Lesson Plan #1 — A Long Walk to Water

Literacy & Tech Content Areas: Medium Post #1

Teacher: Ms. Kaufman

Grade: 8th

Lesson Plan Model: #1 Guided Instruction, #2 Oral Presentation, & #3 Independent writing

Subject: Social Studies and English Language Arts

Lesson Topic(s): A Long Walk to Water, South Sudan History

Standards (include grade level specific details of the standards):

MCCS ELA\SS\8\1 Reading Standards for Informational Text: Key Ideas and Details

• Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, cultures, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).

MCCS ELA\8\1.a Speaking and Listening Standards: Comprehension and Collaboration

• Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

1. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Grand Challenges:

Valuing World Cultures

• Shed light on the interconnections among world cultures.

• Add to knowledge of migrations, diasporas, and interactions of cultural groups.

Objectives:

1. Given a specific time period of South Sudan’s conflict from 1896 to September 2018 which relates to important figures and events, students will be able to work in groups to create a oral presentation using presentation software such as powerpoint, prezi, etc.
2. Given the material covered in the previous lesson students will be able to make connections between chapter ten of ALWtW and the oral presentations on South Sudan’s conflict. They will demonstrate their understanding through a response writing activity as detailed in chapter 31 of 50 Routines.

Materials and Supplies:

• A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
• Timeline resources:
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-14019202
• https://www.concernusa.org/story/timeline-south-sudans-history-at-a-glance/
• https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/chronology/south-sudan.php
• https://paanluelwel.com/documents-reports/south-sudans-historical-chronology/
• Prezi https://prezi.com/
• Powerpoint/Google slides
• In-class reading journals

Pre-assessment: Up to this point in the class students will have read to chapter 10 of ALWtW.

1. Students will be split into groups of two or three (depending on class). Each group will be assigned a section of South Sudan’s conflict timeline.
2. Students will be instructed to research this time period, create and design a visual presentation through either prezi, powerpoint, or google slides, and give a 10–15 minute presentation to the class. The group will be graded according to the rubric below.

Content (10pts):

Presentation should include: Conflicting groups/leaders. Tribes involved. Critical events, and location.

Visuals (10pts):

Slides have appropriate images that intrigue the audience. Maximum of five lines per slide.

Presentation (10pts):

10–15 minutes, Professional presentation skills.

1. During presentations all students who are not presenting are to record three things in their class journals that they learned from their peer’s presentation. It may be something that relates to their own section of the timeline, relates to chapter 10 of ALWtW, or something that surprised them or led them to have a question. Journal writing will be counted for daily participation points.
2. Following presentations (this lesson may take two to three class periods) students will do a response write. In this writing activity students will:
3. Reflect on Chapter 10 of ALWtW — what conflict was this chapter portraying? Who shot Uncle Jewiir? What group might have they belonged to? What military did Uncle Jewiir belong to?
4. After learning more about South Sudan’s war and conflict, do you understand this scene more? Do you think Salva understood why his uncle was shot?
5. What was the climate of South Sudan during Nya’s part of the chapter? Was it more or less violent than the time that Salva’s scene took place in?
6. Responses will be graded on thoroughness of response, correct citations to ALWtW, and use of in-class presentations in responses. Time will be given in class to complete response.