Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation

Thermopolis, Wyoming

Heroes of the Sky -- Teacher Resources

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Lesson Plan #1: Design a Board Game (Overview)

Objectives:

• Students will employ multiple strategies to construct meaning including the use of sentence structure, vocabulary skills, and generating questions.

• Students will respond to oral, visual, written, and electronic texts and compare their responses to their peers.

• Students will write fluently for multiple purposes.

• Students will plan draft texts and revise and edit in response to suggestions expressed by others about such aspects as ideas, organization, style, and word choice.

• Students will combine skills to reveal their strengthening literacy. Examples include writing and illustrating text and reading and then orally analyzing their text.

• Students will locate information using a variety of traditional sources, electronic technologies, and direct observations.

• Students will gather and analyze information using appropriate technologies to answer the question posed, conduct investigations by formulating a clear statement of a question, gathering and organizing information from a variety of sources, and analyzing and interpreting information.

• Students will follow procedures in the form of step-by-step instruction.

Overview for Teachers:

Before your visit:

• Explain the lesson to your students.

• Divide the class into small groups.

• Do the Pre-Visit Activity.

• Recruit and prepare your group leaders.

• Give the On-Site Activity to group leaders and students before the field trip.

• Determine whether students will be working individually or in small groups. Assign group leaders accordingly.

At the museum:

• Visit the exhibition so that students can collect information and inspiration in order to develop their ideas for a board game.

After your visit:

• Distribute the Post-Visit Activity and reflect on your visit to the museum.

• Design and play board games.

• Evaluate games and submit top games to the museum for possible display.

Pre-Visit Activity: Board Game Investigation

Objectives:

• Students will compare and contrast a variety of written and visual texts.

• Students will describe the characteristics of a good board game.

• Students will evaluate the effectiveness of language in describing and explaining information.

Materials:

• Assortment of board games

Procedure:

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group one or two board games to analyze. Ask each group to determine the following:

• What theme is used?

• What is the object of each game? What is required to win?

• What does winning involve in each of these games—luck, skill, knowledge, other?

• What kinds of directions are provided? Are they easily understandable and explainable? Why or why not?

• What are the recommended ages? How is the game made for four-year-olds different from a game made for teenagers?

• How would you grade this board game? Explain your grade.

On the blackboard, record the various responses from each group to each of the questions. Then discuss with the class:

• What do your think are the qualities of a good board game? Why?

Assignment:

Design a Heroes of the Sky board game. Ideas for the board game can come from anywhere in the exhibit. The board game need to have:

• A name

• A flight-related theme

• A game board and tokens

• Easily understandable directions

By playing this game, people will become more knowledgeable about the early days of flight.

On Site Activity: Heroes of the Sky

Name:

Date:

Remember:

Ideas for your board game can come from anywhere in the Heroes of the Sky exhibit. The game needs to have:

• A name

• A flight-related theme

• A game board and tokens

• Easily understandable directions

By playing this game, people will become more knowledgeable about the early days of flight.

Do and Observe

Write down fun facts about planes, people, places, or events you discover in the exhibit that you could use in your board game. Use the back of this sheet for your notes.

Think About…

Brainstorm ideas for the themes for your board game below.

Brainstorm possible names for your board game below.

Brainstorm design ideas that could be used in your board game. Look around the Heroes of the Sky exhibition for inspiration.

Post-Visit Activity: Design It! (For Teachers)

Objectives:

• Students will plan and write instructions for their board game.

• Students will revise and edit their instructions in response to suggestions from others.

• Students will evaluate their effectiveness in communicating how their board game is played.

• Students will describe some aspect of the people, places, or planes associated with

the early years of flight.

Materials:

• Poster board

• Magazines

• Flight-related images from brochures or Web sites

• Scissors

• Markers

• Other materials scavenged from school or home

Procedure:

Invite students to review their observations from their museum visit and to share their game ideas with the class.

Ask them the following:

• What flight-related themes are you considering?

• What parts of the exhibit inspired you?

• What new information did you learn?

Distribute and review the worksheet Post-Visit Activity: Design a Board Game with students.

• Establish and communicate timelines and due dates.

• Arrange times for students to play/test their board games with others.

• Organize a Heroes of the Sky Board Game Fair or a time for students to present their games.

• Consider asking the museum to display the board games along with the exhibition Heroes of the Sky.

Post-Visit Activity: Design a Board Game

Name:

Date:

Decide:

The title of my game:

The object of my game:

The number of people who can play my game:

My game is best suited for ages:

The basic instructions are: (describe how to get started, how to move, how the game ends, and any special rules)

By playing this game people will learn:

Design the Game!

Think about how to play and how it looks!

Play and Test the Game!

Playing the game many times will tell you what works and what people like about your game.

Evaluate the Game

• Does the game have a creative name?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Does the game have an easily recognizable flight-related theme?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Does the game have a creative layout and appropriate tokens?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Does the game have easily understandable directions?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Is the game fun to play?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• By playing the game, will people learn something about the early years of flight?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• By making the game, I have learned:

Lesson Plan #2: Timeline Investigation (Overview)

Objectives:

• Students will plan draft texts and revise and edit in response to suggestions expressed by others about such aspects as ideas, organization, style, and work choice.

• Students will combine skills to reveal their strengthening literacy. Examples include writing and illustrating text and reading and then orally analyzing their text.

• Students will construct and interpret timelines of people and events from history.

• Students will identify and explain how individuals in history demonstrated good character and personal virtue.

• Students will locate information using a variety of traditional sources, electronic technologies, and direct observations.

• Students will gather and analyze information using appropriate technologies to answer the questions posed.

• Students will recognize the contributions made in science by cultures and individuals of diverse backgrounds.

Overview for Teachers:

Before your visit:

• Explain the lesson to your students.

• Divide the class into small groups.

• Do the Pre-Visit Activity.

• Recruit and prepare your group leaders.

• Give the On-Site Activity to group leaders and students before the field trip.

• Determine whether students will be working individually or in small groups. Assign group leaders accordingly.

At the museum:

• Visit the exhibition so that students can collect information and inspiration in order to construct a timeline.

After your visit:

• Distribute the Post-Visit Activity and reflect on your visit to the museum.

• Develop and illustrate timelines.

• Evaluate timelines and submit top timelines to the museum for possible display.

Pre-Visit Activity: Timeline Investigation (For Teachers)

Objectives:

• Students will compare and contrast a variety of timelines.

• Students will describe the characteristics of a good timeline.

• Students will evaluate the effectiveness of text and visuals in timelines.

Materials:

Assortment of timelines from books, magazines, the Internet, etc. to be located and copied by the teacher or students in advance.

Procedure:

Divide the class into small groups and assign each group several different types of timelines to analyze. Ask each group to determine the following:

• What are the themes used?

• How are they organized? By month? By year? By decade?

• What is the format for each of the timelines? All text? Combination of text and

images? All images?

• What makes these timelines easy to read? Difficult to read? Boring?

• How would you grade these timelines? Explain your grades.

On the blackboard, record the various responses from each group to each of the questions.

• What do you think makes a good timeline? Why?

Assignment:

Construct a timeline with a flight-related theme. Ideas for the timeline can come from anywhere in the exhibition Heroes of the Sky. The timeline needs to have:

• A title

• A flight-related theme

• At least ten entries

• Illustrations or images

The timeline needs to be:

• Easily readable and understandable.

• Suitable for posting in the classroom or on a computer.

By reading this timeline, people will become more knowledgeable about one aspect of the history of flight.

On-Site Activity: Heroes of the Sky

Name:

Date:

Remember:

Ideas for your timeline can come from anywhere in the Heroes of the Sky exhibition. The timeline must have:

• A title

• A flight-related theme

• At least ten entries

• Illustrations or images

The timeline needs to be:

• Easily readable and understandable

• Suitable for posting in the classroom or on a computer

By reading this timeline, people will become more knowledgeable about one aspect of the history of flight.

Do and Observe

Use the back of this sheet to write or draw a list of events, planes, or people in the exhibition that you might use when you construct your timeline.

Think About…

• Brainstorm ideas for the title of your timeline

• Brainstorm ideas for themes for your timeline.

• Brainstorm ways you will organize your timeline.

Post-Visit Activity: Construct It! (For Teachers)

Objectives:

• Students will plan and construct a timeline.

• Students will revise and edit their timeline in response to suggestions from others.

• Students will evaluate their effectiveness in communicating information through a timeline.

• Students will describe some aspect of the people, places, events, or planes associated with the history of flight.

Materials:

• Newsprint or poster board

• Flight-related images from magazines, brochures, or Web sites

• Markers, pens, crayons

• Other materials scavenged from school or home

Procedure:

Invite students to review their observations from their museum visit and to share their timeline ideas with the class.

Ask them the following:

• What flight-related themes are you considering?

• What parts of the exhibit inspired you?

• What new information did you learn?

• What organizational approaches are you considering?

Distribute and review the worksheet Post-Visit Activity:Construct A Timeline with students.

• Establish and communicate timelines and due dates.

• Arrange times for students to play/test their timelines with others.

• Organize a Heroes of the Sky Timelines Exhibit or a time for students to present their timelines.

• Consider asking the museum to display the timelines along with the exhibition Heroes of the Sky.

Post-Visit Activity: Construct a Timeline

Name:

Date:

Decide:

The title of my timeline:

The time span covered by my timeline:

Construct the Timeline!

Think about how it reads and how it looks!

Share the Timeline with Others!

Sharing the timeline with others will tell you what works and what people like about your timeline.

Make Changes to Your Timeline!

Feel free to make changes as you test your timeline with others.

Evaluate the Timeline

• Does the timeline have a creative title?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Does the timeline have an easily recognizable flight-related theme?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Does the timeline have at least ten entries?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Is the timeline easily understandable?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• Is the timeline fun to look at and read?

__Yes, it’s cool! __ It’s okay! __ Needs work

• By reading the timeline, will people learn something about the early years of flight?

• By making the game, I have learned: