Email: jluedke@usd107.org
Parents please email me if you have any questions
Reflective Writing
Reflective Writing Process
Worth 25 Points
Exploration: Research a current event. In your paper write about any prejudgments that you have about the event. Prejudgements are things that you think about when intially reading the headline of the article
Explanation: Summarize what happened in the event or article Include what happened in your event
Conjecture: List any questions that you have thought about on what happened. Questions could be about anything that occurred during or surrounding the event
Analysis: Research and cite other news resources (CNN, Fox, Time or Newsweek) that you used to try to find the answers to your questions. Here is where you find at least two different sources. These spurces may or may not talk about the same things that occurred in the event or social issue. Make sure you summarize and cite each article
Synthesis: Answer your questions and then state your opinion about what happened. Talk about your questions? Did you find those ansewers? Do you agree with the research that you completeed? Why? Why not? What have you learned about the event or social issue?
April 20th- April 24th 2026
World History
Monday:
Vocab:
n Sanction
n Appeasement
n Pacifism
n Blitzkrieg
n Radar
n Sonar
n Genocide
n Collaborator
n Island-hopping
n Containment
Direct instruction
Vocab Pic Share Individual learning groups
Tuesday:
Working towards peace
Impact of Totalitarianism
Direct Instruction
Wednesday:
Direct Instruction
Fascism
Hitler’s background
Video: Adolf Hitler doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhfa4kpyMbs
Thursday:
Direct Instruction
Benito Mussolini
Mussolini Doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKZcHWCzscI
Friday:
Direct instruction:
Causes of WW2
Fall of France
April 20th-April 24th 2026
American History Lesson Plans
Monday:
l How did Benito Mussolini create a fascist state
in Italy?
l How did Joseph Stalin maintain power in the Soviet Union?
l How did Adolf Hitler rise to power in Germany?
l What caused the Spanish Civil War?
l What actions did Japan’s military take during the 1930s?
Direct Instruction
Benito Mussolini Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKZcHWCzscI
Joseph Stalin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7u5crgnt24
Tuesday:
l What was the international response to fascism?
l What were the early events of World War II?
l Why did tension between the United States and Germany increase?
l Why did Japan bomb Pearl Harbor?
Direct instruction
Video: Pearl Harbor: https://tubitv.com/movies/528879/pearl-harbor-a-day-of-infamy
https://tubitv.com/series/4827/pearl-harbor-dawn-of-death
Wednesday:
l What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Allied Powers and Axis Powers in 1941?
l What steps did the United States take to prepare for war?
l Where did the Japanese military attack after Pearl Harbor?
l What were the early turning points of the war in the Pacific?
l What were the major battles in Europe and North Africa in 1942?
Direct Instruction
Thursday:
l How did the U.S. government try to keep wartime morale high?
l What was life like in the United States during World War II?
l How did women contribute to the war effort?
l What actions did the government take to protect the rights of minority groups?
l How were Japanese Americans affected by the war?
Direct Instruction
Friday:
l Where did the Allied offensive in Europe begin?
l How did fighting in the Atlantic and in the air influence the land war in Europe?
l How did the Allies successfully carry out the Normandy invasion?
l What was the Holocaust?
l How did the Allies finally defeat Germany?
Direct Instruction
April 20th-April 24th 2026
Current Political Issues Lesson Plans
Monday:
Objective:
Students will identify major stories from the past week and evaluate source credibility.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Quickwrite: “What news story caught your attention recently?”
News Briefs (10 min):
Teacher shares 3–5 major headlines (local, national, global).
Source Evaluation Mini-Lesson (10 min):
How to detect bias, credibility, and purpose.
Article Hunt (20 min):
Students browse approved news sites to find one credible article.
Fill out Source Analysis Sheet (bias, evidence, purpose).
Exit Ticket (5 min):
Rate the article’s reliability and explain why.
Tuesday:
Objective:
Students will summarize and analyze a selected news article.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Vocabulary pull: students define 2–3 key news terms from yesterday.
Mini-Lesson (10 min):
How to write an effective news summary (5 W’s + significance).
Article Summary Work (20 min):
Students read their chosen article more closely.
Write a 5–7 sentence summary plus Why this event matters.
Small-Group Discussion (10 min):
Students share summaries; groups compare topics and viewpoints.
Exit Ticket (5 min):
“What new perspective did you hear today?”
Wednesday:
Objective:
Students will understand a major ongoing issue and its background context.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Prediction: “What might happen next with ___ issue?”
Teacher Mini-Lesson (15–20 min):
Overview of an ongoing topic (example: elections, conflict zones, economics, climate, Supreme Court decisions).
Include maps, timelines, and background information.
Guided Discussion (15 min):
Students answer guiding questions in pairs.
Focus: impact, stakeholders, consequences.
Reflection (5 min):
One-paragraph response: “What is the most important takeaway?”
Reflective Writing Due
Thursday:
Objective:
Students will practice civil discourse using evidence from reliable sources.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Review discussion norms: respect, evidence, no personal attacks.
Preparation (10 min):
Students gather supporting evidence for a debate topic selected earlier in the week.
Structured Debate or Socratic Seminar (25–30 min):
Formats can vary weekly:
Fishbowl discussion
Pro/Con debate
Four Corners opinion activity
Exit Ticket (5 min):
Students write one thing they learned from an opposing viewpoint.
Friday:
Objective:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of current events through writing and assessment.
Activities:
News Quiz (10 min):
Covers the major stories of the week (multiple choice + short answer).
Weekly Reflection (15–20 min):
Prompts:
What event this week do you think will matter 10 years from now? Why?
Which event did you find most confusing and why?
Share-Out (10 min):
Volunteers read their responses.
Preview Next Week (5 min):
Teacher gives a teaser topic or major issue to follow.
Materials:
Quiz, reflection sheet.
April 20th- April 24th 2026
American Government
Monday:
Begin JFK Assassination Project
On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas.
Within hours, Lee Harvey Oswald was arrested. In 1964, the Warren Commission concluded
that Oswald acted alone. Years later, the House Select Committee on Assassinations suggested
there may have been a conspiracy.
Your job is to re-open the case using evidence, testimony, and historical records to answer the driving question:
Was JFK killed by a lone gunman, or was there a larger conspiracy?
You will be placed in a team with a specific investigative focus:
• Forensic Team – Ballistics, autopsy, bullet trajectory
• Witness Team – Eyewitness accounts from Dealey Plaza
• Suspect Team – Oswald’s background, motives, and timeline
• Government Team – Findings of the Warren Commission
• Conspiracy Claims Team – Alternative theories and supporting evidence
You will view the Zapruder film and examine maps, photos, witness statements, and report excerpts.
As you review, ask:
• What do I notice?
• What questions do I have?
• What seems unclear or suspicious?
Use your evidence packet to complete the chart below.
Evidence | What does it show? | Is it reliable? Why/why not? | Questions it raises
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
As other teams present, take notes to build the full picture.
Team | Key Findings | Evidence They Used | New Questions
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Your group will present your conclusion in ONE of the following ways:
• Mock Congressional Hearing
• Documentary-style Video
• Formal Presentation
• Written Investigative Report
Your presentation must:
• Answer the driving question
• Use specific evidence from multiple teams
• Explain why your evidence is trustworthy
• Address counterarguments
1. Where was each key person during the shooting?
2. How many shots were fired? From where?
3. Does the timeline make sense for one shooter?
4. Why do conspiracy theories still exist?
5. How did Americans’ trust in government change after this event?
After reviewing all the evidence, what do you believe happened on November 22, 1963?
Use at least three pieces of evidence to support your conclusion.
✔ Stay focused on evidence, not rumors
✔ Participate in team discussions
✔ Take careful notes from other groups
✔ Support your conclusions with facts
A map showing the Texas School Book Depository, the grassy knoll, and the motorcade route.
Students should analyze possible shooter locations and lines of sight.
12:30 PM – Shots fired
12:33 PM – Police alerted
1:15 PM – Oswald arrested at Texas Theatre
Students evaluate whether the timeline supports one shooter.
Some witnesses reported hearing shots from the grassy knoll, while others pointed to the Book Depository.
Students must assess reliability and consistency.
Former Marine, lived in the Soviet Union, worked at the Book Depository.
Owned a rifle found at the scene.
Conclusion that Oswald acted alone based on physical evidence and testimony.
Suggested possible conspiracy based partly on acoustic analysis conducted in the 1970s.
Students should note timing of shots and reactions of the motorcade.
Images of the motorcade route and building positions to analyze sight lines.
Tuesday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMdw-nfWR50
Zapurber film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7rLYh52fPE&rco=1
Wednesday:
JFK Video
Work on Project
https://www.hulu.com/watch/4e74648f-51af-4d27-884c-6ac614b16e77
Thursday:
JFK Video : https://tubitv.com/movies/100048699/jfk-assassination-minute-by-minute
Work on Project
Friday:
JFK Video :: https://tubitv.com/movies/100029231/killing-jfk-the-ultimate-conspiracy
Work on Project