S+Scheffler+Erich

Insert Course Name **Syllabus**

Office: 413 Black Hall Office Phone: 201-655-0514 Office Hours: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.**
 * Teacher: Mr. Erich Scheffler
 * E-mail: erich.scheffler@maine.edu**


 * =Summary of Unit= ||
 * Student will learn about the Vietnam War in the year 1960-1975, and how it affected life in the United States. Students will also learn how the Vietnam War affected their own lives. How did the Vietnam War change life in America? What role did student activism play in the Vietnam War? In what ways did media coverage of the war change opinions in America? These are all questions that will be answered in the unit. Students will also learn the sequence of events in the war, and will learn about all the major players in the war. Students will also use iMovie to create a news broadcast chronicling the experiences American soldiers had during the Vietnam War, and also how they were treated in America. Along with this production, students will also prepare a short essay discussing their findings. ||

E. History E1. Historical Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns 9-Diploma "The Vietnam War in the United States 1960-1975" b. Analyze and critique major historical eras, major enduring themes, turning points, events, consequences, and people in the history of the United States and world and the implications for the present and future. What understandings are desired? Students will understand that: (U) • The Vietnam War changed America forever, both politically and culturally. • Student activism played a huge role in ending the war. • Media coverage of the war, especially on television, increased heavily during the Vietnam War, as opposed to that during World War II.
 * Establish Goals: (G)

What essential questions will be considered? Essential Questions: (Q) • How did the Vietnam War change America? • Why did the students protest the war? • In what ways did media coverage expand during the Vietnam War over other wars? What key knowledge and skills will students acquire as a result of this unit?

Students will know: (K) Students will be able to: (S) • Sequence and Timelines: Students will be taught a timeline of events during the Vietnam War in both Vietnam and America, and how those events linked to future events. • Important Events and People: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, Tet Offensive, Lyndon B. Johnson, Ho Chi Minh, etc. • Key Factual Information: Students will learn exactly what happened during the Vietnam War. • Explain: Students will be able to explain the events of the Vietnam War. • Interpret: Students will interpret and critique various events in the war and viewpoints of major players. • Apply: Students will be able to apply what they learn to better understand other areas of history, and to current events. • Perspective: Students will analyze the opinions of the multiple sides of the war, and why each side did the things they did. • Empathy: Students will consider each side of the war, and why each side wanted to accomplish what they wanted to accomplish in the war. • Self-Knowledge: Students will recognize how their own lives were affected by the Vietnam War, although they were born a while after the war ended. ||
 * Now that you have watched the clip from the movie //Born on the Fourth of July//, think about the experiences of Ron Kovic, and how those experiences affected him. Think about the things any soldier would have experienced, and create a video that chronicles the experiences of a group of American soldiers in the war. In a group of four, one student will play a news reporter who is interviewing the other three members of the team, who will be playing a group of soldiers, about their experiences. You must compile data from several credible sources in order to make a historically accurate portrayal of the things soldiers experienced during the Vietnam War. CBS needs your help to reclaim their title as ratings king of primetime news! They are sending you, a young and fairly inexperienced news reporter over to Vietnam to interview several soldiers about their experiences both at war in Vietnam and back home in America. But you have some competition! You are not the only reporter CBS has sent to Vietnam, and CBS only has time to show one piece on the soldiers in their broadcast. They will be choosing the best one to show on their primetime show, which happens to be anchored by the famous Walter Cronkite. So get over to Vietnam and show America what being a soldier in Vietnam is all about! ||


 * =Expectations= ||
 * Students will be expected to attend class every day, unless a valid excuse is presented, in which case the teacher will make appropriate accommodations. Students are also expected to treat the teacher and their peers with the respect that they themselves expect to receive. Students are also expected to complete any and all assignments, including homework and projects, again, unless a valid excuse is presented. ||

Students will be assessed on the presentation of their mock news broadcast on soldiers to the class. Students will be assessed on the professionalism of their presentation, as well as their knowledge of the subject matter. 2. Vietnam video: 28 points Students will create a mock news broadcast that chronicles the experiences of the American soldiers during the Vietnam War. Students will be assessed on the historical accuracy of their piece, as well as their knowledge of the content, and cinematography, among other things. 3. Vietnam Research paper: 24 points Along with their video and presentation, students will be asked to write a short paper detailing what they learned about the experiences of soldiers during the Vietnam War. This is to ensure that students know and understand the content. As per usual, students will be assessed on the historical accuracy and knowledge, but will also be graded on length, grammar, and reliability of sources. 4. Garage Band riot broadcast: 24 points Students will be asked to create another mock news broadcast using Garage Band. This will be a mock radio broadcast, recorded live from the scene of a student-led anti-war protest that has descended into a full-scale riot. Students will be assessed on originality, quality, and of course, historical accuracy. 5. Google Earth presentation: 24 points Students will be asked to create a presentation on a major battle or military operation of the Vietnam War. Along with this presentation, students will be asked to create a blog that has their information online, and link this blog to Google Earth, on the exact location the battle occurred. In the end, all of these locations will be linked to the students' blogs, so they can click on the location of the battle, and see the terrain, and then click on the link to find more information about the battle. 6. short quiz: 10 points At the end of the lesson on the impact the Vietnam War had on the world, students will take a short quiz on the information they have learned. 7. self reflection: 20 points At the end of the lesson on how the Vietnam War impacted the future, students will write a short reflective piece on how they think the Vietnam War impacted their own lives. 8. Comic Life comic: 24 points Students will use Comic Life to create a comic about a fictional news broadcaster, who is living during the Vietnam War. Students will show how the news this character is reporting has affected the people around him, and maybe changed their opinions of the war. 9. Song parody: 24 points Using Garage Band, students will create a song that parodies popular social commentary songs from the 1960's and 1970's. Students' songs will chronicle the impact that the Vietnam War has had on other areas of life. Total points: 202 ||
 * =Benchmarks= ||
 * 1. Vietnam video presentation: 24 points

A: 95-93 A-: 92-90 B+: 89-86 B: 85-83 B-:82-80 C+: 79-76 C: 75-73 C-: 72-70 D: 69-65 F: 64 and under ||
 * =Grading Scale= ||
 * A+: 100-96