Teacher Work Sample

Teacher Work Sample (TWS)

By

Joe Perna

EDST 4500NA Spring 2012 Professors Roberta Devlin-Scherer and Tara Casola 4/16/2012

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Contextual Factors…………………………......2 Appendices………………………………….....6 References…………………………………......8 Chapter 2: Learning Goals…………………………….......9 Chapter 3: Design of Instruction……………………....…12 Appendices…………………………………...30 Chapter 4: Evaluation and Analysis of Student Learning...43 Appendices……………………………………55 Chapter 5: Analysis of Student Learning……………........62

-TWS Chapter 1: Contextual Factors-

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Community, District and school factors The town of West Orange of Essex County New Jersey is characterized by diversity both socio-economically and racially. Its relatively high average annual household income accounts for numerous large homes in gated communities, middle-class dwellings, and humble apartments in downtown areas. Of its 43,000-plus residents, the majority are Caucasian with a significant African American and Hispanic minority (Figure 1.1). Such evident socio-economic and racial diversity is a central dynamic of the community.

Another important characteristic of West Orange is its strong public schools. There are eleven public schools in West Orange that fall under the jurisdiction of the West Orange Board of Education. The town contains seven elementary schools and three middle schools. The town’s sole high school, West Orange High School (grades 9-12), contains over 2,000 students (West Orange Board of Education [WOBOE], 2012). The board of education and schools encourage parental involvement through scheduled in-school conferences, PTA meetings, televised board meetings, and a PowerSchool parental portal on the board of education website where parents can check the progress of their children in school via the internet (WOBOE, 2012).

When walking through the public schools of West Orange, one quickly recognizes how it fulfills its mission of “meeting the needs of our diverse student body so that every West Orange student will be prepared for college and the workplace.” West Orange High School stands out academically particularly through its Advanced Placement Program where the high achievement of its students was recognized by Newsweek in 2010. In addition to accommodating for its highest achievers, the high school has strong special education, inclusion, and a horizons program to cater to over sixteen percent of its students with individualized education programs (IEP). There are about ten students to every teacher with some classes containing over thirty

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students while other classes, like the horizons program for classified learners, contain a handful of students (NJ Dept. Education, 2010). The school is also recognized for its ESL and language department to accommodate for over four percent of the students characterized as limited English proficient (L.E.P) (NJ Dept. Education, 2010). The accomplished ESL program reflects the diversity of the student body at West Orange High School that is even more pronounced than the town at large. The district’s commitment to incorporating technology in the classroom is another way it prepares its students to enter college and the work force.

Classroom Factors Once in Mr. Drabik’s classroom it does not take long for any visitor to sense that they are in a history class. Although the class does not contain any bulletin boards, the history projects of students, historical maps, flags, photographs, historical tapestries, and dynastic tables adorn the walls. The classroom is quite large and contains 30 desks for students, one desk for the teacher in the back of the room, one table for the teacher in the front of the room, a closet for storage, a white board, book shelves containing textbooks for all students, and pull-down maps in the front of the classroom. The desks are arranged in a “U” shape which allows for easy navigation of both the teacher and students. The desks of students can be easily arranged into three large groups or pairs since the “U” contains two rows. Student learning is enhanced by the presence of technology in the forms of four computers (one for the teacher), a DVD/VHS player, an overhead projector with a pull-down screen, and a wireless mouse that allows the teacher to freely navigate through PowerPoints and the Internet while apart from the computer.

Learning Environment

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There are numerous factors that make Mr. Drabik’s class a positive learning environment.

Each 45-minute class period is governed by certain rules and policies. Mr. Drabik (2012) discussed how all students are encouraged to respect their peers, listen actively, participate, and keep an organized notebook. Discipline usually requires reprimanding individual students in front of the class, in private, or filing an incident report to the in-school suspension coordinator or deans if a student’s behavior gets too far out-of-hand (Zichella, 2012). Demonstrating respect for others is vital in Mr. Drabik’s classroom where the recently enacted anti-bullying legislation is steadfastly enforced. Students receive a participation grade at the end of each marking period where their contribution to the class is assessed. This encourages broad participation especially after students realize how their opinions are respected. In an effort to increase student self esteem and confidence, Mr. Drabik never shies from giving positive complements and meaningful feedback. Such active participation helps students excel at various class procedures and assessments such as quizzes, projects, document-based questions (DBQ), and notebook checks.

Student Characteristics The 18 students (11 female 7 male) in Mr. Drabik’s period 6/7 freshman World History class are a diverse lot. The class consists primarily of students of African-American descent but also includes Caucasian, Hispanic, and Asian students. Most of the students are accustomed with the dominant “American” culture and all are proficient in English while some are also fluent in Spanish. Although the class is labeled an honors class, on the whole their skill level is below a typical honors-level class (Figure 1.4). No students in this class have any I.E.P’s or special needs. It appears their learning style is most responsive to varied teaching methods such as PowerPoint lectures, group work, written assignments, and the incorporation of technology to facilitate research and learning. The students seem generally interested in school; however, other

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preferences like sports, band, school activities and groups, and social media like Facebook and Twitter sometimes overshadow their interest in learning. Some are involved in sports like basketball and track while others apply their talents to other school activities such as band, cheerleading, and various clubs.

Instructional Implications As I prepare to teach Mr. Drabik’s classes full-time, some of the contextual characteristics of his classes and the larger community will undoubtedly influence my strategies.

After observing the sheer diversity of the community and students, I plan to incorporate more of the history of the traditionally marginalized areas like Asia, Africa, and Latin America. This came after noticing that the content of the class is largely Euro-centric (Observation, 2012).

Though Europe and America were the greatest movers and shakers of world events in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, it is important for students to additionally recognize some of the achievements of the non-Western world. This could spark the interest of some students who desire to learn more about these places. The students in the class are also familiar and comfortable using the Internet and social media websites like Facebook. This prompts me to incorporate the program EDMODO in the classroom since, being very similar to Facebook in format, is very user-friendly. I also plan to compensate for the lower achieving level of period 6/7 by taking a slower pace in that class and using more positive reinforcement methods to facilitate student motivation and participation. These instructional implications should enrich my student teaching experience and help boost the achievement of Mr. Drabik’s students.

Appendices: TWS Chapter 1 Figure 1.1 – Average Income and Real Estate of West Orange and New Jersey Residents:

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Survey Area West Orange New Jersey

Average Income ($) 88,884 68,342

Average Real Estate ($) 402,731 348,300 *(City Data, 2010)

Figure 1.2 – The demographics of West Orange, NJ: Ethnicity Caucasian African American Hispanic Asian Other

Percentage (%) 51.8 24.3 14.3 7.7 1.5

Number 22,173 10,386 6,132 3,291 689 *(Gen. Demographics, 2011)

Figure 1.3- Mission Statement of West Orange Public Schools: “The mission of the West Orange Public Schools is to engage in an energetic partnership with all components of this culturally-diverse community, to marshal resources to assist all students to reach their full potential through an academic emphasis on the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards, to promote the highest quality intellectual and human relations development of our pupils, and to instill in all students the knowledge and decision-making skills essential to make appropriate choices and successfully meet the challenges they will encounter as productive members of society” (WOBOE, 2010).

Figure 1.4 – West Orange High School Academic Statistics: (NJ Dept. Education, 2010).

West Orange High School

SAT (out of 1600)

AP participation (%)

Graduation rate (%)

Dropout rate (%)

982

35

95

1

Graduates attending four year school (%) 70

Graduates attending two year school (%) 23

*(NJ Department of Education, 2010)

Figure 1.5 – Average Midterm Scores of Mr. Drabik’s Freshman Honors World History Classes:

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*(Observation, 2012)

References

Page |9 City Data Online. (2011). West Orange, New Jersey. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://www.city-data.com/city/West-Orange-New-Jersey.html Douglas Drabik. Cooperating teacher. Personal interview, January 20, 2012.

New Jersey Department of Education. (2010). West Orange High School Report Card. Retrieved January 20, 2011, from http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc10/rcoptions.php?c=13;d=5680;s=050;lt=CD;st=CD Profile of General Demographic Characteristics. (2010). West Orange Township. Retrieved January 21, 2011, from http://lwd.dol.state.nj.us/labor/lpa/census/2010/dp/dp1_ess/westorange1.pdf Stephan Zichella. In-School Suspension Coordinator. Personal interview, January 23, 2012.

West Orange Board of Education (WOBOE). (2012). Schools. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from http://schools.woboe.org/Pages/Default.aspx World History Class. (Mr. Drabik). Observation. January 23, 2012.

-TWS Chapter 2: Learning Goals-

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The goals and table included below are the blue print of this unit on genocide. The class will analyze seven genocides spanning from the early 20th century to the present. Two important characteristics of this unit on genocide entail a thematic approach and a wider spectrum that considers the international response to each of these tragic events. This is a unit aimed more at the heart than the mind. In other words, students will focus more on phenomena that cause genocide such as hate and intolerance rather than all of the major detail behind all seven genocides. The learning goals and objectives of this unit were created with all of this in mind.

Goal Statement/Learning Goals 1. Students will properly define genocide.

2. Students will recognize that the 20th century contained genocides and mass exterminations on an unprecedented level.

3. Students will recognize that nations and international institutions have taken measures to prevent future genocides and human rights violations.

4. Students will recognize how genocide and mass murder remain a threat to the present day and therefore require vigilance on the part of individuals, nations, and international organizations to prevent them.

5. Students will consider why such genocides took place and in what types of environments they are more likely to occur in.

Subject: World History Grade Level: Grade 9 Unit: Genocide Objectives

New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standard

National Standards for History: World History

1. Through completing an in-class graphic organizer,

6.2.12.A.4.d: Assess government responses to incidents of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

E8. 3A. 5-12: Explain how the League of Nations was founded and assess its promise and limitations as a vehicle for achieving lasting peace.

students will be able to assess the role of the League of Nations in defending and upholding human rights during the Armenian Genocide, Nanking Massacre, Holocaust, and Ukrainian Genocide.

Level of Thinking: Bloom’s Taxonomy Knowledge Comprehension Evaluation

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2. Students will be able to

6.2.12.A.4.d: Assess government responses to incidents of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

E9. 1A. 5-12: Explain Knowledge why the United Nations Comprehension was founded and assess its successes and failures up to the 1970s.

6.2.12.A.4.c: Analyze the motivations, causes, and consequences of the genocides of Armenians, Roma (gypsies), and Jews, as well as the mass exterminations of Ukrainians and Chinese.

E8. 4B. 5-12: Analyze how and why the Nazi regime perpetrated a “war against the Jews” and describe the devastation suffered by Jews and other groups in the Nazi Holocaust.

Knowledge Comprehension Synthesis

4. Though an in-class Venn 6.2.12.A.4.c: Analyze the motivations, Diagram, students will be causes, and able to compare and contrast consequences of the genocide against Jews, Rwandans, and Cambodians. genocides of Armenians, Roma (gypsies), and Jews, as well as the mass exterminations of Ukrainians and Chinese.

E8. 4B. 5-12: Analyze how and why the Nazi regime perpetrated a “war against the Jews” and describe the devastation suffered by Jews and other groups in the Nazi Holocaust.

Knowledge Comprehension Analysis

5. Students will be able to

E9. 1A. 5-12: Explain Knowledge why the United Nations Comprehension was founded and assess Application its successes and failures up to the 1970s.

recall actions taken against the defeated Axis forces for their war crimes against the Jews and Chinese.

3. Students will be able to compose a hypothetical letter to the United Nations explaining the danger of genocide to convince that international institution to remain vigilant in defending human rights.

pass a formative assessment on the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

6.2.12.A.5.e: Assess the progress of human and civil rights around the world since the 1948 U.N. Declaration of Human Rights.

This unit will challenge students to learn about seven genocides since the start of the 20th century beyond recalling the mere basic facts behind them. It leads them to analyzing the genocides in a thematic manner which naturally leads to them to compare and contrast them.

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Instead of simply accepting the fact that a certain genocide has taken place, they will explore the more important reason that helps explain why they unfolded. They will not only learn the definition of genocide but the difficulties applying it to certain incidents such as the Armenian and Ukrainian Genocides. In this unit students will not analyze each genocide in a vacuum but rather consider the international response they generated. Students will consider and access actions taken to prevent genocide by international institutions like the United Nations. They will then form their own opinion about what these international institutions and nations in general should do to prevent genocide. The higher learning, application, and emotional appeal of this unit is intended to impact students to make a difference to preventing future genocide throughout the world.

-TWS Chapter 3: Design of Instruction•

Subpart I: Pre-Assessment Design: Narrative and Table Genocide as a unit taught in school should be directed more at the heart of the students

than their minds. In other words, although it is necessary for students to learn content in this type

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of unit, it is more important that they are affected emotionally and learn to sympathize with the victims of this cruel phenomenon. The data and specific details of a particular genocide is less important than the factors that motivated it, the emotions it evokes, and the continued existence of hatred in the world that can renew mass killing at any time and in any place. Thus, the preassessment is not a traditional multiple choice test or quiz that requires student master a great deal of content. It is designed in an open-ended manner because it allows students to show all they know about the topic. Although useful, traditional multiple choice questions do not always accurately reflect student knowledge. Students could simply guess incorrectly which could lead teachers to incorrectly conclude that students know more about the lesson than they actually do. I was interested to assess how much my students in period 6/7 knew about genocide before entering the unit. Official test scores indicate that the West Orange schools system is quite reputable especially at its higher honors and advanced placement level. Thus, I wanted to see how much these honors freshman students learned and retained about genocide through their prior years of schooling or through any acquisition of background knowledge.

The entire class, 18 students, completed the pre-assessment in normal class conditions. I instructed students to read the directions on the test and reminded them how it was being graded on completeness and effort. I read the questions on the quiz aloud while students read to themselves. Each question was assessed in a certain manner. Students that gave complete sentence responses and examples received a “3,” students with partial responses received a “2,” students with limited responses and incomplete sentences received a “1,” and students who did not respond received a “0.” The environment of the class during this pre-assessment was similar to that of a test. The class was completely quiet and I monitored students taking their questions

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during the quiz to help them through the process. I introduced the new unit on genocide in the beginning of class and gave students approximately 15 minutes to complete the pre-test.

Throughout this unit students will learn about genocide itself, major genocides that took place throughout the 20th century, and the actions taken by the League of Nations and U.N. to prevent them. The pretest will be used to gauge student understanding of these topics. Its first three questions deal with content while the last two deal with opinion. If students struggle with the content aspect, they should master it by the end of the unit. They are then encouraged to take what they learned and use it to support their argument in a written assessment as the post-test of the unit. This is where their mastery of the content of the unit will be reflected. It is also an opportunity for students to demonstrate their skills in persuasive writing.

I was relatively pleased with the class results from the pre-test. Most students responded with complete sentences and some were even able to provide correct answers and examples. The class average on the quiz was a 2.4/3 (see Figure 3.1). The mode or most common scores were 3 and 2.6. The median score was 2.5 while the range stretched from 1.6-3. Some students scored lower because they did not enter the unit with any background information and in turn were discouraged from writing a great deal on the pre-test. Nonetheless, others entered the unit with a fair mastery of the unit objectives (see Figure 3.3). The majority of the class, 13 of 18 students, provided relatively accurate definitions of genocide. Some studied this theme in prior classes.

Half of the class recalled 20th century genocides. Most of which were ones they studied in prior classes like the Holocaust or Rwanda Genocide. Less students, only five of eighteen, could recall any responses of the international community to stop genocide. It is not surprising that students scored higher on the opinion questions in this pre-assessment since they have not yet learned the content of the unit. The class averaged a 2.6 on the opinion questions and a 2.3 on the content

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questions (see Figure 3.4). Thus, there is clear room for improvement once students learn more of the content and take the post-test.

Fortunately there were no stark contrasts in the performance of the class in terms of gender, race, or students involved in school athletics. Although the males in the class scored higher than the females, there are two factors that help explain the minor disparity. The higher male score (2.6) to female (2.3) is reflected by the fact that more of the male students entered the class with background knowledge (see Figure 3.5). They tend to know more about subjects like war and genocide since some frequently watch the History or Discovery Channel. In addition, the males comprise only 39 percent of the class while the females comprise 61 percent (see Figure 3.6). The only disparity in the race category may be that Asian category scored a 2.6 while the Hispanic category scored a 2.1. However, it should be noted that this is not a fair representative sample since there is only one student of Asian descent in the class. The studentathletes and non student athletes scored nearly even on the pre-test (see Figure 3.9). West Orange High School strictly monitors the academic performance of its athletes through the ASAP program. Student athletes with one “D� or lower have to stay after school at least three times a week with their teacher to raise their grade. The athletes of the class scored slightly higher than the non-athletes but this is partly explained by their lower numbers (see Figure 3.10).

Regardless, it is clear from the pre-test that students have a lot to learn about genocide in the 20th century. A few properly defined genocide while the top students were still unfamiliar with half of the genocides this unit will cover. Thus, no student exhibited a mastery of the content. This is reinforced by the fact that students struggled more with the content questions than the opinion questions on the assessment. Yet I did not rescind any of my initial objectives because I still think they are attainable even if most of the students are not entering this unit with

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significant background knowledge. Although in comparison with the other honors classes the students in this class are generally lower performing, I have found from my experience with them that they take their school work seriously and inquire into the content learned. I am thus confident that this unit will interest the students and that they will achieve the listed goals.

*Pre-Assessment

Name_____________ Period _______ Genocide Questionnaire

Answer the following questions in complete sentences to the best of your ability. You will not be penalized for answering questions incorrectly. Leave no question blank; give your best answer even if you are unsure. These questions will help me gauge your understanding of genocide before we begin our unit on the topic in class.

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1. What is genocide? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ __ 2. Can you name any acts of genocide that have taken place since the start of the 20th

century? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ___ 3. Can you recall any actions taken by international institutions (the former League of Nations and or United Nations) to prevent or stop genocide? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ____ 4. Does genocide remain a threat in the modern world? Why or why not? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ____ 5. Why is it important to learn about genocide in school? _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ___

Scoring Rubric for Pre-Test Grade

Description

3

Full response with examples

2

Partial Response

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1

Limited Response; incomplete sentences

0

No Response

Pre-Test Class Results Student

Pre-Test x/3

Ethnicity

Gender

Rose

2.6

African American

F

Afraz

2.6

Asian/Pacific Islander

M

Felicia

3

African American

F

Ariana

3

Caucasian

F

Isaiah

3

African American

M

Austin

3

African American

M

Je’von

2.6

African American

M

Tara

2.8

African American

F

Torian

2

African American

M

Selena

2.4

Hispanic

F

Taylor

2.4

African American

F

Tim

2.6

African American

M

Alessandra

2.4

Hispanic

F

Jasmin

1.6

African American

F

Schneider

2.2

African American

M

Adrielle

1.6

African American

F

Hunter

1.8

Caucasian

F

Giselle

1.6

Hispanic

F

•

Subpart II: Unit and Assessment Planning Table

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Unit Assessments Unit Goal

Lesson Topic and Learning Activity Genocide Questionnaire

Format

Assessment/Modifications

Open-Ended

Genocide Introduction PowerPoint Notes

In-class observation

Genocide Introduction recognize that the th PowerPoint Notes 20 century contained genocides and mass exterminations on an unprecedented level.

In-class observation

Students will be given additional time if needed.

I will make myself available to answer any questions.

Students are given questions to answer during the PowerPoint to structure their note-taking.

Students will be given extra time to complete work.

Students are given questions to answer during the PowerPoint to structure their note-taking.

Students will be given extra time to complete work.

Pre-Test

1. Students will properly define genocide.

2. Students will

3. Students will recognize that nations and international institutions have taken measures to prevent future genocides and human rights violations.

Lesson on U.N. Declaration of Human Rights

4. Students will Darfur is Dying recognize how Internet Activity genocide and mass murder remain a threat to the present day and therefore require vigilance on the part of individuals, nations, and

In-class writing

Students will be given hints, a list of the U.N. declaration of human rights, and extra time to complete the assignment

Class Discussion

Include time for student group discussion after completing the activity

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international organizations to prevent them.

5. Students will consider why such genocides took place and in what types of environments they are more likely to occur in.

Cooperative Learning Jigsaw Activity

In-class observation

I will lead students in a class discussion focused on finding the similarities on why all the genocides we are studying took place and in what types of countries they are more likely to occur in

Post Assessment

Unit assessment

Fill-in and essay writing

Before the assessment student questions will be addressed that will allow for back tracking and reteaching of content.

Includes a fill-in section to help boost scores for students with writing difficulties.

*Post Test:

Name ____________ Period ____________ Genocide Unit Assessment

Part I: Chart Completion (30 points; 2 points per box) Complete this chart on the five stages of genocide we identified in class. Use the word bank to complete the stages. Not all words will be used. Once you identify the stages, provide a brief description of it and mention a historical example where this took place from one of the seven genocides we studied in class.

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Stage

Description (Brief one sentence description of the stage)

Historical Example (from one of the seven genocides discussed in class)

WORD BANK (use for stages of genocide) Assimilation

Denial

Lying

Dehumanization

Apology

Extermination

Preparation

Invasion

Organization

Part II: Open-ended prompt (20 points): Recently some in the United Nations have advocated that the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (established 1948) should be eliminated. Some in this view insist that genocide is no longer a threat in the modern world. Regardless of your views on this issue, write a letter refuting the opinion that genocide is no longer a threat in the modern world.

In your letter be sure to: • Define genocide.

• Briefly describe two different genocides that took place from WWI through WWII. Also name any instance of genocide that have taken place more recently (i.e. after WWII).

• Summarize what international institutions (League of Nations and U.N. have done or failed to do to prevent genocide).

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• State how genocide remains a threat in the modern world.

Dear Ambassador X, _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ ___ _____________________________________________________________________________ _ •

Subpart III: Design of Instruction Narrative The larger contextual factors of the West Orange community clearly influenced my unit

design in several ways. The first concrete example is how the content of the unit compensated for the diversity of the class. This Modern World History class that covers from 1500-to the present is naturally Western dominated. However, this unit on genocide easily allowed me to

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focus on content outside of Europe. Out of the seven genocides covered, only two, the Holocaust and the Ukrainian Genocide, took place in Europe. Most took place in either Asia (Armenian Genocide, Nanking Massacre, and Cambodian Genocide) or Africa (Rwanda Genocide and Darfur Genocide). Thus, the content of this unit was chosen to meet the diversity of students. It also reinforced the fact that no area of the world is unfamiliar with this grim, universal phenomenon. Furthermore, West Orange High School’s reputable Advanced Placement program influenced how I designed the unit. The students in my period 6/7 class are labeled “honors,� however; they perform noticeably lower than the average honors class. This was clearly reflected on the midterm where two other honors classes (one of which I teach) averaged in the 86-87 range whereas period 6/7 averaged 72 percent. Thus, I moved at a slower pace with period 6/7 than with my other classes. However, I still challenged them because I know some of these students will be in Advanced Placement classes during their junior and senior years. This led me to change the typical multiple choice assessment by incorporating a writing section that more closely models the skills necessary for Advanced Placement students. Naturally the writing segment of the assessment was scaled down to their level, however, I hope to get the students more accustomed to writing to better prepare them for their future social studies classes. Lastly, the delivery of this unit was influenced by my prior observations of the class. I noticed how the students respond more enthusiastically when they were exposed to varied teaching methods. As a result, I ensured this unit had lessons featuring direct instruction, cooperative learning, and technology.

This unit was enhanced by the technology resources at my disposal. I created PowerPoints that included content, first-hand witness accounts, and pictures that helped students sympathize with the victims of genocide. The overhead projector in the classroom allowed

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students to learn about some of the genocides through video. The “Darfur is Dying” internet activity allowed students to play a game on the computer while learning that genocide is no stranger to the 21st century. In addition, I used the website EDMODO to update students on class assignments and upcoming assessments during the unit. I noted earlier how EDMODO appeals to the students because it is user-friendly since it is structured like Facebook. I also kept track of student progress through the PowerSchool digital grading system throughout the unit. This allows students and their parents to view their class performance. Frequent parental involvement through Board of Education and P.T.A meetings is an important contextual factor of this community. Thus, I valued this digital grading system that allows parents to view their student progress. Parental encouragement often instills student motivation beyond teacher encouragement. Ultimately the modifications in the unit influenced by contextual factors undoubtedly made it more enriching and meaningful.

•

Subpart IV: Assessment Materials

Assessment Rubrics: Scoring Rubric for Pre-Test Grade

Description

3

Full response with examples

2

Partial Response

1

Limited Response; incomplete sentences

0

No Response

Scoring Rubric for Post-Test For Graphic Organizer (out of 30) - 2 points for each correct answer in the “Stages” category (5 boxes)

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-

2 points for adequate response in the “Description” and “Historical Example” categories (10 boxes).

1 point for limited response in the “Description” and “Historical Example” categories (10 boxes)

For written response (out of 20 points) For each of the four bulleted requirements (worth 5 points each): Grade

Description

5

Full response with adequate example

4

Partial response with adequate example

3

Full response with inadequate example

2

Partial response with inadequate example

1

Limited response with inadequate example

Rubric on class-work *During this unit students will have to complete a graphic organizer (see attached lesson below and a triple Venn diagram on different genocides).

Grade

Description

3

Full completion

2

Over half completion

1

Meager completion

0

Class work not started

*Formative Assessment Name______________ Period _____________ United Nations Declaration of Human Rights Genocide Activity The year is 1948 and the newly formed U.N. has just released its Declaration of Human Rights. As part of a U.N. judicial panel, your task is to prosecute the ________ genocide that pre-dated the United Nations. Consider what human rights articles the genocide violated in

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order to bring the organizers of that genocide to justice. List five of your nine articles that the organizers of that genocide violated. (Class work = 10 points).

Article # with brief summary (Complete Sentence summary)

Rationale (Bullet Points)

*Modified reading of the 30 Articles in the UN Declaration of Human Rights U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (1948) PREAMBLE Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind...

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, with the desire that every individual and every part of society...., keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive...to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and...to secure their universal and effective observance.

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Article 1.

•

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2.

•

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the...status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Article 3.

•

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Article 4.

•

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.

Article 5.

•

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

Article 6.

•

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.

Article 7.

•

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.

Article 9.

•

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.

Article 10.

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•

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.

Article 11.

•

Everyone charged with crime has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defense.

Article 12.

•

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honor and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.

Article 13.

• •

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.

(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.

Article 14.

•

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

Article 15.

• •

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Article 16.

•

• •

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.

(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.

(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.

Article 17.

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• •

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.

(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.

Article 18.

•

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19.

•

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Article 20.

•

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful protest, assembly, and association.

Article 21.

• • •

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.

(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.

(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.

Article 22.

•

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.

Article 23.

• • •

•

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.

(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.

(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favorable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

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Article 24.

•

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.

Article 25.

•

•

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and wellbeing of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.

(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Article 26.

•

•

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

Appendices: TWS Chapter 3

Figure 3.1: Student Pre-Test Scores in Bar Graph (out of 3).

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Pre-Test Score (out of 3) 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 Rose Afra Felic Aria Isaia Aust Je’v Tara Tori Sele Tayl Tim Ales Jas Schn Adri Hun Gise z ia na h in on an na or sand min eide elle ter lle ra r Pre-Test Score 2.6 2.6 3 3 3 3 2.6 2.8 2 2.4 2.4 2.6 2.4 1.6 2.2 1.6 1.8 1.6

Figure 3.2: Student pre-test scores in pie chart (out of 3). 18 students took the pre-test. The blue section represents students that scored a “3,� the red section represents students that scored from 2-2.9, and the green section represents students that scored from 1-1.9.

Figure 3.3: Here student mastery of the unit objectives is given. These three unit objectives were included on the pre-test. The first includes the ability to properly define genocide, the second includes describing genocides that took place in the 20th century, and the last entails describing cases of international response to genocide. In this case the bars represent the number of students who meet the unit objectives or goals.

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Figure 3.4: Here all student scores are broken up by opinion and content questions. Out of the five short answer questions on the quiz, two were opinion questions and three were content.

Figure 3.5: Here the pre-test percentage score is listed by student gender.

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Figure 3.6: Here gender composition of the 18 students in the class is provided.

Figure 3.7: Here pre and post test percentage scores are listed by race.

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Figure 3.8: Here the racial composition of the 18 students in the class is provided.

Figure 3.9: Here the pre-test score is divided by students involved in school athletics.

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Figure 3.10: Here a breakdown of the class involved in school athletics is provided.

Figure 3.11: Sample cooperative learning lesson from Genocide Unit

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Seton Hall University College of Education & Human Services Interactive Lesson Plan Name: Joseph Perna Date: 1 March 2012 Setting/Grade Level: 9 University Linked Course: World History School: West Orange High School Lesson Theme or Topic: 20th century Genocides PreU.N. Composition of Class (please note number of students): 30: Students 0: ESL 0: IEP 1: 504 Learning Objectives: Through a designated class activity, students will be able to complete a graphic organizer covering the Armenian Genocide, Ukrainian Genocide, the Nanking Massacre, and the Holocaust.

Through a culminating class discussion, students will be able to identify the major reasons why these genocides took place.

Learning Standards: NJCCS: 6.2.12.A.4.c: Analyze the motivations, causes, and consequences of the genocides of Armenians, Roma (gypsies), and Jews, as well as the mass exterminations of Ukrainians and Chinese.

Students in this lesson are analyzing the causes and consequences of the Armenian Genocide, Ukrainian Genocide, Massacre of Nanking, and Holocaust through their graphic organizers.

National Standards: E8. 4B. 5-12: Analyze how and why the Nazi regime perpetrated a “war against the Jews” and describe the devastation suffered by Jews and other groups in the Nazi Holocaust.

In this lesson student are analyzing the causes, effects, and devastation of the Holocaust.

Materials/Resources Technology Used: Assistive Technology ROM/Commercial Software Computer/printer PowerPoint

Audio CD’s/Cassette Tapes

CD-

Inspiration Program Internet/Websites SmartBoard Tape Recorder/CD Player

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VCR/TV/DVD

Virtual Field Trip

WebQuest

Other

Strategies What grouping will you use?

Grouping for instruction: One to One Kind of grouping: Ability

Pairs Small Heterogeneous

Whole Interest

What instructional strategies will you use?

Cooperative Learning Internet Project Based Learning Compare Contrast Deductive Learning Reading for Meaning Discovery/Inquiry Inductive Learning Research Direct Instruction Lecture Role Playing/Skit Drill/Practice Lab Socratic method Graphic Organizers Library Resources Simulation Group Discussion Peer editing Other Game Problem Solving What are students doing?

Cooperative Learning Discussing Painting, drawing, creating graphics playing/skit Technology Tutoring

Listening Manipulatives Games Presenting Reading RoleWritten assignments Viewing Other

Explain choices for materials, grouping and strategies: Students will sit in homogenous groups at random in order to level the playing field. This allows them to talk among themselves and learn how their peers think and develop ideas during this activity that requires higher level thought and analysis. In groups they will complete their graphic organizers. The computer will be used to project the graphic organizer so students can copy it into their notebooks to use for the in-class activity. A group discussion will close the period in order to assess student learning.

Procedure for Teaching Time Allocated: 45 minutes Procedure: Step 1: Group Students: (about 5 minutes) Upon entering class students will at random receive a reading of the Armenian Genocide, Ukrainian Genocide, Nanking Massacre, or Holocaust. The reading they receive will determine which group they will sit in. I will explain the activity to students once they have entered the class and are seated in their proper groups.

Step 2: Activities: (about 30 minutes)

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Students will then be instructed to read their events on their own. After they have read this event they will collaborate with their fellow group members to fill out their part of the graphic organizer that contains their event. After the groups have completed this task they will then be seated in new groups according to the color of the “x” marked on their provided reading.

All with a blue “x” will sit together, all with a red “x” will sit together, etc. These new groups are designed to have at least one student from each genocide in them. Thus, the students will now teach one another about their genocide in order to complete the chart. This cooperative learning activity is commonly referred to as “jig-sawing.”

Step 3: Closing: (about 10 minutes) After the groups collaborate to complete the rest of the chart, the class will end with a class discussion. Students will be asked “why did these genocides take place?” The class will generate a list of common themes such as hatred, intolerance, lack of civil rights, etc that students will take notes on.

Step 4: Accommodations and Modifications: Assistive technology Additional examples Heterogeneous grouping Change size, format, requirements of assignment Enrichment ELL questioning Extend time Give clue Pair students Rephrase question Re-teach Tutor Specialized reading material Other: Visuals Explain reasons for choosing these accommodations: Since the class is diverse and ranges in talents and abilities, I will group them heterogeneously in order for students to aid one another during the lesson. The students will be given a visual of how to set up their graphic organizer in order to help them take notes during the lesson. The reading that students have been given has been edited to their level so it can be read and analyzed in a class period.

Step 5: Assessment: Oral or written quiz/test Observation Self evaluation Drawing Worksheet Learning log/Quick write/Journal Peer editing/evaluation Interview/Conference Other Explain how the assessment helps you know students met objectives: The class discussion at the end of the period will help me gauge how students have retained the material. Students will receive numerous facts about these genocides but at the end will be asked to consider how or why they took place. These are higher level questions that students will demonstrated advanced knowledge on the topic by answering.

Reflection What area(s) of thinking did the lesson cover?

Knowledge – define, memorize, repeat, record, list, recall, name, relate Students must list certain facts about their genocide in order to adequately complete the graphic organizer.

Comprehension – restate, summarize, discuss, describe, explain, express, identify, locate

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their

Students must summarize key ideas from their readings in order to adequately complete graphic organizers.

Application – exhibit, solve, interview, simulate, apply, demonstrate, dramatize, illustrate Analysis – interpret, classify, differentiate, compare, organize, contrast, dissect, inventory Students will compare the common causes behind all four genocides studied.

Synthesis – compose, plan, propose, produce, generalize, formulate, systemize, create Students will formulate a list of key reasons why all four genocides took place.

Evaluation – judge, assess, measure, appraise, estimate, infer, score, predict, revise, conclude *Attached Graphic Organizer: Genocides (Pre-U.N.) Armenian

Nanking Massacre

Holocaust

Ukrainian

Dehumanization : Who was targeted Organization: Who organized it Preparation: How did they prepare the genocide Extermination: How were victims exterminated Denial: How was the genocide later denied The Holocaust The Holocaust was the Nazi attempt to exterminate the entire Jewish people. The Nazi leader of Germany, Adolph Hitler, came to power in 1933 and repeatedly blamed the Jews for Germany's defeat in World War I and economic hardships. Hitler also put forward racial theories insisting that Aryan Germans were the supreme humans or master race. The Jews, according to

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Hitler, were the racial opposite, and were actively engaged in an international conspiracy to keep the master Aryan race from assuming its rightful position as rulers of the world.

The Jews, a minority group in Germany, were gradually shut out of German society by the Nazis through a never-ending series of laws and decrees, culminating in the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 which deprived them of their German citizenship and forbade intermarriage with nonJews. They were removed from schools, banned from the professions, excluded from military service, and other areas of society. An additional Nazi smear campaign portrayed Jews as enemies of the German people.

In 1941 Hitler ordered the destruction of Europe’s entire Jewish population. In Germany this genocide was made possible by the passionate racist beliefs of some of its people. Heinrich Himmler, the head of the SS, the military branch of the Nazi Party, headed the genocide against the Jews. At first the SS simply rounded up Jews and shot them in large groups. Soon, however, they turned to using poison gas as a more efficient method of execution. At a January 1942 conference in Wannsee, Germany, Nazi officials met to formalize their plans. The Wannsee Conference set out a systematic plan for exterminating Jews in concentration camps.

The Nazis moved Jews by the hundreds of thousands to concentration camps in Germany and Poland. Dachau and Buchenwald in Germany were two of the largest labor camps. In Poland the Germans built Treblinka and Auschwitz – huge death camps in which people were systematically murdered. At first the Nazis buried their victims in mass graves. Eventually they used huge ovens to cremate the dead.

Not everyone who arrived at the camps was killed immediately. As prisoners arrived, SS officers sorted them into groups by age, health, and sex. Some groups, especially those unable to do much physical work, were immediately sent to the “showers” for cleaning. These “showers” were really gas chambers. Those Jews who were not killed soon after arrival lived in unspeakable conditions. The combination of forced labor, brutal treatment, starvation, filth, and disease killed thousands of other people in the camps.

By the time the Nazi government fell, its leaders and its followers had murdered 6 million European Jews. Millions of others including Slavs, Gypsies, prisoners of war, the disabled, religious clergy, homosexuals and others who did not conform with the Nazi idea of “purity” were also murdered.

In wake of the tragedy, some deny the Holocaust. Most deniers claim that the Holocaust is a hoax arising out of a deliberate Jewish conspiracy to advance the interest of Jews at the expense of other peoples. For this reason, Holocaust denial is generally considered a conspiracy theory popular among anti-Semitic racial hate groups and radical Islamic religious groups.

The Armenian Genocide The Armenians are an ancient people, having inhabited eastern Asia Minor (Turkey) for 3,000 years. Armenia was at various times independent under a national dynasty, autonomous under native princes who paid tribute to foreign powers, or subject to direct foreign rule. The Armenians were the first people to adopt Christianity as a national religion, developing a distinct language, alphabet, and national-religious culture. Armenia was later conquered by the Islamic

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Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. As a Christian minority, Armenians endured second-class citizenship, including restrictions on many aspects of their participation in society, special taxes, and a prohibition on bearing arms.

During WWI the Ottoman Empire sided with Germany. The Ottoman Turks were promised the creation of a new Turkish state extending from Asia Minor into Central Asia where other ethnic Turks lived outside Ottoman borders. They hoped to create an ethnically homogenous state of only Islamic Turks. Many Turks thus viewed the Armenian Christians as an obstacle to their goal.

At the start of WWI the Ottoman Empire was fighting the Christian Russian Empire.

Although they had no clear evidence, the Turks accused the Armenians of being sympathetic to the Russians due to their common religion. Thus in 1915, several hundred Armenian community leaders and intellectuals in Constantinople (Istanbul), the Ottoman capital, were arrested and put to death. Turkish leaders ordered the deported Armenians to "relocation centers" - actually the barren Syrian desert.

Armenians in the Ottoman armies, serving separately in unarmed labor units, were removed and murdered. Of the remaining population, the adult and teenage males were separated from the deportation caravans and killed under the direction of government functionaries. Women and children were driven for months over mountains and desert, often raped, tortured, and mutilated.

Deprived of food and water, they fell by the hundreds of thousands along the routes to the desert. Ultimately, more than half the Armenian population 1,500,000 people were annihilated.

In this manner the Armenian people were eliminated from their homeland of several millennia.

Churches and cultural monuments were destroyed and small surviving children were renamed and raised as non-Armenians.

Foreigners from nations like the United States in the Ottoman Empire at the time reported the abuses against Armenians. However, distractions from WWI caused the genocide to be internationally overlooked. In fact, even Hitler some 20 years later questioned, “Who still talks nowadays about the Armenians?"

Turkey's formal stance is that the deaths of Armenians during the "relocation" or "deportation" cannot be deemed "genocide.� Some Turks claim that the killings were not deliberate or were not governmentally orchestrated, that the killings were justified because Armenians posed a Russian-sympathizing threat as a cultural group, that Armenians merely starved, or any of various characterizations recalling marauding "Armenian gangs." To this day Turkey has failed to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The Ukrainian Genocide The Ukrainian Genocide resulted from the reckless policies of Joseph Stalin. Once in control of the Soviet Union, Stalin viewed the growing Ukrainian nationalist movement and the continuing loss of Soviet influence in the area as completely unacceptable. Thus, beginning in 1929, over 5,000 Ukrainian intellectual and religious leaders were arrested and either murdered or deported to gulags.

Stalin also imposed the Soviet system of land management known as collectivization.

This resulted in the seizure of all privately owned farmlands. The Communists targeted a class of

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Ukrainians called the Kulaks who were formerly wealthy farmers. Stalin believed any future insurrection would be led by the Kulaks, thus he proclaimed a policy aimed at eliminating the Kulaks as a class.

Declared "enemies of the people," the Kulaks were left homeless and without a single possession as everything was taken from them. In addition, some ten million Ukrainians persons were thrown out of their homes, put on railroad box cars and deported to "special settlements" in the wilderness of Siberia during this era, with up to a third of them perishing amid the frigid living conditions.

It did not take long for the Ukrainians to resist such mistreatment at the hands of the Soviet authorities. Soviet troops and secret police were rushed in to put down this Ukrainian resentment. The Ukrainian people were stubbornly determined to lift the Soviet persecution and return to their pre-Soviet farming lifestyle.

Stalin responded to their unyielding defiance by dictating a policy that would deliberately cause mass starvation and result in the deaths of millions. From 1932-1933 he drastically increased the quotas of Ukrainian foodstuffs shipped out to the Soviet Union until there was simply no food remaining to feed the people of the Ukraine.

Ukrainian Communists urgently appealed to Moscow for a reduction in the grain quotas and also asked for emergency food aid. Stalin responded by denouncing them and rushed in over 100,000 fiercely loyal Russian soldiers to purge the Ukrainian Communist Party. The Soviets then sealed off the borders of the Ukraine, preventing any food from entering, in effect turning the country into a gigantic concentration camp. Soviet police troops inside the Ukraine also went house to house seizing any stored up food, leaving farm families without a morsel.

By the end of 1933, nearly 25 percent of the Ukrainian population - some seven million people - had perished. The Kulaks as a class were destroyed and an entire nation of village farmers had been laid low. With his immediate objectives now achieved, Stalin allowed food distribution to resume inside the Ukraine and the famine subsided.

The Soviets attempted to conceal the forced famine to the outside world. They deceived members of the foreign press and international celebrities through carefully staged photo opportunities in the Soviet Union and the Ukraine. The Soviet Union and their propaganda machine denied the existence of a famine in the Ukraine while Stalin silenced all the talk of genocide in the nation. The denial of the famine was continued by Soviet authorities through the 1980s. Russia still does not recognize the famine in Ukraine as an act of genocide.

Nanking Massacre

In December of 1937, the Japanese army captured China's capital city of Nanking and proceeded to murder 300,000 out of 600,000 civilians and soldiers in the city. The six weeks of carnage became known as the Rape of Nanking and represented the single worst atrocity during the World War II era in either the European or Pacific theaters of war.

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Once in command of the city, the first concern of the Japanese was to eliminate any threat from the Chinese soldiers who surrendered. To the Japanese, surrender was an unthinkable act of cowardice and the ultimate violation of the rigid code of military honor drilled into them.

Thus they looked upon Chinese POWs (prisoners of war) with utter contempt, viewing them as less than human, unworthy of life.

The elimination of the Chinese POWs began after they were transported by trucks to remote locations on the outskirts of Nanking. As soon as they were assembled, the savagery began, with young Japanese soldiers encouraged by their superiors to inflict maximum pain and suffering upon individual POWs as a way of toughening themselves up for future battles, and also to eradicate any civilized notions of mercy. Soldiers conducted bayonet practice on live prisoners, decapitating them and displaying severed heads as souvenirs, and proudly standing among mutilated corpses. Some of the Chinese POWs were simply mowed down by machinegun fire while others were tied-up, soaked with gasoline and burned alive.

After the destruction of the POWs, the soldiers turned their attention to the women of Nanking and a save hunt ensued. Old women over the age of 70 as well as little girls under the age of 8 were dragged off to be sexually abused. More than 20,000 females (with some estimates as high as 80,000) were raped by Japanese soldiers, then stabbed to death with bayonets or shot so they could never bear witness. The incredible carnage - citywide burnings, murder, rapes, thefts, and massive property destruction - continued for about six weeks. Corpses could be seen everywhere throughout the city.

Incredibly, one Japanese newspaper published a running count of the heads severed by two officers involved in a decapitation contest, as if it was some kind of a sporting match. In the United States, published reports about the Japanese war crimes were doubted by the American public. The stories out of Nanking seemed almost too fantastic to be believed.

No immediate punishment followed for Japan for its actions in China. The Rape of Nanking was long denied or overlooked in Japan. Many Japanese politicians, judges, and interest groups continue to deny that the Japanese actions in Nanking amounted to genocide. They consider reports of genocide in Nanking made up fabrications. Very recently Takashi Kawamura, a Japanese mayor, told a visiting Chinese delegation from Nanking that the massacre "probably never happened.� Students in Japanese schools do not learn about the incident as it remains absent from their textbooks.

-TWS Chapter 4: Evaluation and Analysis of Student Learning*Post-Test Name ____________ Period ____________ Genocide Quiz Part I: Chart Completion (20 points)

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Complete this chart on the five stages of genocide we identified in class. Use the Word Bank to complete the stages. Not all words will be used. Once you identify the stages, provide a brief description of each and mention a historical example where this took place from one of the seven genocides we studied in class.

Stage (1 point each)

Description (Brief one sentence description of the stage) (1 point each)

Historical Example (from one of the seven genocides discussed in class) (2 points each)

WORD BANK (use for the five stages of genocide) Assimilation

Denial

Lying

Dehumanization/Target

Apology

Extermination

Preparation

Invasion

Organization/Organizer

Part II: Open-ended prompt (20 points): Recently some in the United Nations argue that the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights (established 1948) should be eliminated. Some in this view insist that genocide is no longer a threat in the modern world. Regardless of your views on this issue, write a letter against the opinion that genocide is no longer a threat in the modern world.

In your letter be sure to: • Define genocide and give at least two reasons why they take place. • Briefly describe at least two genocides studied in class. (One that took place before the U.N. and one after).

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• State how genocide remains a threat in the modern world and what role the U.N. and other international institutions can play to stop/prevent them.

Dear Ambassador X, _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________

Post-Test Scoring Rubric •

Genocide Chart (20 points) o The first two columns (10 boxes in all) in the chart are worth one point each for a total of 10 points.

0 = incorrect response 1 = correct response o The five boxes in the last column in the chart which has students give historical examples are worth two points each for a total of 10 points.

0 = incorrect response 1 = partially correct response or limited detail

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2 = correct response •

Open Ended Prompt (20 Points) o Correct Definition of Genocide (4 points) o Explanation of two reasons why they take place (4 points) o Description of two genocides that took place both before and after U.N. (4 points) o Description of how genocide remains a threat in the modern world (4 points) o Suggestions for what role the U.N. and other international institutions can play in preventing and or stopping genocide (4 points) 4 = correct response with example 3 = partial response with example 2 = limited response with no example 1 = inadequate or incorrect response with no example

•

Post-Test Narrative: The post-test was created to assess students on how well they mastered the goals and

objectives of the in-class genocide unit. The major goals for students during this unit entailed properly defining genocide, describing several genocides during the 20th century, the so-called “century of genocide,” recall international responses to genocide, and grasp reasons why genocide takes place. The students were given the opportunity to exhibit their mastery of the unit goals on both the pre and post assessments. The pre-assessment included direct questions where students had to define genocide, recall any that took place in the 20th century, recall any international responses to genocide, and consider whether or not genocide remains a threat in the modern world. The post-test had students answer most of these questions in the form of a letter to a hypothetical U.N. diplomat of the mindset that the U.N. Declaration of Human Rights should be abolished because genocide is no longer a threat in the modern world. Students had to persuade the diplomat to change their opinion by defining genocide, giving reasons why it takes place and remains a threat in the modern world, describing two genocides of the 20th century, and describing international response to those genocides.

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The format of the post-test included two parts: a fill-in chart and a writing prompt. In short, these formats were implemented because this is unit on genocide was aimed even more at the emotions of students than their reason. In other words, the unit sought to impact students more emotionally than intellectually. Studying genocide requires focusing on a tragic element of human devastation rather than studying genocide simply to master the raw facts behind it. Thus, this assessment included content recall but more importantly allowed the students to express their emotions on this topic. Therefore, a multiple choice test that assesses student mastery of content was ruled out. This was replaced by a fill-in chart and writing prompt. The unit did not study isolated genocides but rather integrated seven genocides of the 20th century. Several common stages were found in these genocides and this is what the fill-in chart assessed the students on. Just like in the unit, the chart called for students to view genocide in a larger thematic fashion. Thus, they had to recall five common stages in genocide and apply all to individual genocides. In the writing prompt, students were then given the opportunity to show all they had learned about genocide, why it takes place, what genocides occurred during the 20th century and why, and what international institutions can do to stop genocide. Here students were to focus on the evil of genocide in general rather than recalling many of the minute facts behind an individual genocide.

The entire class of 18 students took the post-assessment. This is a diverse class that contains 11 females and seven males. There are 12 African Americans students, three Hispanic students, two Caucasian students, and one Asian student. None of the students in the class have any classified disabilities or special needs. Six of the 18 students in the class are involved in school athletics. Intellectually, the class is somewhere between a typical “Honors” class and “Regular” class at West Orange High School. Although they are labeled “Honors,” they are

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clearly below the skill level of a typical “Honors� class. This is clearly demonstrated by the class performance on the Midterm where they averaged about 16 points below the other honors classes.

The post-assessment was given under normal conditions with all 18 students present in the class. The test was distributed to students, I read the instructions aloud while the students read the words, and the two different parts of the assessment were explained aloud while the students reviewed them. I also included time to answer any student questions about the postassessment as they first reviewed it. In addition, I extended the time of the assessment to the entire 45 minute period and ensured classroom silence knowing that some students in the class take longer to develop thoughts and express them in a well-written manner. I noticed that the students, who usually disdain writing, embraced this task because the writing prompt was based on an applicable scenario. Students seemed to enjoy writing a letter in response to an individual with an extreme viewpoint rather than simply writing a response to a typical numbered open ended question found on most assessments.

Both the fill-in chart and the writing prompt on the post-assessment were graded via rubric. The left and middle columns of the chart on the post assessment were worth one point each. These were recall columns where students either knew the answer or they did not. The right column of the chart was worth two points. Here students had to apply the general stage of genocide to a specific incident. They received a point for accurately recalling a genocide and another for providing an adequate example. The writing prompt section was divided into five parts all worth four points. Students were assessed on how accurately they explained an gave examples of genocide, genocides that took place in the 20th century, international responses to

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genocide, why genocide takes place, and what the U.N. and other international institutions can do about genocide.

•

Analysis of Student Learning From the raw numbers alone, students scored quite well on this post-assessment (see

Figure 4.1). The average score on the assessment was an 89. The class median and mode was an 88. The range of the class stretched only from 75-95. Although no students received a perfect grade, none were close to failing. From these numbers it is clear students responded during this unit.

In general, student mastery of the material improved significantly from the pre to the post-test (see Figures 4.1 and 4.2). Thirteen out of 18 students scored a higher percentage on the post-test than the pre-test (see Figure 4.1). This is a clear sign of improvement. However, five students scored lower percentages on the post-test and no students scored the same. Yet this in no way implies that these five students regressed or stagnated throughout the lesson. There are two important factors that help explain the decreased scores of these five students. The first is that four of the five students scored a 100 percent on the pre-test while the fifth scored a 93 percent (see Figure 4.1). Thus, it is not hard to conceive how these students, particularly the four who scored “100,� could have scored lower on the post-test. Most of these students scored only slightly lower. The one who scored over ten percentage points lower did so because they did not respond to one of the writing requirements. Perhaps that student knew the correct answer but simply forgot to put it. The second important factor explaining their lower scores is the more stringent grading on the post-test. The highest grade on the post-assessment was a 95. The pretest was graded in a more liberal manner in that students received full credit if they answered in

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full response and provided a partially correct answer and could provide an example. However, on the post-test students had to give a fully correct response to receive full credit and had to provide more examples. Thus, students could have gained knowledge throughout the lesson and still received a lower percentage on the post-test.

To assess overall student progress, it is best to consider how well they met the unit objectives on the pre and post tests (Figure 4.2). On the pre-test the majority of the class was able to provide some basic definition of genocide. Most students recognized it is mass murder while some even knew it is a mass targeted killing of a certain racial or religious group. Fortunately on the post-test nearly all students accurately defined genocide. Fewer students recalled 20th century genocides on the pre-test than on the post-test. These students retained some information from previous classes about the Holocaust and Rwandan Genocide. However, by the post-test the vast majority of students were able to describe 20th century genocides ranging from the Holocaust, Ukrainian Genocide, Armenian Genocide, Cambodian Genocide, Rwandan Genocide, and Darfur. A small majority of the class could recall any actions taken by the U.N. or other international institutions on the pre-test. By the post-test the vast majority of students recognized that the U.N. created the Declaration of Human Rights to guard against genocide and has intervened in others. Thus, comparing student mastery of unit objectives better gauges their progress from pre to post-test.

Whole group performance on the post-test can be analyzed in terms of mastery of content and opinion questions (see Figure 4.3). The majority of the post-test (32 out of its 40 points) comprised of content questions while the remainder (eight out of 40 points) were opinion questions. On the opinion questions students received 90 percent credit while on content questions they received 86 percent credit (Figure 4.3). This is not a marked disparity especially

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after consulting student performance on content and opinion questions on the pre-test. On the two pre-test opinion questions students on the whole received 87 percent credit while on the three content questions they received 77 percent credit (Figure 4.3). This disparity of ten indicates that students entered the lesson lacking content knowledge. However, this gap was closed to only four on the pre-test which indicates that students gained in content knowledge throughout the unit. Thus, students demonstrated the ability to recall content while adequately supporting their opinions during this genocide unit. •

Gender Performance In general there was only a minor disparity in gender performance throughout the unit

(see Figure 4.4). The ten point higher average of male scores on the pre-test indicates that they entered the unit with more background knowledge. Some of the male students in the class pick up extra background knowledge from frequently watching television shows on programs like the History or Discovery Channel. Also sensitivity played a minor factor that deterred some of the interest of female students in learning about genocide. When learning about the Ukrainian Genocide, one girl nearly asked to excuse herself from the room due to the more graphic information the class reviewed. However, it is important to note that comparing gender performance in the class is an unfair representative sample (Figure 4.5). The class contains 11 females and eight males thus giving that latter gender an advantage. However, this advantage did not manifest itself on the post-test where the two genders both averaged an 88 percent. All of the girls who failed grade their pre-test significantly improved by earning a 75 or higher on the posttest. Ultimately gender was not a barrier when studying this unit. •

Performance by Race

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From the results of the pre and post-tests it is evident that there was some disparity on racial grounds (Figure 4.6). This was most clearly demonstrated on the results of the pre-test.

The Asian category of the class scored 16 percentage points higher than the Hispanic. The African American and Caucasian students in the class scored somewhere in between that range.

However, it is necessary to determine the racial composition of the class before reaching any definitive conclusions (see Figure 4.7). The class contains one Asian student, two Caucasian students, three Hispanic students, and 12 African American students. Thus, a fair representative sample cannot be reached by analyzing the scores of the Asian, Caucasian, and Hispanic groups.

There is no language barrier hindering the Hispanic students in the class since all are English proficient. In short, the pre-test showed indicated that they did not come into the class with a great deal of background information. However, the racial disparity was less significant on the post-test. The range between the highest and lowest group, Caucasian and Hispanic respectively, was only seven percentage points compared to the range of sixteen on the pre-test. As a whole, the Hispanic students demonstrated the largest percentage growth from the pre to post-test. Thus, high performance and improvement throughout the unit was evident for all races. •

Performance by Athletics

The class performance on the unit could not be assessed by special needs since no students are officially classified. Nonetheless, the class can be divided into those students who participate in school athletics and those who do not (see Figure 4.9). According to typical high school stereotypes found in movies or other forms of modern media, athletes are usually lower performing students. However, West Orange High School combats this stereotype by following the ASAP program which constantly monitors the academic performance of athletes. Student athletes with an average of 69 or below in a class must stay after school a half an hour a week to

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consult with that teacher and improve their grade. With this program firmly in place, it is interesting to compare the performance of student-athletes with non student-athletes. Studentathletes scored noticeably higher (six percentage points) on the pre-test than non student-athletes (Figure 4.8). In general most of the student-athletes in the class also commit themselves to academics. However, dividing the class into this category is also an unfair sample because there are only seven athletes which comprises about a third of the class (Figure 4.9). Fortunately, the disparity between athletes and non-athletes was narrowed to only two percentage points in favor of the athletes on the post-test. Thus, this class reverses the traditional stereotype of lower student-athlete performance in the classroom yet does not provide an unfair advantage in their favor. •

Additional Assessment The students received two additional grades throughout the unit between the pre and

post-test. They received a small grade after completing the chart of pre-UN genocides and triple Venn Diagram for post-UN genocides. In addition to this grade for completion of class work, students were given a formative assessment in the middle of the unit. This assessment was given after the class finished their chart on the four pre-UN genocides (Armenian, Ukrainian, Nanking, and Holocaust). The assessment was based around the UN Declaration of Human Rights (1948) largely created in response to such genocides. In short, students had to go through its 30 Articles and determine which ones the leaders of the pre-UN genocides violated in order to prosecute them in a hypothetical international court of law. They had to prosecute the organizers of the genocide by recalling specific ways they violated some of the listed articles during the genocide.

As a whole, the students did well on the formative assessment and enjoyed this imagined scenario of bringing the organizers of these genocides to justice. Only three students in the class

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received less than a 90 percent. This activity helped reinforce to students the specific events of the pre-UN genocides and the international response taken to prevent them. There was significant improvement in student understanding of 20th century genocides and international response to them from the pre to post-tests (Figure 4.2). Thus, it makes sense to attribute some of this improvement to what the students learned from this formative assessment.

From analyzing student progression on the pre-test and formative assessment to post-test, it is clear that the unit was relatively successful. This is apparent in the data alone; however, it remains necessary to analyze the unit in greater depth to determine why students improved.

Student success in this unit can be explained through three important factors evident throughout the unit: differentiation of instruction, a thematic-based approach, and the implementation of technology. Students learned the content through direct instruction, cooperative learning, and discovery/inquiry. Thus, these diverse methods catered to the different learning needs of students and increased their enthusiasm by avoiding the implementation of repetitive lessons. The thematic based approach recognized common characteristics pertinent to all genocides and helped students categorize and make sense of the content they received. This ultimately made the facts of each genocide more meaningful and increased learning retention. A unit on genocide is notably enhanced by the implementation of technology. Students were exposed to PowerPoints that showed pictures of genocide, video documentaries recounting stories of survivors and perpetrators, and recordings of speeches on YouTube. Such technology helped these past genocides “come aliveâ€? and bolstered student interest and retention. Also the majority of students claimed they appreciated the writing prompt on the post test that had them write a hypothetical letter thus making the assignment seem more meaningful (see Figure 4.10). •

Modifications

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This unit on 20th century genocides, like any unit in the classroom, could have improved in several ways. This largest setback experienced in the unit was the timing of the unit. It was planned in advance to take two fully weeks or ten days in the classroom. Unfortunately HSPA testing took place during the second of those two weeks. During the usual week each class meets for some 225 minutes (45 minute classes, five days-a-week) in the classroom. However, with HSPA testing, all of my classes lost at least an hour of class time. Yet, in anticipation of staring WWII, the unit plan was not extended. One planned activity that was skipped over was the computer game “Darfur is Dying.� The difficulty in procuring computers for all students was another reason this activity was skipped. This game would likely have given students greater appreciation of how devastating genocide remains in the modern world. If taught again this lesson would have been included in the unit. Perhaps if this lesson was taught student test scores would have been increased on the quiz. Ultimately this is another case demonstrating the difficulty of time management in the classroom, a skill that no teacher, especially new teachers, ever fully master.

Appendices: TWS Chapter 4 Figure 4.1: Here all student percentage grades on the pre and post tests is provided. The green line is placed at the passing mark.

Student Pre and Post Test Grades

d G g ta n rc e P

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100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Ale Sch ssa Jas Ros Afr Feli Aria Isai Aus Je’v Tar Tori Sele Tayl Adri Hun Gis nei Tim ndr min e az cia na ah tin on a an na or elle ter elle der a

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87

87 100 100 100 100 87

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Post-Test 95

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Passing

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Figure 4.2: Here student mastery of the unit objectives is given. These three unit objectives were included into both the pre and post tests. The bars represent the number of students who met unit objectives or goals.

Unit Objectives and Student Learning

17 15 13 11 9 7 5 3 20th Century Genocides

International Response

Pre-Test

13

9

5

Post-Test

17

15

15

la iC s n td fS ro e b m u N

Genocide Definition

Figure 4.3: Here all student scores on the pre and post tests are broken up by opinion and content questions. Out of the five short answer questions on the pre-test, two were opinion questions and three were content. The large majority of the post-test 32 out of the 40 points were content questions while 8/40 were opinion questions. The y-axis is scaled out of 100 percent.

Student Mastery of Content v. Opinion Questions

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Figure 4.4: Here pre and post test percentage scores are listed by gender.

Figure 4.5: Here gender composition of the 18 students in the class is provided.

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Figure 4.6: Here pre and post test percentage scores are listed by race.

Figure 4.7: Here the racial composition of the 18 students in the class is provided.

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Figure 4.8: Here pre and post test percentage scores are divided by students involved in school athletics.

Figure 4.9: Here a breakdown of the class involved in school athletics is provided.

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Figure 4.10: Samples of student work on the post-test. The students responded well to writing this hypothetical prompt.

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-TWS Chapter 5: Reflection and Self EvaluationImpact of the TWS

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Completing the teacher work sample (TWS) was beneficial because it reinforced important skills and knowledge that I need as an upcoming teacher. I came into this task well prepared from all that I learned from my numerous education classes as an undergraduate at Seton Hall University. In those classes I learned about philosophies of education, classroom management, how to create lesson plans, how to create unit plans, and how to create assessments. The TWS was an excellent opportunity to put all that I acquired during those years of learning and planning into action. It is a commonly known fact that most learn best from experience. This fact applied to me as a teacher through creating and implementing my unit on genocide which the TWS is based on. What stands out the most in my mind after completing the TWS is the importance of the pre-assessment and learning goals in setting the critical foundation of the unit.

The practice of administering a pre-assessment at the beginning of a unit is a commendable idea that I was largely unaccustomed to. I never remember taking a preassessment before any unit that I was exposed to in school as a student. Perhaps some of my teachers thought it was unnecessary or a waste of limited time. Regardless, the pre-assessment is useful as a technique for teachers to gauge student background knowledge, skills, and abilities in order to determine how much they can be challenged within reason. The pre-assessment provided a reliable evaluation of student comprehension on the topic of genocide upon entering the unit. I recognized that most students had a lower-level knowledge of genocide in that they were able to provide a basic definition and recall one or two genocides that have taken place in history. However, it seemed clear that students were lacking in higher-level knowledge of genocide where one is able to determine why these events take place, how to prevent them, and

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common themes that can be found in all genocides. Thus, I looked for student improvement in this area of genocide from the pre- to post-assessment.

Implementing the pre-assessment allowed me to modify my learning goals in this unit.

Teachers should note the importance of identifying the key reasons behind why each unit is studied. This helps minimize the notorious “why are we learning this?” or “why is this important?” type questions especially asked by students in history classes. The learning goals are the big ideas that structure a unit that are especially worthy of retention and promote higher level thought. From administering the pre-assessment, I recognized that students had difficulty answering why genocides take place, why it is important to learn about genocide, and what actions can be taken to prevent them. Answering these questions requires a level of higher level thinking that I determined was attainable for my students. This helped me set up my post-test which had students answer all of these questions. Thankfully the majority of students adequately met these learning goals. These goals are the big idea that students should take from genocide.

They are ideas that affect the heart and mind which is important when studying a difficult subject like genocide.

Modifications Careful reflection is a necessary practice for teachers since it demonstrates commitment to ongoing professional learning and development. This is especially important for new teachers who have a great deal to learn in the classroom. Such detailed and honest reflection allows teachers to highlight their strong points and areas of improvement that need modification. After reflecting on the unit I taught for the TWS, I concluded that if taught again I will time the unit differently and give students different instructions when taking the pre-test.

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One important modification I would make to this lesson if taught again is its time allocation. I planned to complete the unit in ten school days; however, some of these days were half days because of HSPA testing. Yet I did not extend the unit to compensate for this loss of time which I regret. The unit was divided by genocides that took place before the creation of the U.N. (1945) and genocides that took place after. Unfortunately some of the time I designated to teach about the post-UN genocides was restricted because of HSPA testing. It is evident this effected students since on the post assessment more made references to pre-UN genocides since the class spent more time studying them. I regret not exposing students to a gripping documentary on the S-21 prison of the Cambodian Genocide where only a handful of inmates survived the brutality of the Khmer Rouge. The documentary is excellent since it shows two survivors returning to the prison for the first time and meeting with the prison guards that used to work there. I also regret not scheduling time in the computer lab for students to play the computer game, “Darfur is Dying.�

In addition, the unit could have included a lesson that had students debate on the application of genocide. I thought of this after I saw how well students debated (in a formal deliberation in democracy or DID) on whether or not the American atomic bombing of Japan was justified. The students could have been given positions in a debate about applying the definition of genocide to the incidents in class we studied. For instance, a good number of people argue that the Nanking Massacre was only a war crime, not genocide. Each genocide the class studied has people or groups that deny the incident counts as genocide. Thus, students could have been given roles to argue in favor or against a certain event counting as genocide. This would have better prepared the students for the post-assessment by further familiarizing them with the content and events surrounding each particular genocide and mastering the definition of

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genocide itself. This would have been another good opportunity to challenge the students to think critically on the topic.

Another important modification I will make if I teach this unit again is the instructions I give on the post-test. I would remind students that the writing prompt at the end is a letter and should be written in the format of a letter. This is important because despite the clear format, not all students wrote the response as if they were writing a letter. Students who did not write the response as a formal letter tended to recall basic facts. In contrast, students that wrote the response as a letter (like they were supposed to) were more persuasive in their writing because they were trying to change the viewpoint of a hypothetical ambassador. Stressing the fact that the writing prompt was a letter encourages students to give more in-depth answers on why genocides take place, what the UN and other international institutions could do to prevent genocide, and why genocide remains a threat in the modern world in order to persuade the person they are writing to. Perhaps this reminder would have given some students a greater opportunity to further demonstrate their critical thinking skills.

Impact on Student Learning It is imperative for educators to consider their impact on student learning after teaching a lesson or unit. It is important that teachers do not shy from acknowledging their strengths, effective methods, and positive impact on student learning. However, an educator must never shy away from admitting their set backs, less effective methods, and negative impact they may have had on student learning. After teaching and reflecting on this unit in genocide, I am able to identify ways I impacted student learning by helping some but not helping others.

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This unit on genocide had numerous strengths that ultimately had a positive impact on student learning. These strengths include but are not limited to the unit’s thematic approach to genocide, the differentiation of instruction, and the engaging formative assessment. The thematic based approach to genocide allowed students to extract five major themes found in nearly all cases of genocide. This helped them organize the content they received and allowed students to more easily compare and contrast the seven different genocides they learned about. The students were able to learn and retain more about the four pre-UN genocides because they learned about them through two different methods. During the first lesson they worked cooperatively to read and teach one another the basics about the four genocides. The next day I taught them through a PowerPoint lecture that was full of captivating primary sources and images. Learning about the material twice through different methods increased student interest and learning retention. The format of the formative assessment given during the lesson also stimulated student interest. It simulated a mock trial where students had to prosecute the organizers of one of the pre-UN genocides on account of their violation of at least five of the 30 Articles found in the UN Declaration of Human Rights. The students enjoyed working with the content in this manner because it was a way to bring the perpetrators of such heinous acts to justice.

After accounting for the strengths of the unit, I also recognized its weaknesses. Two important factors that did not positively impact student learning were the lack of a debate opportunity in the lesson and the limited time of the unit. A handful of students were eager to debate about genocide by applying the provided definition to specific cases of genocide. One student even suggested that the attacks of 9-11 were an instance of genocide. Another student was quite adamant in arguing that the Nanking Massacre and Darfur do not count as genocide.

Unfortunately I did not provide time for students to debate about whether or not such specific

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incidents should count as genocide. Allowing time for debate would most likely have had a positive impact on student learning across the board. In general, students enjoy discussing controversy. For instance, I sensed very high class interest when I told students how Japanese textbooks say little about or dismiss altogether the Nanking Massacre. The unit should have been extended because of the half days for HSPA testing but at the time I wanted to get into the next unit on WWII knowing how long that normally takes. However, looking back I would have extended the unit on genocide. The last lessons on the three post-UN genocides were rather rushed and this had a negative impact on student learning since few discussed them on the postassessment.

Specific Professional Learning Goals All effective teachers, especially new ones, must have an ongoing commitment to professional learning. It is important for an educator to not only to have intrinsic motivation to develop in their career, but establish specific goals on how to do so. After completing my TWS, I have identified set backs and have set professional learning goals for myself. Two specific learning goals I have are researching different methods and ideas for teaching genocide and incorporating different technology into the unit.

Thankfully there is a sizeable body of literature concerning the teaching of genocide in the classroom that I am interested in researching before teaching this unit again. There are several excellent internet sources on genocide for teachers and students such as Genocide Intervention.net, The Genocide Education Project, and numerous Holocaust Memorial websites that have entire sections devoted to genocide. The internet has made individual research for teachers far more convenient. In addition to these electronic sources, scholarly journals like the

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National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and The Historical Association are excellent sources for teachers. I am a member of the former journal and frequently consult their articles as helpful guides in the classroom. However, a teacher does not have to develop professionally in a state of solitude. An excellent way to learn more about different methods and ideas for teaching about genocide is through collaboration with co-workers. I was fortunately able to collaborate with some of the teachers at my cooperating school and learned how one teacher’s unit on genocide required students to choose an individual genocide and make a mini-documentary through Adobe Premier Elements. This is an excellent method that encourages in-depth student research, collaboration, and mastery of technology that I would like to implement when teaching this unit in the future.

Another professional development goal I have identified concerns the use of technology in this unit. If I could re-teach this unit I would incorporate additional forms of technology like Prezi, EDMODO, and Adobe Premier Elements. Prezi could have replaced at least one of the three PowerPoints used in the unit. EDMODO could have been used more to post the in-class PowerPoints, homework assignments, or review guides. Adobe Premier Elements could have been used for students to make their own mini documentaries on a particular genocide. In order to better incorporate these technologies, I have to master them. I have only recently looked into Prezi and have not mastered Adobe Premier Elements since I have not used it often. Fortunately I have become more familiar with EDMODO after attending an in-school workshop on the program and have used the program to post review assignments, homework, and even grades. I plan to increase familiarity with the other two programs through practice, seeking professional development workshops, and or collaboration with co-workers.

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Creating this TWS and implementing this unit on genocide have certainly been worthwhile. It has given me the opportunity to put several years of learning pedagogical theory into practice. Through it I have detected my strengths as an upcoming educator and areas that could use improvement. Ultimately this project has encouraged me to grow professionally as an educator. Moreover it has helped motivate me closer to my career goal, education, an integral dynamic of any society.