Educational Activities

Click on + symbol for each unit below to expand its educational activities.

Units 0-3

0.1 Thinking About War

  1. Evidence and Interpretation (The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts)
  2. Is War Inevitable? Busting Myths About War
  3. Ticket Out the Door
  4. How War Endangers Us
  5. Write an “I Used to…. But Then” Poem
  6. Peace Posters from World Beyond War
0.2 After Viewing the Introductory Video (Making Thinking Visible: CSI)
0.3 Raffi’s Covenant for Honouring Children

Units 4-7

4.1 Before the Unit (Making Thinking Visible)

  • Think-Puzzle-Explore
4.2 Of Lives Uprooted
4.3 Focus on Art and Dramatic Readings

  • Art and Drama Activities
  • Dramatic Reading Scoring Guide
4.4 Focus on Child Soldiers
4.5 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts

  1. Historical Significance
  2. Evidence and Interpretation
  3. Cause and Consequence
  4. Historical Perspective
4.6 Focus on Reading: Books by Deb Ellis
4.7 Focus on Writing Poetry Inspired by the Darkness of War or What War is Like
4.8 Conclusion to Unit 4

  • Return to Think-Puzzle-Explore
  • Ticket Out the Door

0.1 Thinking About War

  1. Evidence and Interpretation (The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts)
  2. Is War Inevitable? Busting Myths About War
  3. Ticket Out the Door
  4. How War Endangers Us
  5. Write an “I Used to…. But Then” Poem
  6. Peace Posters from World Beyond War

0.2 After Viewing the Introductory Video (Making Thinking Visible: CSI)
0.3 Raffi’s Covenant for Honouring Children

1.1 Focus on Photo Analysis

  1. How to Analyze a Photo
  2. Measuring the Relative Power of Iconic Photos
  3. See-Think-Wonder
  4. Zoom In
  5. Evaluating Two Iconic Photos
  6. Culminating Task: Responsive Writing

1.2 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts: Culminating Task or Guided Discussion
1.3 Focus on Poetry Writing: Four Models

2.1 Using this Gallery as a Unit or Discrete Lessons
2.2 Step Inside: Studying an Individual Photo
2.3 Focus On Individuals and Movements (Making Thinking Visible)

  1. Index of Activities
  2. A Closer Look At Children Who Experienced War
  3. Poetry Study: The Fox

2.4 Focus on Refugees and Immigrants

  1. Refugees and immigrants revealed in poetry, film and interviews
  2. The Arrival – A Wordless Graphic Novel

2.5 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts

  1. Historical Significance
  2. Evidence and Interpretation
  3. Cause and Consequence
  4. Historical Perspective
  5. Ethical Judgement

3.1 Before and After Viewing the Gallery
3.2 Focus on Propaganda

  1. War Posters: How They Make Us Feel and How This is Done
  2. Propaganda Poster Assignment
  3. Propaganda Poster Rubric

3.3 Gallery Activities

  1. Analysis of “Duck and Cover” (Making Thinking Visible)
  2. Creating a Timeline and Comparing Posters from Different Eras
  3. Comparing and Contrasting Posters in Slide 26

3.4 Focus on Protest Songs:

  • Eve of Destruction; War: What is it Good For?; We Didn’t Start the Fire; The Universal Soldier; The Times They Are A-Changin’; Revolution; Blowin’ In The Wind; Where Have All the Flowers Gone?
  • 21 More Protest Songs to Study

3.5 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts

  • Historical Significance; Continuity and Change; Historical Perspective

3.6 Focus on Militainment as Revealed in Film
3.7 Focus on Effects of Violent Video Games (Lessons from the New York Times)
3.8 Focus on Poetry: Your Attention Please; “Found Poems”

4.1 Before the Unit (Making Thinking Visible)

  • Think-Puzzle-Explore

4.2 Of Lives Uprooted
4.3 Focus on Art and Dramatic Readings

  • Art and Drama Activities
  • Dramatic Reading Scoring Guide

4.4 Focus on Child Soldiers
4.5 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts

  1. Historical Significance
  2. Evidence and Interpretation
  3. Cause and Consequence
  4. Historical Perspective

4.6 Focus on Reading: Books by Deb Ellis
4.7 Focus on Writing Poetry Inspired by the Darkness of War or What War is Like
4.8 Conclusion to Unit 4

  • Return to Think-Puzzle-Explore
  • Ticket Out the Door

5.1 Focus on Reasons for Going to War (Making Thinking Visible)
5.2 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts: Causes and Consequences and Ethical Judgement
5.3 Focus on the short story, “The Survivor”

  1. The story and questions
  2. The most compelling short passage
  3. Graded Discussion

6.1 Focus on Individuals and Organizations (Making Thinking Visible)

  • Create a Concept Map using GENERATE – SORT – CONNECT – ELABORATE

6.2 Focus on Historical Thinking Concepts: Historical Significance
6.3 Focus on Poetry

7.1 Proposition: War Should Be Eliminated
7.2 A Blueprint for Ending War
7.3 Essay: Educating a Culture of Peace
7.4 Share a Peace Poster
7.5 Create a Poster Demanding that Children Be Protected from War
7.6 Sign a Commitment to Work for an End to War
7.7 The Most and Least Peaceful Countries
7.8 Focus on Poetry
7.9 Ticket Out the Door
7.10 Enough Blood Shed: 101 Solutions to Violence, Terror and War

0.1 Thinking About War

  1. Evidence and Interpretation (The Big Six Historical Thinking Concepts)
  2. Is War Inevitable? Busting Myths About War
  3. Ticket Out the Door
  4. How War Endangers Us
  5. Write an “I Used to…. But Then” Poem
  6. Peace Posters from World Beyond War
0.2 After Viewing the Introductory Video (Making Thinking Visible: CSI)
0.3 Raffi’s Covenant for Honouring Children