specific topic concept within that theme: *cause...

Civil War Gaming STEAM Lesson Brief

Students use knowledge from across the disciplines to strengthen their understanding of each subject’s content and its related careers through topic or theme oriented realistic problem-based activity-rich lessons.

Theme that this lesson would tie to: *Civil War

Specific Topic Concept within that theme: *Cause and effect of the Civil War, specific battles and key people

PROJECT IDEA + brief notes & supplies

BASIC CONCEPTS Groups of students design a project that includes the events of the Civil War. Cards can include drawing, creating with clay, actions

Concept: Civil War Board Game Students will research the Civil War, microorganisms, and numbers and operations in calculating and creating a 3-D game board. They will play physical games from the time. They will listen to and perform historical music of that time. They will design and create a present day advertisement. Basic Plan: Engagement: The students will be introduced to the project by being asked about their favorite games and telling why they like these games. The teachers will have examples of games and the students will have a chance to show their favorites and/or explain why they like the games. They will then be told that they will be creating their own games that relate to The Civil War. Students will create a 3D board game that depicts the events leading up to and during The Civil War. There will be games cards created that demonstrate an understanding of conventions. The game cards will also incorporate numbers and operations in base ten, algebraic expression and multiplying and dividing decimals by powers of ten. Students will research microorganisms that were

Science – • Concepts- Microorganisms • Goal / Objectives - • Standards – S.L.4

a. Identify beneficial microorganisms and explain why they are beneficial. b. Identify harmful microorganisms and explain why they are harmful.

• Careers – Medic, microbiologist • Project – Research includes: Students will research

how microorganisms are beneficial and harmful and which ones attributed to the deaths of many soldiers and families during the 1800’s. Students will highlight and organize information provided from the county that keynotes the viruses and death count from those diseases. Based on this knowledge, students will create game cards that will go along with the 3D Game Board.

Game cards include questions that demonstrate knowledge of diseases and microorganisms. Students will determine how microorganisms were harmful and which ones attributed to the deaths of many soldiers and families during the 1800s. Some questions relate the connections/comparisons to modern medicine and medical care available during the Civil War. Prior learning: students completed a 3D cell models made of clay to kick off their exposure to the elements. Students used this to understand how all organisms are made of cells. Viruses attack cells and use them as a host. Bacteria is a living organism. Microorganisms are living things too small to see with

CC. 2013 STEAM Education Lesson Brief

beneficial and harmful during that time period and today. These will also be used while creating their game cards. Specials areas will be demonstrated by the students creating advertisement for their game boards in art, learning an Orff medley that was popular during that time period in music class, and in Physical Education they will participate in games that took place during the Civil War Era. The board game will be assessed with the attached rubric. The students will also play their peers’ games and provide feedback. Students will design and create a 3D game board that relate to the events of the Civil War. Students will create game card questions that will identify beneficial and harmful microorganisms. Students will create game cards that interpret algebraic expressions and denote powers of ten. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the conventional (grammar) skills through their game cards. Students will research beneficial and harmful microorganisms during the civil war and today. Students will research potential careers relating to the standards. Students will be creating advertisements to promote their game boards. Students will perform Orff arrangements that relate to that time period and will understand music in relation to history.

the naked eye.

• Assessment – Assessing quality of science area questions; Knowledge of answers to questions.

• Extension - Investigate which beneficial bacteria existed during this time period.

Technology & Engineering –

• Concepts – Design and create a Civil War time-line inspired game board.

• Goal / Objectives – Students will have to incorporate spatial reasoning to create an appropriate size board according to the spaces needed. The board would also utilize 3D features. The overall development of a game board is the basis of systems engineering concepts.

• Standards - • Careers – designer, architect, engineer, graphic design,

computer game designer • Project - Use internet to better understand objects,

artifacts, places, etc.; Research; clipart and photographs

• Creates a board and box and inner box areas for cards and pieces.

• Students use their prior knowledge and exposure to game concepts to plan how they plan on having their game be played. The students worked in teams to create their own rules, how the game is played, how many players/teams per game, how the players advance throughout the game, and how a player/team wins the game. The students were not limited to how the game directions, etc. were made as long as the directions were clear and the game was effective.

• Typing game cards Students will create the board games, game pieces, and 3D elements using: recycled cardboard, paint, paint brushes, natural elements (grass, dirt, and branches), markers, pencils, rulers, clay, milk cartons, pipe cleaners, tape, glue, hot glue guns, construction paper, card stock, magazines, etc.

• Assessment – rubric will be attached Students will also evaluate the quality of the questions and the game cards themselves in order to establish the answers and the rules of the game. Also, the interworking of the game pieces and the board and playing and pieces and


Students will participate in games that took place during the civil war era and understand that the materials used to play those games differ from the materials that are used currently. Students will explain the causes and events of the Civil War by creating a chronological game board. Skill level (Grade Range):5th Timing of Lesson: Once the standards have been addressed, students will utilize 30 minutes of instructional time for 3 weeks to work on the project concepts. (Civil War instruction)Social Studies-6 weeks (board preparation)Engineering-2 weeks (microorganisms)Science-3 weeks (algebraic expression and powers of ten)Math-4weeks (card preparation)ELA-2 weeks (typing of cards)Technology-2 sessions The students will work on their board games for the length of their first quarter. They will work Wednesdays and Fridays for 1 hour each day until it’s completed. Basic Supplies: open option material board, paper, pencils, tape, various supplies (to make 3D) All Subjects: Individual Subjects: IT Resources: computer, iPad, internet, printer, paper, ink, active board Resources- Cells: www.cellsalive.com

the flow of the game will be assessed. • Extension - The addition of the 3D effect to add depth

to the game board. Math –

• Concepts –Algebraic Expressions and Powers of Ten-enlarged numbers

• Goal / Objectives • Standards • OA.2 - Write simple expressions that record

calculations with numbers, and interpret numerical expressions.

• NBT.2 - Explain patterns in the number of zeroes of the product when multiplying a number by the powers of ten. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of ten.

• Careers – statistic, surveyor • Project – Game cards include questions that

demonstrate knowledge of algebraic expressions and powers of ten. Students will use other math skills such as geometry, measurements, and patterns in their creation of their 3D Game Board.

• Students will create questions and answers using their knowledge based on the informational text. Students will research Civil War casualties and other information regarding numbers in order to create questions for game cards to correlate with the standards on Operations and Algebraic Expressions and Numbers and Operations. Students will also use basic mathematical concepts in order to play the game-addition and subtraction according to the card drawn.

• Assessment – Assessing the quality of mathematics area questions; Knowledge of answers to questions. Functional game that uses algebra to score or analyze scores of players. *See Assessments Below

• Extension

LA – • Concepts –informational text and conventions of

standard English • Goal / Objectives • Standards – 5.SW 1a - Write information/explanatory

text to examine a topic and convey ideas and CC. 2013 STEAM Education Lesson Brief

http://www.icnet.uk/kids/cellsrus/cellsrus.html http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/cells/insideacell/ http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/cell/cell.html http://kg025.k12.sd.us/cells.htm www.hspscience.com http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L3?Area=Science%20Lab Microorganisms: http://www.cdc.gov http://www.fda.gov http://www.microbe.org http://www.foodsci.uoguelph.ca/dairyedu/yogurt.html http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/dlc http://www.ilovecheese.com/chees_health.asp www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/infection/infectionindex.html http://www.microbeworld.org/home.htm http://www.microbeworld.org/ Civil War: http://fifthgradeemancipators.wordpress.com/civil-war-lessons/ http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/civwar.html http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/civilwar.htm http://www.nationalgeog raphic.com/railroad/ http://pathways.thinkport.org/following/ http://school.discoveryeducation.com/clipart/clip/lincoln3 .html www.gcee.org http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/index.html http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/schools/lessons/46_dueprocess_play.html http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/schools/lessons/46_dueprocess_yertle.html Math Concepts: http://www.learningwave.com/lwonline/numbers/ordofops.html http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/resource/four

information clearly. • 5L2 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of

Standard English, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and writing.

• Careers – Reporter, Journalist, Author, Teacher • Project – Students will create questions and answers

using their knowledge based on the informational text. Students will research Civil War casualties and other information regarding numbers in order to create questions for game cards to correlate with the standards on Operations and Algebraic Expressions and Numbers and Operations.

• Assessment – Rubric- Students will also evaluate the quality of the questions and the game cards themselves in order to establish the answers and the rules of the game.

• Extension - Students will type out the cards.

Reading and Instructional Technology (IT) Reading Career Portfolio Standards for Georgia (5th Grade Mandatory Project) Students will be exposed to various careers during the process of researching and creating the game board. This exposure ties into the career portfolio and the career clusters Career Portfolio As part of the project, the 5th grade students will research various careers that relate to not only these careers mentioned, but others as well. Standards: Common Core Anchor Standards Reading R.CCR.1 Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text R.CCR.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas R.CCR.4 Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text,


http://kg025.k12.sd.us/cells.htm

http://fifthgradeemancipators.wordpress.com/civil-war-lessons/

http://fifthgradeemancipators.wordpress.com/civil-war-lessons/

http://www.nzmaths.co.nz/resource/four

Other Resources: Misc: Photos-obtained online and via text-Civil War soldiers, battle location, supplies

including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone R.CCR.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text R.CCR.10 Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently Writing W.CCR.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content W.CCR.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience W.CCR.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach W.CCR.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources Overview/Concept/Project: Students will complete a Career Portfolio using the GAcollege411 website and/or other electronic and non-electronic resources. Using GAcollege411, students will investigate a career interest, determine the training required for the career, describe the kinds of work involved in the career, and indicate potential job/salary/growth of the career. To complete this segment of the Portfolio, students will write an informational essay based on the career they have chosen. Students will attend a field trip to a local college or career center to see how they can further their interests in these fields. They are able to see hands on what goes into specific career clusters such as medical, computer technology, and engineering. Note: Teachers with access to career information system


websites may use these programs to complete this unit. Duration: This project will be worked on weekly for the entire year with the Technology Teacher, Counselor, and 5th grade team. Extension: PowerPoints will be done on their own personal careers and submitted to their middle school teachers. These career portfolios with be a part of their career paths and will be used until graduation. SS –

• Concepts –Civil War • Goal / Objectives - • Standards - SS5H1

Explain the causes, major events and consequences of the Civil War (including diseases that impacted soldiers during this era).

• Careers – Medical Field, Military, Public Service, surveyor

• Project - Groups will create a game that demonstrates the sequence of events of the Civil War including people, events, and battles. The game board denotes places and events in chronological order. The game cards reflects causes and events of the civil war and their effect on the past, present, and future.

• Assessment – Accuracy based on student responses to the question cards.

• Extension –Students must record and correct incorrect answers to further their understanding after the completion of the game.

Art-

• Concepts – graphic design, advertising • Goal / Objectives – Students will create a poster

advertising their game that is well balanced, informative, and appropriate for its target audience and aesthetically pleasing.

• Students will use multiple mediums in their poster. • Creates a game to have a logical layout with spaces

proportional to pieces. • Creates an engaging layout. • Creates a board and box and inner box areas for cards


and pieces. • Standards • VIS.5.VA5AR.3: Explains how selected principles of

design are used in an artwork to convey meaning and how they affect personal responses to and evaluation of the artwork.

• VIS.5.VA5AR.3.a: Uses art terms with emphasis on the elements of art: line, shape, form, color, space, value, texture.

• VIS.5.VA5AR.3.b: Uses art terms with emphasis on the principles of design: balance, proportion, rhythm, emphasis, unity, contrast.

• VIS.5.VA5C.1: Applies information and processes from other disciplines to enhance the understanding and production of artworks.

• VIS.5.VA5C.1.a: Makes interdisciplinary connections applying art skills, knowledge, and ideas to improve understanding in other disciplines.

• VIS.5.VA5C.1.b: Researches, describes, and discusses various art-related careers (e.g., art historian, art critic, curator, web designer, game designer, fine artist).

• VIS.5.VA5C.1.c: Describes and discusses design in daily life (e.g., clothing, houses, and furniture).

• VIS.5.VA5MC.2: Formulates personal responses to visual imagery.

• VIS.5.VA5MC.2.a: Uses a sketchbook for planning and self-reflection.

• VIS.5.VA5MC.2.c: Applies images from a variety of sources (e.g., personal experience, social and/or academic interests, books, visual resources, popular culture) and transforms them in free and open-ended ways.

• VIS.5.VA5PR.1: Creates artworks based on personal experience and selected themes.

• VIS.5.VA5PR.1.c: Communicates values, opinions, or personal insights through an original work of art.

• VIS.5.VA5PR.1.g: Combines materials in new and inventive ways to make a finished work of art.

• Careers – graphic designer, game designer • Project – • Students will create a poster advertising their game.

Students will discuss the concepts of advertising and graphic design. Students will look at examples of advertisements and analyze the elements and principles of art show in the advertisement. Students


will develop a plan for a poster design to advertise their civil war game. Students will use combine various drawing and collage materials to create a 12” x 18” size poster to advertise their game. The design of the poster must convey the unique qualities of the game the group created and utilize art elements and principles to convey meaning or persuade the viewer to be interested in the game.

Students will have to incorporate spatial reasoning to create an appropriate size board according to the spaces needed and creation of the poster. The board would also utilize 3D features. The overall development of a game board and poster are the basis of systems engineering concepts.

This standards is imperative for students to see how this project ties into art related careers such as architect (blue-printing the original design of the board), engineer (creating the board), designer (the layout of the board and the 3D concepts, color, texture), and game designer (writing out the rules of the game and creating the concepts that make the game playable). Students were able to model homes, buildings, fencing, and other structures on their board. They were also able to implement pictures of these items on their poster. (Students will draw out a sketch of their poster prior to making a larger version for display.)

• Students will have to incorporate spatial reasoning to create an appropriate size board according to the spaces needed. The board would also utilize 3D features. The overall development of a game board is the basis of systems engineering concepts.

• Assessment – Rubric related to the organization and craftsmanship of the poster design: Design of the poster shows strong organization of the art elements and principles to convey a message. Poster shows appropriate use of art materials, an outstanding effort is made for neatness and quality craftsmanship.

• Extension – Students could create a commercial CC. 2013 STEAM Education Lesson Brief

advertising their game

Music –

Concepts – Music of the Civil War Era

* Goal / Objectives – Students will be introduced to music of the Civil War Era, Drum and Fife and how that music influenced American music.

Standards – NafME- 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture

* Careers – Musicologists, musicians, and composers *

Project – Students will learn an Orff arrangement of a Civil War Medley. Instruments used will include hand drums, xylophones, triangle, and rhythm sticks.

* Assessment – Students will be informally assessed on their performance of the Civil War Medley of the Orff arrangement.

* Extension – Civil War Medley: Arrange their own medley with Civil War influences.

PE – • Concepts –Students will participate in games popular

during the Civil War era. • Goal / Objectives - Students will better understand

that most activities and games played during this time were based on materials available at the time. (ie. Baseball would have been played, but probably with a stick and not baseball bat.)

• Standards – PE5.2 Demonstrates understanding of movement concepts, principles, strategies, and tactics as they apply to the learning and performance of physical activities.

• Careers – Engineer (Baseball equipment designer) • Project – Students will use various types of balls


(wiffle balls, super 70 balls and tennis balls) and/or equipment to play a “baseball” game. This will enable the students to understand how different types of balls will react differently when struck with different objects. (noodles and wiffle ball bats)

• Assessment – Students will participate in a game in which one side has a distinct advantage based on the type of equipment furnished by the teacher.

• Extension – Students will explain how different types of equipment are better and explain what makes its better.


Assessment: Math Examples

Civil War Problems!

Soldier. You have been hired to solve the major problems of the Civil War. Can you solve these for us? You may use whatever methods you prefer, just make sure you show your work and final answers. Remember, word problems can be solved through a variety of ways (even drawing pictures!) Ten hut! On your way then! We’re counting on you!

1. At Cold Harbor, Virginia, 7,000 Americans fell in just 20 minutes. This was a very sad and bloody day for both sides of the Civil War. How many Americans died per minute? Show your work please!

2. The number 7,000 can be written as 7 X 10^---. (What is the exponent?) 3. Missouri sent 39 regiments to fight in the siege of Vicksburg: Some of these regiments went to the

Confederacy and some went to the Union. If 3 more went to the Union than to the Confederacy…how many were sent to each? Show your work!

4. Complete the expression that could solve this problem by adding the two operations you could use. 39 _____ 3 ______ 2 (Add the symbols.)

5. More than 3 million men fought in the Civil War. Write 3 million as a number and identify each of the number’s place value. (For example, the last 0 of 3 million is the ‘ones’ category.) Show your work!

6. Now, write 3 million using exponent form. 7. Interestingly, disease actually killed more soldiers throughout the war than battle conflicts. In fact, 2

men died from disease for every 1 man who died in battle. That means, if 3 men died in battle, 6 probably died of disease. If 10 died from battle conflicts, how many would have died from disease? Show your work!

8. If you used a chart to solve the problem, X could be used to represent the number of men who died in battle. What expression would represent the number who died of disease?


Assessment – Rubric related to the organization and craftsmanship of the poster design.

Exceeds (4) Meets (3) Does not meet (2) Incomplete (1) Design of the poster shows strong organization of the art elements and principles to convey a message

Design of the poster shows some organization of the art elements and principles to convey a message

Design of the poster shows little or no organization of the art elements and principles to convey a message

Poster is incomplete or no attempt is made

Poster shows appropriate use of art materials, an outstanding effort is made for neatness and quality craftsmanship

Poster shows a somewhat appropriate use of art materials, some effort is made for neatness and quality craftsmanship but improvement is needed

Poster shows that materials may not have been use appropriately, little or no effort was made for neatness and quality craftsmanship

Poster is incomplete or no attempt made


Rubric for the overall game board project:

Making A Game : STEAM: Civil War Student Name: ________________________________________

CATEGORY 4 Exemplary 3 Proficient 2 Developing 1 Not Developed Knowledge Gained All students in group

could easily and correctly state several facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game.

All students in the group could easily and correctly state 1-2 facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game.

Most students in the group could easily and correctly state 1-2 facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game.

Several students in the group could NOT correctly state facts about the topic used for the game without looking at the game.

Accuracy of Content All information cards made for the game are correct.

All but five of the information cards made for the game are correct.

All but ten of the information cards made for the game are correct.

Several information cards made for the game are not accurate.

Attractiveness Contrasting colors and at least 3 original graphics were used to give the cards and game board visual appeal.

Contrasting colors and at least 1 original graphic were used to give the cards and game board visual appeal.

Contrasting colors and "borrowed" graphics were used to give the cards and game board visual appeal.

Little or no color or fewer than 3 graphics were included.

Cooperative work The group worked well together with all members contributing significant amounts of quality work.

The group generally worked well together with all members contributing some quality work.

The group worked fairly well together with all members contributing some work.

The group often did not work well together and the game appeared to be the work of only 1-2 students in the group.

Creativity The group put a lot of thought into making the game interesting and fun to play as shown by creative questions, game pieces and/or game board.

The group put some thought into making the game interesting and fun to play by using textures, fancy writing, and/or interesting characters.

The group tried to make the game interesting and fun, but some of the things made it harder to understand/enjoy the game.

Little thought was put into making the game interesting or fun.


Project Photos-Civil War game


Prior knowledge of cells and exposure of the elements to be

used for the creation of the game board.


specific topic concept within that theme: *cause...

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