Exciting Instructional Strategies for the 2014 GED® Test

Up in Arms Over the Second Amendment

October 16, 2013Achieving Credentials for Success Conference

Appleton, WI

Meagen Farrell

Author, trainer, consultantGED® Test prep instructor

@farrellinkFacebook.com/farrell.inkFarrellink.com

Agenda

1. Facilitating engaging lessons: “Up in Arms Over the Second Amendment.”

2. Create your own interdisciplinary lesson plan.

3. Questions & Answers.

Rules for the Road

• Stay with the group! Don’t get distracted by your mobile device or side conversations.

• Questions? Yes, please! Just raise your hand and tell me your name & location.

Content from Real Life Scenarios

Reasoning through

Language ArtsScience

Social Studies Mathematical Reasoning

My Two Cents on Teaching Adults

• GED® test prep programs are like marathon training programs at a gym.

• Single-subject instruction is like running alone on the treadmill, day after day.

• Interdisciplinary group instruction is like working out with a team.

InterdisciplinaryGroup

Instruction

Facilitating Engaging Lessons:Up in Arms Over the Second Amendment

Field Tested in Cleveland, Ohio

Interdisciplinary Lesson

2nd Amendment

Social Studies content

Analyze reading

passagesInterpret data

Write a response and cite evidence

Why Are We Learning as a Group?

• One person talks at a time.• We do not have to agree.• Everyone can share their thoughts and feelings.• Respond to the topic, not to others’ comments.

Are there rules you want to change, delete, or add?

How Do We Want to Act as a Group?

• Read and analyze the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and two different viewpoints on what it means from two active U.S. citizens’ groups.

• Choose a position to support, and select evidence to support that position.

Activity

• What is the U.S. Constitution?• What is the Bill of Rights?• What is an amendment?

Before We Read

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

The Second Amendment

We will now read about two different citizens’ groups that interpret this amendment in two different ways.

Two Groups, Two Meanings

The NRA believes the Second Amendment means that most U.S. citizens have the right to personal gun ownership and use.

Why? They believe “a well regulated militia” means all citizens have the right to defend themselves with guns.

National Rifle Association (NRA)

The Brady Campaign believes that the Second Amendment means that we should enact stronger regulation to protect citizens from gun violence.

Why? They believe that “A well regulated militia” means just people in regulated categories are authorized to own and use guns.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

The NRA looks at evidence that handgun bans increase murder rates.

Why Do They Think Differently?

The Brady Campaign looks at evidence that there are too many victims of gun violence.

Why Do They Think Differently?

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

The Second Amendment

• What does “a well regulated militia” mean?• If you had to choose between the Brady

Campaign and the NRA, which would you support? Why?

• What evidence supports your choice?

What Do You Think?

Write a few sentences explaining whether you would support either the Brady Campaign or the NRA. Why? Use at least one quote or statistic we looked at today.

Summarize Your Thoughts

Questions?

Your Turn! Create Your Interdisciplinary Lesson Plan

• Each person should have a blank lesson plan template and a completed example.

• Get in groups of four to six people.• Designate one person as the recorder to write

down the lesson.

Questions?

Take It Home

• The PowerPoint and handout are available for view or download at my website: farrellink.com

• You have permission to use these workshop materials in your program as long as you attribute Meagen Farrell and New Readers Press.

Thank You!

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