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In fact every time I have helped a teacher flip their classroom in the high school it has never involved videos. Instead it involves students actively finding information, making sense of it, and then coming to class ready to discuss with the teacher what they have learned, what questions they have and, what it is they still don’t know/understand.

It has been amazing the pushback we have received both from students and from parents on this flipped idea. Students telling us they would rather listen to a lecture and powerpoint from the teacher then have to struggle through the mass of content out there to find the answer themselves. Parents calling into question the idea that the teacher isn’t “teaching my child” and the frustration their child is having to “find the right answer.” Both of these comments scare me....a lot!

As an employee of my school I am very concerned about the notion of what good learning (not teaching) looks like in a world that is filled with information that is chaotic, messy, and ever growing.

I even require that my students to begin their lesson plans with the phrase “I want my students to understand…” 

Reasons are important!

I ask each student to complete these two sentences: 1. "I know about or understand"_______________________ 2. "I know how to"_________________________________ The students are told that these understanding and skills can be about anything, and not necessarily social studies, which is what I teach. Usually, students are comfortable expressing what they understand and know how to do when the context for doing so is not threatening. When they have finished writing the completions to the sentences, there is period when I ask each student to tell the class what it is they understand and know how to do. During the process, I question them about how they came to understand whatever they wrote and how they learned the skill they indicated. It is an interesting exercise.

Understandings: Students will understand how the American president is elected. Students will understand how the different suffrage accomplishments affect the vote Students will understand their own political affiliation. Students will understand how to identify bias in media.Students will understand how to change the constitution.

Unit Essential Questions: How does the right to vote impact the overall course of the nation through history? How do your personal beliefs translate into political affiliation? What is the role of the individual in the electoral process?How can change in the process impact the outcome?