"Doomed to Remember"

Lesson 1:

"Doomed to Remember"

Grade Level:

11 - 12

Subjects:

• English/Language Arts
• Social Studies
• Fine Arts
• Vocational/Technical Skills

Learner Outcomes:

The student will:

• Understand the chronology of the period from 1945 to 1975 with emphasis on the arts, literature, technology, society, and politics
• Research an aspect of the draft and Selective Service and present the findings to the class
• Demonstrate an understanding of the draft's sociological and emotional impact
• Read John Irving's A Prayer for Owen Meany in preparation for Lesson 2

Duration of Lesson:

Six 41 minute class periods

Materials:

• laptop/computer with PowerPoint
• data projector
• text:  A History of the United States: American Voices
• novel:  A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving

Technology Tools/Courseware:

• computer lab
• laptop/computer with PowerPoint
• data projector

Teacher Notes:

• Schedule computer lab
• Have access to Internet for research
• Review school's acceptable use policy for work on the Internet
• Preview web links for those that may be out of date
• Student will purchase novel
• Secure an exhibit hall for the IMEx (Interactive, Multimedia Exhibition) at the conclusion of the unit

Procedures:

• Introduce the period using "Those Were the Days" Jeopardy game (using PowerPoint software)
• Students will participate in a scavenger hunt using the list "60 Artifacts". Students will have one day to find and identify the listed items and write a grammatically correct sentence to define each term.
• Show a documentary film such as "Vietnam: A Television History", or "The American Experience: The Democrats" as an introduction to the time period and discuss the history of the period, including the arts, literature, technology, society, and politics
• Introduce John Irving and compare to Kurt Vonnegut, his mentor
• Assign A Prayer for Owen Meany
• Cooperative groups will research and do a presentation on
• Selective Service System
• Selective Service classifications
• Selective Service deferments
• Selective Service Lottery
• Issue draft cards and conduct a lottery.  Students will draw "birthdates" (a month and a date) and identify that date according to the 1969 lottery.  Students will also draw for classifications.  Using this information the student will assume the identity of a draft-age person and write an essay about how the 1969 lottery would have affected them, their family, their feelings and their choices.  The essay will be incorporated into the multimedia scrapbook at the conclusion of the unit.

Modifications:

Provide adaptations that meet student IEPs

Enrichment Activities: 

• Research the may ways that young men used to avoid the draft
• Analyze the song "Alice's Restaurant" for satire, social and emotional impact

Evaluation/Assessment:

• Cooperative group presentations will be evaluated for thoroughness and delivery using a rubric.
• Student creative writing assignments will be evaluated for correct usage of standard English as well as appropriateness to the period.

West Virginia IGOs:

• English/Language Arts:
• 11.8, 11.9, 11.10, 11.13, 11.14, 11.15, 11.16, 11.17, 11.18, 11.27, 11.33, 11.37, 11.38, 11.39, 11.42, 11.44, 11.45, 11.46, 11.47, 11.49, 11.51, 11.53, 11.54, 11.60, 11.61, 11.62, 11.63, 11.65, 11.68, 11.81, 11.82, 11.83, 11.84, 11.88, 11.89, 11.94, 11.97, 11.98, 11.99
• 12.5, 12.6, 12.8, 12.9, 12.11, 12.18, 12.26, 12.30, 12.32, 12.33, 12.35, 12.37, 12.40, 12.42, 12.44, 12.47, 12.53, 12.54, 12.55, 12.61, 12.62, 12.73, 12.75, 12.76, 12.77, 12.78, 12.79, 12.81, 12.83, 12.84, 12.90, 12.93, 12.94, 12.95

 
• Social Studies:
• 11.40, 11.41, 11.42, 11.45, 11.47, 1.48, 11.49, 11.51, 11.52, 11.53, 11.57, 11.59, 11.62
• Fine Arts:
• GAIII.9, GAIV.12, AH.1, AH.3, AH.4, AH.5, AH.6, AH.9, AH.14

National Standards:

• Language Arts:
• NL-ENG.K-12.1, NL-ENG.K-12.3, NL-ENG.K-12.4, NL-ENG.K-12.5, NL-ENG.K-12.6, NL-ENG.K-12.7, NL-ENG.K-12.8, NL-ENG.K-12.12
• Social Studies:
• NSS-USH.5-12.9, NSS-USH.5-12.10, NSS-WH.5-12.8
• Art:
• NA-VA.9-12.3, NA-VA.9-12.4, NA-VA.9-12.5, NA-VA.9-12.6

Job/Career Clusters:

Fine Arts and Humanities

References:

• A Prayer for Owen Meany, John Irving
• The History of the United States:  American Voices, ScottForesman, publ
• Exploring Visual Design, Davis Publications
• Selective Service
• The 1960’s  web site(1)
• The 1960's web site(2)
• John Irving web site

Links to Lessons:

Unit Plan "As You Shall See"	Lesson 1 "Doomed to Remember"	Lesson 2 "The Voice"
Lesson 3 "The Grave"	Lesson 4 "MADE FOR TELEVISION"	Lesson 5 "Time to Leave... Too Many Ghosts"

Created By:

George Washington High School

• Karen Donathan      kdonathan@aol.com
• Cindy Lavender      cjlavender@aol.com
• Gene Petry             spartan@newwave.net

 

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