Real Patriot Games
Introduction
I became fascinated in espionage because of my own background. When I was a child, I thought my father was a regular businessman. Instead, he was a CIA agent. During many of his “business trips,” he was working to desegregate factories in the South or slipping behind the Iron Curtain. Over the years, I have spent countless hours searching out his story and will spend years more rediscovering my father and the career he chose. The research I have been conducting on my father is a perfect example of meaningful, real-world research, and I wanted to share the curiosity and thrill it inspired in me with my students. Thus, I created this unit.
Espionology encompasses mature and serious topics. Students appreciate being trusted with adult issues and rise to the intellectual challenge. This unit leads students to learn about what is real. Thought-provoking discussions emerge that go well beyond the enticing glitz of Hollywood spies. (After all, we won’t ever know about the most successful espionage triumphs.)
Overview of the Unit
The first lesson of this unit intends to surprise students and assess their knowledge about the topic. I ask students to write a brief definition of “intelligence” on a piece of paper and hand it in. Students often jump to the conclusion that they are going to learn about brain functioning and “smartness.” After sharing the definitions, I present the new context of referring to intelligence in terms of espionage. If any students define intelligence as “information and evidence that has been collected and analyzed in response to requirements of the recipient,” it would be evidence that at least one student already has an informed knowledge base. This kind of cue is useful for differentiation.
Closure of the opening lesson is an artistic modification that leads students to develop their own personally meaningful interaction with the field. I help students recognize the intelligence collection in their own day-to-day activities, such as gossip, rumors, which boy is interested in which girl, etc. Tales related to espionage that come from personal experience captivate students all the more, and throughout the unit I point out opportunities to include artistic modifications.
Subsequent lessons involve a novel study, history of the field, and analysis of the 1996 feature film Mission: Impossible. Guest speakers and a very engaging simulation bring the field to life for students. The unit also includes an introduction to cryptanalysis.
Multiple Menu Model (MMM) lesson plans are designed to be user-friendly and encourage customization. The sections in each lesson plan are as follows:
Learning Objective: This objective defines the critical content and process of each of the four MMM sections (Identifying the Location, Definition, and Organization of a Field of Knowledge; Identifying the Basic Principles and Functional Concepts; Identifying the Methodologies; Selecting the Representative Topics).
Student Objectives: These objectives specify the measurable behavioral outcome of that lesson only.
Materials: The list of materials includes both necessary teacher materials as well as student handouts. Reproducible student materials listed in bold type are included in Section V.
Products: Each lesson includes several products that students generate to demonstrate depth of understanding.
Key Questions: You should have students address these questions during the course of the lesson, using responses for ongoing assessment.
Lesson Sequence: This section provides a chronological description of activities.
Teacher Tips: I have taught this unit successfully for several years. Each year, though, I learn more about how to guide students. The Teacher Tips include these insights into how to most effectively guide learning in the particular lesson or clarify where student confusion may occur.
Closure: Considered by some educators to be the most critical portion of a lesson plan, closure activities solidify learning, tie up loose ends, or make personal connections for students.
Artistic Modification: I have included several samples with lesson plans, but artistic modifications are, by nature, personal experiences of meaningful connections that you insert into the lesson.
Extensions and Optional Activities: Extensions suggest means for increasing depth or complexity; optional activities provide a similar level of challenge to the lesson plan, but suggest a different approach or different resources./ul>
© 2006, Creative Learning Press, Inc.
Click here for more information on or to order Brainstorming II: Another Book of Topics .
Back to The Book in Your Hand
|
|
![[creative learning press]](../images/clp_logo_1.gif){kind=logo}