Lesson/Unit: Israel

D Gardner

• Students will gain exposure to  Israel’s major cities, historical sites, art and music as delineated in the  Assignment Section of WebQuest
• Layout of the lesson/scaffolding will be presented using a timeline, embarking  the first day of school when Israel is introduced as a major topic of study for 5th grade students, and concluding with presentations to the entire school the last day of class. Checkpoints include students selecting a topic by December; presenting a draft to the class in February; to parents in April and the school in May.
• Key technologies include:
• Teacher directed learning: wiki, webquest, timeline, YouTube, web sites, Google maps, virtual tours (cities and museums), flip camera, Google docs, and Diigo
• Student presentations: technology of their choice, with teacher approval re project design, or none (students opt to select means of presentation)
• Reflections
• This project based, year long assignment is the pride of the 5th graders. This year we  found that the written reports and posters weren’t as well researched as in the past. As a result, the WebQuest will direct students in their research and establish a common core of exposure/knowledge. Material selected is gripping, of high quality and intended to instill/foster  a love of Israel as well as set high standards for student reports. With the use of a YouTube capturing actual footage from Israel becoming a state, students will have a sense of the excitement in 1948 when Israel gained statehood. As eyewitnesses age, technology will become ever more important to capture their stories. I applaud the efforts of Facing History and Ourselves to embark on this, as well as the History Project in San Francisco.
• It was both fun and inspiring to pour over the wealth of material and resources available. How fortunate we are to have a homeland, after so many years in diaspora. Our rich culture, reflects the diversity of Israel’s population.


• I look forward to collaborating with the fifth grade teacher in presenting this next year.