[Andrew Field]

http://www.schoolhis...itler/index.htm

I'm developing my Rise of Hitler lesson and would be interested in any further ideas. I've got the extension activities lined up (but not completed yet), so that isn't a problem, but I'm after ideas on how you think the lesson works now.

Before there were brief explanation paragraphs followed by fill in the gap quizzes that needed to be filled in using words that appeared in drop-down boxes. The trouble with these was that a pupil could just fiddle around with the options until they got them correct.

I've now replaced nearly all of these with small Flash based exercises. The computer you work on stores the information you type in. When you reach the conclusion you then are presented with all your work and have to type in your final response.

It still isn't quite finished, but I hope this will work.
(N.B. There's an error I fixed last night - where printout goes to two pages rather than one - but didn't upload the fix )

[Richard Jones-Nerzic]

I just completed this subject with my Y10s, the same class who did Spring Europe last week. Why not create a discussion topic on the student forum site and you can ask them for specific feedback on usability etc. Saves me setting a homework next week

[Andrew Field]

Erm... certainly could do I suppose. I need to finish the lesson off first but I'd then be happy to put it up for criticism.

I'm perhaps a little hesitant to start a discussion on something like this as I'd like to keep the discussion forum for things that are a little bit more 'special'. If it is used for feedback in this way it somehow cheapens the whole experience a little.

I'd like the next use of the forum to be something really good - some sort of interactive debate on a historical issue.

Andy: Thanks for these comments - very useful. I'm planning to change parts of the lesson, so your suggestions will fit in well.

[Lesley Ann]

fantastic work, I will try and get my year 11 in an ICT suite tomorrow......
just a thought on the rise of Hitler, as a hook to get the pupils interest when you start the rise of Hitler....It was suggested by a trainer to show the pupils a picture of Hitler from WWI and ask 'How was it possible that this soldier in a few years was standing at the front of this photpgraph (now show them a photo of a Nazi rally)...

[Andrew Field]

OK - but beware that the lesson isn't quite complete yet. The conclusions page works (I think) but I haven't fully tested it and the extensions section isn't live yet.

As for your idea, that would be great. I'd put together this start page for the lesson, but I'll change it in the light of your suggestion:
http://www.schoolhis...itler/start.htm

I suppose what would work equally well would be his face in the crowd when the Treaty of Versailles is announced, followed by a Nazi rally.

[Lesley Ann]

I've had a run through of points 1 to 4 and it seems to be working well. Although when you type in your answers in the boxes, some are not big enough to take the information unless it is the one where you can scroll down, and I love how it is summarised in notes at the end but if the box was not big enough to take the notes you have to pull each paragraph down within the conclusion to get your of your response. If you get my drift...

On the whole, I am in awe...this is good stuff....nay OUTSTANDING

This post has been edited by Ann: 02 April 2003 - 09:42 PM

[Lesley Ann]

just thought about the extension...how about some source analysis, OR GCSE questioning or even more radical give the pupils are mark scheme and get them to assess reponses....to show them how the minds of the examiner works......

[Andrew Field]

Ann, on Apr 2 2003, 10:37 PM, said:

I love how it is summarised in notes at the end but if the box was not big enough to take the notes you have to pull each paragraph down within the conclusion to get your of your response.  If you get my drift...

This is exactly what I mean about it not quite being finished yet.

As I want kids to be able to print off their work I can either get Flash to print it to two pages (which shouldn't really be a problem) or look at doing their concluded points in a different way.

As for source analysis, you are right along my line of thinking too. The 'old' lesson used sources, so I hope to build these in (of course developing them further) to help:
http://www.schoolhis...port_source.htm

There's also a game and links to other great activities such as Russel's one to one with Hitler.

[Lesley Ann]

Andrew Field, on Apr 2 2003, 11:01 PM, said:

This is exactly what I mean about it not quite being finished yet. 

hey my yr 11 kids won't notice it's not finished....they had a diet of chalk and talk and copy notes all last year until I joined the school. They had never watched the TV/video let alone set foot in the ICT suite they are just grateful for variety.....they will love this approach to lessons....and the head to head on Russels site will amaze them further!!!

This post has been edited by Ann: 02 April 2003 - 10:09 PM

[Andrew Field]

There's a very similar thing I'm working on for castles as well. I'm going to rework it to remove the copyrighted images and replace them with student drawn versions and then add in the ablity to type ideas in to produce a conclusion akin to the Hitler stuff. Again work in progress can be seen at:
http://www.schoolhis...essons/castles/

Thanks for the ideas on improvements to the Hitler lesson - I can certainly improve it further. I don't want to encourage students to write too much into the boxes though, so I'm not quite sure what to do about that.

[Carole Faithorn]

Andrew Field, on Apr 2 2003, 10:31 PM, said:

I suppose what would work equally well would be his face in the crowd when the Treaty of Versailles is announced, followed by a Nazi rally.

Genuine question ... (not nit-picking. Honest!) .... are you referring to the 'face in the crowd' photo used in one of the Brooman books? I thought this was taken in Munich when WWI was declared?

Like everyone else I think this is excellent, but am wondering which Year you have in mind?

[Andrew Field]

Yes - that's the one. I remember it from my own studies several years, hence my mistake.

The material is aimed at Year 9 - it isn't really that complicated at all, but I suppose the tasks might make it more so.

[Carole Faithorn]

Andrew Field, on Apr 2 2003, 11:30 PM, said:

The material is aimed at Year 9 - it isn't really that complicated at all, but I suppose the tasks might make it more so.

That's what I thought from the level of the materials and tasks so far. In that case then what follows needs to be just one or two sources to analyse rather than a full-blown GCSE evaluation, I guess?

PS I still quite like my 'voters' suggestion that I made in a recent PM though

[Andrew Field]

Indeed - I don't want to get too carried away. My brief was to create a lesson for my Year 9s to use, together with extension activities to push them on should they wish to.

Anything extra won't be too extensive for reasons you suggest.