Teacher: Ms. B
Demographic: Ms. B's third and fourth period classes are sophomore college preparation level history. They are both covering the same material with the fourth period class about a day ahead of the third period. Both classes of 18 and 20 students respectively were similar demographically, 6:12, 9:11 male to female, Mostly Caucasian with four minority students in each class.
These classes back to back with their staggered progress gave me an excellent opportunity to see the class work on a project in the third period, while the fourth period had finished and was presenting their projects.
The classes were in the mists of studying classical Europe and had been assigned an interesting reading about the rules of courtly love and the effect it had on day to day life in 12th century Europe. At first glance I had no idea to the relevance of this topic to anything let alone it's beading on history, but after working with these students it became very apparent. This was something they could relate to, and when comparing the European culture to their own, as well as Islamic, Indian, and Eastern cultures both past and present, it broadened their understanding of many cultures and the rigors of rules placed on not only the lower class but aristocratic society. The reading contained excerpts from a writing by Andreas Capellanus, chaplain to the countess of Champagne in 1174. The students were to read the selection, answer the questions that followed it, form groups and come up with their own top ten lists of rules of courtly love as well as rules of modern love. This thinking activity involves active reading, as well as compare and contrast activities as described in Chapter 9 of Vacca and Vacca, and most importantly the students had free range in depicting there lists graphically, using cuts from magazines, items brought in, drawings, and anything else they could get on a poster.
I was amazed at the enthusiasm of this class and lesson. Not only did this activity make the students think cross-culturally, in terms of another time and culture, but it closed gender gaps as well. Students were thinking of what it would have been like to live in the 12th century as well as how they would relate to the culture of this era. They also were forced to rethink their ideas of current culture and how they perceive their ideals and the effects of media, parents and peers on relationships. There was relationship between the students and the content I had never seen before.
I worked with a group of boys who were attempting to come up with modern rules that paralleled the courtly rules they had decided on. The boys had grasped the content well and were attempting to portray all twenty rules using only pictures. Ms. B traveled around the room offering suggestions and challenging the students to think outside the lines.
Period four picked up where period three left off and I watched five groups present there projects attempting to compare contemporary relationships to a 12th century courtship. What impressed me most was how the assignment made each student question what is most important in a relationship to them and what might be to someone from centuries ago. I was happy to see how serious the students took the assignment while having fun with it as well as the recurring theme of important issues of friendship and safe sex.
I felt this was a very effective nontraditional lesson. Ms. B used a topic that many students would dread and had them get completely wrapped up in it by using a lesson plan that put the material directly in the student's perspective in a relevant manner.
Ms. B provided me with the reading the students used to base their lists on, as well as emailed me the lists that the group I worked with presented the next day. The courtly love lists were little more than choosing from the reading, that is the list were the students thought's on what was most important to 12th century people, while the contemporary love lists are what formed a bridge between the students and the material.
Here's the top 10 from the group you worked with:
1. Use protection so you don't get diseases.
2. Don't base love on sex.
3. Don't base love on looks.
4. Don't let love blind you common sense.
5. Don't be a player.
6. Be yourself.
7. Money can't buy love.
8. Don't take love for granted.
9. Put love first and not last.
10. Love is a two way street, not a one person relationship.
And here's the top 10 from a group that finally got their act together
(And clearly has a sense of humor).
1. Bros before girls
2. be respectful
3. Don't let love get to your head
4. Every relationship has its ups and downs
5. be careful who you "love".....use protection
6. Don't be whipped
7. Check the background of your lover, but don't judge what you find
8. Be a gentleman
9. Don't offend her in any way
10. There are plenty of fish in the sea
The kids wanted you to see what they did, so I promised I'd send it
along.