Socratic Circle, Individual Assignment-Poster
They need to see that not everyone felt the same during the Paris Peace Conference and it didn’t just take a day to sign. Plus it is important to see all the 14 Points and not just The League of Nations point. By discussing in an organized and structured manor they can let people hear their views and kind of see what it is like to be in a situation where you have to listen to one another before there is an outcome.
- Students will understand all the 14 Points.
- Learn how to find historical information.
- By making a poster they will practice propaganda techniques.
Show Me Standards: Social Studies
Knowledge Standards:
2. continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States and the world
Performance Goals
2.1. plan and make written, oral and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences
4.1 explain reasoning and identify information used to support decisions
Kansas State Standards:
World History 6.3.1.(A) The student analyzes the causes and immediate consequences of WWI (e.g., imperialism rivalries: Triple Entente, Triple Alliance, nationalism, arms race in England, France, and Germany; Treaty of Versailles, reparations, War Guilt Clause).
World History 6.3.4 (A) The student analyzes the causes and immediate consequences of WWII (e.g., German, Italian, and Japanese aggression; failure of the League of Nations; appeasement; development of American, British, Soviet alliance; Holocaust; Nanjing, introduction of nuclear weapons; war crime trials).
- US History standard- Benchmark 1: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals,
- groups, ideas, developments and turning points in the era of the emergence of the modern US. Indicator 7 (A): Analyzes how the homefront was influenced by US involvement in WWI.
- World History standard- Benchmark 3: The student uses a working knowledge and understanding of significant individuals, groups, ideas, developments and turning points of the era of World War (1914-1945). Indicator 4 (A): Analyzes the causes and immediate consequences of WWII.
- Internet or library- to find all the 14 points
- Lecture notes from conference
- Treaty of Versailles
- Poster examples- for League poster
Internet Access
- This is based on a 75 minute class period.
- Prior to the class I will assign a homework assignment which consists of them finding Wilson’s 14 points and choose one of the points they think is the most important and why.
- "Stability will be the sturdy child of terror."- Winston Churchill. This quote will be on the board as students enter the room. They will be required to write the quote down and write down their opinion.
- I will take count of which 4 points the students find most important and discuss openly for about 5 minutes (depending on participation). I’ll have a tally on the board.
- I will lecture for approximately 10-15 minutes on how President Wilson worked hard to get the League of Nations and the US turned it down. In my lecture I would like to bring up the different views in America about the League.
- After that short discussion the students will be placed in 2 groups for a socratic circle discussion. I will give the inner circle the topic:
"Controversial even today, it is often argued that the punitive terms of the treaty supported the rise of the Nazis and the Third Reich in 1930s Germany, which in turn led to the outbreak of World War II."
- For the Socratic Circle I will give them the topic about 5 minutes prior and give them a chance to work on how they feel about it. I will mediate and the students will do the discussing once in the circle.
The inner circle (first group) will debate the topic and bring in information from the 14 Points research. The outer circle (second group) will listen and be ready to take the inner circle. I would like to continue the Socratic circle for 20-30 minutes depending on how well everyone participates.
- Homework: Their assignment will be to make a poster either for or against The League of Nations depending on their feelings after the day. They will have time to get started and ask questions before they will leave for the day. The poster is due the next class period.
- I will provide supplies and I will give examples of posters and cartoons. This will hopefully get their creative juices flowing.
Has created a rubric for the Socratic circle and the poster. I want them to use the knowledge from lecture and discussion. I will be looking for that in particular and if they stayed on theme.
- For the finding of the 14 points their paragraph regarding which point is most important will prove if they did their homework or not. I plan on keeping this paragraph until the end of the chapter and see if they still think that point is the most important.