History Lesson: World Changers Project
OPTIONAL LESSON Respecting Beliefs and Opinions Unit Grade 4 • Ages 9-11
History Lesson: World Changers Project
TIME FRAME Preparation: 10 minutes Instruction: Times vary MATERIALS Books or websites on famous people from your state or country’s history whose beliefs and values have influenced others. Some possible people include:
Students will identify the characteristics people who change the world for the better possess and report on one such person. Lesson Background for Teachers This lesson builds on previous lessons in this unit. Before beginning this lesson:
U.S. History: Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, Clara Barton, Jane Addams, Abraham Lincoln World History: Mahatma or Indira Ghandi, Anne Frank, Amelia Earheart, Nelson Mandela, Eva Peron LEARNING STANDARDS Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RI.4.1, 2, 3; CCSS. ELA-Literacy.W.4.2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9; CCSS.ELA-Literacy. SL.4.1, 2, 4, 6; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1; Colorado: Comprehensive Health S.3, GLE.1, EO.e; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.1, EO.a,d; S.3, GLE.2, EO.a; S.3, GLE.3, EO.a,b; S.4, GLE.1, EO.a,b; Social Studies S.3, GLE.2, EO.3GLE.1, EO.a,b,e; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.1, EO.a; S.2, GLE.1, EO.a.i-iv; S.3, GLE.1, EO.a,b,c; S.3, GLE.2, EO.3
• Decide how students will find historical leaders whose opinions have influenced others and led to social change. It would be best if each student researched a different person. • Decide how students will gather books, articles, and websites on these important people. • Decide how long students will spend researching their historical figure and working on their project. Set a timeline with due dates. • Determine what types of projects students can create. Ideas include: a written or oral report, making a diorama, writing a play, creating a timeline, designing a poster board, or Power Point, making a movie, etc.
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS Students might benefit from: • Following the accommodations that you commonly use during writing projects, i.e. a report guide. • Presenting information on a PowerPoint. If students struggle with writing longer reports; they may need initial support to set up the project but can often work autonomously after that.
Learning standards key
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Key Terms for Students Consider writing key terms on the board before class to introduce vocabulary and increase understanding. COMPASSION Being aware when others are sick, sad, or hurt and wanting to help.
RESPECT Treating people, places, and things with kindness.
HELPFULNESS Assisting or serving in a kind way. RESPONSIBILITY Being reliable to do the things that are expected or required in your life, home, community and environment. PERSEVERANCE Keep trying even when something is difficult, not giving up.
FAIRNESS Treating people in a way that does not favor some over others. INTEGRITY Acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations.
Resources www.biographyonline.net www.ducksters.com/biography/ RAK lessons teach kindness skills through a step-by-step framework of Inspire, Empower, Act and Share. However, each lesson starts with the Share step to reinforce learning from previous lessons.
Share (3 mins) Tell the person beside you about someone you admire and why. Let both people have a turn.
Inspire World Changing Values (15 mins) Throughout history, there have been leaders who did not like the fact that others were treated unfairly, and decided to do something about it. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and other leaders worked hard so that African Americans could have equal rights in the United States. Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of Hispanic farm workers who were treated unfairly. We are going to spend some time researching a person from history who changed the lives of other people. Their ideas and opinions enriched their communities!
The RAK paradigm is the framework for teaching and building kindness skills.
Examine the key words and their definitions. Ask students what they think these qualities have to do with people who change the world for the better. • Compassion: Being aware when others are sick, sad, or hurt and wanting to help. • Respect: Treating people, places, and things with kindness. • Helpfulness: Assisting or serving in a kind way. • Responsibility: Being reliable to do the things that are expected or required in your life, home, community and environment. • Perseverance: Keep trying even when something is difficult, not giving up. • Fairness: Treating people in a way that does not favor some over others. • Integrity: Acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations.
© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
www.randomactsofkindness.org 2
Empower World Changer Project (times vary) Present deadlines for projects to the students. Have students decide how they want to present the information about their person: a short written or oral report, diorama, play, poster board, PowerPoint, movie, art project, etc. Allow opportunities for peer review of the project before it is complete. Once students finish, have them present projects to the class and display them around the classroom. Wrap Up (10 mins.) To gauge understanding of the material, choose from the evaluation and reflection questions as discussion, or writing or journal prompts. Consider providing additional time for deeper evaluation and reflection as needed. Evaluation Questions • What are some of the values the person you researched possessed? • Who were some of the other people presented? What did they do? • What kind of people were these world changers? Reflection Questions • What characteristics of the person you wrote about do you admire most? • Which of the characteristics would you like to have more of for yourself? • Do you think any one can change the world for the better? Summary We had the opportunity to learn about some pretty amazing people who were brave enough to change the world for the better. Standing up for the rights of others is one of the biggest acts of kindness you can do.
Act (2 mins) Kindness Minute We all have the ability to change the lives of others for the better. Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference in someone’s life. Even just noticing them. When you leave class today, say “hi” or “bye” to as many people as you can on your way home. Kindness in Action Tell someone who is not in this class about the person you researched. It might just inspire them to be a world changer too.
© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
www.randomactsofkindness.org 3
History Lesson: World Changers Project
TIME FRAME Preparation: 10 minutes Instruction: Times vary MATERIALS Books or websites on famous people from your state or country’s history whose beliefs and values have influenced others. Some possible people include:
Students will identify the characteristics people who change the world for the better possess and report on one such person. Lesson Background for Teachers This lesson builds on previous lessons in this unit. Before beginning this lesson:
U.S. History: Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez, Rosa Parks, Clara Barton, Jane Addams, Abraham Lincoln World History: Mahatma or Indira Ghandi, Anne Frank, Amelia Earheart, Nelson Mandela, Eva Peron LEARNING STANDARDS Common Core: CCSS.ELA-Literacy. RI.4.1, 2, 3; CCSS. ELA-Literacy.W.4.2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9; CCSS.ELA-Literacy. SL.4.1, 2, 4, 6; CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.4.1; Colorado: Comprehensive Health S.3, GLE.1, EO.e; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.1, EO.a,d; S.3, GLE.2, EO.a; S.3, GLE.3, EO.a,b; S.4, GLE.1, EO.a,b; Social Studies S.3, GLE.2, EO.3GLE.1, EO.a,b,e; Reading, Writing and Communicating S.1, GLE.1, EO.a; S.2, GLE.1, EO.a.i-iv; S.3, GLE.1, EO.a,b,c; S.3, GLE.2, EO.3
• Decide how students will find historical leaders whose opinions have influenced others and led to social change. It would be best if each student researched a different person. • Decide how students will gather books, articles, and websites on these important people. • Decide how long students will spend researching their historical figure and working on their project. Set a timeline with due dates. • Determine what types of projects students can create. Ideas include: a written or oral report, making a diorama, writing a play, creating a timeline, designing a poster board, or Power Point, making a movie, etc.
TIPS FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS Students might benefit from: • Following the accommodations that you commonly use during writing projects, i.e. a report guide. • Presenting information on a PowerPoint. If students struggle with writing longer reports; they may need initial support to set up the project but can often work autonomously after that.
Learning standards key
© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
www.randomactsofkindness.org 1
Key Terms for Students Consider writing key terms on the board before class to introduce vocabulary and increase understanding. COMPASSION Being aware when others are sick, sad, or hurt and wanting to help.
RESPECT Treating people, places, and things with kindness.
HELPFULNESS Assisting or serving in a kind way. RESPONSIBILITY Being reliable to do the things that are expected or required in your life, home, community and environment. PERSEVERANCE Keep trying even when something is difficult, not giving up.
FAIRNESS Treating people in a way that does not favor some over others. INTEGRITY Acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations.
Resources www.biographyonline.net www.ducksters.com/biography/ RAK lessons teach kindness skills through a step-by-step framework of Inspire, Empower, Act and Share. However, each lesson starts with the Share step to reinforce learning from previous lessons.
Share (3 mins) Tell the person beside you about someone you admire and why. Let both people have a turn.
Inspire World Changing Values (15 mins) Throughout history, there have been leaders who did not like the fact that others were treated unfairly, and decided to do something about it. For example, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and other leaders worked hard so that African Americans could have equal rights in the United States. Cesar Chavez fought for the rights of Hispanic farm workers who were treated unfairly. We are going to spend some time researching a person from history who changed the lives of other people. Their ideas and opinions enriched their communities!
The RAK paradigm is the framework for teaching and building kindness skills.
Examine the key words and their definitions. Ask students what they think these qualities have to do with people who change the world for the better. • Compassion: Being aware when others are sick, sad, or hurt and wanting to help. • Respect: Treating people, places, and things with kindness. • Helpfulness: Assisting or serving in a kind way. • Responsibility: Being reliable to do the things that are expected or required in your life, home, community and environment. • Perseverance: Keep trying even when something is difficult, not giving up. • Fairness: Treating people in a way that does not favor some over others. • Integrity: Acting in a way you know to be right and kind in all situations.
© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
www.randomactsofkindness.org 2
Empower World Changer Project (times vary) Present deadlines for projects to the students. Have students decide how they want to present the information about their person: a short written or oral report, diorama, play, poster board, PowerPoint, movie, art project, etc. Allow opportunities for peer review of the project before it is complete. Once students finish, have them present projects to the class and display them around the classroom. Wrap Up (10 mins.) To gauge understanding of the material, choose from the evaluation and reflection questions as discussion, or writing or journal prompts. Consider providing additional time for deeper evaluation and reflection as needed. Evaluation Questions • What are some of the values the person you researched possessed? • Who were some of the other people presented? What did they do? • What kind of people were these world changers? Reflection Questions • What characteristics of the person you wrote about do you admire most? • Which of the characteristics would you like to have more of for yourself? • Do you think any one can change the world for the better? Summary We had the opportunity to learn about some pretty amazing people who were brave enough to change the world for the better. Standing up for the rights of others is one of the biggest acts of kindness you can do.
Act (2 mins) Kindness Minute We all have the ability to change the lives of others for the better. Sometimes the smallest things can make a big difference in someone’s life. Even just noticing them. When you leave class today, say “hi” or “bye” to as many people as you can on your way home. Kindness in Action Tell someone who is not in this class about the person you researched. It might just inspire them to be a world changer too.
© The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
www.randomactsofkindness.org 3
