Teacher: Tony Ripa, Ryan Clarke Date of Lesson: 20 February 2020

Content Area: Social Studies

Course Title & Grade Level: World History 9th Grade

Standards:
SS-WH.9-12.21. Investigate cultural advancements within societies with attention to belief systems,
ideologies, the arts, science and technology.

Objectives:

Content – Students will investigate cultural advancements within societies with attention to belief systems.

Language – By the end of class, students will be able to evaluate and debate philosophical opinions by
completing a graphic organizer and participating in a class debate.

Student-Friendly – By the end of class, I can evaluate philosophical opinions and debate them in a class
discussion.
Assessment:
Philosophical Opinions worksheet to be checked at the end of class. Check for students giving evidence of
their claims. Explaining their reasoning.
Proactive Management:
Philosophical opinions worksheet Concentric circles
Voice 0 - Keep your own thoughts to 1 - Share your opinions and
yourself. No talking debate with your partner in a
moderate voice.
Respect each others opinions
Materials At your desk you will need a Take your worksheet with you to
pencil to complete your refer to when you debate
worksheet.

Take your worksheet with you to

refer to when you debate
Task Work independently on your
worksheet quietly
Row #1 Stay in your seat and
discuss with your partner seated
across from you for one minute
Row #2 Discuss with your
partner across from you for one
minute, then get up from your
seat and move to your left. If you
are at the end, move to the
beginning of the row.

Instructional Strategies:
Literacy Strategy - Graphic Organizer - Worksheet contains 15 philosophical statements in which students
either agree with or disagree with and then provide reasons why. Students will be using Tovani’s 7th thinking
strategy: Synthesizing and extending thinking.
Instructional Strategy - Concentric circles “Speed Dating” - Students sit in two rows facing each other,
students in the first row do not move, only students in the second row move. Students have 1 minute to
discuss a statement then row 2 moves and then students discuss the next statement.
Note Taking Strategy:
Graphic organizer

Questions:
Questions are setup in three columns. Statement, Agree or Disagree, and Why? - All divergent
answers.
1. Humans are naturally Selfish. Agree or Disagree. Why?
a. Yes, humans are selfish, nobody works for free. A lot of people are poor, if humans weren’t
selfish nobody would be starving. People take advantage of each other.
b. No humans are selfless naturally, people work to just survive.
2. Government is necessary to keep order.
a. Yes, people would do whatever they wanted to and commit crimes. Police and laws and jails
keep people from being bad.
b. No, if there were no rules that doesn’t mean that I would go around killing people. I know
what is right and wrong I can take care of myself.
3. Giving up some of your rights in exchange for law and order is a good idea.
a. Yes because without the government, police, military, etc. we wouldn't survive. I’d rather
give up rights than be killed, stolen from, etc.
b. No, a life without liberty is not worth living. How many rights should I give? If I give up
some rights what's stopping someone from taking all of my rights? Free speech, free religion,
privacy,etc.
4. The main purpose of the government is to protect the citizens' rights.
a. Yes, the government is made up of people so it should protect our rights. There's no point
otherwise.
b. No, the government is meant to just protect people from danger, and keep them from being
bad and breaking the law.
5. If the people do not agree with the government, then the people have a right to rebel and demand
change.
a. Yes, the government should be there to serve the people, and if it’s not doing that, then it
needs to be changed.
b. No, we should respect authority and we should not resort to violence.
6. It is important that the government's power is separated and not given to one person.
a. Yes, that is why we have three branches of government and federalism. If one person had all
the power, nobody could check their poor or evil decisions.
b. No, that makes the government way less efficient.
7. Humans are naturally good.
a. Yes, babies are born good, carefree, and innocent. Adults and the environment may turn
them bad.
b. No, people lie, cheat, steal, and kill. People always look out for their best interests. Humans
descendents from animals.
8. All people should be free and equal, without, social classes, and social hierarchies.
a. Yes, everyone is equal in dignity so nobody should have to be less than someone else
b. No, classes and hierarchies are natural and should not be manipulated. There needs to be
different social classes to perform different jobs.
9. Education is necessary to become virtuous, useful, and productive.
a. Yes, we must learn the accumulated wisdom of our civilization in order to learn how to
 operate within it.
b. No, education corrupts people and can be used to brainwash people. I can be more productive
doing labor than learning.
10. Every person should be given an education.
a. Yes, since everyone is better off with education, everyone should have the right to it.
b. No, not everyone needs an education for their jobs and it is not the government’s role to give
everyone an education.
11. Some jobs should be filled only by a specific gender.
a. Yes, for example, the military should be for men only since war is a man’s job.
b. No, if a woman can do a man’s job just as well as he can, then she should get the job.
12. Traditional marriage roles are important to maintain order.
a. Yes, it's important to raise a family. Children need stability and support from Mothers and
Fathers need to bring financial stability and run the house. You can’t have Mom and Dad
fighting over who does what/who has the authority.
b. No, men and women should be equal. Moms or Dads can work and provide. They both do
good jobs raising children. More happiness and freedom when people can do what they
please.
13. Through experience, people naturally gain wisdom and insight.
a. Yes, you get wiser as you get older, which is why you learn from people older than you.
b. No, older people seem out of touch and set in their ways so they won’t have as much insight
into new things.
14. People know how best to govern their own affairs, not the government.
a. Yes, how is someone who does not know me going to make important decisions about my life
for me?
b. No, we need the government to organize everyone so society runs properly.
Anticipatory Set:
Bell Work - “Do it now” students write down their learning objective for the day.
CNN 10 - Students watch CNN 10 and summarize the video as part of their bellwork.
The Lesson:
Anticipatory Set [10 min]
Introduce Enlightenment
- The Enlightenment was a period of time from approximately the 17th to 19th century. So that’s the
1600s to the 1800s.
- It’s called the Enlightenment because it is a time of new ideas, scientific discoveries, and philosophies
- Analogy of lightbulb above someone’s head
We are going to warm up our study of the Enlightenment with some debate. But first we have to prepare for
the debate.

Graphic Organizer
I do [2 min]
Mr. Clarke and Mr. Ripa show graphic organizer to class
- look at first statement “Humans are naturally selfish”
- Mr. Clarke or Mr. Ripa fills out graphic organizer and includes explanation

Transition -
Communicate expectations for behaviour and thinking.
Behaviour - Work on this independently and quietly for 15 minutes…
It's really important that you complete this sheet in 15 minutes because we need time to work on the more fun
portion of this activity.
After we are done we are going to have some time to work on something that will be more engaging

Thinking - Think carefully about the statement and what you think about it.
Use examples from everyday life.
What do you notice about the people around you in your life?
I want to know why you think the way you do. Back up your answers
Think about how these ideas impact YOU.

You do [15 min]

Students work on Philosophical Opinions graphic organizer
Walk around and guide students in their thinking by asking them questions
- What examples can you think of?
- Do you have experience that proves or disproves the opinion?
- Do your religious beliefs influence your opinions?
- Do you see any connections to these statements and modern politics?
Provide counter-examples, pushback

Concentric Circles [20 min]

Explain important/reason for debate - It's important to hear other peoples’ perspectives because we all come
from different backgrounds and have different experiences. You might change your mind or change someone
else's mind, or maybe you’ll believe your opinion even more because you know the other side.
Grouping strategy - Number by ones and twos
VMT Expectations before getting into circles
Voice - this can be a fun activity but we need to keep conversations only with the person across from you
Movement - ones will be in the bigger circle, twos will be in the smaller circle
Task - listen to the statement made by me and then you must debate your partner respectfully. When the
music stops, the people on the outside of the circle will move one spot to your left.
Directions:
Group one, move to the middle and form the circle
- guide the students so the circle is the correct size
Group two, move around them and create a bigger circle
- guide the students again
Look at the person in front of you. That is who you will be debating with first
Voices off when the music is off
Make statements, play music, stop music.
- wait for silence when music stops

Transition:
Ok, now you have fifteen seconds to quietly move back to your seats

Closure [2 min]
Reflection question with desk partner
“homework”

Closure:
Reflection Question - Discuss with your elbow partner. Which of these opinions is most important to you?
Give your reasonings and explanations.
“Homework” - Consider which of these ideas you think our society believes in/ practices. Think about our
government, ask your government teacher about these topics if you have government this semester.
 References:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MMVbHXJ1rzsQ03P8qKVy7BqnzPlTGr5U4CjrZle
6TTI/edit
Enlightenment music playlist -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HMjQygwPI1c&list=PLdqe2o78UsGqISHXdxfMbEKQsoKDbQsdz

Reflection Questions:
1. CRT - italicize
a. We make sure to explain why the topic is relevant and why it’s important to discuss opinions
with people of different backgrounds. We also try to connect their learning to everyday life. We
will go around the class and ask them to think of examples that relate to their own lives that they
can write in their worksheet. We also make it clear that they need to finish the worksheet in 15
minutes so they can move on to something more fun. This is a high expectation and serves as
motivation.
2. UDL - highlight
a. We guide students through their thinking while they are working so they can answer the
questions in a way that relates to them. Engagement becomes more personal that way. The lesson
also provides students with two opportunities to express how their opinions - on the graphic
organizer and in the concentric circles debate.

Things we need to hit on the indicator chart:

1 - demonstrate awareness of learning environment
4 - use accurate content and academic vocabulary
5 - align objectives to standards
8 - plans for instruction
9 - uses literacy strategies

Need to do in at least one of the two videos

2 - uses transitions during instruction
3 - communicates task and behavior expectations
6 - engages students in critical thinking
7 - uses assessment to inform instruction