This unit plan aims to teach students about historical events through analyzing the lyrics of Billy Joel's song "We Didn't Start the Fire". Students will research the people, places, and events mentioned in the song's lyrics and present their findings in a PowerPoint and newsletter. The unit consists of asynchronous lessons and live chat sessions over six weeks. Students will identify the historical relevance of the song's lyrics and learn how history unfolded during their lifetime.

1. Assignment #3 History: Get Fired Up Dr. Cavanaugh Instructor(s) Name(s) EME6458 Course Section(s) Sp08 Course Number(s) Distance Teaching & Learning Course Name(s) [email_address] Author’s E-mail Address A. Elizabeth Snider First and Last Name Unit Author

2. We will break down and define the people, places and events listed in the lyrics of Billy Joel’s song “We didn’t Start the Fire”. Unit Summary Who are these people? What are these events? Why are these things significant to history? Content Questions What impact did our generation have on world history? Unit Questions How was history made in your lifetime? Essential Question Curriculum-Framing Questions Fire Starter Unit Plan Title Unit Overview

3. Social Studies with Language Arts & Math infused taught through Music & Technology Subject Area(s) Social Studies: SS.A.1.3.1 The student extends and refines understanding that historical events are subject to different interpretations (for example, patterns, chronology, sequencing including cause and effect and the identification of historical periods). GLE #2 . The student understands chronology (for example, knows how to construct and label a timeline of events). SS.A.2.3.2 : The student knows how major historical developments have had an impact on the development of civilizations. GLE #1 . The student knows ways major historical developments have influenced selected groups over time (for example, the rise and spread of the Muslim religion). Language Arts: Standard 2 : The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. LA.A.2.3.1 : The student determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns of organization. GLE # 4 . analyzes ways writers organize and present ideas (for example, through chronology, comparison-contrast, and cause-effect). Targeted State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks

4. Students will identify & explain people, places, events listed within the song with 80% accuracy. Students will create & present a Power Point Presentation based on the lyrics of the song that depicts historical relevance within their lifetime. Students will create a newsletter demonstrating comprehension of historical relevance of the lyrics of the song We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel. Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes

5. Students will watch a power point that introduces the song/topic of the lesson, then will attempt to recognize the lyrics as they are sung. Students will research and determine relevance of the people/places/events listed in the lyrics. Procedures Students will have some prior knowledge working with Microsoft Office applications: Power Point, Publisher, and Internet resourcing. Prerequisite Skills This unit plan will consist of 3 50 minute asynchronous lessons and 2 15-20 minute mini lessons in live chat format, per lesson, over a 6 week period. Approximate Time Needed

6. Whats needed:

7. We will take a field trip to the school library to research the lyrics. We will take a virtual field trip to the Library of Congress to research the lyrics. Others http://home.uchicago.edu/%7Eyli5/Flash/Fire.html www.loc.gov , Google search engine Internet Resources CD of song (several copies), paper, pens, blank CD, CD players (w/ & w/out headphones), computers with Microsoft office software and required technology. Supplies Students may use their textbooks, encyclopedias, archived newspapers, archived magazines. Printed Materials

8. Students will be asked to give more specific/expanded explanation of people/places/events listed in the lyrics. As enrichment, students will be asked to create a list of lyrics for new verses to the song listing people/places/events relevant to history from 1989 to present. Gifted Student Students will work in small groups and will be pre-assigned sections of the song (period of the timeline) to research. Printed lyrics will be available to all the students. CD players with headphones will be available for the students to refer back to the song as often as necessary. Students may consult with teachers, the school librarian and/or teaching assistants. Students may use translation software such as www.babelfish.com to translate information. Students may use textbooks, encyclopedias and archived news articles printed in their native language(s). Non-Native English Speaker Students will work in small groups and will be pre-assigned sections of the song (period of the timeline) to research. Printed lyrics will be available to all the students. CD players with headphones will be available for the students to refer back to the song as often as necessary. Students may consult with teachers, the school librarian and/or teaching assistants. Resource Student Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction

11. Timeline Because this is a six week project, students will be given two weeks for each section of the project, meaning they should submit the project in 3 stages and by the pre-established due dates. Each section of the project will be reviewed for progress and will be provided teacher feedback, suggestions and assistance where necessary. The projects will not be graded until the end of the six week period and will be graded as one final project. Scoring will be based on rubrics explained in the teacher powerpoint “Firestarter”.

13. Students will be able to review powerpoints and videos that explain the lesson as often as they need. Lessons will have progress reviews where trackable progress can be assessed and teacher feedback is offered.

14. Students will be able to review teacher objectives and teacher input through voice thread and video.

17. See who we are and where we are. Snider’s Student Scroll Contact Us Next time you have a morning to spare, take a ride down memory lane and see how 4th grade today compares to your 4th grade. See how technology and textbooks work together. We encourage parents to come learn along side their children so they can gain hands on training on how to help us learn. PO Box 86276 Madeira Beach, FL 33738 To contact us: Phone: 727-365-9473 Fax: 727-393-3578 E-mail: bizysbusiness@tampabay.rr.com Come and spend the day with us. Hard Knocks Elementary Just off Paradise Drive on the corner of Miracle Highway and Schooling Street. Hard Knocks Elementary Home | Contact Us | Calendar | Project List | Related Links Home Contact Us Calendar Project List Related Links

18. A mind is like a fire. Knowledge and resources are combustible. Give it knowledge and expose it to resources. This exposure fans the flames and can make all the difference between a tiny spark and an inferno of roaring flames! This lesson is designed to fan the fire and instead of students facing regression during the summer months, they learn new forms of expression; thus they learn. Elizabeth Snider, Feb 2008