Lesson Plan: Guns, Germs and Steel

Transcription

1 StudySync Lesson Plan Guns, Germs and Steel Objectives 1. Engage students in the main ideas (and the vocabulary used to describe it) in Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel so that they are prepared to think, discuss, and write about the implications of the theories in this excerpt and/or the entire book. 2. Practice and reinforce the following Grade Common Core Standards for Speaking/Listening, Language, Reading in History/Social Studies, and Writing in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects: SPEAKING AND LISTENING - SL LANGUAGE - L READING: HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES - RH WRITING: HISTORY/SOCIAL STUDIES, SCIENCE, AND TECHNICAL SUBJECTS - WHST Time 160 minutes (with up to an additional 140 minutes of extension possibilities) Materials SyncTV Premium Lesson on Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel Overview UCLA Professor Jared Diamond won a Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction in 1998 for Guns, Germs, and Steel, an exploration of how human societies have advanced over the last 13,000 years. Diamond's argument is a thorough refutation of traditional beliefs that so-called European or Western economic dominance is based on an inherent genetic and/or intellectual superiority; he argues, instead, that environmental factors and geography are primarily responsible for the success and prosperity of some cultures and economies. Close inspection and discussion of this excerpt will prepare students to read the entire book with interest and understanding, as well as supply them with the vocabulary and key concepts with which to speak and write textually-rooted responses, consistent with the Common Core Standards for the high school grades. Page 1

2 Background (15 minutes) 1. Watch the Preview (SL ). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium lesson. Ask the students to share their impression or understanding of what the excerpt will be about based on the preview, using the following questions to prompt discussion: a. Based on the still images shown in the preview, which societies do you think will be discussed in this excerpt? Try to identify the locations where you think these photographs were taken. What do you know about the prosperity of said locations (or lack thereof)? b. Consider the significance of the title, Guns, Germs, and Steel. What is the relevance of these three items? Speculate on the importance of guns, germs, and steel in the development of societies and the separation of the haves and the have-nots. Based on the preview, why might Diamond have chosen this as the title of his book? c. Ask students the question posed at the end of the preview: why do some societies conquer, while others fail? Are some societies innately better than others? Are some people intellectually or genetically superior? Or is advancement driven by factors largely out of our control? Encourage a short debate about these issues. Engaging the Text (145 minutes) 2. Read the Text (45 minutes) a. Read and Annotate (RH ). Ask students to read the introduction and excerpt of Guns, Germs, and Steel. Be sure to give them enough time to both read and annotate the text. If your classroom has a projector, you may want to model note-taking skills by reading and annotating the first paragraph as a class. Have students complete the rest of the excerpt, engaging with the text by writing questions and answers about the information in the excerpt using the annotation tool. Let students know that they will be using these questions for a quiz. These questions are visible to you after the students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if you use the Mimic function to access the students accounts. b. Discuss (SL ; RH ; WHST ) Now, have students get into pairs and have them quiz each other using the questions they have written. Monitor their discussions carefully. The text is dense and conveys a large quantity of information over a relatively short length. Make sure students have adequately perused the excerpt (several times if possible) and have understood and digested the information within. c. Mapping (SL ; RH ; WHST ) Full comprehension of the excerpt will ultimately require a little geography work. Distribute blank maps of the regions discussed in the excerpt--or, if your classroom has a projector, project a blank map on a whiteboard. Have students come up and identify the regions before the class, including: the Fertile Crescent, the Serengeti Plains, the Sahara Desert, South Africa, Ethiopia, Eurasia. Extension (additional 30 minutes) d. Research (WHST ). Where is the region known as the Fertile Crescent located? How did the Fertile Crescent get its name? Have students do some independent research on this region. Which countries comprise this region today? Page 2

3 How have these nations advanced over time? What are some of the struggles they currently face? Extension (additional 30 minutes) e. Listen (SL ; RH ). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text. Ask students to use context clues to define key terms from Guns, Germs, and Steel glossary before giving them the definitions. As a group, work to define any other unclear terms or ideas not listed in the glossary. f. Comprehend (L ; RH , 4). Either distribute the multiple-choice questions or read them aloud to the class. As a class, reread and discuss any passages of the text about which students remain unclear. g. Categorize (ELL) Suggest that ELL and English-proficient students work together to categorize the many place names used in this excerpt. They can make a chart or table with the labels Continent/Region/Country and begin categorizing the terms, looking them up if necessary. Complete the first few items as a guide, explaining that some terms, such as Eurasia, might be in more than one category, but Africa is a continent, Fertile Crescent is a region, and Egypt is a country. Encourage students to locate each place as they work. 3. Watch SyncTV (40 minutes) a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion associated with Guns, Germs, and Steel as a class or ask students to watch it on their individual computers. b. Focus (SL ; RH , 4). From 1:30-3:00, the SyncTV students discuss the concept of diffusion as it relates to the excerpt. Have students focus on and consider the implications of this concept. Why is it important to Diamond's overarching argument? What are some impediments to diffusion and how does that affect the advancement of certain societies? c. Focus (SL ; RH ). Consider the portions of the episode from 4:45-5:20, as well as 9:45-10:15. Here, students discuss Diamond's concept of geography as a dynamic and active force in determining the fates of human societies. Ask students to discuss the ways that geography affects history and economics as well as the lives of individuals. d. Focus (SL ; RH , 4). At 8:20-8:40, Lila shares a passage from Guns, Germs, and Steel that is not included in the excerpt. Ask students to explain this passage and how it acts as a statement of purpose for Diamond and his argument. e. Discuss (SL ). After watching the SyncTV discussion, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Ask each group to discuss one of the questions below, using the SyncTV episode as a model: i. Why is diffusion more likely from east to west, rather than from north to south? How does this evidence support Diamond's hypothesis? ii. iii. What geographical obstacles prevented the spread of crops, livestock, etc. throughout Africa? What effect did this have on the course of human history? Consider all of the consequences of this geographical dynamic. Many people disagreed with Diamond's argument upon the book's publication. Why? What sorts of supposedly foregone conclusions does Diamond try to refute? Which groups or people might be offended by Page 3

4 this? iv. Think of some other groups or nations that may have been adversely affected by their geography. How can we see geography as an impediment to success? Brainstorm as many examples as possible. v. Consider arguments that are contrary to Diamond's. Can you think of any historical or contemporary examples that refute what Diamond is arguing? How? Is there any reconciliation between these arguments? For example, has any group transcended the severe limitation of their geography and become advanced? Conversely, have any groups failed to reap the benefits of their geographical blessings? vi. Rachel insinuates that Diamond's argument may attempt to absolve conquerors and oppressors of moral culpability; Troy claims that Diamond is just presenting a series of facts and asking us to draw our own conclusions. Whom do you agree with? Why? Extension (additional 30 minutes) f. Write (WHST ). Have students consider the effect of geography on their own lives the way the students in the SyncTV episode do from 5:30-6:30. Then, ask them to consider the effects of geography on their communities and regions. As a homework assignment, have students write a short essay response describing their local geography as a dynamic and active force. Students can complete the assignment as a quick write activity or go through the writing process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Allow time for students to share their writing with the class. 4. Think (10 minutes) a. Respond (WHST ). Ask students to read the Think questions, watch the corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions. Review the questions to ensure comprehension. Then have students write a response to each question or prompt. 5. Write (30 minutes) a. Discuss (SL ). Whether you re assigning the writing portion of the lesson as homework or as an in-class writing assignment, read the prompt as a group, or have students read it individually, and then solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever prompt you have chosen, make sure the assignment expectations are clear. Share the rubric you will use to evaluate the assignments. b. Organize (RH ; WHST , 5). Ask students to go back and annotate the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the points they ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you ve worked on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply them. c. Write (WHST , 4). Have students complete and submit their writing responses. d. Review (WHST , 4). Ask students to use the StudySync Review feature to complete one to two evaluations of their peers work based on the rubric you Page 4

5 chose. Have the students look at the peer evaluations of their own writing and discuss them with a partner. Suggest they discuss what they might change if they were to revise their writing and what they could do to strengthen the writing and their ideas. Extension (additional 20 minutes) e. Self-Assessment (WHST , 4). Use the StudySync assignment creation tool to create a Writing assignment that asks students to address the following prompt: i. Reread your essay and the reviews of your essay on Guns, Germs, and Steel. After reading these reviews, what do you believe were the biggest strengths of your essay? What were the weaknesses? If you were to go back and revise this essay again, what would you change? What have learned about your writing process from your work on this essay? Extension (additional 30 minutes) f. Prepare (WHST , 4 5). Outline an essay on Guns, Germs, and Steel using one of the writing prompt options that you have not assigned to your students (or developing one of your own) as a class. Walk students through the expectations of basic 5-paragraph essay writing. i. First, have students individually develop thesis statement ideas. Then ask several students to share these ideas. ii. iii. iv. Choose a solid idea that does not yet make an argument, and then as a class develop that idea into an argumentative thesis. Break the students into small groups (2-3 students each) and ask them to develop supporting points for the class s thesis. Have the groups list 1-2 examples from the text, 1-2 examples from their own experiences, and 2 examples from outside scientific knowledge/research that could bolster each point. Ask them to rank their supporting evidence from strongest to weakest and eliminate the weakest 2 ideas for each point. v. Lastly, bring the whole class together again to discuss good conclusions. Go through the criteria given in the rubric for a good conclusion. Ask students to write their own concluding sentences. vi. By the end of the exercise, each student should have his/her own essay outline template. Page 5

6 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS Key Vocabulary 1. diffusion (n.) - The process of something spreading out and moving freely through a larger area 2. insuperable (adj.) - Impossible to overcome, to solve, to control 3. domestication (n.) - (alt.) To grow or harvest a plant for human use 4. indigenous (adj.) - Living or existing naturally in a particular environment, native 5. decimation (n.) - Severe damage or destruction of a large group of something, esp plants, animals 6. fertile (adj.) - Able to produce or producing plants, crops, or life 7. thrive (v.) - To do exceptionally well, to grow or flourish 8. dynamic (adj.) - Changing constantly, active, not static Reading Comprehension Questions 1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the first paragraph? a. The distinct geography and climates of northern and southern Africa prevent easy agricultural diffusion. b. Diffusion occurs when plants or animals spread from one region to another, thus causing the two regions to develop similar attributes. c. Wild plants adapted to the tropical conditions in central and southern Africa much more easily than they could in the north. d. Cattle, sheep, and goats were first domesticated in Africa but then left for Eurasia because of the better climate. 2. Crops diffused east to west in Eurasia they did from north to south in Africa. a. less easily than b. more easily than c. nearly as fast as d. at the same speed as 3. Which of the following does Diamond say about diffusion? a. It is the spread of one particular thing to another larger area. b. It is largely dependent upon the climate of a region. c. It can be slowed or stopped altogether by factors such as disease. d. all of the above 4. Choose the best phrase to complete the sentence: Two thousand miles of tropical conditions between Ethiopia and South Africa a. allowed diffusion to occur. b. prevented the spread of crops from the Fertile Crescent region. c. affected crops and plants, but not livestock. d. prevented the spread of the deadly tsetse fly into East Africa. Page 6

7 5. The Khoisan people are indigenous to a. Eurasia b. The Serengeti Plains c. South Africa d. West Africa 6. Which of the following was NOT a negative consequence of European settlers' arrival in South Africa? a. They introduced germs and guns to the indigenous peoples. b. Wars soon broke out between European settlers and the Khoisan people. c. Agriculture was no longer able to thrive in South Africa's Mediterranean zone. d. The indigenous peoples were racially oppressed by the Europeans. 7. The conditions in Central and Western Africa are best described as a. temperate b. tropical c. Mediterranean d. arid 8. Which of the following was NOT an obstacle to the diffusion of crops or domestic animals to South Africa? a. the tsetse fly b. the tropical climate c. the Fish River d. the Fertile Crescent 9. European settlers first arrived in South Africa by sea in a. A.D b. A.D c. B.C. 800 d. A.D Which of the following would make the best title for this particular sub-section? a. Different Patterns of Diffusion b. The African Dilemma c. Latitude and Longitude d. The History of South Africa Answer Key 1. A 2. B 3. D 4. B 5. C 6. C 7. B 8. D 9. B 10. A Page 7

8 Further Assignments 1. For a longer assignment, have students read other selections from Guns, Germs, and Steel, or the book as a whole. Using the steps modeled in Writing section f, have students outline a five-paragraph essay on the topic they did not choose, or another selection of your own. Students can simply outline the essay, or complete the essay over a longer period of time, with revisions and peer feedback. (RH ; WHST , 4 6) 2. It was the Enlightenment and the knowledge that followed, not geographical determinism, that caused European (Western) societies to flourish while others floundered. a. In an essay response, agree or disagree with the above statement. Cite at least two points of supporting evidence. (WHST , 4 6) 3. Have students read selections of Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, his follow-up to the best-selling Guns, Germs, and Steel. Analyze his arguments. What kinds of arguments are repeated in both texts? Pay special attention to Diamond's overarching theories about human societies and what leads to their advancement, or downfall. (RH ) 4. Research some of the criticism that greeted Guns, Germs, and Steel shortly after its publication. List three arguments against Diamond's text, and then find Diamond's own counter-arguments and list them opposite the criticisms. Determine which arguments are stronger and explain your conclusion. (RH and WHST ) 5. Europeans and blacks... seek a new mode of coexistence in the former Khoisan lands. For homework, have students read news articles on the current situation in South Africa. What kinds of strife and oppression still exist in contemporary South Africa? Ask them to write a short report on the situation. (WHST ) 6. List the following noun/verb pairs on an interactive white board, projector, or board: diffusion/diffuse; domestication/domesticate; advance/advance; spread/spread; collision/collide; decimation/decimate. Review with students which word in each pair is a noun and which is a verb. Point out that the words are the same in some pairs. Challenge students to find other words in the excerpt that can function as nouns and verbs. What changes, if any, are needed to turn a noun into a verb? (ELL) Page 8