Standard1

Standard1 | Standard2 | Standard3 | Standard4 | Standard5 | Standard6 | Standard7 | Standard8 | Standard9 | Standard10 | Home **Standard 1** ** Teachers know the subjects they are teaching. **  The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines she or he teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for pupils

Evidence1: Rationale 1: I used this lesson in an European History class that examined the causes of World War II. The lesson was designed to examine the connection between World War II and World War I and it focused on the rise of the Nazis as a political party in Germany. Students were asked to work individually, collaborate with a small group of peers, present information to the large group using electronic media, and submit a final assessment.

I used the lesson for all levels of students. For students with more basic abilities, the final assessment required the students to sequence 10 events presented in class. For advanced students, the final assessment was more rigorous and demanding. In the end, students realized the impact of World War I as the defining event of the 20th century. It was the event that gave birth to the Russian Revolution, the Holocaust, the rise of Fascism, the Great Depression,World War II and the Cold War.


 * 1.K.3 The teacher relates his/her disciplinary knowledge to other subject areas.**

The lesson requires students to analyze the social, political, and economic causes of a historical event. One assessment asks the student to take a position as to whether political or economic factors had a greater impact to the outbreak of the war. One of my students analyzed the use of film and art by the Nazis as a tool of propaganda. The presentation focused on anti-Semitism, racial purity, and war.


 * 1.S.2 The teacher can represent and use differing viewpoints, theories, “ways of knowing,” and methods of inquiry in the teaching of subject matter concepts.**

My assessment requires students to critically analyze the multiple causes of the war by writing a position paper. I ask if the war was avoidable or inevitable. Students are asked to analyze the role of the Allies. Specifically, was the policy of appeasement equal to the rise of fascism in the lead up to the war? Students find that at times there are no right or wrong answers. History is subjective as much as it is objective. Students are asked to take a position in a thesis and use historical fact to support their working thesis.
 * 1.D.2 The teacher appreciates multiple perspectives and conveys to learners how knowledge is developed from the vantage point of the learner.**

Students realize that history is a subjective field of study. History is more that a collection of events and dates. World War II began in September 1939. That fact is indisputable. This lesson requires student to engage in higher level thinking as to the cause and the outcome of the war.