Flash Assignment: History

The Gist:

• We have 1:1 laptops.
• I’m using the laptops to have kids jigsaw an understanding of the world in which Henry V exists.
• It’s putting their research and reference skills to use in a way that will prove valuable in the immediate future.
• They’re owning the learning (wouldn’t November be proud?).

The Whole Story:

My Shakespeare course just finished up The Tempest. It was fun, they created audio versions of the play which will be posted for other teachers to use soon. (Silly editing process.)

Our next work will be the first Shakespearian history they’ve encountered whilst at SLA. We did a minute of historical interpretation of the other works we’ve looked at so far this semester (King Lear and The Tempest). For Henry V, I want to make sure they leave with a better understanding of what was what during and leading up to Shakespeare’s day. Here’s what we did:

• One person from each table group came up and pulled a slip of paper from the Coffee Can of Fate.
• They read the slip of paper aloud and either kept it or gave it up.
• If they kept it, all was set.
• If they gave it up, another team would steal it and be set and the team that actually pulled the paper would wait for the next round.

Eventually, everything worked out and each table group had a paper.

The topics:

1. Theatrical History (1400 A.D. – 1650 A.D.)
2. The 100 Years War
3. Social Classes
4. Daily Life
5. Henry IV (the plays)
6. Technology of Warfare
7. Divine Right of Ascension
8. Feudalism

They have today to use their laptops to research their respective topics.

Next class, they will teach the class about their topic for approx. 7 minutes. They’ll have to create something that allows the rest of the class to take notes, is a physical handout or is a digital handout. I’m planning of posting what they come up with for anyone to use.

Based on what they present, I’ll make a quiz and incorporate the new knowledge throughout our unit of study.

This assignment would be possible without the laptops, but it’s so much better because of the laptops. It will also be a better class for their uses of multiple platforms to present their lessons than if I were to attempt to put together the same material in a small window of time.