SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON PLANS

  Date:                                       Period:                        #:

  Topic/Title:            The Berlin Wall

  Question this lesson will answer:            What was the Berlin Wall? How did it symbolically divide Germany?

  Purpose/Rationale/Goals of the day’s lesson:            The students will develop empathy for the people whom the wall affected.

  How does this lesson fit into the unit?  Where have we been and where are we going?             The class has been discussing the Cold War. This topic is an introduction into the fall of the Soviet Union and the Reunification of Germany.

Objectives:

ü      The student will be able to explain why the Berlin Wall was built.

ü      The student will be able to analyze the speech given by J.F.K. (Ich bin ein Berliner)

ü      The student will be able to compare and contrast the speech by J.F.K. to that of Reagan. (Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!)

ü      The student will be able to take the position of someone living in either East or West Berlin and write a letter to a relative living on the other side of the Wall.

NCSS themes with indicators:            IX.  Global Connection      

-Help learners to explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies, and nations.

-Guide learners analysis of the relationships and tensions between national sovereignty and global interests in such matters as territorial disputes, economic development, nuclear and other weapons deployment, use of natural resources, and human rights concerns.

-Have learners illustrate how individual behaviors and decisions connect with global systems.

Standards of learning:

            6.8  The student will describe U.S. foreign policy since WWII, with emphasis on

·        The Cold War and the policy of communist containment;

·        The collapse of communism in Europe and the rise of new challenges.

6.9  The student will interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches in the United States history since 1877 including … “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down the Wall!”

Key concepts and generalizations:         Terms defined/described in readings.

Berlin Wall                   Cold War

Methods and Activity

            Anticipatory set  The classroom need to be prearranged prior to students entering.  A wall should be set up with desks, bookshelves, or anything available to create a barrier.  The students may not cross the barrier during the class. 

When the students enter the room the following quick assignment will be projected from the overhead projector or written on the black/white board. (See attached)  The students should begin work immediately upon entering the room.

Have the first slide from the PowerPoint presentation on the screen when students enter. Post the following on the screen.  What do you believe is happening in this picture?  Write a paragraph or two describing what you see.

  Content/Methods/Procedures         

Experiential Exercise.  The class is divided into East and West Berlin with a “wall” between them.  Designate East and West sides. They may not interact with the other side of the class during the class. The PowerPoint Presentation will be viewed while the teacher reads the attached writing to the class. (see – Read to class during slide show.)  After this the students will write in their interactive notebooks.  They should describe the emotions of the writer of the article.

The students will write a letter to a friend or relative who lives on the opposite side of the wall from them. They will describe what it is like to live on their side of the wall and the emotions that they experience.  How has the wall affected their lives?

  Conclusion / in class consolidation

Students will read their letters in class. We will discuss the emotions that the wall in the class has created.

  Assessment of student learning – When and where do you check for understanding/learning?

Evaluate            Evaluate discussions, and letters.

Read interactive notebook assignment.

  Teacher reflection / self-assessment.

How will I improve this lesson?

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