Which Essential Questions About History Are Most Important to You?

This lesson, Which Essential Questions About History are Most Important to You? is set up as an Anticipation Guide and is designed to prompt students to think about what they will be learning in an American history or social studies class, civics class, or government class.  The questions allow students to connect to and think deeply about values, concepts, and issues. This is an excellent way to frontload concepts and ideas, especially for ELL and RSP students. This lesson can be used in 7th-12th grade classrooms.

It is also designed to get students to talk with an adult and with each other. 

Anticipation Guides are generally used to help students develop a purpose for their reading, activate schema, or prior knowledge, and develop an interest in the topic. This anticipation guide can be used as an icebreaker at the beginning of the year or can be used at any point.

The detailed lesson plan includes objectives and learning targets that are aligned with the Common Core Standards, specifically focusing on speaking and listening. In addition, it includes the anticipation guide, directions for how students will administer the anticipation guide with an adult family member or family friend, or neighbor, a reflection for students, as well as directions for how to share what they think with their classmates.

Objectives

• Students will identify which essential questions about history, government, society, rights, responsibilities, etc. are important to them and reflect on why. They will then ask an adult in their family to identify which questions are important to them and why. 

• Students will practice talking with their peers about their essential questions as an icebreaker to get to know their classmates.

Learning Targets

• I can identify and explain which questions about society, government, and rights are important to me.

• I can discuss with an adult which questions are important to them and why..

• I can discuss with my peers which questions are important to them and why.

Standards

• California CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards for Grade 8: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

• California CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

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A PDF with 8 pages that includes

--a detailed lesson plan with objectives and learning targets aligned with the Common Core Standards

--thought-provoking essential questions on history, historical concepts, and ideas

--directions for students

--a self-reflection