Vietnam vs. Iraq Lesson Plan

October 2008

Title	Vietnam: Like Iraq?
Subject Area:	American History
Grade Level:	11th
General Description:	The lesson is a follow up of previous lectures. It will allow the students to engage in a discussion that had been started on the wiki the night before and allow for connections between the past and present.
Materials Needed:	Computer with high-speed internet access, a general understanding of the history of Vietnam and its causes (from previous lectures), an general understanding about the war in Iraq and how it was started and what is going on now (wiki discussion), volunteers and participation from the students
Time Required:	One class period (50 mins)
Special Characteristics:	This is a class discussion in which the teacher acts as the facilitator and proctor.
Objectives:	SS.912.A.1.1 Describe the importance of historiography, which includes how historical knowledge is obtained and transmitted, when interpreting events in history.
	SS.912.A.1.3 Utilize timelines to identify the time sequence of historical data.
	SS.912.A.1.5 Evaluate the validity, reliability, bias, and authenticity of current events and Internet resources.
	SS.912.A.7.10 Analyze the significance of Vietnam and Watergate on the government and people of the United States.
Technology Performance Standards:	Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity - Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.   model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
	5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership - Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.  participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
Preparation:	In preparation for this discussion class the students would have had to keep up with their readings and homework throughout the week (assuming that this is done on a Friday).  Throughout the week the lesson and required homework would have the students read and outline the chapter from the text about Vietnam and Watergate. The students would have been having discussions on the class wiki (http://history4highschool.pbwiki.com/) about what they thought about what they were learning. They would also have been required to brush up on their knowledge of the Iraqi war (assuming some prior knowledge) and cut out an article from the local newspaper about the war and a response about how they felt it effected their community.  They would have been asked to post thoughts about it and then comment on at least two of their peers (networking - 21st century skills). Then on Friday they will bring in their outlines of the chapter and be prepared for the discussion.
Procedure:	To begin with the teacher will ask the students to hand in their homework from the week. Then they will ask the class to outline some of the main points that they learned about the origins of Vietnam, how it was represented in the media, and how did Watergate play in how the public reacted to it?  Then these points will be written on the board so that the students have a visual of what is being said. Then the teacher will step back and ask the class guiding questions in which the class will engage in discussion with each other (teamwork - 21st century skills).
	1.  How was the beginning of the Vietnam War and the War in Iraq similar?
	1a.  How were they different?
	2.  Did the media influence the public, in a negative or positive way?
	2a.  Why did the public react so strongly?
	2b.  How did/does the local community feel about it and what can you do about it?
	2c.  Why do you think that the reaction to the Iraq war was the way it was?
	3.  Do you think that President Bush will go into history books in a negative or positive light and why?
	3a.  How did Watergate effect the way we look at history?
	4.  Could these things happen again?
	**If the class does not get to all of the questions that is fine because these are just guiding questions to get the students involved and active. Something should spark their interest.
Assessment:	Participation will be assessed and the wiki will be checked to see if they did their homework from Thursday. These will be awarded 5 points each (0 not done and 5 completed). The rest will be informal assessment for the teacher to gage where the understanding of the topic is and where she/he needs to review in depth before the exam.
Extension:	The students can bring the discussion from the class into discussions with their friends or family. They might even continue the discussion on the wiki or during lunch or afterschool.
Resources:
Rationale	Since the students will have already been taught about the Vietnam war via lectures and readings from the text book and provided journals they will be doing something different. This will utilize different learning strengths. The students would have had to use technology to read the journals and they would have had to use it to discuss and collaborate before they came into the classroom. They could talk online/on the wiki about it later or perhaps take some of their ideas to heart when it came to how they could affect the community. This discussion is important because the students should be able to connect the information that they have learned to be able to make conversation and even arguments.  This should help solidify some of the information and concepts that they learned.This lesson is important because it allows students to talk about some of the more current evens in conjunction with an even that we are studying in class. The events have some parallels and in order for the students to make those connections they have to realize the intricacies of Vietnam and Watergate. They have to realize that Nixon was impeached because of Watergate and that if he hadn't recorded what had happened no one may have ever known. This can be applied to the Bush presidency among others.
21st Century Skill	Networking