Who Am I?

In the first three lessons of this Unit  students will discover information about themselves and discover how they are a part of history.

Section one:

 Objectives: 

This lesson will provide students with an opportunity to develop a better understanding of themselves and share what they have learned with others. Resulting measurable assignments include the creation of a timeline, writing a personal biography and a writing sample from an historical figure’s point of view. While the lesson’s main ideas logically build on one another, the activities and assignments suggested can be adapted or omitted according to your needs.

In recent years, much has been said about the changing dynamic of the modern day family. Indeed, the very definition of the word "family" has been debated. unique and enriching context for learning.

Lesson one:

Students will being the unit by developing a personal timeline. As they work through the lesson the teacher to assist the students in making historical connections to their own lives as well as determining which events in their lives are important. Things like their birth date, baptism, first day of school, a special vacation should be things students are encouraged to include. Using the timeline links students should also look at major historical events that took place during their life time and include some of them. Have students consider events like the Gulf War, September 11,  Presidential Elections, the introduction of PlayStation II and encourage them to consider how these events impacted their lives.

Questions to Consider: After students have completed their timeline have students share their timelines with their classmates. Discuss the following questions with them as they present their timeline.

1. What types of events did you consider important and why?

2. What made you choose the events that you included in your timeline?

3. Were there any events that changed your life and how you lived it?

4. What do you think was the single most important event and why?

Assessment

Teachers can use the  Timeline Rubric to Assess the student's Timelines  Teachers can further assess students' presentation based on the above questions and observing how the students work on this unit.

Modifications

Teachers may decide to allow students to create their timelines on paper, allowing students to include pictures and drawings. Timelines could then be displayed on classroom bulletin boards.

Lesson Two

In Lesson Two children have an opportunity to describe themselves to others making connections between themselves and the events in their lives, as well as describing how those events effected them. Students are instructed to create an autobiography for themselves that would tell someone 100 years from now who they are.

Questions to Consider: After students have completed their autobiographies discuss the  following questions to determine the level of student understanding.

1. What events did you consider to be most important for others to know?

2. How do you think someone in the future will react to your autobiography?

3. What things and events in your life do you think someone in the future will find odd or silly?

4. Will your autobiography give a person in the future a true understanding who you are?

Assessment

Use the Writing to Inform Rubric to assess the students' Autobiographies Oral presentations can be assessed using Oral Presentation Rubric

Modifications

Teachers may choose to have students handwrite their autobiographies if computers or time is not available. Students with special needs can dictate their autobiographies to another student or aide..

Lesson 3

In Lesson 3 students will learn about the fragility of records and how those records are preserved. Students will then have an opportunity to look at samples of these records. Students will choose a record and then write about the event as if they were the person for whom the event happened. By doing this students have the opportunity to step into someone else's shoes and to determine the significance of an event in the person's life.

Questions to Consider: After students have completed their autobiographies discuss the  following questions to determine the level of student understanding.

1. What are some of the ways records can be destroyed?

2.What are some of the feelings people have when they lose records that tell about their families?

3. What are some of the ways records can be preserved?

Assessment

Use the Autobiography Incident rubric to evaluate the Students Diary Entry. Teachers can also evaluate students understanding of the fragility of records through classroom discussion.

Modifications

Younger students may have difficulty placing themselves in someone else's shoes and seeing an event through their eyes. Teachers may want to go through  this activity in small or whole group first before having students try it on their own. By doing so teachers can guide the students through the thought process. Student's with learning disabilities should be allowed to dictate their diary entry to another student or aide.

Final Thoughts

This section "Who Am I?" focuses on developing the student's understanding of themselves as well as demonstrating the importance of records that we collect in our lives. These lessons are designed to create student interest in the following sections.

To Section 2