techwithbritt.weebly.com · Web viewWould your students want to explore the Great Wall of China or Machu Picchu in Peru? Virtual reality (VR) can provide students with experiences

NYS Global History Standards Based Virtual Reality Field Trips 1

Explore the Past VR

NYS Global History Standards Based Virtual Reality Field Trips

Brittany Tresch

ETCV 520 - Instructional Design

February 27, 2018

Table of Contents

Abstract ……………….....……………………………………………………...……… 3


Introduction………………………………………………………………………..…… 4

Goals and Objectives………………………………………………………………..….. 7

Needs Assessment …………………………………………………………………..…. 8

Learner Analysis………………………………………………………………………. 14

Context Analysis………………………………………………………………………..16

Unit 9.6 Task Analysis…………………………………………………………………..18

Unit 10.3 Instructional Plan…………………………………………………...……….. 19

Unit 9.5 Material Development…………………………………………………...……. 25

Unit 9.6 Assessment Instruments ………………………………………………...…….. 43

References………………………………………………………………………...…….. 53

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Abstract

The following paper introduces new form of virtual reality that will transform Social Studies

classrooms. Virtual reality has only recently been brought into the education setting. High costs proved to be


a barrier for it to reach classrooms in the past. To enhance student learning, teachers can take the approach of

virtual field trips to bring students an unforgettable experience.

New York State 9th and 10th grade students are pressured with a state performance test at the end of

their 10th grade year. The NYS Global History Regents examination tests students on both 9th and 10th grade

curriculum. To enhance the learning learning, students are now given the opportunity to experience field trips

that were once impossible. Field trips are very rare these days because of school funding. Virtual Reality is

bringing the trip to the classroom. Each grade level is currently equipped with six units of study. Each unit is

broken down by daily tasks that can be completed in a weeks time. Students will be engaged with many

different forms of technology to differentiate the learning experience.

Introduction Description of the Project

If anything was possible, where would you take your students to visit? Would your students

want to explore the Great Wall of China or Machu Picchu in Peru? Virtual reality (VR) can provide

students with experiences that were previously unimaginable. “A virtual field trip (VFT) is a


technology-based experience that allows children to take an educational journey without leaving the

classroom. These multimedia presentations bring the sights, sounds, and descriptions of distant

places to learners” (Cox and Su, 2004). Due to a variety of school based issues such as school

funding, students don’t receive the opportunities for field trips. Students would benefit from field

trips within this course to assist them when test taking. A virtual field trip would motivate and

challenge students to push past their comfort zone of a traditional classroom activity. Explore the

Past VR exposes students to experiences beyond the classroom using an application and virtual

reality headsets. The instructional plan design allows educators to successfully plan inquiry based

lessons to motivate digital-age learners.

Setting

The setting of the virtual field trips will be an alternative to taking students off site for a

traditional field trip and could be utilized in any classroom setting. The program will be carried out

in 9th and 10th grade Global History classes within New York State (NYS). Schools that will be

participating in the program range in student population and socioeconomic statuses. The initial

launch of the program will take place at high schools located within the New York Metropolitan

area. Both 9th and 10 grade teachers will take advantage of the headsets within their classrooms

while following the NYS standards.

Target Audience

The intended audience consists of New York State 9th and 10th grade Global History

students and educators. The educators who use the program will provide their students with an

engaging and interactive experience of a field trip within the comfort of their own classrooms. The

students will receive an unforgettable learning experience. Although prior technology experience is


not required. The application includes tutorials within the Teacher Portal on how to present the field

trip within the classroom, therefore experience is not required. A comprehensive lesson plan will

also be available to accommodate any educator at any experience level using technology within the

classroom. The tutorials will be provided to the teacher within the teacher portal of the program. The

educator will be able to access the teacher portal at any time for guidance.

Overall Goal

The overall goal is to make effective and practical use of the experiences that virtual reality

could provide to students via Explore the Past VR. Educators will support student creativity and

discovery by integrating virtual reality seamlessly into the learning process based on NYS Global

History Standards. The instructional designer will develop an authentic learning model using virtual

field trips with inquiry learning and critical thinking processes to enhance Global History learning.

Rationale and Benefits of the Project

Since many field trips are not economically or logistically possible. Explore the Past VR will

provide teachers with the resources necessary to present inquiry-based instruction using a virtual

field trip. The Teacher Portal will include convenient and suitable tutorials and lesson plans for any

educator who wants to implement virtual reality field trips into their instruction. For students to

engage in inquiry in a way that can contribute to meaningful learning they must be sufficiently

motivated. “The challenging and extended nature of inquiry requires a higher level of motivation on

the part of learners that is demanded by most traditional educational activities” (Edelson, Gordin &

Pea, 1999, 399). Students will be challenged to connect the virtual experience to real life

experiences. New York State educators are pressured to teach a large quantity of material in order

for students to be prepared for the NYS Global Regents Exam. Students will be given a virtual

reality headset that will be pre-programmed by the educator to the chosen experience. Each field trip


and lesson plan will align with the New York Social Studies Framework. The 9th and 10th grade

curriculum have been divided up into sections and each will have a designated field trip. The lesson

plans have been designed by a board of Global History teachers. Within each objective, the field trip

is paired with resources for educators and students to enhance the learning experience. Students will

anticipate a field trip for every unit. Introducing virtual field trips as a new instructional strategy may

serve as a motivation for them to learn fast. “More so the mode of application that provides

opportunity for the students to watch the virtual field trip documentary over and over may have

helped them to understand better” (Obadiora, 2015, 473). They will be given access to explore

environments that wouldn't be possible without this application.

Method of Delivery

The Teacher Portal will be accessible on any device connected to the Internet. The Teacher

Portal application will provide comprehensive lesson plans to effectively use the application in the

classroom. But for students to experience the virtual field trip, virtual reality headsets will be

required. Educators will be provided a class set of headsets. Educators will program the headset prior

to the lesson implementation. Students will receive the headset at the beginning of class and will

wear the device while the teacher acts as a tour guide using the Teacher Portal for guidance.

Goals and Objectives Educator Goals and Objectives

❖ Administer effective curriculum-based authentic learning

❖ Provide a guided tour and step-by-step instruction of the field trip to students that will

facilitate achievement of the learning objectives.

❖ Evaluate student understanding using provided formative assessments

Student Goals and Objectives

❖ Discover historic locations and connect them to real life experiences.


❖ Collaborate in an unique learning environment that allows students to overcome barriers of

distance and time.

9th Grade Learning Objectives

UNIT LEARNING OBJECTIVE BLOOM’S LEVEL FIELD TRIP

9.1 Identify the clues pyramids give us about the ancient Egyptians.

Knowledge Egyptian Pyramids

9.2 Explain the rise and fall of the Indus Valley civilization.

Understand Ancient India

9.3 Examine the construction of the Great Wall as a product of the period in which it was built.

Apply Ancient China

9.4 Hypothesize the reasons why Machu Picchu wasn’t discovered till modern times.

Create The Americas

9.5 Compare and contrast individual city-states that formed due to the geography of Greece.

Evaluate & Analyze Ancient Greece

9.6 Design a timeline accurately depicting thetimeframe in which the rise and fall of the empireOccurred.

Create Ancient Rome

10th Grade Learning Objectives


10.1 Identify the causes of the French Revolution. Knowledge Palace at Versailles

10.2 Explain how William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt expanded America’s role in the world with the building of the Panama Canal.

Understand The Panama Canal

10.3 Describe the stalemate in the trenches and the new technology used in the conflict.

Knowledge World War I Trench

10.4 Create a diary of a survivor of the Holocaust. Create Auschwitz

10.5 Debate whether the use of the atomic bomb was an appropriate course of action.

Evaluate Oak Ridge, Tennessee

10.6 Analyze the problems that can occur when a Analyze Tiananmen Square


government oppresses its people.

Needs Assessment Need for the Project

In education, new technologies are used to improve the process of learning. “Virtual reality

(VR) and its use in education has long been discussed, one of the main challenges is that VR was

unaffordable for educational institutes. However VR has evolved since then, the technology is up to

date, cheaper and more accessible than it has ever been” (Hussein, 2015). Due to decreasing state

funding, many schools want to invest in virtual reality headsets in their quest for technology

advancements within their district. Recently many schools have put an increased focus on testing

which has made field trips rare. A specific need for this project deals with the lack of school funding

to provide field trips to students. The money that was once spent to get students out of the classroom

is now being spent on preparation for standardized tests that determine a teacher’s credibility. Being

located in the metropolitan area, there are numerous museums that are available to schools. But

schools don’t budgets for these trips. Therefore, Explore the Past VR headsets will provide the

experiences that a museum couldn't compare to.

One school specifically that has addressed a need to improve their Global History Regent

Examination scores. The school has launched an initiative for the 2017-2018 school year to achieve

a 100% passing rate on the Global History Regents Examination for the 2018 exam. A comparative

need was established while comparing their Global History Regents scores from 2016-2017 to

neighboring school districts. The schools goal is to be comparable to other schools in Orange

County and achieve their strategic plan goal of academic excellence. Figure 1 contains test results

from the 2016-2017 Global History Regents examination. Data has also been collected on test

results of students from six surrounding districts. New York State and Orange County test results

have also been recorded. The high school has expressed a need to improve test scores for all


students. The school has identified a felt need when analyzing the gap between their current

performance and desired performance. The current performance of students is a 76% passing rate on

the Regents examination. The desired performance is a 100% passing rate.

Figure 1: Global History Regents Examination Results 2016-2017Desired Performance

Students will learn firsthand of an environment or location that is included in the current

New York State Social Studies Framework. Educators will be able to provide students with inquiry

based activities to allow students to question where they visited and connect it back to the content of

the lesson. “Inquiry activities can lead learners to confront the boundaries of their knowledge or

recognize gaps in that knowledge. The limits of one's knowledge are often revealed by the failure of


an expectation about a particular situation leading to curiosity” (Edelson, Gordin & Pea,1999, 394).

Combining the experience of virtual reality and the accompanying inquiry activities, students will be

pushed passed the general norms of the classroom and teachers will recognize the learning gaps with

students. An authentic learning experience is important for students to create useful, and meaningful

real life experiences. Virtual field trips allows students to explore and construct such authentic

learning experiences by bringing the real world to the classroom.

Current Performance and Contributing Factors

Explore the Past VR is currently the first standard-based virtual reality application. New

York State students are required to pass a Global History Regents Examination at the end of their

tenth grade year. This exam is required for high school graduation. The virtual reality that will be

presented to students will give them lasting experiences that they can recall back to while taking the

exam. A student is more likely to remember an experience rather than a statement from class. Other

educators are able to implement the field trips in their curriculum despite not aligning with their

current state standards. Educators could potentially use the virtual field trips as an enrichment

activity or for student reward.

Based on the data from Figure 1: Global History Regents Examination Results 2016-2017,

240,408 New York State tenth graders took the Global History Regents Examination in 2016-2017.

Of these students, 68% received a passing score. In some districts a passing score is more important

than the quality of education. Explore the Past VR has the goal of raising test scores while enriching

the learning experience. New York State wants to boost the passing rates on all Regents

examinations. When a student fails a Regents examination, they will be denied graduation. New

York State requires students to pass five examinations in order to graduate high school. A passing

grade on the Regents examination is critical.


Teachers throughout the state are faced with the challenge of educating English Language

Learners. They need to accommodate their lessons to meet the diverse learning needs of the

classroom. Based on the data in figure 2, 36% of ELL learners passed the Global History Regents

examination. Within the Teacher Portal, educators will be provided lesson plans with

accommodations already built in to meet the needs of these students.

Figure 2: NY STATE - SCHOOL REPORT CARD DATA [2016 - 17]Global History ELL Learners

Tools/Approaches

Based on the statistics in Figure 1: Global History Regents Examination Results 2016-2017,

it is apparent that there is a need for different methods of instruction within the Global History

classrooms. The Global History curriculum begins with prehistoric times and extends to current day.

In order to ensure we reach the needs of educators and the standards of the New York State

curriculum, we collected data from Global history educators in New York State. The schools all

varied in technology use, socioeconomic levels and student population. Teachers were first asked to

identify the type of school they teach at as well as how long they have been teaching Global History.

These educators were then asked how they would use the virtual field trips within their classrooms.

The next part of the survey consisted of a list of ten potential field trips and were asked to choose the

experiences that would benefit their students the most. At the end of the survey, educators are given


the opportunity to list a specific topic from global history that they would like see in virtual reality to

utilize within their classrooms. There was also a comments and concerns sections for teachers to

make suggestions to better accommodate their needs and their students. The survey can be found in

the appendix.

The Results

Out of the 10 New York State high schools that received the survey, 15 educators returned

the survey showing incredible interest in bringing virtual reality headsets into their classrooms. The

educators range from public schools to private establishments. 8 of the teachers were from public

schools and 7 teachers were from private schools. All but 1 teacher said they would incorporate the

virtual field trips into their lesson plans. The teacher that said they wouldn’t utilize the program was

because of school funding for technology. The teacher expressed that the district is still waiting for

state grants to bring sets of iPads into the classroom. The data identified expressed needs within the

comment/feedback section of the survey. Several educators expressed that they would use this

program within their flipped classroom instruction. Also educators suggested other field trips that

would benefit their students, including the Egyptian pyramids. By asking for teacher feedback on

strengths and weaknesses of the application, allows educators to be involved in the building stages of

the program.

Proposed Solution and Rationale

Creating a virtual reality is no easy task. It requires a great deal of research on the locations

the application will include. A panel of Subject Matter Experts has been created to design the lesson

plan to align with NYS and NCSS standards. These experts are a team of experienced NYS Global

History Teachers. The media production personnel has the responsibility in filming and creating the

videos of the historic landmarks that will be included in the field trip. Finally, the instructional


designer has the responsibility of designing the instruction of the project to be displayed within the

Teacher Portal.

Explore the Past VR will be sending high schools in Orange County, New York, class

headsets to begin using in within their Global History classrooms. The school will receive a class set

to use in both 9th grade and 10th grade Global History classrooms. This will reveal how educators

and students respond to the technology within each set of standards. As time progresses,

improvements will be made to the software and headsets including the Teacher Portal. Once the

application is up and running, teachers will be able to give feedback on how to improve the teacher

portal to best fulfill their needs. Evaluators will conduct surveys to determine the effectiveness and

efficiency of the program after each standard has been executed.

Explore the Past VR does not require funding to be the reason why schools don’t bring this

experience into their classrooms. Therefore, schools who need funding assistance will be able to

apply for technology grants in order to purchase the equipment and software.

Learner Analysis

Learners’ Characteristics

❖ Primary Learners: Learners for Explore the Past VR will include New York State High

School freshmen and sophomore Global History students. Students range from 14-16 years

old. The target learning group will all be preparing for the New York State Global History

Regents examination at the end of their 10th grade year. On average, these students spend 40

minutes in the Global History classroom a day.

❖ Secondary Learners: Although the application can be used as a student reward or an

enrichment activity, there could be secondary learners. These learners will not be included in


the learner analysis as they are not the focus. Secondary learners could range from 6th to

12th grade depending on teachers use of the program.

Learner Strengths:

❖ Students will be excited to visit places that were unimaginable prior to virtual reality.

❖ Digital age learners

❖ Highly motivated to learn in order to pass the Global History Regents examination

❖ Students work well in small independent groups

❖ The class the students is placed in will have equivalent skill levels (Regents level, Honors,

and Special Ed.)

Learner Weaknesses:

❖ Lack of experience using advanced technology

❖ There is a large percentage of students that are economically disadvantaged. Internet access

at home could be unavailable. According to figure 3, 58% of the students who passed the

Global History Regents were economically disadvantaged. The teacher must plan

accordingly to meet all student needs to complete the assignments.

❖ Many schools in New York State host international exchange students. These students will be

at a disadvantage as English is their second language.

❖ A lack of motivation can severely hurt a student’s productivity when it comes to completing

assignments.


Figure 3: NY STATE - SCHOOL REPORT CARD DATA [2016 - 17]Socio-economic status of Global History exam recipients

Areas of Potential Difficulty:

❖ Technology difficulty (poor internet connection, device not responding, headset connection

error, etc.)

❖ Difficulty learning how to navigate a field trip

❖ Student misuse of technology

❖ English as a second language - the vocabulary will support these students in understanding

key concepts.

Context Analysis General Description

The majority of instruction will be done in the classroom, as students will be guided through

a virtual field trip with the teacher being the tour guide. Under the discretion of the teacher, students

may be assigned parts of the field trip as a flipped classroom assignment or homework. Many

schools are implementing flipped instruction and will be using Explore the Past VR as part of the

flipped classroom. The majority of the classroom have either a SMART board or Apple TV to

display assignments. Most students will have their own Google Chromebook or iPad to complete

assignments. If the student doesn’t have their own, the school will have a class set available. All


schools will have a computer lab for teachers and students to access. Each Global History class will

have a class set of headsets. The headsets do not require a device to be individually connected. They

all are connected to the teachers’ device via Bluetooth. The educator can control what the students

see via the headsets.

Advantages

Access to the internet is essential in using Explore the Past VR. The headsets require internet

connection as the teacher will facilitate the field trip via the Teacher Portal on their device. The

teacher will have control of the field trip and will walk the students through as if they were

experiencing the trip in real time. Assessments can be printed or assigned on educational platform

such as Google Classroom or Canvas.

Limitations

All schools will have access to computers but some might be at a disadvantage with students

having access to individual devices within the classroom. Most schools will have class sets that must

be reserved prior to using. It will be the teachers’ job to plan accordingly to make sure students will

have access to a device during the entire lesson to complete the assessments. The teacher could also

be challenged with possible classroom management issues. The teacher could face an issue if the

directions are not clearly explained, or the pretest was omitted. If a student leaves the room, they

miss out on valuable instruction and learning experiences. Also a student could be absent for a part

of the unit. Every task of the unit builds off one another. The teacher must be have an organized

system for students who are absent and miss an assignment.

List of Teaching Certifications


Teachers will have the appropriate certification to teach Social Studies grades 7-12 in New

York State. Many teachers will have numerous degrees.

Unit 9.6 Task Analysis

Unit 10.3 Instructional Unit



10.3 Describe the stalemate in the trenches and the new technology used in the conflict.

Knowledge World War I Trench

1.Gaining the learner’s attention

The unit will begin with a critical thinking question to start the student thought process.

Students will discuss “Is war inevitable?” Students have already learned about the Assassination of

the Archduke Franz Ferdinand so they will recall prior learned knowledge to analyze if the war was

avoidable.

Students will then complete a pre-test. Students will recall the four “isms” and explain how

they contributed to the start of World War I. This question has students think back to previous

lessons in order to connect it with the upcoming unit. Critical thinking questions will sharpen the

learners abilities to analyze new information. The class will then discuss the four “isms” that are

credited with being the long term causes of World War I. This task will transition students into unit

10.3. The instructor will present the class website for the unit and introduce the tasks for the unit.

During this time, the instructor will answer any questions and clear up any misunderstandings.

2. Informing Learner of Objectives

The unit’s instructional goals will be broken down by task. By presenting students with daily

goals will increase student learning as they won’t be forced to retain a large amount of information

at a time. The overall goal of the unit will be presented on the whiteboard throughout the entire enit

for students to reference the goal that they are working towards. Daily learning objectives will be

displayed on the whiteboard below. These objectives will be reviewed at the beginning of every

class. Throughout the unit, students will complete several individual tasks in order to meet the

objective of: describe the stalemate in the trenches and the new technology used in the conflict. To

avoid misconceptions, students will reference the overall goal with daily learning objectives. From


here, students will make connections between daily objectives and the overall objective to see the

connections between the two. Students will see what they will need to accomplish each day as well

as what they will be able to do at the end of the unit.

3.Stimulating recall of prerequisites

Students will recall prior knowledge throughout the unit. Recalling prior knowledge will first

occur with the “do now”. Students will reflect back on the four “isms”. Militarism, Nationalism,

Imperialism and Industrialization have been studied by students as the four contributing factors of

World War I. The teacher will ask students to define what these words mean and how they are

connected with the start of the war. Throughout the unit students will reference the terms to make

connections between past units the current unit. The teacher should anticipate student

misconceptions. So it will be crucial for the teacher to clear up any confusions that arise.

4. Presenting stimuli.

Task One: A pre-test will be accessed by students on the unit site. Students will define the

four “isms” and explain how all four contributed to the start of the war. The key terms are crucial in

student understanding in the upcoming tasks. Students will be asked to define the terms in their notes

as well in order for easy reference.

Task Two: Visuals of the Eastern and Western fronts will be displayed to students via

Powerpoint. Students will visualize themselves in the scenes the images show. The teacher will

begin asking critical thinking questions to create the mood of being in war. The teacher will ask

students to form questions that they would ask the soldiers in the image. The inquiry-based portion

of this activity will be a whole-group discussion as students share questions and others will respond

their thoughts.


Task Three: Students will be presented with a graphic organizer with the key components of

trench warfare. A flipped classroom video link will be accessible on the unit site for students to

access. The video will serve as an introduction to trench warfare. Using a variety of media will

address the diverse learning styles within the classroom.

Task Four: Students will experience what war was like in the trenches through a virtual field

trip. Students will go into the trenches to understand the conditions of the fighting during World War

I. At the conclusion of the field trip students will answer questions based on their experience and

make generalizations of what the soldiers experienced first hand in the trenches. Following the field

trip, students will compare their experiences in the trenches to war on the Eastern front during World

War I.

Task Five: Students will answer ten Regent based questions as a post-assessment of the unit.

This assessment will be used to check for understanding. The teacher will be able to check for

student retention as well.

5. Providing guidance.

As students work through every task, the teacher will monitor students for understanding.

The teacher will make themselves available throughout each task to answer any questions or clear up

any misunderstandings. The teacher will provide learning guidance throughout the unit but will put

emphasis on the field trip task of the unit. Students will require guidance throughout the field trip as

the teacher will serve as a tour guide. This guidance is necessary for student understanding during

the field trip.

6. Eliciting performance.

Throughout the unit the teacher will prompt student learning and push students to think

deeper about what they are experiencing. Tasks one and five are designed to check for student


understanding. The pre-test is designed to check to see what students can recall from the previous

lesson. While the post-assessment is designed to check for understanding for the current unit. Both

of these assessments will provide the teacher with valuable data.

Task two requires students to use their critical thinking skills to skillfully analyze and

conceptualize by observing and reflecting on the images shown on the board. Students will be

responsible to keep the discussion going throughout the learning activity when the teacher poses a

question.

Meanwhile task three allows students to work independently and at their own pace. Students

will watch a video and will complete a graphic organizer at the conclusion of the video. Students are

in control during this activity because they will be able stop and rewind the video if there is a

concept that they misunderstood. The teacher will be available when students are applying new

knowledge. During the time, the teacher will be able check in with struggling students to make sure

their needs are being met.

During task four, the teacher will serve as the tour guide during the virtual field trip of the

trenches. The teacher will take an active role in explaining the task and background of the trenches.

The students will then begin exploring the trenches independently. The teacher will be present

throughout the trip to answer any questions that could come up.

7. Performing feedback.

Task One: Students will receive feedback on their pre-test as soon as they submit. The class

site will automatically grade the assessment at submission and send back students work with the

correct answers. The teacher will use the pre-test and discussion to check for understanding from the

previous lesson.


Task Two: Feedback will be informal as students will answer oral questions through a whole-

group discussion. The majority of this task includes collaboration between students.

Task Three: Feedback will be provided on students work once the assignment is turned in.

The teacher will make suggestions if a student is missing a component of the graphic organizer.

Task Four: Feedback will be provided after grades have been recorded. The teacher will

review World War I on the eastern and western front during a whole-group discussion.

Task Five: Students will receive graded student assessments and as a class, the teacher will

provide feedback to entire class by reviewing questions and explaining the correct answers.

8. Assessing performance.

Task One: Student performance will be assessed using the Teacher Portal. When students

submit their assessments, they will automatically receive their results. If a student answers a question

incorrectly, the results will show the correct answer with an explanation.

Task Two: The teacher will conduct oral questioning based on the images presented. The

teacher will take note of students who respond and award them participation points.

Task Three: Task two will be based on a ten point grading scale. Students are expected to

explain five key ideas of trench warfare in order to get the full experience during the virtual field

trip.

Task Four: Students will compare and contrast how war was fought on the eastern and

western fronts based on their experiences of fighting in the trenches. The teacher will assess students

using a rubric.

Task Five: A post-assessment will be given to measure student understanding of learning

objectives at the conclusion of the unit. The assessment will be graded on a 10 point scale. Teachers


will be able to make decisions on the data whether students retained the concepts or a review will be

needed to go over the key concepts again.

9. Enhancing retention and transfer

The repetition of previous learned concepts throughout the unit is an effective way of

enhancing retention. Students will recall prior learned concepts throughout the unit. Even though

most students will not like the repetition, it will only benefit them. Students will transfer the old

concepts and connect them with new concepts. To enhance retention, students will explore the

trenches first hand during the virtual field trip. Students are more likely to remember an experience

than a lecture. Students will apply new and old knowledge to the field trip to make connections

within all the concepts.

Another way the teacher will promote student retention is by breaking down the unit into

small tasks. Each task will present students with a daily goal/objective. The daily tasks will give

students a goal to work towards each day without overwhelming them. Students will retain concepts

in unit 9.3 and will transfer them to the following units. For students to understand the effects of

World War I, students must first be able to explain the causes of the war. This will be down through

the processes of retention and transfer of concepts.

Unit 9.5 Material Development

Unit Learning Objective Bloom’s Level Field Trip

9.5 Compare and contrast individual city-states that formed due to the geography of Greece.

Evaluate & Analyze

Ancient Greece

Unit 9.5 of Explore the Past VR sets focus on the classical civilization of Ancient Greece.

Through these resources, students will examine the historical and geographic context for the rise of

independent city-states and trade networks connecting Greece with other regions. Students will


investigate how geographic factors hindered expansion and interactions within the Greek

civilization. This unit was designed based on the NYS Social Studies Framework for 2017. Within

the key idea, this unit will target two conceptual understandings that are seen below.

Key Idea Conceptual Understandings

9.3 CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS:

EXPANSION, ACHIEVEMENT, DECLINE:

Classical civilizations in Eurasia and

Mesoamerica employed a variety of methods to

expand and maintain control over vast

territories. They developed lasting cultural

achievements. Both internal and external forces

led to the eventual decline of these empires.

(Standards: 2, 3, 5; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO,

GOV, CIV)

9.3a Geographic factors encouraged and

hindered a state’s/empire’s expansion and

interactions.

9.3b Empires used belief systems, systems of

law, forms of government, military forces, and

social hierarchies to consolidate and expand

power.

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/documents/9-12FrameworkRevFebruary2017.pdf

Existing Materials (Citations listed in References)

Athens vs. Sparta Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBRnpr4GFI -

www.thinglink.com Crash Course World History #5 Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mkVSasZIM&list=PLH4pm-ymp5y2mymisHZnEWuiv1Pd8YQcv -

https://www.google.com/earth/

Prentice Hall World History Textbook

What is a City-State? Video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2a3_aI7EQ

Geography of Greece Video - www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPslASvGd_U

Unit 9.5 Daily Schedule

Day One


➢ The teacher will introduce the class website for the unit. https://etpvr-

ancientgreece.weebly.com/

➢ Students will begin unit 9.5 with a pre-test. Students will answer five multiple choice

questions that serve as an introduction to the unit. The pre-test will be completed through the

Teacher Portal so students will receive immediate feedback.

➢ Once all students complete the pre-test, the teacher will review the questions with the class.

The teacher can use student results to analyze their prior knowledge on Greece.

➢ Students will be presented with the Unit 9.5 PowerPoint. This will serve as an introduction to

the unit.

➢ During the introductory lesson, the teacher will display Google Earth to show students the

geography of Greece.

Day Two

➢ Students will complete the Unit 9.5 vocabulary . Students will access the class textbook for

definitions. (page #s will vary depending on edition of textbook)

➢ The teacher will present the Youtube Video “Athens vs. Sparta.”

➢ Students will begin completing the Athens vs. Sparta Graphic Organizer. Students will

compare and contrast Athens and Sparta government life, political life, social classes,

military, religion, industry & trade, and family life.

Day Three:

➢ Students will start day three with finishing the Athens vs. Sparta Graphic Organizer .


➢ Students will transition into the The Rise of Greek City States. The teacher will project the

Unit 9.5 Powerpoint on the board to guide students through the assignment.

Day Four:

➢ Students will receive directions on how to watch the flipped video.

➢ Students will watch a flipped classroom video while completing the Flippin’ about History

Outline. This activity is student-centered as students will be able to watch at their own pace.

They will be able to pause whenever they need too.

➢ The Persians & Greeks: Crash Course World History #5 - This Crash Course compares the

Greek Civilizations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-mkVSasZIM

➢ At the completion of the activity, the teacher will have a whole group discussion to discuss

the video and clear up any student misunderstandings.

Day Five:

➢ Students will be presented with the units virtual field trip. The teacher will facilitate the trip

while students explore the ancient ruins of the Parthenon, Athena, Propylaea, and

Erechtheion.

➢ As students investigate the Acropolis, they will complete the Column Note-Taking

Worksheet. Students are instructed to include at least three facts for each temple.

➢ Students will share their experiences and what they learned about the achievements of the

Roman Empire. They will hypothesize what the functions were of the buildings that they

explore.

Day Six:


➢ Students will create a ThingLink of Ancient Greece on their tablets. They will demonstrate

their understanding by creating an interactive image of one of the temples they explored

during the trip. https://www.thinglink.com/

➢ Student work will look similar to the example below. https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1020856138339450882

Day Seven:

➢ Students will continue to work on the ThingLink from day six.

➢ Students will be assessed on the rubric that is provided on the class website.

Day Eight:

➢ Students will take the Unit 9.5 Quiz as a check for learning for the content covered so far

during the unit.

➢ The teacher will assign the quiz through the Teacher Portal. The teacher will receive

automatic feedback as soon as students submit.

➢ The teacher will then review the quiz with the class and clear up any misconceptions that

occurred during the quiz.

Justification of Instruction and Materials

Unit 9.5 was developed using backward design. Instructional designers created the

curriculum once the objectives were developed. Like every unit within Explore the Past VR, students

begin with a pre-test. Teachers need to know what their students already know at the beginning of a

new unit. A pre-test will assess student proficiency in the skills that will be taught in the upcoming

unit. The pre-test was developed using the process of backwards design. Grant Wiggins and Jay

McTighe believe teachers should begin a unit with objectives by deciding what students are expected

to learn and be able to do. From there teachers will create lessons “backwards” to achieve those

goals (Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J). The teacher can measure student learning at the end of the


unit with the post-test. A comparison of the pre-test and post-test will provide teacher with an

opportunity to track student growth over the unit.

The teacher will rely on the Teacher Portal to guide the class through the unit. The

assessment will be pushed out to students through the Teacher Portal to the class site. https://etpvr-

ancientgreece.weebly.com/ The class website includes all the assignments students will complete

throughout the unit. The assignments are broken down by tasks. Students also have the opportunity

to ask the teacher questions through the site. Teachers will overlook student progress through the

Teacher Portal. The teacher will receive immediate feedback when students submit quizzes. The

field trips will be displayed to the students the same way. The teacher will be able to control student

screens through the Teacher Portal and program the VR headsets through the Portal.

Graphic organizers are an important element in student comprehension. Students are able to

organize ideas visually. Many students are visual learners. The charts and outlines will allow

students to arrange ideas to maximize student understanding. By using a chart or outline, students

won’t be forced to process large amounts of information in order to understand the concepts.

Students will become more strategic learners because they will be able to see what is important. By

using graphic organizers, students will move towards mastering the unit objectives.

On the first day of the unit, the teacher will introduce the class website for the unit. The

teacher will push out the website to the students through the Teacher Portal. Students will first take a

pre-test to determine prior knowledge. The teacher will be able to use this data to see what students

already know and what they don’t know. The class will then transition into a guided lesson. The

teacher will display the Unit 9.5 powerpoint and Google Earth. Students will examine the geography

of Greece. Students will make hypothesizes as to why independent city states were formed instead of

large empires. This guided activity will set students up for the upcoming tasks of the unit. By


understanding the geography of Greece, students will understand the development of city states and

will be able to compare and contrast the individual city states.

On day two of the unit students will define key vocabulary for Ancient Greece. This

assignment will prepare students for the upcoming activities within the unit. Students need to

understand what words mean if the teacher expects them to comprehend the big ideas of the unit.

This assignment builds a foundation for students to understand the formation of city-states. The

YouTube video that will be presented in class targets the auditory and visual learners of the

classroom. The video compares and contrasts the city-states of Athens and Sparta. The teacher will

direct students to compare and contrast Athens and Sparta using the graphic organizer. The graphic

organizer is designed to keep key concepts organized for students to understand them.

On day three, students will participate in a teacher-centered activity that introduces the big

ideas of the unit. In order for students to master the learning objective, students must understand the

key ideas that are presented in the beginning of the unit. The teacher will display Unit 9.5

Powerpoint and review Athens and Sparta in a whole-group discussion.

On day four, students will be directed to watch a flipped video. Flipped instruction has many

benefits. Students will be able to watch at their own pace and have the option at stopping and

rewinding when need be. In a traditional lecture, students would have to stop the teacher from

teaching to repeat an idea. In the flipped classroom setting, if a student is having difficulty

understanding an idea they will be able watch it again as many times as they would like. The teacher

will be present to answer any questions that would come up.

On day five the students will be guided through a virtual field trip of Greek temples. Students

will explore four temples of Ancient Rome city states. The temples will include the Parthenon,

Athena, Propylaea, and Erechtheion. As students investigate the Acropolis, they will complete the


column note-taking worksheet. Students are instructed to include at least three facts for each temple.

Students will share their experiences and what they learned about the architecture of these ancient

city states. They will hypothesize what the functions were of the buildings that they explore in a

whole-group discussion following the virtual field trip. The column note taking worksheet is

designed for students to identify important information and then respond to that material. During the

whole-group discussion students will have the opportunity to self-assess

On day six and seven students will create a Thinglink to demonstrate what they learned

during the virtual field trip. They will use their column note taking sheet as a guide to create an

interactive image. Students will be instructed to create “hot spots” on an image that include video,

record audio or provide a link to any website with the click of a button. Students will engage in an

interactive image to create an interactive, multimedia reports that utilize their personal strengths.

On day eight students will complete the unit with taking a post-test. This quiz is designed

with past Regent Exam questions. The teacher will check for understanding and accuracy by testing

students on the key concepts. The results of the quiz will be sent to the Teacher Portal for the teacher

to access and see student misconceptions of the unit.

When selecting the appropriate media for this unit, I took into consideration the wide range

of learner characteristics. Classrooms today are very diverse, as there are many different learning

styles. Every lesson should require students to read, write, and listen. This lesson incorporates all

three. The unit also favors any instructors skill level. The Teacher Portal will have tutorials available

for teachers to access. These tutorials will provide teachers with the necessary skills to make any

field trip successful. There is a wide range of technology that is used throughout the unit, including

videos, photographs, and maps. I also considered available school resources when designing

technology to be implemented. Every resource can be accessed through the internet. The unit


assessment involves creating an annotated digital image. This application does not require an

application to be downloaded. Thinglink can be accessed through any internet enabled device. Many

schools don’t provide students with individually assigned Chromebooks or Ipads. So I made sure the

program could work on any device that is accessible to the internet. Many schools don’t have the

budget to provide every student with a device. Therefore, a teacher would be able to reserve the

devices for the class on the assigned days of the unit.

When creating my instructional materials, I developed criteria that students would be

assessed on. For the Thing link assessment, a rubric will be provided to students to make sure they

included all elements that they would be graded on. The final assessment will evaluate my

effectiveness of my instructional materials. The quiz at the end of the unit will assess student

understanding. Once the course is implemented, the necessary recommendations will be made by

teachers in order to improve instruction of Explore the Past VR.

During this process I learned a lot of valuable lessons that I will implement in my own

classroom. I never created a class website before as my school relies on Canvas. During this process

I learned how simple it is to develop a class site. I will be implementing this resource into my own

classroom. Each component of the instructional design is linked together to create an exceptional

learning tool. The entire process has been eye opening to see how easy it really is to apply

instructional design to every unit in the curriculum. I highly enjoyed creating this project so far. I

look forward to seeing my final product.


Instructor Materials

Teacher Portal

Qui

SupFAQ

Tuto GraFiel Lesso

EXPLORE


Powerpoint Guide (attached) Learner Materials -All learner materials are available on the class website - https://etpvr-ancientgreece.weebly.com/


Day One Ancient Greece Pre-test

Directions: Please clearly mark the correct answer for each multiple-choice question. Raise your hand if you have a question.

1. On what continent is Greece?a. South Americab. Africac. Asiad. Europe

2. A government ruled by its citizens is called a:a. Monarchyb. Aristocracy c. Oligarchyd. Democracy

3. A government ruled by a king or queen is called a:

a. Monarchyb. Aristocracyc. Oligarchyd. Democracy

4. Athens was one of the two most famous city-states in ancient Greece. Which city-state was the other?

a. Corinthb. Rome


c. Mt. Olympusd. Sparta

5. Greece is an example of a:a. Desertb. Peninsulac. Plateaud. Tundra

Day Two

Day Three

How to watch a Flipped VideoWSQ: Watch, Summarize, Question Watch – As you watch the video, take notes

on keywords. You don’t have to take notes word for word but write down vocabulary to help you with the next few steps. For example: You're watching a video on the U.S government. Write down the branches of government while you watch.

Summarize – “Did you understand what you just watched”

Immediately after you watch the video, summarize


Day Four


Day Five


Day Six & Seven


Day Eight


Unit 9.6 Assessment Instruments



9.6 Design a timeline accurately depicting the timeframe in which the rise and fall of the empire Occurred.

Create Ancient Rome

The following assessments will examine the historical and geographic context for the rise of

Rome, the founding of Christianity, the methods used by the Roman Empire to gain and maintain

power, the Roman achievements during the Pax Romana and finally the fall of the Roman Empire.

The assessments below align with the objective for unit 9.6. Through the application of this unit,

students will be able to design a timeline accurately depicting the timeframe in which the rise and fall of the

empire occurred.

Each unit will be set up with scaffolded assessments to enhance the virtual field trip. The unit

will utilize different graphic organizers and outlines to maximize student performance. Graphic

organizers are an important and effective pedagogical tool for organizing content and facilitating

learners comprehension of newly acquired information.

It will be under the discretion of the teacher how these assignments will be graded. The

grading process depends on the teacher and the format they follow. All the following assessment will

be available in the Teacher Portal, along with a comprehensive lesson plan to provide effective

instruction. The teacher will have the option to assign each assessment on paper or through an

educational platform such as Google Classroom or Canvas. All the assessments have been numbered

for easy access. Students will be able to reference the assessment by its number and teachers will be

able to assign assessment by the number.

Informative Assessment

Throughout each unit, the teacher will guide and provide assistance to students as they work

through the unit. The teacher will monitor student performance to check for understanding before

moving onto the next task. If the teacher finds students are not understanding the content, there are


additional resources within the assessment plan to use for clarification and enrichment. Monitoring

student performance throughout the application of this lesson is crucial in student success as each

task builds off one another.

Formative Assessments

Pre-Assessment

The following pre-assessment will be administered at the beginning of unit 9.6. The pre-

assessment will determine the students baseline knowledge of the content that will be presented

within unit 9.6. Students should list what they already know about the Roman empire, in the K

column. This will be followed by what they want to know, listed in the W column. Students could

also create questions that they have about the Roman Empire in this section. After the completion of

the unit, students will record what they have learned in the L column, some of these statements

should directly relate to statements in the W column. If they created questions, students will answer

their questions in the L column. By providing clear expectations and beginning the chart at the start

of the unit, the teacher will gain an understanding of what shape the unit will take. The teacher will

understand how much students already know, and students will convey what they would like to learn

through the unit, giving them some choice. The teacher could use the students questions to create an

enrichment activities in order to enhance student learning. By the end of the unit, students will have

a visual representation of how much they learned. The teacher will see the progress that each student

made throughout the unit.


Assessment #1: KWL Chart

Unit 9.6 Vocabulary

At the beginning of the unit, teachers will assign students to define key vocabulary for the

unit. Student comprehension improves when they know what the words mean. This assignment

could either be assigned as classwork or homework. The assignment will prepare students for the

application activity of the unit; the virtual field trip. Students will be able to apply the vocabulary

throughout the unit to better understand key concepts. Without a sufficient understanding of

vocabulary students cannot understand others or express their own ideas. Students will define key

words that will be used in upcoming assignments. A completed vocabulary chart will benefit ELL

and IEP students because they will be able to refer back to these document to review key terms that

are needed to understand the virtual field trip. Visual illustrations allow ELLs to better understand

the material while learning important vocabulary.


Assessment #2 : Unit 9.6 Vocabulary

Flippin’ out About History

Students will complete the following assessment at the completion of the units introduction

video. Every unit will include this assessment to go along with the units introduction video. This

assignment will be generally assigned for homework as many teachers will be using the program to

enhance their flipped classrooms.

As students watch the video clip they will first take watch the video taking note of key

words. They are not expected to take notes word for word but write down vocabulary and keywords

that will help them with the unit. The next step is the summary. Students will ask themselves; “do I

understand what I just watched?” After they finish the video, students will summarize what they

watched. The summary is expected to show teachers if the student understood the video or not. The

last part of this assessment is the Question. Students are required to ask a question based on the

material discussed in the video. The question can be a specific question about an example that was

made in the video and where they got stuck or confused, a general question about the concept and

something that was said or explained, or a question that could be asked and expected to be answered

after watching the video. This may be a question they think their classmates might have, or just a


good question they think the teacher would ask and expect them to know. This assessment will

transition students into the virtual field trip in the next part of the unit. The simplicity of the format

will benefit IEP and ELL learners as each step is broken down into each section. Students will first

watch, then summarize, and finally question.

Assessment #3: Flippin’ out about History

The Past Shapes the Present: Roman Empire

Students will connect the virtual field trip to present day through this assessment. Students

will use evidence from in-class discussions, previous assignments, and the virtual field trip to make

connections with the Roman Empire and the world today. Students will be able to identify the ways

in which what we’ve learned from the Roman empire has helped shape society as we know it. By

using prior knowledge, students will write a paragraph that demonstrates three aspects of modern


society that have been influenced by the Roman Empire. This critical thinking assessment will

challenge students to make connections between the past and the present. Students will connect the

architecture that they observe in the virtual field trip to examples in modern society. They will

evaluate the impact that the past has on the present and why history matters. The format of this

assessment will benefit IEP learners as it will keep their ideas seperate from one another.

The Past Shapes the Present: Roman Empire

Because of the Empire’s vast extent and long endurance, Roman influence upon the language,

religion, architecture, philosophy, law, and government of nations around the world lasts to this

day. Write a paragraph that demonstrates three aspects of modern society that have been

influenced by the Roman Empire. Explain the connections between the Roman Empire and the

modern society.

Assessment #4: The Past Shapes the Present

Extension Assessments

Contributing Factors of the Fall of Rome

If students are unable to identify the factors that influenced the fall of Rome, the teacher will

assign the following graphic organizer. Students will review the 4 contributing factors of the fall of

Rome before moving onto the post-assessment. Students will list at least 3 causes for the political,

social, economic, and military factors. This activity could also be used for student enrichment under

the teachers discretion. The teacher may also assign the graphic organizer to support their IEP and

ELL students as many will require visuals for conceptual understanding.


Assessment #5: Contributing Factors of the Fall of Rome

Roman Republic and Roman Empire Venn Diagram

This extension assessment is necessary if students are unable to explain the influences that

transformed the Roman Empire. Students will compare and contrast Rome during the republic and

then the empire. Students are expected to compare social, political, and economical factors within

the empire and republic. As well as make connections between the two. Within this assessment,

students will review how Augustus came to rule and transformed Rome. The venn diagram can also

be used to enhance student understanding on the comparison between the republic and the empire.

This assessment will benefit visual learners because they will be able to see and organize the

information. The Venn diagram will enforce what is taught in previous activities.


Assessment # 6: Venn Diagram

Summative Assessments (Performance-Based)

A Walk Through Time

A formative assessment of this unit requires students to design a timeline accurately depicting

the timeframe in which the rise and fall of the empire occurred. Students will be able to chronologically

order the fundamental events comprising the rise and fall of the Roman empire. The timeline must

be accurate and display at least 8 major events in the correct order including a brief, one paragraph

description of each event. This visual representation of the timeline of the Roman empire should

help all students better understand the historical timeframe and major events of this period. Visuals,

color coding, and descriptions, will help support ELLs in understanding. The teacher can make

learning more equitable by assigning partners and supplying most of the resources needed.

Roman Roman


Assessment #7 : A Walk Through Time

Unit 9.6 Post-Assessment

Teachers will check for student understanding using past Global History Regent questions as

an post-assessment. The Teacher Portal will have various regents questions that will be available in

each unit for teachers to use for assessments. The teacher will be able to create an assessment using a

variety of questions. This assessment was designed to identify gaps in knowledge by meeting the

levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. Teachers can use this gaps to extend the unit in order to clear up

student misunderstandings. The teacher has the option of giving students this assessment on paper or

through the application. If the teacher assigns the exit ticket through the application, the teacher will

receive automatic feedback when the student submits. The application will provide the student with

feedback for incorrect answers. For instance, if the student chooses answer B instead of the correct

answer C, an explanation will be given back to the student as to why another answer would be more

appropriate. Students will use this assessment to prepare if an unit exam if given.


Assessment # 8: Unit 9.6 Post-Assessment

Appendix


https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdD0cYEwfggALTpiA_80L5wfydufjQGY6vKk-

2AUByCf30k7w/viewform?usp=sf_link

References

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http://www.thinglink.com/

Athens vs. Sparta. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLBRnpr4GFI.

Cox, E.S., & T. Su. (2004). “Integrating student learning with practitioner experiences via virtual

field trips.” Journal of Educational Media. Issue Number. 113–23.

Crash Course World History #5. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-

mkVSasZIM&list=PLH4pm-ymp5y2mymisHZnEWuiv1Pd8YQcv

Edelson, D., Gordin, D., and Pea, R.. (1999). “Addressing the challenges of inquiry based learning

through technology and curriculum design.” The Journal of the Learning Sciences. 391-450.

Ellis, E. G., & Esler, A. (2011). Prentice Hall world history. Upper Saddle River, NJ:

Pearson.

Geography of Greece. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPslASvGd_U.

Google Earth. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/earth/.

Hussein, M. (2015). “The benefits of virtual reality.” Essential Series Essential Virtual Reality. 1-15.

John S. Burke Catholic High School. (2017) Global History Regents Examination Results 2016-

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New York State Department of Education. NY State - School Report Card Data [2016 - 17]. Albany,

NY.


Obadiora, A. J. (2015). “Comparative effectiveness of virtual field trip and real field trip on

students’ Academic Performance in Social Studies in Osun State Secondary Schools.”

Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences. 467-474.

“OSA.” Global History and Geography Regents Examinations.

www.nysedregents.org/globalhistorygeography/.

The State Education Department. (2017) New york state grades 9-12 social studies

framework. The University of the State of New York. 13.

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/ciai/socst/documents/9-12FrameworkRevFebruary2017.pdf

Wiggins, G. P., & McTighe, J. (2008). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA:

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

What is a City-State?. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX2a3_aI7EQ

Documents

techwithbritt.weebly.com · Web viewWould your students want to explore the Great Wall of China or Machu Picchu in Peru? Virtual reality (VR) can provide students with experiences