Jeremy Oertel

TEDU353

Unit Lesson 1

 

Class: 12th Grade English

 

Topic: The human cost of war - Introduction

 

Set Induction: Students will begin the lesson by collectively listing things they know about the human cost of war.  These will be written on the board, and sorted according to the time period.  They may cite the millions that died as a result of WWII.  They might cite the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima Japan.  They might cite 9/11.  They might cite the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Students will then be asked to explore each item they listed, by listing details they know about the event.  For the sake of time, the teacher may choose to only discuss a few examples.  Students will be asked if they personally know details about individuals involved in the events, or precise information about them, such as the number of people who died, or the causes of the event.  Students will then write a journal entry on one item, using every bit of information they can think of. 

 

Terminal Objective: Students will recognize that there are many tragic events which have occurred in recent memory, and even more that are remote and distant.  Students will identify and study aspects of such events to gain a great understanding of the human cost of conflict and war.

 

Enabling Objective: Students will work in small groups to identify and describe several specific tragic events.

 

Students will compare and categorize the events they have listed (by the number of people who died, by the relative proximity of the event, or chronologically, etc).

 

Students will identify weaknesses in their knowledge of such events.

 

Students will identify several new tragedies using the resources provided.

 

Students will write their first journal entry.

 

Students will get into groups to discuss selections from the reading.

 

Students will summarize what they have read to be shared next class.

 

Activity: Students will get into small groups and pick and read a few selections from the book, "Massacres, An Account of Crimes Against Humanity", by Brian Bailey.  Then they will summarize the event in terms of its historical place, as well as the nature of the tragedy, and the significance of the crime in its own time and today.  This summary will be shared during the next class.

 

Homework: Students will write a journal entry where they try to place themselves into the scene of the tragedy, either as observers, participants, or victims.  These may be used for next class as well.

 

Closure: There are many events that have occurred over history that involve unimaginable suffering and death.  These topics are not pleasant, but in order to pay respect to those who suffered and died, it is important that we remember what occurred, so that it cannot happen again.  This unit has the goal of making you more intimately aware of some of these events so that you gain a greater understanding of human suffering, and the human consequences of conflict and war.