is Justice always served? may be
touched on.
I chose the Bob Dylan song for two reasons: first, the song discusses what it
feels like to live in a time where the popular perspective is evolving, and second,
the song demonstrates that the US fought in WWII while having justice issues on
the home front.
I chose the Leviticus passage and the Luke passage because I wanted both an
Old Testament passage and a New Testament passage that discuss elements of
justice. I hope that reading these verses, answering questions on the sheet, and
discussing question 9 will encourage students to ask themselves, What is a
biblical understanding of justice? How can I show justice to my neighbor? I
especially like the Luke passage because Jesus asks his followers to help those
who cant return the favor. I think that the golden rule is often taught to children
as treat others the way they would want to be treated so that you will be treated
the same way. Reciprocity is key. But Christ invites us to a meal that we cant
possibly pay for, and his followers ought to do the same. This distinction is not
the key feature of the lesson but is nevertheless important to me.
This lesson was designed with unit goals 2 & 6 in mind.
Objectives: Students will consider what the Bible says about justice.
Students will discuss The Times They Are A-Changin and note ways
that Bob Dylan shows the changing understanding of justice.
Students will look for examples of justice in The Diary of a Young and
The Book Thief.
Students will look for imagery in The Times They are A-Changin.
Materials: Computer with speakers to play The Times They Are A-Changin and
to display the lyrics. (This avoids copyright issues. See lyrics in
Appendix 1)
Print-out of Kultur-Terror (See Appendix 3) by Harald Damslath for
ELMO
Projector/ELMO for lyrics/print-outs
The Bible and Bob Dylan on Justice worksheets for every student. (See
Appendix 5.)
Drawing utensils
Drawing paper
Classroom Setup: Students will be sitting in a circle of chairs and then will break into smaller
pods.
Students need to bring their Bibles to class
Assessment: Pre-assessment: Students discuss The Times They are A-Changin and draw
imagery from the text.
Formative Assessment: Students share their opinions on Kultur-Terror for a
second time and fill out The Bible and Bob Dylan on Justice worksheets.
Summative Assessment: Students reflect on Maya Angelou quotes in their
journals.
Outline:


Discussion on
Bob Dylan song:
20 minutes


























Discussion of
Kultur-Terror: 5
minutes

The Bible and
Bob Dylan on
Justice
Worksheet:15
minutes

Discuss answers
to #9 on
worksheet.
1. Tell students to grab a hard surface to write on and find a seat in the
large circle of chairs. First thing we will do is listen to this song. The
first time we will just listen. The second time I want you to draw a picture
of an image that comes to mind when you listen to this songit shouldnt
be hard since the song has a lot of descriptive imagery in it.
2. Play the song twice. Walk around to make sure students are following
instructions.
3. Have some students volunteer to share what they drew and why they drew
that image.
4. Put lyrics up on projector for students to see. What do you think the
musicians purpose was when he composed this song? What do you see
in the lyrics that support your idea? In other words, what did he want his
audience to learn and how did he teach them?
5. Students share ideas. Guide the conversation. You are particularly
looking for themes of justice, change, reversal of old order. After what
needs to be said is shared, ask students if they know anything about the
origins of this song. Who wrote it? When it was written? The
conversation may naturally shift this way.
6. Sum up conversation. Bob Dylan, an American folk singer, wrote this
song in 1963 during the Civil Rights era. During this time, the Civil
Rights movement and the folk music movement were closely aligned.
The African American Civil Rights movement in the United States really
took off in 1955, after WWII. Those fighting for civil rights were hoping
to end racial segregation and discrimination and establish voting rights
for all people. One of the most interesting facets of the civil rights
movement was that they accomplished their goals in non-violent protests
and civil disobedience, boycotting stores and buses and marching and
singing in the streets. You know some of the leaders of this movement
already, I am sure: Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks Malcolm X. Dylan
wrote this song to put word to the feelings that many were experiencing
during this time: change, justice, freedom, uncertainty about the future,
rebellion, and hope.
7. Show picture of Kultur-Terror again. Remember this propaganda was
made only a few years before the Civil Rights Movement took off. Was
any part of this depiction of America accurate? What do you think?
Students discuss. Many people back then and today say that America is a
stronghold of justicedo you think Dylan agrees?
8. Divide students into small group and ask them to take out their Bibles.
Handout The Bible and Bob Dylan on Justice worksheets and read
directions with students. Students answer questions as a group. Put the
Bob Dylan lyrics up for the students to reference as they answer
questions and walk around to check that students are progressing well.
9. To close class, discuss ways that students have experienced helping those
who cannot repay them.
10. Collect worksheets.
Homework: Reading
Reading Journal 11
Accommodations: Aaron: Aaron may need help coming up with ideas for what to draw during the
song and may need help deciphering metaphoric language.
Talia: As mentioned in previous lessons, Kultur-Terror has a small star of
David in it. This could make Talia uncomfortable.