The document outlines a lesson plan centered around Billy Joel's song 'We Didn't Start the Fire,' focusing on historical events, people, and places mentioned in the lyrics. Students will engage in various activities, such as creating a newsletter, website, and PowerPoint presentation to explore historical significance and demonstrate their understanding of chronology. Assessment rubrics are provided for evaluating content knowledge, presentation quality, and organization in their projects.

1. Historical Timelines Fire Starter “ We Didn’t Start the Fire” a song by Billy Joel, circa 1989

2. We Didn’t Start the Fire In compliance with the Sunshine Standards, the class will conduct a lyrical study based on the people places and events performed in the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. The Idea Click “The Idea”

3. We Didn’t Start the Fire After the release of this song in 1989, Billy Joel stated…“ The World's always been kinda messed up, it was messed up before I was born, it was messed up during the time that I lived and it will probably be messed up after I'm gone. That doesn't mean you don't try the best that you can and make this a better world. ”

4. We Didn’t Start the Fire Through this lesson students will demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology and the historical perspective. They will use listening, viewing, and speaking strategies effectively.

5. We Didn’t Start the Fire The class will create a newsletter featuring items from the lyrics of the song. The class will design and publish a web site that allows parents to keep up to date with the student progress. The class will create a power point presentation that demonstrates an understanding of how people, places and events have shaped history 1989-present.

6. The Questions How was history made in your lifetime? What impact did our generation have on world history? Who are these people? What are these events? Why are these things significant to history?

7. Using Microsoft word, students will type articles about a chosen topic from the lyrics of the song. Each student will write an article that explains the historical significance of that item. Working as a team, students will layout the articles and collected pictures, cartoons, etc. into a newsletter. The Newsletter

8. Newsletter Rubric Organization (10 points possible) Makes a complete and detailed description of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. 7-10 points. Makes a detailed description of most of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. 4-6 points. Makes a detailed description of some of the subject matter and/or elements seen in a work. 0-3 points. Content Knowledge (30 points possible) Accurately describes several dominant elements or principles used by the artist and accurately relates how they are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork. 7-10 points. Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements and principles used by the artist and accurately relates how these are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork. Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the artwork. Student identifies the literal meaning of the work. 4-6 points. Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the artist, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the artwork. Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately. Student can relate how the work makes him/her feel personally. 0-3 points. Visual Appeal (10 points possible) Uses multiple criteria to judge the artwork, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas. Forms a somewhat reasonable hypothesis about the symbolic or metaphorical meaning and is able to support this with evidence from the work. 7-10 points. Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements and principles used by the artist and accurately relates how these are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork. Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the artwork. Student identifies the literal meaning of the work. 4-6 points. Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the artist, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the artwork. Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately. Student can relate how the work makes him/her feel personally. 0-3 points. Engagement (10 points possible) Uses multiple criteria to judge the artwork, such as composition, expression, creativity, design, communication of ideas. Forms a somewhat reasonable hypothesis about the symbolic or metaphorical meaning and is able to support this with evidence from the work. 7-10 points. Accurately describes a couple of dominant elements and principles used by the artist and accurately relates how these are used by the artist to reinforce the theme, meaning, mood, or feeling of the artwork. Uses 1-2 criteria to judge the artwork. Student identifies the literal meaning of the work. 4-6 points. Describes some dominant elements and principles used by the artist, but has difficulty describing how these relate to the meaning or feeling of the artwork. Tries to use aesthetic criteria to judge artwork, but does not apply the criteria accurately. Student can relate how the work makes him/her feel personally. 0-3 points.

9. Students will create a 4 page website with links, sound, and video clips about their research of the song lyrics. Students will design and publish a website that allows parents to keep up to date with where the students are academically. The website

10. Website Rubric CATEGORY On Task Almost There Getting There Keep Trying Content Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent. Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors. Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors. Does not seem to understand the topic very well or he/she has chosen items that seem to have no historical significance. Quality Presentation is of excellent quality. It makes sense and contains historically significant information. Presentation is of good quality. It makes sense and contains an adequate amount of historically significant information.. Presentation is of acceptable quality. It does not always makes sense or it contains few items that are historically significant . Presentation is of poor quality. It does not make sense or lacks historically significant information.. Mechanics No misspellings or grammatical errors. Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors. Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors. More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar. Organization Content is well organized using headings or bulleted lists to group related material. Uses headings or bulleted lists to organize, but the overall organization of topics appears flawed. Content is logically organized for the most part. There was no clear or logical organizational structure, just lots of facts.

11. Students will design a power point of at least 6 slides, featuring new lyrics to the song as if it added new verses for 1989-present. The new slides should list new people, places and events that are of historical significance since 1989. The Power Point

12. Power Point Rubric CATEGORY Excellent (19-25 pts) Satisfactory (13-18 pts) Needs Improvement (7-12 points) Not quite there (0-6 pts) Content Covers topic in-depth with details and examples. Subject knowledge is excellent. Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors. Includes essential information about the topic but there are 1-2 factual errors. Does not seem to understand the topic very well or he/she has chosen items that seem to have no historical significance. Quality Presentation is of excellent quality. It makes sense and contains historically significant information. Presentation is of good quality. It makes sense and contains an adequate amount of historically significant information.. Presentation is of acceptable quality. It does not always makes sense or it contains few items that are historically significant . Presentation is of poor quality. It does not make sense or lacks historically significant information.. Mechanics No misspellings or grammatical errors. Three or fewer misspellings and/or mechanical errors. Four misspellings and/or grammatical errors. More than 4 errors in spelling or grammar. Presentation Final work contains sound bites, pictures, and reliable information in an appealing layout. Final work contains a few sound bites, pictures, along with reliable information that is in an acceptable layout. Final work contains very few sound bites & pictures, or not enough reliable information or the layout is messy. Final work does not include sound bites or pictures, or lacks reliable information. The layout is void of organization. Organization Content is well organized using headings or bulleted lists to group related material. Uses headings or bulleted lists to organize, but the overall organization of topics appears flawed. Content is logically organized for the most part. There was no clear or logical organizational structure, just lots of facts.

13. The End