Running Head: CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 1

Citizenship Test Project Proposal

Chris Kasnot

Arizona State University

CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 2

Applicant and School Narrative

Hello, my name is Chris Kasnot and I am a social studies teacher at Sonoran Trails

Middle School in the Cave Creek Unified School District. We are the only middle school serving

the Cave Creek area and have a current student population of just under 850 students for grades

seven through eight. I have been a teacher here for five years and, before that, a data center

hardware and network technician for Arizona State University for thirteen years. My previous

career allowed for many instances of the integration of technology into education, from the

development and launching of new software tools (Canvas, Kahoot, etc.) to hardware purchasing

and installation (SMART boards, projectors, display panels, etc.). Sonoran Trails is a wonderful

learning community of students, parents, and staff who strongly believe in providing a safe and

healthy environment that meets the unique needs of middle school students. We take great pride

in our school and firmly believe that all students can learn. Students come to school ready for us

to assist them in that process. We focus on the whole child, providing a challenging academic

curriculum, as well as enrichment and remediation opportunities. Sonoran Trails strives to meet

the individual needs of every student and works closely with parents and the community to

accomplish this goal. We integrate technology into lesson plans to achieve this purpose and to

help prepare students for their academic and professional futures (Sonoran Trails, 2019).

Personal Philosophy of Education

My own personal philosophy of education is all about breaking down the learning

process and try to understand how we learn and how the pursuit of knowledge is gained. By

doing this, we can be more effective at preparing students for integration into adult society.

Contemporary society requires a lot of base knowledge and skills for an individual to function in,

and that direct and indirect enforcement and knowledge gathering processes can make learning
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 3

problematic. It is by understanding how all roles function in the education and societal process

that we can be effective educators and manage/lead a cooperative team between student, teacher,

parent, and community.

The classroom is such a minor part of a student's life, and the role of an educator is to

prepare their student for the time beyond their school years. What we know changes with new

scientific developments, or new perspectives gained with time. As such, understanding that

knowledge itself is fluid, the pursuit of knowledge and the act of learning itself becomes more

important than the specific knowledge being learned. It is up to every student to understand that

they all have the ability to learn, but only if they learn how to learn. My role as an educator is to

pass on this knowledge to my students in order to create a new generation of lifelong learners.

Parents also have a critical role in education as well. It is their duty to continue the lessons

learned in the classroom at home, so that students are able to be immersed in a culture of

knowledge seeking. While it is the role of teachers to provide a foundation of education, the role

of parents (and the community at large) is to provide a healthy environment for learning and also

show the practicality and everyday use of the knowledge gained so that students can begin

integrating into society and applying the knowledge learned to their everyday lives.

As a school, we are committed to project-based learning, of which technological

integration is a key part of. Project-based learning requires the application of knowledge and

skills, not just memorization and recall. Unlike past teaching techniques that assesses a single

facts, project-based learning is much more complex and can be used to assess how students apply

a variety of academic content in new contexts. As students engage in the work of a project they

follow a process that begins with inquiry, which has been shown to lead towards deeper learning,

and the use of content in real world applications. As such, we as teachers move from delivering
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content through lecture, to a facilitator role in which we allow students to make their own

decisions and demonstrate their understanding of topics. Giving students increased access to

information so that they can explore and develop their base skills is paramount to my educational

philosophy, a critical component of project-based learning, and overall supported by clinical

research.

Summary of Project and Impact

In 2015, Arizona Governor Ducey signed the American Civics Act (ACA), which

requires all public school students to correctly answer at least 60 out of 100 questions on a test

identical to the civics component of the naturalization test used by U.S. Citizenship and

Immigration Services before they graduate. As our district contains only one middle and one

high school, there has been a mandate for this test to be administered after the 8th grade

“Forming a Nation” unit. With this information fresh in their minds, students will be at an

advantage in taking the ACA required test. Additionally, the district has noted that if students are

able to pass this test in the 8th grade, the high schools will not have to waste time re-teaching the

civics portion of this test, as the students will have already completed this requirement. However,

this year’s trial run of the test only saw 80% of the students in the course receiving a grade of

60% or higher, which is 10% lower than deemed acceptable by administration. It is my goal to

implement an additional two weeks of project-based learning activities to help these, and all,

students better prepare for this mandated assessment.

It is my proposal that students complete three projects, one individual, one as part of a

collaborative team, and a third project of their own design. The first, individual, project will be a

worksheet that will provide guiding civics questions. Major themes will be things covered in

class, but the answers will only be found through independent research. This will help students
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gain a foundation of research, helping them understand how to look on their own for answers to

questions. The second, collaborative, project will be a staged, group debate. Prior to the debate,

teacher will provide the debate topics for pre-assigned student groups (of four members each) to

choose from. No topic can be chosen twice, so first come first served. Students will have time to

research and prepare with their groups in order to present their findings as a mock debate in front

of the class. Each topic will be a key part of what it means to be a citizen. The third, student

designed, project will be the real meat and potatoes assignment and require students to come up

with their own PBL project. This will give students control over their own learning and find a

subtopic they find interesting and engaging. Some sample ideas include, but are not limited to,

creating a music video on a civics topic you find interesting (think of Hamilton), building a

model of a building in Washington D.C. and describing who it houses and what its purpose is, or

picking a “current events” issue as if it were 1789 and writing a letter as if you were a

citizen/representative/soldier. Each of these three projects will help answer the overall guiding

question of “What does it mean to be a citizen?” and help prepare the students for their

citizenship exam to be taken at the end of the unit.

Student Impact

The students will be impacted in a number of ways. First, by devoting a little extra time

now, there will be much less of a time commitment later in the 11th grade U.S. Government and

History course to refresh this prior knowledge and teach an entire unit specific to this test. More

time can be spent educating on top of the scaffold previously build without the added pressure of

an additional graduation requirement. Second, through parts one and two, students will start

building the basics of historiographic research and methods on how to present this information in

a fun and engaging way. Part one focuses on direct research on topics the students have already
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 6

covered and relate directly to the citizenship test. The repetition of known material mixed with

the need to expand on this prior knowledge will act as a mini scaffold that the students are

building themselves. Part two allows students to flex their creative muscles by researching and

applying the knowledge gained into meaningful social discourse. By staging a mock debate,

students will learn not only learn the course information, but pick up valuable social skills that

will help them later in life. The third part gives students the opportunity and responsibility to

control their own learning and choose their own guiding question that they aim to solve, such as

“How do I run for president?”, “Why is there an electoral college?”, or “What connection do I

have to the Revolutionary War?” By developing and then designing a project to answer this

question, they are still working within the framework of “What does it mean to be a citizen?” but

are learning on their own and coming to their own conclusions.

Teacher Impact

Teacher impact is wide reaching as well. For the host teacher, this project will allow them

to shift to a facilitator/manager role and guide their students learning, instead of being the

traditional lecturer. This will also help the teacher suss out which students are struggling more

with the material, as more class time will be focused on independent learning giving the teacher

more time to observe their students. I would also like teachers of other disciplines to try and fold

into this unit if they are able. English can look at the language and prose used in the Constitution

to help students gain a better understanding of why it is written the way it is. Science can look at

the concept of peer reviewing and democratic science and how it mirrors many of the concepts

we see in modern democracy. I would like this project to serve as an example on how other

teachers can structure PBL activities and to want to involve one another in creating an

environment of total learning. Units can be collaboratively worked on by entire blocks of

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teachers. A “Defying Gender Stereotypes” lesson can be taught simultaneously by science

looking at the experiments of Marie Curie, English reading and discussing Mary Shelley, History

looking at women in politics, and Math understanding how Ada Lovelace’s algorithms set the

stage for modern computers. Through collaborative efforts, we can all become more than the

sum of our parts and really push a unit through to students if they are immersed in that topic for

the entire day.

Community Impact

Societal impact is a bit more esoteric, but not at all less important. The importance of a

civics education pays dividends for the rest of a student’s life. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey

put it best by saying, “These are our children, and not long from now, it will be for them to vote

on who sits in your chairs and who stands at this podium. How can we expect them to protect the

principles on which this country was founded, if we are not preparing them for that task right

now?” Our students will one day be tomorrow’s leaders and we would be doing them all a

disservice by not impressing upon them the importance of our country’s founding principles and

how our government functions. Our American society is founded on the concept that when

students become adults, they are enrolled into American democracy. It is their voice, the voice of

the citizen that matters when it comes to shaping our government. Youth voting has always been

the lowest of the demographic voting groups, but each year, that number has been slowly rising

due in part to the emphasis placed on civic education. Students with a proper education will

understand that they are not slaves to an aloof and uncaring central government, but active

participants of a government that has strict limits placed on it and enforced by the people.

Project Narrative

Learning Goals and Outcomes

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A summary of the ten day plan including each of the daily learning goals and standards

can be located in the appendix and the sections to follow, and a detailed lesson plan for Day 1

can be located there as well.

Description of Learning Activities

Day 1 begins with the introduction to the project (a detailed description in Appendix).

Students will be given instructions and handout on all three phases of the PBL project. Students

will be dismissed into their collaborative groups to choose their mock debate topic (Appendix).

After all groups have their chosen topic, students will be dismissed to develop their guiding

question and corresponding Phase 3 individual or group project (Appendix). In the last few

minutes of the class period, students will be given their Phase 1 individual research packet

(Appendix) to be worked on at home and during Day 2. Day 2 will have students come into class

and anonymously poll if they had any questions or concerns over the Phase 1 packet. Teacher

will spend the first bit of class going over common issues before dismissing students to use in-

class technology to complete their packets either individually or with a partner. Packets will be

collected at the end of class to be graded and passed back as a study guide on Day 9. Days 3 and

4 will be in class work days where students will be able to use their in class time to work in their

collaborative groups on the Phase 2 mock debate. Teacher will hand out a guided worksheet to

help students begin to find and organize the information needed to be gathered. Teacher will be

available to guide and help struggling groups or modify topics to better fit the student led

initiative. On Day 5, students will take the information gathered in the last two days research and

start to construct their mock debate performance; assigning roles to group members, scripting

mono/dialogue, and making sure their performance is cohesive and addresses their guiding topic.
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Students will also be able to work over the weekend on this Phase of the project if needed, or

continue working on their Phase 3 project.

Days 6 and 7 are scheduled for the mock debate performances, where each group is given

6 minutes to complete their topic debate and then the class is given approximately 4 minutes to

complete their self and peer review forms. On Day 8, students will bring their Phase 3 PBL

project into class and each student/group will be given several minutes to give a brief synopsis of

what their project was and what they learned. On day 9, the teacher will hand back the student’s

graded Phase 1 packet. Students will then collect their classroom iPads and use their corrected

packet at the preloaded iPad Citizenship app to analyze where they had difficulties, go through

practice questions, and take time to reflect on their experiences during the past two weeks. Day

10 will be when the Arizona Citizenship test will be taken by the students.

Assessment

Major summative assessments will be done in a combination of checklists and rubrics for

the students; examples of which can be found in the appendix. At the end of Day 1, a 3x

Summarization formative assessment will be handed out to ensure the students understand the

purpose, their role, and what projects are to be done across the PBL unit. Before starting class on

Day 2, students will be asked via anonymous polling service (such as Mentimeter) if they had

specific questions or issues with the Phase 1 packet. After addressing any lingering issues, the

rest of student time will be devoted to completing the packet and turning it in for assessment.

Days 3, 4, 5, and 9 will have several breaks during learning sessions where the instructor will

quick poll the class for overall understanding using hand thermometers or thumbs

up/middle/down and address any major issues with the class and minor issues with the individual

groups. Additionally, teacher will patrol the classroom and use the Listen, Ask Clarifying
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 10

Questions, and Watch for Body Language formative assessments to gauge how

individuals/groups are getting along with the current Phase of the project. Days 6 and 7 will be

performance days and be assessed by the instructor using the same rubric given to the student

groups, and students will assess one another through self/peer review checklist. Day 8 will be

along the same lines as Days 6 and 7, however since time is more of the essence, quick Hand

Thermometer polling will be used to gauge how the students feel their peers have done on their

projects and using them to inform the lesson. Teacher will be grading these Phase 3 projects

using a rubric. Day 10 is test day, which will be the ultimate assessment on how students were

able to use the PBL unit to further explore the lesson and apply it to the Arizona Citizenship test.

Phase 1 of the PBL unit is a research worksheet that will be graded by the instructor,

providing direct information on where each student is struggling. In Phase 2, students will be

given a rubric describing what the instructor is looking for along with guiding questions that will

help students begin constructing their debate. At the end of each presentation day, a checklist

will be handed out for self and peer reviews. Phase 3 is essentially a student developed formative

extension project to be assessed by the teacher for competency and topic understanding.

Technology Support

The classroom has a chrome book for every student to be able to work on their own. This

is especially important for developmental days (2-5, 9) where students will be completing guided

and independent research to gain better understanding of the unit, and their own, guiding

questions. Additionally, students have access to iPads preloaded with the advertisement

supported “US Citizenship Test for High Schoolers” application. Both versions of the application

have 100 question practice quizzes, with the paid version of the app having access to mini-

lectures, essays on different aspects of USCIS Naturalization test topics, score tracking, and has
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video explanations of the correct answers of practice test questions that are age appropriate for

8th graders. It also has a reporting feature that lets student export reports of their practice quiz

scores and which learning modules they have completed within the app. The next section will

talk about upgrade costs, while this section will continue under the operand of having access to

the full version of the application.

Project Sustainment

In future years, the teacher will be able to focus their prior unit on “Forming a Nation” to

better fit where students are having issues, which will allow students to be better prepared

coming into the PBL unit. Additionally, guided questions/prompts can be tweaked from year to

year to better serve the students and lead them toward projects that better prepare them for the

Arizona Citizenship test. Furthermore, with the success of this program, high school curriculum

will be able to focus away from this topic toward more age appropriate material. Additionally, as

the years progress and the PBL unit becomes more structured, other content areas can get

involved as well, such as biographical essays or book reports from period specific figures for

English, or Art classes giving time to work on hands of Phase 3 projects.

Innovation

Sometimes history and social studies can be boring to students; especially a topic as dry

as “How our government was formed and operates”. Additionally, with the added stress of

making students take a graduation mandatory test on the subject, teachers are already operating

from a net negative. However, with PBL projects such as these, students are able to exercise

control over this aspect of their education while still learning test appropriate information.

Having a bit of control in their life will help decrease the stress of the upcoming test, and with

the projects themselves being geared towards the more fun and interesting side of the topic at
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hand, students will be able to have a little fun with a normally boring subject. Additionally, with

students learning research, debate, and other supplementary skills, we are helping them gain

some life and academic skills that will prepare them for their later school years and beyond.

Budget Narrative

Since this project focuses more on procedural changes, this project requires little to no

funding outside of standard district operating procedures. All paper, writing utensils, and lesson

materials are covered by the school’s “office center”. Additionally, the Cave Creek School

District allows its teachers a yearly $100 stipend for PBL projects. In the table located in the

Appendix, I have outlined the potential costs for materials not covered by the district/school. The

foremost desire is for the classroom iPads to be loaded with the full version of the Citizenship

app (detailed above). This would be a onetime purchase of $2.99 for a permanent license on each

individual device. Since the devices are not keyed to individual students, there is no need to

purchase licenses for each student or recurring payments each year. The total cost of this across

all 36 devices would be $108 dollars; funding provided by the DonorsChoose website.

Additionally, if, for some reason, the school’s office center is unable to cover normal school

supplies, I have examples of potential materials in the Table section as well. Several of the

project examples include posters or other arts and crafts style projects, as such I have included

markers, poster board, and construction paper, with that funding coming from district stipend and

applying for a Crayola classroom supplies grant. For this grant, all requests under $1000 are

accepted year round for classroom supplies for PBL projects and are provided by the Crayola

Corporation.
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References:
Arlington Public Schools, (2016). Debate Peer Review Worksheet. Retrieved from:
https://www.apsva.us/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/REEPaccess_activity_debatepeerreview.pdf
Buck Institute for Education, (2019). Project Design Rubric. Retrieved from:
https://my.pblworks.org/system/files/documents/PBLWorks_Project_Design_Rubric_v2019.pdf
Lancaster University, (2002). Student Self Evaluation Form. Retrieved from:
https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/palatine/AGP/resources/r80.doc
Sonoran Trails Middle School, (2019). Homepage. Retrieved from:
https://www.ccusd93.org/Page/21
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 14

Budget Table
Item # and Cost Total Where to Purchase Funding Source
Full Version of the Citizenship App 36 @ $2.99 $108 Classroom iPads DonorsChoose
Poster Board (25 Pack) 3 @ $20.46 $62 Amazon.com District Funding
Crayola Super Tip Markers (50 Pack) 4 @ $6.99 $28 Amazon.com Crayola Classroom Supplies Grant
Pacon Colored Construction Paper 1 @ $12.48 $13 Amazon.com District Funding
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 15

Daily Standards/Activities

Project Schedule: List the Standards Addressed: Activities: List the Goal of the Activities:
Daily goal for each day List the standards various activities students Identify the goals that
(Content, anchor, may engage in within the students will achieve
technology, lesson for the day. Think within each activity.
employability) that may “What will the students be Think “What is the
be addressed within the doing within the 50 purpose of the activity”
lesson/activities minute class time”
Day One See Inquiry Based Lesson See Inquiry Based Lesson See Inquiry Based Lesson
Daily Goal: By the end of Plan Appendix Plan Appendix Plan Appendix
the day, students will
have chosen or designed
their Phase two and three
PBL project
topic/assignments.

Day Two 8.SP1.3, 8.SP3.5 Students will be given This will serve as a
Daily Goal: By the end of ISTE: 1a, 1c, 1d, 2c, 3a-c, their individual research checkpoint activity for
the day, students will 4a-d packet at the end of Day 1 students and teacher to
complete their Phase one Workplace: 3.0, 4.0, 5.A, and be able to work on it see where any knowledge
project to 80% accuracy. 7.0, 8.0 at home and during Day 2 gaps are. It also serves to
utilizing the in room give students an
technology. Students will introduction to individual
be expected to complete historiographic research
this on their own with which will be important
minimal guidance from during Phases 2 and 3.
teacher. This will be This completed and
turned in at the end of graded packet will also be
class and handed back on provided back to students
Day 9. to use as a study guide.
Day Three 8.SP1.3, 8.SP3.5-8, Students will be given Each debate topic will
Daily Goal: By the end of 8.H2.1 Days 3 and 4 to research contain connections to
Day 4, students will ISTE: 1a, 1b, 2c, 3a-c, 4a- and gather information in citizenship test themes
prepare the first and d, 7b, 7c their collaborative teams and by splitting the
second pages of the Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, on their mock debate themes between students,
provided checklist for the 2.0, 3.B, 3.D, 4.0, 5.A, topic. A checklist and it allows the class as a
Mock Debate with their 5.B, 5.E, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 rubric will be provided to whole to cover the entire
groups. help guide students on the unit without
type of information they overburdening individual
should be looking for and students. Additionally,
how they should structure this reinforces
their mock debate. collaborative research and
project building skills,
which will be important
for students in their future
academic and professional
careers
Day Four 8.SP1.3, 8.SP3.5-8, Students will be given Each debate topic will
Daily Goal: By the end of 8.H2.1 Days 3 and 4 to research contain connections to
Day Four, students will ISTE: 1a, 1b, 2c, 3a-c, 4a- and gather information in citizenship test themes
prepare the first and d, 7b, 7c their collaborative teams and by splitting the
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 16

second pages of the Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, on their mock debate themes between students,
provided checklist for the 2.0, 3.B, 3.D, 4.0, 5.A, topic. A checklist and it allows the class as a
Mock Debate with their 5.B, 5.E, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 rubric will be provided to whole to cover the entire
groups. help guide students on the unit without
type of information they overburdening individual
should be looking for and students. Additionally,
how they should structure this reinforces
their mock debate. collaborative research and
project building skills,
which will be important
for students in their future
academic and professional
careers
Day Five 8.SP3.5-8, 8.SP4.1-4 Day 5 will have students After spending two days
Daily Goal: Students will ISTE: 1a, 1b, 2c, 6c, 7b, assign roles and construct gathering information,
be able to identify which 7c the performative aspects students must then learn
of their group members Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, of their mock debate. to convert that
are debating each point. 2.0, 3.B, 3.D, 4.0, 5.A, Students will also be information into a
5.B, 5.E, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 given time to practice performance and also
their performance. delegate who is doing
what during their mock
debate. Additionally, this
will be a Friday, which
gives students the
weekend to iron out the
edges on their own.
Day Six 8.SP1.1, 8.SP1.3, 8.SP3.1, Class periods are 50 The performance aspects
Daily Goal: Students will 8.SP4.1-4, 8.H2.1, 8.H2.2 minutes long, so student will be helpful in social
dramatize (Groups 1-4) or ISTE: 3d, 4d, 7b, 7c groups will be given 6 development for the
observe (Groups 5-8) Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, minutes each to present students while the
mock debate 2.0, 4.0, 5.B, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 their mock debates in information being
presentations and evaluate turn, and then the whole presented. Self and peer
via peer review. class will be given 4 reflection teaches students
minutes to complete short responsibility and
self/peer review sheets. encourages students to
The remaining 10 minutes develop their judgement
will be for transition time. skills and reflect on their
role and contributions to
the whole.
Day Seven 8.SP1.1, 8.SP1.3, 8.SP3.1, Class periods are 50 The performance aspects
Daily Goal: Students will 8.SP4.1-4, 8.H2.1, 8.H2.2 minutes long, so student will be helpful in social
dramatize (Groups 5-8) or ISTE: 3d, 4d, 7b, 7c groups will be given 6 development for the
observe (Groups 1-4) Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, minutes each to present students while the
mock debate 2.0, 4.0, 5.B, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 their mock debates in information being
presentations and evaluate turn, and then the whole presented. Self and peer
via peer review. class will be given 4 reflection teaches students
minutes to complete short responsibility and
self/peer review sheets. encourages students to
The remaining 10 minutes develop their judgement
will be for transition time. skills and reflect on their
role and contributions to
the whole.
Day Eight 8:SP1:1, 8:SP1:3, Each student or student Much like the mock
Daily Goal: Students will 8:SP3:5, 8:SP3:8, 8:H3:4 group will be given a few presentations, standing in
present their Phase 3 ITSE: 1a-d, 2b-c, 3a, 3c, minutes to describe their front of a group,
project to the class. 4d, 6a-d, 7b, 7c project to the class and describing what is in front
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 17

Workplace: 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, reflect on what their of you, then being able to
2.0, 3.B, 3.D, 4.0, 5.A, biggest takeaways were. reflect on the journey and
5.B, 5.E, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0 results is an important life
skill.
Day Nine 8:SP1:1, 8:SP1:3, 8.H2.1- Students will be handed Students will be able to
Daily Goal: Using their 3, 8.H3.1-4 back their Phase 1 packets take the information
graded Phase one ISTE: 1a, 1c, 1d, 2c, 3a, and use them and their learned over the past
assignments and in-class 7a class iPads with the “US several weeks, and see
technology, students will Workplace: 3.0, 4.0, 5.A, Citizenship Test for High where they have/had
prepare for the Arizona 7.0, 8.0 Schoolers” application to trouble with. The iPad
Citizenship test by work individually, or with app will be customizable
completing practice game their collaborative teams, for students and allow
questions to 60% to study and practice the them to focus on areas
accuracy. Arizona Citizenship Test. that they are struggling
with. By allowing the
option for collaborative
teams, students can
dictate their own style of
learning and help one
another if they so desire.
Day Ten 8.H2.1-3, 8.H3.1-4 Students will get 45 By completing this test to
Daily Goal: Students will ITSE: 1a minutes to complete the the set qualifications,
take the Arizona Workplace: 3.0, 4.0, 5.A, Arizona Citizenship test. students will meet district
Citizenship test and 7.0, 8.0 standards and be qualified
correctly answer to at to graduate.
least 60% accuracy.
 CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 18

Inquiry (5E) Lesson Plan Template

Teachers: Subject:
Chris Kasnot 8th Grade Social Studies
Common Core State Standards:
 8:SP1:1, 8:SP1:3, 8:SP3:5, 8:SP3:8, 8:H3:4
 ITSE 1a-d, 2b-c, 3a, 3c, 4d, 6a-d, 7b, 7c
 Workplace 1.A, 1.B, 1.D, 2.0, 3.B, 3.D, 4.0, 5.A, 5.B, 5.E, 6.B, 7.C, 8.0
Objective (Explicit):
 By the end of the day, students will have selected or designed their PBL project assignments.
Evidence of Mastery (Measurable):
 Include a copy of the lesson assessment.
 Provide exemplar student responses with the level of detail you expect to see.
 Assign value to each portion of the response.

See attached project example sheets on page 4.

Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex):

 How will you review past learning and make connections to previous lessons?
 What skills and content are needed to ultimately master this lesson objective?
 How is this objective relevant to students, their lives, and/or the real world?

 Lesson will take place after “Forming the Nation” unit. Students have prior knowledge of the American
Revolution, the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution (and how our government operates under it).
 Students will connect this prior knowledge about the formation of the United States. Students will have three
mini-projects to complete, one individual, one as part of a collaborative team, and a final one of their own
design. As such, students will be expected to utilize PowerPoint, video, or other multimedia formats to present
their project. Students will need to become familiar with research and interview techniques if their selected
project requires it. If student projects contain artwork, maps, models, etc., they will need to have the requisite
skills to build and present their projects.
 The State of Arizona passed a law in 2015 that requires public school students to take and pass a citizenship
test, the same test that immigrants must take, before they graduate. Cave Creek Unified has set a directive for
this test to be passed by students before they reach high school. As such, this student led project will connect
the “Forming a Nation” lesson to the citizenship test that they need to graduation.

Key vocabulary: Citizen, government, civics Materials: Project sheet, 1700s costume, hand bell
Engage
 How will you activate student interest?
 How will you hook student attention?
 What questions will you pose, based on your objective, that students will seek to answer in Explore?
Teacher Will: Student Will:
 Student interest will be captured during the  Students will be paying attention to the
introduction event. Teacher will dress up in the presentation and answering questions when
manner of a town crier in 1789, and charge the called upon to the best of their ability.
students with understanding the guiding
question: “What does it mean to be a citizen of
the United States?” Teacher will also illustrate
the importance of citizenship, what it meant to
the citizens of the 18th century, and how
students view citizenship today.
 CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 19

 Attention will be gained by the absurdity of the

costume and loud ringing of the town crier’s
hand bell.
 The town crier will pick out students and ask
them leading questions, such as “What would it
take if you wanted to be president, Jay?”, “Why
would the Constitution need to be amended
Tracy? The first ten amendments are all the
rights you need!”, “Why should Becky, the
delegate from great state of Virginia, care about
the needs of New York?”

Explain
 How will all students have an opportunity to share what they discovered?
 How will you connect student discoveries to correct content terms/explanations?
 How will all students articulate/demonstrate a clear and correct understanding of the sub-objectives by answering the
question from Engage before moving on?
Teacher Will: Student Will:
[WRITER’S NOTE]: I have swapped the Explain and  Students will collect research worksheet from
Explore sections from the standard template. I feel like the teacher according to classroom procedures.
lesson flows better this way. If this is in error, please let me  Students will group up as part of their
know. collaborative teams and pick their mock debate
 Here, Teacher will drop character and discuss topic. Presentation dates and group team
the details of the projects. names will be written on the board, and one
 The first, individual, project will be a worksheet student from each team will write the topic they
that will provide guiding civics questions. Major chose on the board under their team name. If
themes will be things covered in class, but the they weren’t fast enough, another topic needs
answers will only be found through independent to be picked at teacher’s discretion.
research. This will help students gain a
foundation of research, helping them
understand how to look on their own for
answers to questions.
 The second, collaborative, project will be a
staged, group debate. Prior to the debate,
teacher will provide the debate topics for pre-
assigned student groups (of four members
each) to choose from. No topic can be chosen
twice, so first come first served. Students will
have time to research and prepare with their
groups in order to present their findings as a
mock debate in front of the class. Each topic will
be a key part of what it means to be a citizen.
 The third, student designed, project will be the
real meat and potatoes assignment and require
students to come up with their own PBL project.
This will give students control over their own
learning and find a subtopic they find interesting
and engaging.
Explore
 How will model your performance expectations? Remember, you are not modeling what you want students to discover but
need to model expected behavior or required procedures.
 How will students take the lead and actively use materials to discover information that will help them answer the question
posed in Engage?
 What questions or prompts will you be prepared to use with students while they are “exploring”?
 CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 20

Teacher Will: Student Will:

 Teacher will have examples of good and bad  Students will pay attention to instructions and
past projects to show the class. This will help be given a rubric for guidance on teacher
give them an understanding of what quality of expectations for their personal project.
work is to be expected.  Students will answer questions when prompted
 Teacher will ask the class questions to prompt to the best of their ability and demonstrate
meaningful discourse and focus on expectation. understanding on what these projects will
For example, “If you decide to write a letter to entail.
your representative as if you are from the
1700s, what kind of language will you use?
Would you use words from the modern day, like
‘yeet’ and ‘cool’?”
Elaborate
 How will students take the learning from Explore and Explain and apply it to a new circumstance or explore a particular
aspect of this learning at a deep level?
 How will students use higher order thinking at this stage? (e.g. A common practice in this section is to pose a “what If
question”)
 How will all students articulate how their understanding has changed or been solidified?
Teacher Will: Student Will:
 Teacher will engage in Q/A session with  Students should ask questions if they are
students to go over any questions they may unsure of any part of the PBL projects. Students
have. Teacher will also ask students to reiterate will be allowed to answer other student
what the projects are, what their purpose is, and questions if they raise their hand and talk in a
what the implications of the project are. This respectful manner. Peer teaching/learning is an
promotes students to explain the projects (and effective tool to ensure lessons are solidified.
purpose of the projects) in their own words to This classroom procedure should have already
ensure understanding. been established by this point.
 Teacher will be available for private  Students will come up with their own “guiding”
conversations after students are dismissed to research question and design a project
begin working on their part three proposals. proposal.
 Students will be open to criticism and
understand that the teacher is acting as a
facilitator by guiding them to effective
understanding of the overall guiding question
and purpose of the assignment as a whole.
Evaluate
 How will all students demonstrate mastery of the lesson objective (though perhaps not mastery of the Elaborate content)?
 How will students have an opportunity to summarize the big concepts they learned (separate from the assessment)?
Teacher Will: Student Will:
 Teacher will go over student led project  Students will present their guiding question and
proposals with students and either approve or project proposal to the teacher for approval or
help edit them to fit the criteria/subject. critique.
 Teacher will allow students to retrieve  Students will use remaining class time to begin
classroom technology for students to work on working on their proposals with classroom
their part one projects, or allow students to talk technology and peers.
and begin organizing their part two mock
debate.
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 21

Civics Worksheet Example Questions:

The Articles of Confederation failed due to many individual factors. Choose one and elaborate
on its flaws and how it contributed to the desire for a Second Continental Congress.
What importance did the Land Ordinance of 1785 have on the birth of the nation?
Describe the "Great Compromise" in your own words.
Explain the difference between the concepts of “Checks and Balances” and “Separation of
Powers”.
What is the purpose of the federal government?

Mock Debate Topic Examples:

Are Americans more divided now than at any other time in their history?
Debate the merits of the Virginia Plan vs. the New Jersey Plan as if you were representatives
from those two states.
Are slaves people or property; was the three-fifths compromise justified?
What contributed more to the American colonists’ drive towards independence: capitalism or
liberty?
How are the founding fathers’ political debates still being played out today?

Student Led Project Examples:

Create a music video on a civics topic you find interesting.
Build a model of a building in Washington D.C. and describe who it houses and what its purpose
is.
Draw a period specific map and highlight something specific, such as which states supported
each side of the Great or Three-fifths compromises, Federalist/Antifederalist leanings, troop
movements and battles of the Revolutionary War.
Pick an issue and write a letter as if you were a citizen/representative/soldier.
Investigate and build a family tree if you have relatives that took part in the American
Revolution or the forming of the nation.
Run a mock election campaign.
Interview a state representative during the AZ School Lobby Day (Winter).
CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 22

(Buck Institute for Education, 2019)

 CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 23

(Buck Institute for Education, 2019)

CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 24

(Arlington Public Schools, 2016)

CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 25

Student Self Evaluation Form

Seldom Sometimes Often
Contributed ideas

Listened to and respected the ideas of others

Positively encouraged others in my group

Compromised and co-operated

Was flexible and willing to follow others

Took initiative when needed

Helped to solve problems

Took risks by exploring something new to me

Did my share of the workload/tasks

My two greatest strengths:

1.

2.

The two skills I need to work on:

1.

2.

(Lancaster University, 2002)

CITIZENSHIP TEST PROJECT PROPOSAL 26

Debate Worksheet

1. What is my position?

2. Who or what is affected by my position?

3. List three arguments that support your position

4. What evidence can you provide that supports your position?

5. What might your opposition try to argue?

6. How will you weaken their position?