Listen To A Famous American

Lesson Title: Listen To A Famous American

Lesson Description: Students dress in character and give an interview in the first person of the famous American they chose to represent.

Developed by: Grace Dublin Grade Level: 4/5

Standards:
Social Studies, Language Arts, Communication, Technology

Enduring Understanding (s):
What makes someone famous?
Why do some people who have endured throughout history stand out? Essential

Question(s):
What makes someone famous?
What contribution did your “famous American” make in US history?
Why has his/her contribution endured throughout history?

Knowledge:
Students will know…
About famous people who made lasting contributions to our nation’s history
The important deeds of their “famous American”
Skills:
Students will be able to…
Research and understand the important events in their famous person’s life
Put together an engaging interview to represent the outstanding contributions their person made to US history

Six Facets of Understanding
If students understand that enduring contributions are part of the complex history of our nation then they should be able to…
Explain: who this person was and why they have endured throughout US history
Interpret: the most important deed(s) and connect it to the growth of our nation
Apply the Understanding by: an interview, in character, so we can learn about them from in the first person point of view
See from the points of view of: the famous person and what influences played a part in their life
Empathize with: role-playing the person in character
Overcome the naive or biased idea that: history is only told from one point of view

Performance Task:

Goal: To produce an interesting video interview of a famous American to post on our class web page.

Teacher Role: Help students choose a “famous American” whose efforts and deeds have endured through time. Provide good resources, primary documents, and lessons in preparing a good interview (writing good questions).

Audience: Students, parents, school community, anyone who visits our class web page.

Situation: Individual work and filming with a partner.

Product/Performance: Video of interview

Standards: Social Studies, Language Arts, Communication, Technology

Student Work Samples: Create a movie of your interview

Observations: Students writing and practicing their interview. Getting ready to film and edit the final product

Student Self Assessment/Reflection: A project timeline and a journal entry for each point on the timeline to completion. Did they reach their goal? Did they produce an interesting and factual movie? Did they really know their “famous person.”