Social
Studies Lessons for High School is designed for social studies teachers to use with their government and history courses. It was developed in response to a shift in education throughout our country: a move away from rote memorization and toward the critical thinking skills necessary for many of the new performance assessment programs.
Each lesson will enable teachers to teach seven specific critical thinking skills in a step-by-step process. The information has been adapted for old media and new media formats. Web sites will be provided that will allow teachers to choose the most appropriate resource for the selected activity. All selections can be copied for classroom use. Teachers may adapt activities to allow students to complete assignments via the web.
Bob
Black is former Teachers Network web mentor. He is a social studies teacher at the Harbor City Learning
Center, located across the street from the historic Edgar
Allen Poe House in Baltimore, MD.
Lesson Plan
Students will use evidence and/or reason to support or refute ideas, issues, or positions.
Lesson Objectives Students will be able to:
Analyze an issue with opposing viewpoints.
Participate in a debate on helmet safety.
Write a letter to their state delegate stating their position on the helmet law.
Preparation/Motivation Gather statistics from the Internet or other sources about motorcycle accident deaths and injuries. Seek specific information on the number of victims wearing helmets. Show these statistics on the overhead and generate a discussion. Suggested sources:
Insurance Companies
State Government
State Department of Transportation
State Police Department
Motorcycle Helmet Manufacturers
Lesson Procedures
Show students the proposed Helmet Law summary. Have students complete the Issue Analysis Template Sheet. Review student answers.
Organize the class into two groups. Have one group take the position of motorcycle riders who do not want to wear helmets; the other group will take the position of officials who want helmets to be required. Allow time for each side to further research their position.
Have students conduct a debate on this issue.
Summary/Assessment
Have students write a letter to their state government delegate expressing and supporting their position on the proposed Helmet Law.
