CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template: Ishmael Pluton

Lesson Title:

World Economic Theories: Laissez-Faire and

Marxist Communism

Unit Central Historical

Question(s):

Why did nations turn to

totalitarian regimes?

Subject / Course:

Modern World History

Grade:

10

Lesson Duration:

90 min.

Date: 02/22/16

Why did communism gain

popularity?

Content Learning Objective (content and product):

After completing watching a film clip, completing the corresponding warm-up questions, and working in
groups to analyze sources of both communist and capitalist theories, students will be able to evaluate the
pros and cons of each type of economy by presenting their documents arguments citing at least 2 pieces of
evidencewith 100% accuracyusing butcher paper to help present their ideas.

Historical Thinking Learning Objective (thinking skill and product):

Students will use the historical thinking skill of evidence and interpretation to back their arguments while
presenting their economy by using at least 2 pieces of evidence on the text and creating a butcher paper
visual to aid their arguments. Following this, students will be able to make a comparison of the two
economic theories following the presentations by filling out a graphic organizer and answering the quickwrite metacognitive prompt at the end of the lesson.

Historical Thinking Skill, California Content, and Common Core Standards Addressed:
Historical Thinking Skills:

Evidence and Interpretation

Comparison

California Content Standard:

10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian government after World War I

Common Core Standards

RH 4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science

RH 6. Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar
topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.

RH 9. Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary
sources

Narrative Summary of Tasks / Actions:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Handout warm-up questions as students walk in (half-sheets)

Reading of essential questions for the day
Anticipatory Set: film clip and response (think-pair-share activity here)
Have students pass forward completed warm-up half sheets
Put students into groups of 4 (students move desks to specified marks on the ground)
Show and give students directions using PowerPoint
Hand out sources and highlighters
Give students time to read independently and annotate their source documents 10 min.
After about 5 minutes of discussion, hand each table-group a piece of butcher paper and some
markers

CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template: Ishmael Pluton

10.
11.
12.
13.

Students work on their groups butcher paper for 30 min.

Students share and present their findings from their table
Teacher-led group discussion follows
Students complete metacognitive journal entry if time (homework if little to no time remaining)

Materials / Equipment:
-

Butcher paper
Markers
highlighters
Projector
Metropolis
Powerpoint with directions for student activity
Source documents:

Inquiry-Based Lesson Plan for History-Social Science

1. Anticipatory Set

Time: 20 min.

Students watch small film clip from the film Metropolis. In this film clip, workers on a large machine get
blown up and replaced. Students would be asked the following questions: What are your initial impressions?
Thinking about world economies, what do you think the workers represent and what do you think the
machine represents?
Students are given 10 minutes on their own to write a 5-6 sentence impression to the clip answering the
focus questions above. After, they share their findings with their neighbors for 2 minutes. And finally it is
discussed as a class for 5 min.

2. Central Historical Question for Lesson

Time: 2 min.

What are the issues inherent in a capitalist system? What are the issues inherent in a command
communist economy?

3. Teacher Input (delivery of historical context)

Time: N/A* see times for sections 1 and 4

Small video clip from the film Metropolis, source documents from Karl Marxand Adam Smith, and cow
economy images.

4. Student Activity and Investigation (w/

differentiation)

Time: 40 min.

CSULB History Social Science Lesson Plan Template: Ishmael Pluton

Following the anticipatory set, students will be split into groups of 4. Students will be given source
documents from different economic theorists. Students will within their groups read their groups specific
snippet of the text then share with their group. After sharing with their group, they will attempt to explain the
pros/cons of capitalism depending on which document they received using textual evidence and writing
them on butcher paper. At the end of the activity, each group will explain their findings to the class using the
butcher paper as a visual.
Reading Strategy: While independently reading, students will use the following close-reading technique:
highlight key ideas, circle words that you dont understand, put stars next to circled words once defined in
groups, and underline quotes to be used as evidence.

5. Lesson Assessment (w/ differentiation)

Time: 20 min.

The assessment, will be each groups presentation to the class. In addition to that, I will conduct informal
assessments as I walk about the room, ensuring that students are working on the task at hand and
understanding the texts they have been provided.

6. Closure

Time: 6 min

Following the presentations, I will lead a group discussion where we discuss what the pros and cons of
each economy are as a whole. I also want to try to have students make connections to our economic
system and think about examples of each in the US economic system.

7. Student Reflection (metacognition)

Time: 2 min.

At the end of the closure, students would be required to open their journals and write 4-5 sentences on how
hard or easy it was to corroborate their claims from difficult to read texts **if they do not finish, they must
complete it at home and it will be checked at the beginning of class the following day.