1. Topic-
The Civil War
 
2. Content-
Students will be introduced to the Civil War by first hearing about the time period it took place in. Students will learn about the election of Abraham Lincoln as United States President in 1960 and what this meant for the country. Students will then learn about the attack on Fort Sumter and how this initiated the war. Students will learn dates of important battles throughout the Civil War, as well as learn the geographical make up of the country throughout the time period. The final bits of information will be about the Emancipation Proclamation, President Lincoln's assassination, and the concluding events of the war.

Key vocabulary includes:
-President Abraham Lincoln
-General Ulysses S. Grant
-General Robert E. Lee
-Confederacy
-Union
-Fort Sumter
-Stonewall Jackson
-Emancipation Proclamation
-Battle of Gettysburg
-Gettysburg address
-John Wilkes Booth
 
3. Goals: Aims/Outcomes-
1. Students will learn how to think critically about key events in our country's history, meaning they will develop their own perspectives and opinions regarding the moments that have shaped our country.
2. Students will learn how to use their cell phone devices as tools that allow for more meaningful, productive, and efficient learning when studying the history of the United states.
 
4. Objectives-
1. Students should be able to recall upon important events of the Civil War from memory with emphasis on dates, people, and the event's impact on the war and country.
2. Students should be able to understand how to use their cell phones as an aid throughout the learning day to make learning more productive and efficient.
 
5. Materials and Aids-
Students will need materials such as paper, pens and pencils, notebooks, colored pencils, markers, and a ruler. In addition, students must each have the 9th grade United States History textbook. Also, more specifically to the learning goals of this class, each student must have a mobile device that is capable of voice recording, taking pictures and videos, as well as includes all the basic applications like an alarm clock or timer, and a calculator.
 
6. Procedures/Methods-

A. Introduction-

1. Introduction to the Civil War will begin by introducing the time period surrounding the war. What was happening at this time? Who was President?
2. The initial attack at Fort Sumter, which was the attack that started the war.
 

B. Development-

1. I will begin by explaining the importance of visual representations when learning about the Civil War. More importantly, I will explain the importance of understanding how the visual cues play a role in remembering important events and figures. I will draw diagrams on the whiteboard, which students will be given the opportunity to document by either taking a picture or a video on their mobile devices.
2. During times of lecture, I will focus on involving the students more regularly than normal lectures. During this time students are encouraged to participate freely and openly by contributing their own perspectives and thoughts. Students will use either the video or voice recording function on their phones to document the discussion, which will then be used later at home to take reflective notes on.
3. To demonstrate how taking pictures or videos could be useful, I will use my phone throughout class to document any diagrams or maps that students draw up themselves. This would encourage them to use the technology in the same way.
 

C. Practice-

1. Throughout class discussions, I will encourage students to use their phones in various ways to document and record the learning material. This forces them to be attentive as well as focused on the in-class material so that they can be as productive and engaged as possible.
2. Students will use the alarm/timing function of their phones when engaged in small group discussions that are structured in a way so students don't lose track of time and are aware of structural elements of conversation.
 

D. Independent Practice-

1. For homework, students will be responsible for taking notes on what we did during class. To accomplish this, students may use whatever pictures, videos, or voice recordings they had taken throughout class. In addition, students should use their textbooks to fill in any missing details or vocabulary words.
2. Students will complete weekly reflection pieces that describe how technology and their mobile phones have been helpful tools during their learning processes. This will force the students to remain aware of technology's functions and purposes.
 

E. Accommodations (Differentiated Instruction)-

1. For a student dealing with dyslexia, my approach to teaching would actually be quite beneficial. Since students with dyslexia have difficulty reading or writing, the audio recording function of the phone would be quite helpful to have. That way, the student would not be discouraged from learning the material just because he or she has difficulty with reading/writing.
2. For a student with ADD or ADHD, the cell phone approach to learning may be difficult because it is an approach that requires that one be attentive. To accommodate those students, additional note sheets will be provided that make it easier to follow along with the material.
 

F. Checking for understanding-

1. Throughout class, I will make an effort to continuously make the students aware of the purposes of using mobile devices in assistance with classroom learning.
2. The students' weekly reflections on using their cell phones as tools to their learning will give me a lot of feedback as to where students seem to be using the technology effectively or where the areas in need of improvement are. These reflections will be graded based on thoughtfulness.
3. I will also encourage students to meet with me to discuss class material, how we apply it, and the cell phone learning approach. This will ensure the students know the purpose behind using the technology as a learning tool.
 

G. Closure-

1. The end of class will end with a brief recap of the material we've discussed throughout class.
2. Also, I will further explain how the technology used throughout class can be used to its full potential, by writing reflective pieces and taking further notes once at home.
 
7. Evaluation-
Throughout the course, I will monitor the progress of students' grades on homework, tests and quizzes, participation points, and weekly reflective pieces. I expect to notice a steady improvement of performance once students have obtained the skills needed to use their phones in the most productive and effective way possible.
 
8. Teacher Reflection-
This method to learning is extremely effective, especially to those students who benefit from being engaged in open classroom discussions.
I enjoy teaching with this approach because it encourages students to be attentive.
 

This Lesson Plan is available at (www.teacherjet.com)