The Star Spangled Learning
Teaching the history behind the Star Spangled Banner
Linking the Learning to the TEKS
TEKS 5.17b Citizenship. The student will sing or recite "The Star Spangled Banner" and explain its history.
How to relate this to PBL...
The teacher will use the TEKS to obtain the focus of the learning that needs to take place. Francis Scott Key creates a blog or some other web based tool or another medium such as painting or comic strip or writing in order to present the historical information found.
Entry Event
The teacher will plan an entry event to grab the attention of the students and introduce main facts and vocabulary necessary for the project.
Entry Event for this project...
We will have "FSK" come to our classroom and talk to our students about what he was thinking the night he wrote the Star Spangled Banner. He will also visit his blog with them.
The Driving Question-Gives voice and choice
Blog
Students can create a blog in which they chronicle all of the research that they have gathered regarding FSK and his national significance.
Song
Students can create a current song which defines the meaning and the history in The Star Spangled Banner.
Video
Students will create a video in which they represent the history of FSK and The Star Spangled Banner. They can dress up like him, have a news interview with him, the sky is the limit, but the history must be presented.
FSK will introduce a driving question for our students which directs them toward the learning required by the TEKS.
21st Century Skills
Documents Related to the Project
- Question Slips
- Contracts
- Planning Forms
Brainstorm a list of questions
- students are constantly revisiting the driving question and the list of questions to direct research
- test ideas
- students draw their own conclusions without you handing them information
Feedback for your Students
Publicly Present Product
The project is more meaningful when it is presented, not only for the teacher, but for an authentic audience. Your iTechs or instructional coaches can help set this up.