Lesson(re) creation project Class:World Studies 7 Author:Jennifer Gough

1. A problem or a need In World Studies 7, we spend a good amount of time exploring the region of Africa. Through this lesson on Micro-entrepreneurs, it aims to achieve two things. One, to help kids gain an understanding of challenges that specific countries within Africa are facing today. Second, to read about case studies of women micro-entrepreneurs in and how their work through their microenterprises is creating positive social and economic growth within their communities. Through this lesson, kids will be able to understand how women micro entrepreneurs, with the support of microloans, have been able to transform not only their lives, but the lives within both their local and global communities. They will learn about this transformation through selected studies and and data . This lesson also correlates with the Michigan Content State Standard wich is to compare roles of women in traditional African societies in the past with the roles of women as modern micro-entrepreneurs in current economies. (G4.1.2) 2. A real-world performance Students will not only read about real case studies of microentrepreneurs in selected African communities, they will apply their knowledge by creating presentations that will educate students, teachers, as well as the local and global community at large to learn from about the power of micro loans for many developing countries. To do so, students will take on the role of a non-profit organization that seeks to help others by educating them about this topic. This project will also give them practice with creating websites that will be published online, so they will also practice designing something for a purpose and catered to an audience. 3. An instructional objective Students will be able to identify the challenges that many countries in Africa face, by looking at charts and graphs to show such information. Students will be able to recall the basic concepts relevant to the topic of study which include Human Development Index, gender-based division of labor, informal economy, micro loan, and microentrepreneur after taking notes on the definitions and an example for each from a powerpoint. Students will be able to identify their own examples of the concepts listed above after viewing a video on Micro finance http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=nMg_Lc6akos&feature=related Students will be able to create a concept map online that displays their knowledge of these concepts and examples of such concepts that tie in with the video and readings they have done for this unit. In groups, students will create a presentation that is meant to teach others about micro loans and how they help empower communities to promote social and economic change. 4. A set of essential content Students will read a powerful short story that is told from the perspective Botswanian woman micro-enterpreneur, selected reading from the book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity For Women Worldwide by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Using http://en.linoit.com students will type their answers using color coded stickies that represent what they understood from the text, what didn't make sense, and what questions it triggered. Students will view and take notes on a brief Prezi presentation that covers basic terms for the uniit. They will then watch short video on Micro finance and on and Exit Ticket write examples of the concepts they learned about they saw in the video. In small groups (3-4 total) or on their own, students will select a case study about a microentrepreneur they're interested in learning more about. They will read the case study and take notes on a graphic organizer, which will have each unit concept and space for them to write how they see it at play in their case study. Students will digitally create a presentation through a media tool of their choice (examples include wiki site, glogster, weebly)that is meant to teach students, parents, as well as the local and global communities about how micro-loans are reshaping the role of women in many communities and promoting positive social and economic change. They will be able to search through a list of recommended websites that sponsor ways to get involved with micro finance, such as http://www.kiva.org/ which they will summarize and evaluate and share through their presentations. 5.An evaluation consisting of a test or observation Assessment will take place both formatively and summatively for this unit. The one most

applicable to how it can be accomplished in a real-world setting would be through the summative assessment part. Formative Assessment will take place through: Student's preexisting knowledge will take place as a result of student input during the sticky activity. This will create an opportunity to discuss these important pre existing ideas. Student examples of the unit concepts that they saw from the Garmin Bank video (Exit Ticket) Student input through the poppplet site, where they showcase their understanding of the concepts and material through concept maps. Summative Assessment will take place through: Presentations (group or individual) that teach others about how through micro-loans women micro entrepreneurs are creating positive and significant social and economic change on both a local and global scale. 6.A method to help participants learn I plan to use the three components that Dr. Merrill discusses in his video on Design Learning. This entails: 1.Show, not just tell Rather than introduce the unit through a lecture that delivers all the information about micro loans, I plan to show students an example of one through an incredibly moving personal account of a woman who took a micro loan and changed not only her lwell being, but that of her community's as well. Instead of telling students examples of the concepts we learn about, I will provide guidance by giving them a basic definition and example and show them the concepts through a video on the Garmin Bank. 2.Provide opportunities for students to show (apply) their learning Students will be able to independently or with a partner write or draw examples of the unit concepts they learned about after watching a video on the Garmin Bank. Through this strategy, I am scaffolding the material, since I initially give them examples, they come up with their own and share, and then they are assessed on their examples through the presentation. Students will create a poplet that showcases their visual understanding of not only the concepts, but how their reading and the video relates to those concepts. Through making such connections, they are applying what they learned. 3.Give them practice in the real world context In place of a traditional test, students will be able to demonstrate what they learned through presentations that they'll share with their peers, teachers, and the local and global communities. They will practice creating polished presentations that cater to a specific purpose (to teach others about micro loans and how women are using them to create social and economic change both within a local and global context) and audience (those interested in learning more about micro loans and what they can do for a society and/or economy.

7.Motivation: Meaningfullness:To build context, students will be able to read a story that is a personal account of a woman micro entrepreneur. Before they really go into learning the concent piece, they are sharing their ideas about what they took away from the story, as a way to get them to make predictions about how it relates to the posted objective. From the beginning of the lesson, students are able to build context by making personal connections to the text. It is also drawing prior knowledge because it will allow them to share what they understand about the text. For example, kids might share that they understand the story is taking place in a rural setting because it mentions that many people are subsistance farmers. The topic of micro-entrepreneurs itself is meaningful to students because it shows a real example of the power of an individual's actions and what that an individual can have on a community. In addition, how others can contribute to the same purpose, even from thousands of miles away. It relates to real world context because through this unit, students will learn about ways they can be apart of this change through organizations like Kiva.org, which is one they might choose to read about and use in their presentations for ways to get involved. Pleasant consequences: Through their presentations, students will have the opportunity to teach others about an important global trend, and by doing so they are serving as active and responsible global (and digital) citizens. I think this lesson allows kids to see that they can and do have a role in the global community by teaching others about global trends.

Novelty Students will be able to creatively engage with this lesson through their presentations that teach others about their case study. They will also engage in the sticky note activity, which I think they'll find especially intriguing because the website alllows them to not only see their ideas publicized, but also those of their peers, which is a big motivator for middle school students. The popplet activity is also a way for students to engage metacognitively with the content; they know the objectives (where they're going) and their popplets allow them to think about where they are at with understanding the material and how they're making those connections. If they don't see a connection between one particular concept and what they've read, it shows them that they might need to seek more information for that topic, either by returning to the reading or looking at others' popplets (how to get there).

8.Socialization Learner to Learner: 1.Students will be able to share ideas with eachother through the linoit activity, as all of their ideas are publicly shown on the projector in the classroom or computer lab. 2.Students will have the option of working with a small group to read about their case study and create their presentations. Generally, most of my kids will choose to work with others. Learner to Content: Students will be able to engage with the concent through their popplets that demonstrates important connections they made between the unit concepts and their readings/video. They will have the opportunity to post their popplets so they can share theirs and view others. They will also have the option of contributing to the popplet's of others. Learner to Expert: Students will identify examples of the unit concepts they see from the video on the Gramin Bank and share those examples (written or drawn) to me through their exit tickets. I will also share some of stronger exit tickets (anonymously) the following day, so all students can see what strong examples look like and to smooth out misconceptions.

9.Audience Age:World Studies (Eastern Hemisphere) is a 7th grade class, ages 12-13. Skill level: By 7th grade, most students students have experience doing research online and using tools like Prezi (6th grade English and Science classes incorporate online research and utilize Prezi for a research unit.) My district is in a pretty affluent area, so many have smart phones or i-pads. I don't think my students have used websites like popplet or stickies before, so that will be something I have to introduce and model for them. Prerequisite knowledge: Students have already studied economic principles from our economic and types of government unit at the beginning of the year, so they should have a good understanding of related terms they come across in their readings. Prior to this unit, students have already studied the ancient history and modern geography of Africa, which is how my district covers the regions of the world. Students have used the internet to do research both for my class as well as their science classess, so they at least hae that foundation for when they have to research about micro-finance websites. 10.Technology needs Computer Lab / room laptops 3-4 days, also computer and internet access at home or at the school library (before school, during lunch, after school) Internet acces

Popplets website (www.popplet.com) linoit website (http://en.linoit.com/ ) Video on micro finance (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMg_Lc6akos&feature=related )