Mallary Ray

Unit Plan
Cover Page
Class: U.S. History
Grade: 11th Grade
Unit Plan Topic: The War on Terror
Class Description: My U.S. History class will be consisted of twenty students. The class will be
roughly even with 11 girls and 9 boys. Each student within this class is fairly interested in the
course and tested well in their social science standardized tests. That being said most of the
students are motivated to learn a deeper understand of U.S. history and their role within this
topic. Many of the students come from a middle class background. The ethnic and racial
background is mainly Caucasian with two Hispanic students with the primary language being
English. These students come from a rural/farming community. This class has two students with
behavioral issues, which I have taken note of and created a plan to deal with those issues. I have
also meet with the students to see what I can do to make this class successful to them and their
learning. I also have 3 students who have a trouble seeing the board which I have accommodated
by having them sit in the front of the class. The students are on block schedule that has a moving
technology lab.
Essential Questions:
1. What does it mean to be a secure country? How can people or nations work to protect or
increase their security?
2. What are the causes of terrorism? What are different theories in which to counter
terrorism in an effective way?
3. What role does culture, government and religion play in the situation regarding the
Middle East and U.S. intervention? How do these roles create tensions and disputes?
4. What justifies war? Think about the laws of war.
5. What are the responsibilities that nations have to innocent bystanders when they are
caught in the middle of war?
Unit objectives:
1. By the end of this unit students will be able to demonstrate the causes of U.S.
intervention in the Middle East.
2. By the end of this unit students will be able to debate if the U.S. had a just cause to enter
a war with Iraq and Afghanistan.
3. By the end of this unit students will be able to identify the Middle Eastern nations and be
able to demonstrate the cultures, governments and religions of these nations.
4. By the end of the unit students will be able to recognize current global policies in regards
to war on terror and be able to create their own policies on this issue.
 5. By the end of unit students will be able to demonstrate what the causes of terrorism are
and be able to articulate their findings.
Assessment for objectives:
-Students (groups of two) will do a museum exhibit and then participate in a gallery walk and
give a presentation about the nation they researched in the Middle East. Students will be
expected to take notes and ask questions at each presentation. I will also be walking around and
asking questions to each group to see where they stand with their research and how prepared they
are. (Objective 3)
-Debate over the U.S. war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Students must be able to debate if they
believe the U.S. had a just cause to engage in war within these countries. Students will be given
time to do independent research and use any information they learned in class to help form and
present their opinion. (Objective 2)
-Students will take a map quiz where they will have to identify each nation on a blank map and
their capitals. Students will be given a word bank and resources to study. (Objective 3)
-Each student will be given a cause of the U.S. intervention in the Middle East. Students will
then create a newspaper article giving background on the cause of the U.S. intervention and how
it affected the United States strategy and dealing with the Middle East. (Objective 1)
-Students will research American Foreign policy in the Middle East. They will be expected to fill
out a critique of these foreign policies that I create for them. After they critique the current
policies they will have an opportunity to create their own policies. When they are finished
creating them they will give formal persuasive speeches where they will present their policies.
(Objective 4).
-As a final project students will put all of their work together that they have done and learned in
this unit. I want them to create an online website where the public can come to find information
about the U.S. and the Middle East. Along with policies, implications, definitions, maps, and
other resources. (Objective 5)
Lesson Plan 1: Origins of U.S. involvement in the Middle East
Class: U.S. History
Grade: 11th
Unit: War on Terror
Iowa core State Standards (ICSS): SS.9-12.H.6
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the effects of geographic factors on historical events.
 Understand the historic reasons for conflicts within specific world regions.
21st Century Skill(s): SS.9-12. PSCL.1
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and
demonstrate the value of lifelong civic action.
 Understand the importance of becoming knowledgeable about public affairs.
National Standards: Standard IX: Global Connections
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global
connections and independence.
 Learners can give examples of conflict, cooperation and interdependence among
individuals, groups, and nations.
Essential Questions:
1. What justifies a nation intervening in another nations affairs?
2. Is it the responsibility of the world’s wealthier nations to help eradicate problems faced
by poorer or nations of Third World Status?
Objectives:
1. By the end of class today students will be able to identify the nations of the Middle East.
2. By the end of class today students will be able to demonstrate the history of U.S.
involvement in the Middle East before 9/11.
3. By the end of class today students will be able to articulate where major U.S. conflicts
have taken place in the Middle East.
Anticipatory Set (15 minutes)
 Students will be asked to take a map quiz of the Middle Eastern countries. The is a pre-
assessment quiz that I will be using to see what gaps I need to fill in regards to what
students know about the placement of Middle Eastern countries. This is vital information
that students will need to know for the remainder of this unit. This is an exam that will
not be graded, but it will be a part of their participation grade for the day. (10 minutes)
(Pre-assessment)
  In groups of two I want students to get together and do a modified Rally Robin Activity.
In this activity students will be given one sheet of paper to pass between them. They will
be required to spend 3 minutes writing any information, fact, or questions they have
about the Middle East, U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and U.S. Foreign Policy.
(DI-Activity)
 After students complete this activity, each student must pick one question and write it on
our War on Terror Graffiti board. This part will take about 2 minutes. This board will be
an accumulation of questions that the students come up with throughout this unit. At the
end of each class we will look at a few of the questions and see if we can answer them.
 Supplemental Material Map Quiz:

DI Unit Plan-
Middle East Map Quiz.docx

Teaching Activity (30 minutes)

 First Students are going to watch a series of videos on the U.S. intervention in different
Middle Easter Countries. During these videos students will be expected to take Cornell
style notes. After we complete these videos I will ask students to indicate their
understanding of the events by presenting a green cup (good understanding), yellow cup
(a few questions needed for clarification), or Red cup (completely lost). (formative
assessment) I will ask students to pair up and discuss the videos and any questions they
have, while I circulate the room listening to discussion. When the discussion is done I
will ask if there are any question that they want me to help clarify. (10 minutes for
discussion and questions)
 Videos:
o Iran: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eBv4UKXkA4&t=1s (9:47)
o Afghanistan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks-TRX5JfEA (9:43)
Student Activities: (25 minutes)
 Creating an interactive map
o After we have completed the teaching activity and discussed U.S. involvement in
the Middle East, I will introduce the interactive map activity. For this activity, I
want students to find a blank map online. On this map I want them to pick a U.S.
conflict (label it), what countries were involved (within the Middle East), and
where U.S. troops moved or went (use arrows). After they are done labeling their
maps I want students to write a brief paragraph on the conflict. Students must list
the year, the groups that were involved, why the U.S. got involved, and the major
leaders on both side.
o I expect the students will be creative and use color on their presentations. When
they are done I will have each student come up to the front of the classroom and
present their map and read their short paragraph. After that they will hand in their
map and I will grade them and hang them around the room.
Closure: 10 minutes
 With ten minutes left students will form themselves into groups of 3. In these groups they
will be given a blank map of the Middle East with a word bank. They will get 5 minutes
to identify the countries and label them. For the last 5 minutes I will project a blank map
of the Middle East and I will ask each person from the group to come up and label one of
the countries. I will go around to each group and we will continue to fill out the map until
it is complete. This will be a good way for students to study for their map test they will
have in the following class and it is a way to see what countries they are struggling with.
(formative assessment)
Assessments:
 Objective one will be assessed through the closure activity. I will do a pre-test at the
beginning of class and throughout class we will be working with the Middle Eastern map.
At the end of class I will have students get into groups and label the nations and then we
will come together as a group and students will take turns coming up to the board and
labeling the different countries. This will be a good way for me to assess where students
are with their understanding of the locations of the Middle Eastern countries and it is a
good way for students to study for the map test they will be taking in the next class period
that we meet for.
 Objective two will be assessed after while we complete the teaching activity. For this
activity I am having students watch two videos about conflict in the Middle East. After
these videos I will have them indicate their understanding of these conflicts from just
watching the videos by showing me a green, yellow, or red cup. After I see how students
are grasping the concepts I will pair students up based on the comfort of understanding.
In their groups they will be expected to talk about what they saw in the videos and how
that has impacted the U.S. and their involvement in the Middle East. While this is going
on I will circulate the room and listen to conversation and clear up any questions that I
am hearing at the end of the discussion.
 Objective three will be assessed through their interactive map activity. I want to see how
well students are understanding the map of the middle east and be able to visualize where
these conflicts happened and why the U.S. got involved. Students will present their work
and I will collect this interactive map to see how students are grasping this lesson and I
will clarify any misunderstanding that I am seeing in the next class.
Materials
 Pre-exam and answer key
 Cornell style notes template
 Big sheet of paper for the Graffiti board
 Markers
 Computers
 Textbook
 Pencils
  Notebooks
“I Can” Statements
 I can identify the nations of the Middle East.
 I can demonstrate the history of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East before 9/11.
 I can articulate where major U.S. conflicts have taken place in the Middle East.
Lesson Plan 2: The events of 9/11
Class: U.S. History
Grade Level: 11th
Unit: War on Terror
Iowa core State Standards (ICSS): SS.9- 12.H.8
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand cause and effect relationships and other historical
thinking skills in order to interpret events and issues.
 Understand how and why events may be interpreted differently depending upon the
perspective of participants, witnesses, reports, and historians.
21st Century Skill: SS.9-12. PSCL.8
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the role of United States in current world affairs.
 Understand the significance of foreign policies and events in the United States’ relations
with the world.
National Core Standards:
Time, Continuity, & Change: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide
for the study of the way human beings view themselves in and over time, so that the learner can:
 Demonstrate an understanding that different people may describe the same event of
situation in diverse ways, citing reasons for the differences in views.
Essential Questions:
1. Is there a way for the U.S. to stop terrorist attacks on U.S. soil?
2. What is a just cause to enter a war?
Objectives:
1. By the end of class today students will be able to demonstrate how one event can be
interpreted differently based on who witnessed the event, news reports, and historians.
2. By the end of class today students will be able to identify President Bush’s foreign policy
in regards to the Middle East after 9/11.
3. By the end of class today students will have a deeper understanding of the timeline of
events of what happened on 9/11/2001.
Anticipatory Set: (18 minutes)
 Think, Pair, Share activity: Students will be asked to take out a sheet of notebook paper.
On this piece of paper they will take notes of their answers for the following questions
that will be presented on the board in front of the classroom. After 3 minutes, I will ask
students if they need more time to write. When they are completed they will get into
 groups of two where they will discuss their answers to these questions and add to their
own notes sheet. I will give them 5 minutes to discuss with each other. After they have
had time to discuss, we will come together as a class and have a group conversation about
these questions. This discussion will be a way for me to see what students know about
9/11 and how media and interviews affect their understanding of this event. The larger
group conversation will take 10 minutes (formative assessment) (DI-Activity)
1. How do first-hand accounts of an event or disaster shape your views and feelings on
that event?
2. What do you know about 9/11?
3. How does the media skew facts and information about a national disaster?
4. What was President Bush’s reaction to 9/11?
Teaching Activity: (35 minutes)
As I know this is going to be a very serious and impactful topic for students to learn about. I am
going to take a minute at the start of my teaching activity to address students on the seriousness
of this topic and that some of the material they may see today might be graphic in nature. I will
give students the option to leave class at any time that they feel they cannot handle the material. I
am keeping in mind the material I am presenting in hopes that all students will be able to learn
from it.
For this teaching activity I am going to take students through an interactive timeline presented on
the 9/11 Museum Memorial website page. This timeline presents first-hand accounts from those
on the planes that we hijacked and those who witnessed the event, video from the plans hitting
the twin towers, photos of President Bush and his physical responses and many more primary
source details.
As we are going through this as a class I want students to create their own timeline on a blank
sheet of paper. They can include any details that they find important to that day. I want them to
also create two questions that they have in regards to this event. I also want them to add quotes
from those who witnessed the event. At the end of this activity I will ask students if they have
any questions. I will also ask them to give me a thumbs up, thumb to the middle or thumbs down
to gauge their understanding with the material (formative assessment).
At the end of class students will hand in their timeline with the notes they took so that I can
review them. I will also look at the questions to see what we didn’t answer in class in which I
can try to answer in the next class session.
 http://timeline.911memorial.org/#Timeline/2

Student Activities: (32 minutes)

 Analyzing President Bush’s foreign policy in response to 9/11
o Students will take a look at a document which includes details on 9/11 and how
President Bush responded to the event. There are also details about how his
 foreign policy was shaped after the events. While reading I want students to
highlight important facts and information about Bush’s response and foreign
policy.
o After they have completed the reading I want students to create an information
pamphlet. On this pamphlet they will include how Bush responded to 9/11, what
his plans were for Afghanistan, details of the Bush Doctrine, and plans for Iraq.
o Students will be given 25 minutes to work on this activity. I will collect their
pamphlets at the end of class to assess their knowledge and their understanding of
the reading.
o At the beginning of the next class students will present their pamphlet and what
they covered in their pamphlet.
 Link to article students that students will use:
o https://millercenter.org/president/gwbush/foreign-affairs

Closure Activity: (5 minutes)

 At the end of class students will be given an exit slip with the following questions
(formative assessment):
1. After viewing the timeline of events from 9/11 how did that change or reflect your image
of 9/11?
2. Do you agree or disagree with President Bush’s foreign policy actions after 9/11? Explain
your answer.
3. In three sentences tell me three new things you learned about in regards to 9/11.

Assessment:
 Objective one will be assessed through the think, pair, share activity at the beginning of
class. Students will discuss how their views of 9/11 where shaped and how they differ
from their peers. Through the notes they take and through the discussion they can discuss
how this event is interpreted different based on who is recounting the event. I will assess
both during the discussion and through the notes that they take.
 Objective two will be assessed through the pamphlet they are completing. As I will
collect them at the end of class to see how well they are identifying Bush’s policies and
to see what needs clarification in the next class session.
 Objective three will assessed through the timeline activity where they will be asked to
create a timeline of events while we as a class look at the timeline provided by the 9/11
Memorial Museum. On this timeline they will pick out the important times of the disaster
to remember, they will write quotes from the people who witnessed the even and they
will create to questions that they still have so that we as a class can try and answer them.
 All three of these objectives will be assessed through the exit slip I am having students
complete at the end of class.
Materials:
 Computers
 Paper
 Pencils
 Colored Pencils
 Markers
 Crayons
“I Can” Statements:
I can demonstrate how one event can be interpreted differently based on who witnessed the
event, new reports, and historians.
I can identify President Bush’s foreign policy in regards to the Middle East after 9/11.
I can gain a deeper understanding of the timeline of event of what happened on 9/11/2001.
Lesson Plan 3: Muslim Culture
Class: U.S. History
Grade Level: 11th
Unit: War on Terror
Iowa core State Standards (ICSS): SS. 9- 12. H. 3
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the role of culture and cultural diffusion on the
development and maintenance of societies.
 Understand the origins, central ideas, and global influences of world religions.
 Understand cultural factors that have promoted political conflict.
21st Century Skill: SS.9- 12. PSCL.5
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand strategies for effective political action that impact
local, state, and national governance.
 Understand the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values,
political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society.
National Core Standards:
Culture: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture
and cultural diversity.
 Give examples and describe the importance of cultural unity and diversity within and
across groups.
Essential Questions:
1. Can the U.S. ever truly erase all stereo types in regards religious backgrounds?
2. How can a nation learn to embrace a culture that is blamed for a national disaster?
Objectives:
1. By the end of class today students will be able to describe the beliefs of the Muslim faith
and culture.
2. By the end of class today students will be able to engage in interfaith conversation out in
the community to inform the public on the Muslim culture.
3. By the end of class today students will be able to describe the importance of cultural
unity and diversity within the American society.
Anticipatory Set: (15 minutes)
 For the anticipatory set students will take an online quiz on the Muslim religion. I want
them to record their results on a sheet of paper so that I can look at them while they are
doing another activity. This will be a pre-assessment as they will take the quiz again at
 the end of class to see if their scores improved. I expect the quiz to take 5 minutes. (Pre-
Assessment)
 While I am looking through their scores on their pre-assessment activity I am going to
have students create a picture of what they think a Muslim looks like. I want them to then
write a short paragraph as to why they choose to style and create their drawing the way
they did. I also want them to turn to their partner and explain their drawing. I will also be
collecting these to evaluate them. I expect this to take about 10 minutes.
 https://www.britannica.com/quiz/islam#

Teaching Activity: (30 minutes) (DI Strategy)

 Students will be divided up into groups based on their reading level. I will provide three
different readings that will discuss the basic facts about the Islam religion. They will all
be given the same worksheet to fill out which will include key vocab words, a compare
and contrast chart, and a space for important quotes and questions. I want the students to
read their assigned webpage on their own and then when they are done I want them to fill
out the worksheet together. This will give them an opportunity to discuss the questions.
o Tier 1 (above grade level): http://www.patheos.com/Library/Islam
o Tier 2 (At grade level):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/terror/background/6.html
o Tier 3 (Below grade level):
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/teach/terror/background/6.html
 After they have had time to do the reading and fill out the worksheet we will come
together to discuss their findings and their understanding of the Muslim faith and culture.
(formative assessment)
 Worksheet Attached:

DI Unit Plan- Islam

Religion worksheet.docx

Student Activity: (40 minutes) (DI-Strategy)

 Informational bulletin: For this activity students will be given a list of options of items
they can create to demonstrate their understanding of the Muslim culture and the
importance of interfaith dialogue within their community. Students can use online
research to find their information they will need. At the end of class students will give a 1
minute summary of their project that they created and will hand in their work to be
graded and assessed by me.
 Option 1: Create an informational pamphlet
o Must include the 5 pillars of Islam
o Facts about the religion
o Section discussing the stereotypes and why they are wrong
 o Information directing people to learn more about the Muslim faith and the
importance of interfaith dialogue
o Pictures
o Creativity
 Option 2: Create a Newspaper article
o Must have an eye catching headline that has to do with the Muslim faith or culture
o Information in regards to what is true and false about the Muslim faith and culture
o One picture
o Discussion on what interfaith conversation is and looks like
o Details about the Muslim faith and culture in the United States
 Option 3: Town Hall Speech
o If you select this option you will be presenting a town hall speech. In this speech
you must tell the audience what your purpose is for giving this speech is (has to
have something to do with educating them on the Muslim culture and faith), Must
discuss the importance of interfaith dialogue in the United States, must highlight
what the Muslim faith and culture is, and you must also include solutions for
getting the community more involved in interfaith dialogue and a solution for
combating the stereotypes that Muslims face. This is a 1-2 page paper, double-
spaced, 12 point font.
 While students are doing this activity I will be walking around the classroom asking them
questions to make sure they are staying on the right track. I will also be listening to
discussion to see if there is a question or statement that keeps coming up that may need
more clarification in regards to the topic that we are learning about today. (formative
assessment)
Closure Activity (10 minutes)
 At the end of class today students will be given 10 minutes to go back online to retake the
quiz that they took at the beginning of the class period. I want them to record their score
so I can see if they improved on their understanding of the Muslim culture and religion.
(formative assessment)
 I also want them to go back and re-create or change their original drawing of the Muslim
that they created at the beginning of the class. I want to see how their image of a Muslim
changed after learning more about the culture and the religion.
Assessment
 Objective one will be assessed through the worksheet and discussion that they fill out and
participate in during the teaching activity section. The discussion and worksheet will
demonstrate how well students grasped the reading they had to complete and it will be an
opportunity for me to clarify any questions they have on this topic.
 Objective two and three will be assessed through their student activity. In this activity
students will be asked to pick an activity to create. In their activity they must discuss the
Muslim faith and culture and the importance of interfaith dialogue. They will be doing a
short 1 minute summary of their project in front of the class to describe what they chose
 to do. They will be handing their work in at the end of the class for me to grade and to see
what still needs clarification in the next class.
 All three of these objectives will be assessed through the closure active where they will
be retaking their pre-test and will changing their image of the Muslim person they drew. I
want to see what knowledge they gained throughout the course of this lesson as well as
how their own perception of a Muslim changed with the more information they gained in
regards to the faith and the culture.
Materials
 Paper
 Crayons, colored pencils, markers
 Computers
 Worksheet
 Pencils/pens
 Notebook
“I can” Statements
 I can describe the beliefs of the Muslim faith and culture.
 I can engage in interfaith conversation out in the community to inform the public on the
Muslim culture.
 I can describe the importance of cultural unity and diversity with the American society.
Lesson Plan 4: What is Terrorism?
Class: U.S. History
Grade Level: 11th
Unit: War on Terror
Iowa core State Standards (ICSS): SS.9-12.H.8
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand cause and effect relationships and other historical
thinking skills in order to interpret events and issues.
 Understand multiple viewpoints within and across cultures related to important events,
recurring dilemmas, and issues.
21st Century Skills: SS.9-12.PSCL.1
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and
demonstrate the value of lifelong civic action.
 Understand the importance of becoming knowledgeable about public affairs.
National Core Standards:
Individual Development & Identity: Social studies programs should include experience that
provide for the study of individual development and identity.
 Analyze a particular event to identify reasons individuals might respond to it in different
ways.
Essential Questions:
1. What defines terrorism?
2. How should terrorist acts be handled? (legally, politically, and culturally)
Objectives:
1. By the end of class today students will be able to defend what their meaning of terrorism
is.
2. By the end of class today students will be able to describe the differences between the
many definitions of terrorism.
3. By the end of class today students will be able to identify different acts of terrorism that
have happened throughout the world and be able to describe why those events are
considered acts of terrorism.
Anticipatory Set: 5 minutes
 For the anticipatory set I am going present the following question written on the board:
What is terrorism?
  I’m going to give students a few minutes to brainstorm what their definition of terrorism
is.
 After they have had a few minutes to think about their own answer. I’m going to have
them each come up to the board to write down their definition of terrorism.
 I plan to keep their definitions on one section of the board for the entire class period
where I plan to come back to them at the end of class to see how they have changed.
Teaching activity: 45 minutes (DI activity-tiered instruction/modified flipped classroom)
 For this activity I am going to break students up into 3 groups. My first group will be my
above grade level students. Second will be my at grade level students and my third group
will be my below target group. Each group will be given an activity to complete with
each group learning from each other. Group 3 will present their information first to the
class with group one presenting to the class last
o Tier 3 will present basic fact and concepts that have to do with terrorism. I will
guide the tier 3 students through a short reading where they will be given
information on the different definitions of terrorism is, cases that have been
considered terrorism, along with key terms the entire class will need to know.
After I am done presenting my short lecture with these students they will be
tasked with figuring out a creative way to present their information they just
learned about.
 https://www.statista.com/topics/2267/terrorism/
 http://www.crf-usa.org/america-responds-to-terrorism/what-is-
terrorism.html

o Tier 2 will analyze the different definitions of terrorism and the cases that will be
presented by tier 3. I will give them information on the terrorist cases I want them
to focus on and any other supplemental information I believe they might need. For
their activity I want them organize the cases based on the degree of violence, if it
was organized, and by what country it took place in. They will also have to
present their information to the class in a creative way.
o Tier 1 will have to create an action plan for ways to deal with and define
terrorism. I will also be presenting them with information on the terrorist cases
that I want them to focus on. I also want them to read two short articles on how
terrorism is defined. In this group they will be expected to formulate ideas on
ways to combat terrorism along with a definition on how they would define
terrorism. They will also present their information to the class in a creative way.
 http://www.crf-usa.org/america-responds-to-terrorism/what-is-
terrorism.html
 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/25/afghanistan.terrorism9

 I will spend about 5 minutes with each group. While I am talking to one group the other
groups will be expected to be working on their readings or the presentation they plan to
present to the class. While the presentations are going on I want students to fill out
 Cornell style notes. After the presentations are complete we will come together as a class
to discuss any lingering questions. I will also ask students to present a red cup, yellow
cup, or green cup to assess their understanding of the information presented to them
(formative assessment)
Student activity: 35 minutes
 For this activity I am going to present different scenarios of terrorism. I will then give
students a checklist in which I want them to fill out while we are going through these
different scenarios. The checklist will ask what the method/result was, who the
perpetrator was, the intended target, and the motives.
 Students will gather in a circle where I will read the scenario to them. These scenarios
will be legitimate events that have happened in history, but I will not tell the students the
name of these events to make sure they do this activity without any other information
they may already know about that particular event.
 Here are the following scenarios:
o A paramilitary group seeking independence blows up the military headquarters of
the occupying force. The group's warning that there will be a bombing is ignored,
and many people, civilian as well as military, are killed. (Based on the Irgun's
bombing of the King David Hotel.)
o Rebels seeking to set up an independent state fire at occupying troops from
concealed positions. (Based on the tactics of the American colonists at Concord,
Massachusetts, during the Revolutionary War.)
o Members of a particular ethnic or religious group are killed in order to frighten
other members of their group into fleeing territory. (Ethnic cleansing, seen in
Rwanda, Bosnia, and other contexts. Class might also discuss whether American
acts against Native Americans would fall into this category.)
o A radical group makes a list of opponents it believes should be killed and
distributes it to sympathizers, telling them that they will be rewarded in heaven
for defending the innocent if they carry out these assassinations. (Radical
antiabortion groups have published lists of doctors who perform abortions. Many
people believe this is an encouragement to murder them.)
o More than a dozen undercover agents of the state are killed in one day by a radical
rebel group. (Michael Collins and the IRA killed 14 British secret agents in 1920
in Dublin.)
o A government routinely "disappears," tortures, and murders civilians as well as
political and military leaders whom it suspects of opposing the regime. (Iraq is a
prime example of this, but there are and have been many other examples,
including Chile under Gen. Pinochet.)
o A militant religious group attacks, among others, women it feels are acting in an
immodest fashion in public in order to pressure other women to behave in a
certain way. (The Armed Islamic Group in Algeria, the Lashkar-e Tayyiba in
Pakistan, and other groups have threatened women who do not wear a veil or who
otherwise breach the group's vision of modesty.)
 o Religious militants attack members of the government, including an assassination
attempt on the president. The government responds by sending in troops and
destroying an urban area where the religious militants are based, killing more than
10,000 people in the process, including many civilians. (Syria's Hafez al-Asad
attacked the city of Hama, a stronghold of the Muslim Brotherhood, in 1982.)
 After I have presented students with the following scenarios and they have had the time
to fill out their checklist I will start a debate between the students. I will pick one student
at random to define what their definition of terrorism is after that I will have them pick
one case that they understood the best. They will go through their checklist and hopefully
their answers and their definition will spurn a debate among the students.
 This debate will serve as a formative assessment for me to see how well students are
understanding this topic.
Closure activity: (5 minutes)
 Students will complete an exit slip with the following questions:
1. What is your definition of terrorism?
2. What are the different components that go into defining an act of terror?
3. Name three different terrorist attacks that have happened throughout the world and
defend the reason for why they are considered a terrorist attack.
Assessment:
 Objective one will be assessed through the student activity where students will be asked
to defend their definition of terrorism is.
 Objective two will be assessed through the teaching activity where students will learn
about the many definitions of terrorism and be able to connect them to different terrorist
acts that have happened throughout the world. I will be collecting their notes from this
activity and I will also be assessing their understanding through the presentations they
present.
 Objective three will be assessed through the exit slip they will complete at the end of
class. This will give me the opportunity to see if students have retained the information
they learned in this lesson along with any information I may need to cover in the next
class.
Materials:
 Paper
 Pencils/pens
 Computer
“I can” statements:
 I can defend what my meaning of terrorism is.
 I can describe the differences between the many different definitions of terrorism.
 I can identify different acts of terrorism that have happened throughout the world and I
can describe why those events are considered acts of terrorism.
Lesson Plan 5: Dealing with ISIS
Class: U.S. History
Grade Level: 11th
Unit: War on Terror
Iowa core State Standards (ICSS): SS.9-12.H.9
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the role of individuals and groups within a society as
promoters of change or the status quo.
 Understand the role the values of specific people in history played in influencing history.
21st Century Skills: SS.9-12.PSCL.1
Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand the rights and responsibilities of each citizen and
demonstrate the value of lifelong civic action.
 Understand rights, roles, and status of the individual in relation to the general welfare.
National Core Standards:
Individual Development & Identity: Social studies programs should include experience that
provide for the study of individual development and identity.
 Analyze a particular event to identify reasons individuals might respond to it in different
ways.
Essential questions:
1. Can the U.S. ever stop groups such as ISIS from forming?
2. Should the U.S. be involved in trying to combat ISIS?
Objectives:
1. By the end of class today students will be able to discuss the human rights situation
plaguing Iraq and Syria.
2. By the end of class today students will be able to demonstrate ways in which the U.S. is
trying to confront ISIS.
3. By the end of class today students will be able to create their own plan of action to
combat ISIS in a way that they find most effective.
Anticipatory set: (10 minutes)
 Sticky note storm (DI-Activity-Process): In groups of two students will be given 2
minutes to write down as many facts as they know about ISIS. One idea per sticky note.
 They will then read a short document that is a list of facts and details about ISIS. While
they are reading they can highlight, circle or underline important facts.
o http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/08/world/isis-fast-facts/
  They will then go back to their sticky notes and add new facts and take out any sticky
notes that they had wrong information on.
 We will then go around the room and discuss the facts that they came up with about ISIS
and stick the notes on the board.
Teaching Activity: (20 Minutes)
 For the teaching activity I am going to do a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation on the
human rights crisis that Iraq and Syria are facing right now, facts about ISIS and their
connection to human rights issues. The PowerPoint will also introduce what America is
doing to combat ISIS.
 After giving this PowerPoint I will ask students to give me a thumbs up, thumb to the
middle, or thumbs down to indicate their understanding of what we just
covered.(formative assessment) I will also ask them if they have any questions or if
anything needs clarified before we move on to the student activity.
Student Activity: (55 minutes)
 Students will take on the role of the President of the United States. In this activity
students will be asked to analyze an intelligence video on the dangers of ISIS. They then
must create a course of action to combat ISIS. They will be given a student guide that
will have up to date policy options which look similar to that of what the president would
get.
 They must create a plan to combat ISIS
 They must also create a plan to help relieve the human rights crisis that Iraq and Syria is
facing.
 Video: https://vimeo.com/183561965

student_packet
(1).docx
 Student guide:
 After students create their plan of action they will present their plan to the front of class
and they will hand them in so that I can assess them and give them a grade for their work
(formative assessment)
Closure Activity: (5 minutes)
 For my closure activity I am going to have students do a 3-2-1 activity. For this activity
students will be asked to write down 3 things they learned from this lesson, 2 questions
they still have about this topic, and 1 thing they want me to know from this lesson.
 This will be a formative assessment over the entire lesson.
Assessments:
 Objective one and three will be assessed through the student activity where they are
asked to create a plan to combat the human rights situation plaguing Iraq and Syria.
 Objective two will be assessed through the sticky notes they create in their anticipatory
set at the beginning of the lesson. I will take a look at the sticky notes they created before
and after to see how their thoughts changed after doing the reading.
 All three of the objectives will be assessed through the 3-2-1 activity that I am having
students complete at the end of class. Their answers will be handed into me where I will
look at them and evaluate what I need to go over in the next class.
Materials:
 Paper
 Pencils/pens
 Computer
 Sticky notes
“I can” statements:
 I can discuss the human rights situation that is plaguing Iraq and Syria.
 I can demonstrate ways in which the U.S. is trying to confront ISIS.
 I can create my own plan of action to combat ISIS in a way that I believe would be the
most effective.
Semester Long Project
For your semester long project you will be creating an informational website where the public
can access all of the information you have gained over this unit. You are in charge of designing
this website in any way you want. I want to see your creative skills be utilized in this project.
This project will be graded out of 100 points. You must include the following:
 Maps with labels of the Middle East
 Current information on U.S. foreign policy in regards to the Middle East
 Information on 9/11
 Information on ISIS
 Information on the history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East (focus on Iran and
Afghanistan)
 Information on U.S. Terrorism
 The material you have created throughout this lesson (interactive maps, timelines, plan of
action against ISIS, and any other creations)
 Relevant pictures (10)
 Links to websites to find more information
 At least one video
 Works Cited Page
 Two paragraphs in each section of your website
At the end of the semester we will spend one day presenting your websites. This will be a formal
presentation where you will be expected to wear dress clothes and will be limited to one note
card. Attached is the rubric.
Rubric for informational website
Perfect (100-90) Almost There (89- Not Quite (69-40) Completely Lost
70) (39-0)
All of the content is Content is mostly Some content is Little to no content is
included throughout there. Is missing one presented on the presented on the
the website. There are or two paragraphs or website. Some website.
at least two sections that were Information is false.
paragraphs for each listed in the project
section of the description.
website.
Very creative website Very thoughtful and There is some No creativity.
design, colorful, easy creative when it came thought of creativity
to navigate, and very to website design and and design in regards
interactive. layout, but the flow to the set-up of the
of the webpage is website.
sometimes confusing.
0-2 grammar or 1-5 small grammar 10 or more Many grammar and
spelling mistakes and spelling mistakes identifiable grammar spelling mistakes.
found throughout the found throughout the and spelling mistakes
entire website. website. throughout the
website.
Practice is evident. Has clearly practiced Practiced maybe once Did not come
Uses only one note for their presentation. or twice. Used more prepared for
card, but does not Stumbles over a few than one note card for presentation (did not
heavily rely on it. areas of the the presentation. Did dress up).
Eye contact is good presentation, but does come dressed up.
and the presenter uses an overall good job.
a strong and
confident voice.
Works cited page Works cited page is Some sources are No works cited page
includes all of the completed, but there cited, but there is not or citations are
sources used and is are some minor a complete works completely wrong.
formatted correctly mistakes that don’t cited page.
follow Chicago style
rules.

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