Sunday, November 11, 2012
Death Penalty
This is a 3-5 day lesson on the death penalty. I created it into a powerpoint, so enjoy. If you can't open the link below please email at Miriamriaz@gmail.com so I can send the ppt to you as an attachment.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/3hnepb5s8s37qjy/Death%20Penalty%20.ppt
Enjoy!
Miriam Riaz
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Thanks for posting, Miriam. Your PowerPoint is so dynamic and eye-catching. I love that you include everything from maps and pie charts to cartoons to create a really engaging presentation of a tough subject. I'm happy to see that you were able to use the media literacy palm cards!
ReplyDeleteHi Miriam,
ReplyDeleteHere are my thoughts:
Topic: This is so clear and so interesting! You bring up such interesting aspects of this issue (race, class, education, global policies, etc.) and you’re really pushing them to think about all the implications. I want to sit in on this class and take part in this debate!
Task:
-I like the in-class debate. I’m sure it will be a heated one!
-You have so many opportunities for them to show their views, both verbally, physically (move to side of the room), and in writing. That’s great!
Media: You have so many different kinds that will appeal to all kinds of learning styles (video, maps, graphs, cartoons, dramatic film, news clip, text, etc.). You have made it possible for every student to access this material.
Question:
Maybe you could look at specific Supreme Court case rulings that have dealt with capital punishment.
Sarah, thanks for your comments! I really like the questions you posted, I have still yet to put this lesson into action, and will use a supreme court case for follow-up assessment.
DeleteHello Miriam,
ReplyDeleteThis seems to be a perfect government topic. There is plenty of material, it can include history as well as world views (as you placed in there). It almost seems as if you could have much more than two days, as well as a whole other topic investigating how the world views the death penalty. Just a possibility.
I love how visual you've made this topic. I hadn't realized how much there was available for this topic; this should make it more accessible to a wide range of students.
Giving them the option to switch sides is interesting. I would have had students stick to their sides and defend them. Allowing them to switch sides gives them a better view of both sides. Nice.
Maureen
Your use of political cartoons forces students to use what they have learned in order to understand what they are reading/seeing. Also, kids love cartoons! They are great ways to promote discussions about current events. Your use of pie charts makes it easy for them to see the statistics.
ReplyDeleteYou asked a lot of questions throughout the presentation. Will they be answered through class discussion, is this homework or is they just "food for thought"?
Good use of the DN! clip. Since it's a recent episode, it lets students know that these cases and people just don't "go away". Many are still affected (Davis' family) and others are still working on his case.
Hi Miriam,
ReplyDeleteI love this lesson plan. Your slides are powerful and makes me what to proceed to the next slide. I love the visuals you provide especially with the pie charts and graphs. This involves all subjects really, math- statistics, science- the process by which the body responds to the lethal injection and English- students can do so many writing assignment with day one or two...
- I also think its great that you provide the students with the comparison of how the West compares to the rest of the world with regard to the death penalty.
- Love the cartoons. it makes it easy for students to understand complex ideas.
Henya
Hi Miriam,
ReplyDeleteThis topic is perfect for a government class debate! You did an excellent job of incorporating visuals throughout the power point. Every slide was fodder for critical thinking questions. You also demonstrated useful ideas for bringing the topic cross curriculum.
I would be interested in knowing details about the history of the death penalty. That might make a great research paper assignment for your high school students.
Great work!
Ellen
Miriam, absolutely relevant and motivating for the students you have at their age! Great presentation of the subject and the debate, too, is an excellent way to get them thinking dynamically on both sides of the argument!
ReplyDelete-Jane Yuk Fung Lam
Dear Miriam,
ReplyDeleteGreat way to generate discussion around the death penalty via the 8th amendment an amendment not so well known. Beginning the lesson with the 8th Amendment gives students a historical context for the issue of the death penalty. They learn that this is an issue that has existed in the past and still does today and that it has been handled differently throughout time.
There are many great things about the lesson. Others have included them in their comments already. Here are some more: The political cartoon is very useful right after students have seen the world map and all the red countries that still have the death penalty on their books. That first cartoon really drives the question home, why is the USA the only Western country that still has the death penalty?
The question “Is the death penalty a cruel and/ or unusual punishment also lets you speak about how the notion of cruelty or unusual punishment might have changed as our attitudes and morality has changed. Your study could go into many directions and easily become a longer unit. One area it could expand into is an exploration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that as adopted in 1948.
The death penalty is seen as human abuse by Amnesty International an organization that has done a lot of work on it that you could use as well. (http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty)
The types of media you use in the lesson are valuable and enabling to the different kinds of learners you. I love the political cartoons, the graph, the Hollywood film, the DN! and other news clips. The five media critic questions can be used again and again here not just for the news clips, but also for the Hollywood film clip. And I like how you have various ways students can learn, in groups, writing, analyzing content, expressing their opinion to the government, etc.
There might be a short reading from Mumia Abu Jamal’s writings that might be fitting too. He has been on Death Row in Pennsylvania for over 30 years, since 1981. Last year the state announced that they would stop seeking the death penalty for him. There are several DN! clips featuring interviews with Mumia Abu Jamal that you could use, like “Mumia Abu-Jamal Spared Death Penalty After Prosecutors Drop 30-Year Bid for Execution”. There are many other clips that may help you additionally to broaden the information your students have: Prop 34: Ex-San Quentin Prison Warden Jeanne Woodford Backs California Measure to End Death Penalty; West Memphis 3: Freed Death Row Prisoner Makes Film about 18-Year Battle to Prove His Innocence and more.
Good work.
Take care.
Simin
Hi Miriam,
ReplyDeleteYour powerpoint is so interesting and touches upon so many different points realted to the death penalty issue. I'm wonding how you are plannig to break it down ,so for example when the slide discusses that race seems to be a factor, would this end up being a discussion , debate or a furthur research assignment to figure out why thats the case?
P.S would you mind if I use this powerpoint in my class?
Please feel free to use this! I bring up race as an issue so depending on you and your class, it can turn into just a discussion or a further assignment of research for students to investigate.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMiriam,
ReplyDeleteI would love to be a student in your class. You engaged me from your very first slide and DO Now question. You did not GIVE ME information but through inquiry supported by your amazing visuals and videos helped me develop a clear understanding of my position in regards to the death penalty. You have my contact details STAY IN TOUCH!!! ps..please send me this powerpoint...I would love to present it to our social studies dept as a model ppt lesson. Hopefully it will inspire them to redevelop what we have and aspire to achieve your standard. Cause hon....You are the standard!
Wow! What an engaging powerpoint. I love all multitude of images and sources you use right off the bat. I would also like to be a student in your class. This is such a great lesson plan. Having a debate in class is a great way to let the students connect. I always support acting and role playing in lessons because it can really charge students up emotionally.
ReplyDeleteAlso great organizational skills. Your goals are so clear its inspiring!
Thank you!
-Stacy