Week Four

Please click the above image to view or download the instructional
planning matrix for Week Four. Or click here for all five matrices.

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MONDAY

Refresh prior knowledge

• Using electronic responders, students will answer several multiple-choice and oral-answer questions in order to prepare for this week's lesson and connect it meaningfully with that information covered in the week prior

Current events presentation

• Groups will spend five minutes giving an informal presentation about a current Sudanese news story
  
• Copies of the article chosen will be distributed to the class and shown on the overhead

Begin to discuss the Lost Boys

• Screen clips from God Grew Tired of Us, a 2006 documentary film about three of the Lost Boys of Sudan
• Hold an in-depth discussion of these children's experiences especially in light of their young ages
  

Discuss tomorrow's guest speaker

• One of the Lost Boys from the film will come to speak to the class the following day
• In preparation, students will brainstorm both individually and in groups at least three questions they'd like to ask him
• Students will turn these questions in at the end of the day for review, but they will be handed back for tomorrow's guest presentation
  

Book clubs meet

• Gather students into book club groups
  
• Groups will discuss impressions of the book, compare notes, with scaffolding and discussion mediation when necessary
• Ensure groups are on track to present at the end of the unit
  

Personal journal assignment

• The three questions will count for today's journal assignment
  

Resources Needed:
• Promethean responders
• Powerpoint presentation
• Overhead projector
• God Grew Tired of Us DVD

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TUESDAY

Lost Boy guest speaker

• We will greet the speaker and listen attentively as he discusses his experiences in Darfur and his subsequent flight from home
  
• Students will pose their questions to the speaker and engage in conversation with him and one another as they begin to put a face to the conflict they've been learning about for the past week
  

Resources Needed:
• Student questions

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WEDNESDAY

Current events presentation

• Groups will spend five minutes giving an informal presentation about a current Sudanese news story
  
• Copies of the article chosen will be distributed to the class and shown on the overhead

In-class response to yesterday's speaker

• We will have a whole-class discussion about our thoughts on yesterday's guest; what new things did we learn, how did he change our perspectives, what were we most surprised by?
  
• Afterwards, students will write their own reflection in response to these questions to hand in at the end of class
  

Introduce social action projects

• Revisit the God Grew Tired of Us film, showing the portion dedicated to activism for Sudan
  
• Hold a whole-class discussion about social action - what are our responsibilities as global citizens and how can we make a difference - to prepare them for the unit's culminating project
• Hand out the assignment sheet for the social action projects and allow time for groups to meet and begin research in the library and online, providing a list of resources (provided in the sidebar at right) with which to begin
  

Personal journal assignment

• Their in-class response to yesterday's speaker will count towards today's personal journal assignment
  

Resources Needed:
• Overhead projector
• Internet access
• God Grew Tired of Us DVD
• Library access

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THURSDAY

Current events presentation

• Groups will spend five minutes giving an informal presentation about a current Sudanese news story
  
• Copies of the article chosen will be distributed to the class and shown on the overhead

Conclude the discussion of demographics

• Discuss demographical data and descriptions of life in refugee camps and refugee diaspora
• Add final key events to the classroom timeline and review the progression throughout the course of the unit
• Ask students to draw connections among as many points on the timeline as they can in a student-led whole class discussion

Resources Needed:
• Overhead projector
• Powerpoint presentation
• Timeline

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FRIDAY

Current events presentation

• Groups will spend five minutes giving an informal presentation about a current Sudanese news story
  
• Copies of the article chosen will be distributed to the class and shown on the overhead

Book club preparation time

• Book club groups will meet to prepare for next week's presentation; they will have the entire class to discuss the book, prepare their presentation, and practice with one another
  
• We will circulate to offer help, advice, or give suggestions when needed
  

Weekly assessment

• Hold the final open note history quiz to gauge comprehension and areas of difficulty

Personal journal assignment

• Students will discuss their thoughts about why general knowledge about Africa, Sudan, and Darfur is often paltry, incomplete, and inaccurate and pose possible solutions to inform the public correctly
  

Resources Needed:
• Overhead projector
• Internet access
• Quiz