Lesson: The Heroes' Dinner Party

Details

Subject: Religion and Ethics

Grade: 11

Tools: 

Focus Question: What would your hero do?

The Lesson

This was the final lesson preparing students to write an article on their chosen hero. The students had been researching their chosen hero, and were aware that they would be role playing as their hero during the lesson.

Prior to the lesson, I had created four chat rooms. using Neat Chat!. Neat Chat is a simple website where you can make temporary Chat-rooms. Each chat-room was to be a virtual 'dinner-table' where the heroes would converse.

I used tab.bz in Chrome to packed these rooms and email them to the students (although you could use any LMS, or site, or blog for this). I had also prepared questions to ask my dinner guests.

The students entered, were allocated a chat-room, and then the conversations started. I've included some extract from the conversations below.

Initially the guests explained why they have been invited to the heroes dinner.

On Australian Indigenous health

On removing national parks protection

On raising children

Follow Up

The following lesson the students were writing about their hero's life. Hopeful, with a deeper insight into who they were.

Lesson: Researching Sacred Stories

Details

Subject: Religion and Ethics
Grade: 11
Tools: Diigo
Focus Question: What are some examples of sacred stories?

The Lesson

The class is ready to prepare for their assessment. The students will be rewriting a sacred story into a modern day equivalent. The first step of that process is finding a story to rewrite, and that is the purpose of this lesson.

Previously we have used Diigo, so all the students have an account. If you haven't used Diigo, students can sign in using Facebook, Twitter, Google, or Yahoo accounts, or just create a stand alone Diigo account. Diigo also offers teacher accounts which assist in managing your class groups.

I created a Diigo group called Sacred Stories and provided the students with the URL. Once I approved their application the students then started book marking examples of sacred stories they found on the web.

Some of the sites bookmarked were a little off the mark. These sites were analysing sacred stories, or talking about the importance of sacred stories, rather than the stories themselves. To address this, I 'liked' all the stories that would be appropriate for the assignment.

Follow Up

The students now have to choose a story from all the 'liked' bookmarks to rewrite.

Lesson: Creating a Life Map

Details

Subject: Religion and Ethics
Grade: 11
Tools: Padlet *; Mapfaire
Focus Question: Where did the significant events in my life happen?

The Lesson

The concept of one's personal story being a sacred story was addressed in a previous lesson using the "Moments" Youtube Video by Everynone. This lesson was designed to get the students thinking about the significant events in their lives.

First we used corkboard.me*to brainstorm what kinds of things could be considered significant moments in a person's life.

I then showed them a life map I had created covering my life up to leaving school. I used this to introduce the students to the tool.

The students then logged onto Mapfaire using their Google accounts (each student at the College now has one). Once logged in they started adding locations on their map and writing notes about what happened at that place.

At the end of the lesson I encouraged them to ask their friends and families for details of more stories.

Follow Up

The beginning of the next lesson, students shared their maps in small groups. Each student was encouraged to share at least one story.

* corkboard.me has subsequently changed it's pricing therefore I'd recommend using Padlet instead