Saturday, November 17, 2007

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Coping in Crises Lesson Plan

GRADE LEVEL: 5

1. Theme/Title of the day’s lesson with a brief description:
“Coping in Crises” Students will be taking a look at how people dealt with the harsh conditions during the Great Depression. They will see the positive ways people coped during this time. They will relate these ideas to their own life.

2. Materials/resources needed:
Primary documents: Copies of photographs from “Pancake Days” (1 per group of 4)
Newspaper clippings describing” Pancake Days” (1 per group of 4)
Journals

3. Goal(s) for today’s lesson: Students will understand how people coped during the Great Depression.

4. Objectives for today’s lesson:
Students will have an understanding to the morale of the people during the Great Depression. Students will learn different coping methods and apply these to their own lives.


5. Procedures
a. introductory experiences
Play “Life is a Bowl of Cherries” by Lew Brown at the beginning of class.
Explain to students that this song came from 1931. (Students have been studying The Great Depression for several days now.) Does this song seem unusually upbeat for the time period?

b. developmental experiences:

1. (3 min.) Tell students we will be learning how The Great Depression affected people in Winona. Explain to class that they will need to investigate the pictures and documents given to determine what “Pancake Days” is. They will need to also come up with reasons for “Pancake Days.” Why was Winona handing out free pancakes and celebrating when people were losing their jobs and were poverty stricken?

2. (20 min.) Have students get into groups of four. Pass out primary documents: pictures and article of “Pancake Days” along with the handout of directions for the assignment. Tell students they will have 15 minutes to go through all of the documents and write their responses to the handout. Tell student to keep in mind everything we have learned so far about the Great Depression and to include these ideas in their responses.

3. (10 min.) Have students present their responses to class.

c. culminating experiences
(5-10 min.) Have students write in their journals about a time of difficulty for them or someone they know and how that person coped with the situation.
(5 min.) Have discussion about ways to cope with bad news or situations
- Interact with friends to stay happy.
- Talk with others who are in the same situation so you don’t feel so alone.
- Think positive.
- Help others- makes you feel good about yourself
Discuss what the significance of “Pancake Days.” How did it make their situation better?

6. Assessments used during lesson:
Students will be assessed on their level of participation during the discussions. Teacher will observe students while they are working with groups to make sure everyone is contributing. Students will also be assessed according to their journal responses to see whether the student put thought into their entry and did they make the connection between the activity and their own life.

Song:
"Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries," lyrics by Lew Brown, music by Ray Henderson (1931)

People are queer, they're always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don't they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It's time that we found out.
We're not here to stay; we're on a short holiday.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go.

So keep repeating it's the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,

The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you've never owned?

Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
At eight each morning I have got a date,
To take my plunge 'round the Empire State.
You'll admit it's not the berries,
In a building that's so tall;

There's a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss;
Get thousands a week just for crooning like this:

Life is just a bowl of . . . aw, nuts!
So live and laugh at it all!


Directions:
In a group investigate all of the documents given to you. Your goal is to determine what “Pancake Days” was and why was it celebrated. You will need to reflect upon information-learned prior about The Great Depression in determining the purpose for Pancake Days. Your response needs to be written in one paragraph. That paragraph will include what Pancake Days is and why was it celebrated.