HIST 1301 ~ United States History, Part 1
Dr. Carol A. Keller

Learning to think like Historians using Problem Based Learning
Cases to Enhance Globally Focused Unites States History, Part 1

Unit 1 ~ Discussion Topic & Problem Based Learning (PBL)
 
 
    ...Once you have learned to ask questions - relevant and appropriate and 
    substantial questions - you have learned how to learn and no one can keep 
    you from learning what ever you want or need to know.
    Teaching as a Subversive Activity (1969)
    Neil Postman & Charles Weingartner

1.  Problem

Seventeen years ago on 16 March 1988, the Iraqi government under Saddam Hussein bombarded the town of Halabja in Southern Kurdistan with chemical weapons, mustard, nerve and cyanide gases. Within a few hours over 5,000 Kurdish civilians including women and children were dead and over 10,000 people were injured.* Biological warfare is a "slippery topic," but the topic is not one of recent origin. Rules of warfare (today termed "rule of engagement" (ROE) date from the sixteenth century. On June 24, 1763, William Trent, a trader at Ft. Pitt recorded in his journal that during a parly with two Delaware Indians, "we gave them two Blankets and an Handerchief out of the Small Pox Hospital. I hope it wil have the desired effect."

The story of the role that smallpox played in eighteenth-century warfare is as complex and controversial as the use of biological warfare is today. With a continent at stake did the British use smallpox as a weapon against Native Americans and their colonial allies? Thinking like an historian, what does the evidence indicate?

Your task as investigative historical journalists is to craft a presentation, based on historical evidence presented in Chapter 4 of Going to The Source, to increase public awareness of the local (American) as well as global ramifications of the usage of germ warfare and the importance of using evidence to prove your case. Your challenge is to be informative and comprehensive using primary materials, distilling several centuries of issues into topical format, without overloading readers and viewers.

2. Reasoning through problem, identification of learning issues ** by each designated learning group - complete for submission

Hypotheses/Ideas
Information
Learning Issues
Action Plan
Brain-storming about: causation, effect, & or outcome Syntheses of information obtained through hypotheses guided inquiry List of what needs to be learned in order to complete the problem task Things that need to be done in order to complete the problem task

What questions does the problem raise?

What do you think you know in order to answer?

What do you need to find out in order to resolve the problem?

3. Resource

The American Colonies and the Great War for the Empire: Germ Warfare?

4. Self-directed study

a. Research identified learning issues

b. Apply knowledge to the problem

c. Analyze and synthesize appropriate aspects of problem

d. Submit topic discussion/PBL paper summarizing learning issues, research, question response, and final analysis (see item 6 - 2 below)

5. Learning Outcomes:

a. examine interpretive problems using historical evidence and connect them with contemporary events;

b. explore historical processes through a wide lens in order to relate the past in a global context;

c. meet the challenge of incorporating new globally focused material into an already crowded curriculum and build relevance into course themes.

6. Problem Based Learning (PBL) Assignment:

1) Participate in the identification of learning issues and resources in class and in the scheduled follow-up discussion by submitting your answers, and your response to the above questions assigned your learning group (use the BbV Discussion Board Germ Warfare group forum to exchange information). 

2) There are two parts to your evaluation for your unit 1 Topic Analysis/PBL grade:

  • Group Grade (50 %): Develop a PowerPoint© (PP) presentation that explores aspects of the PBL problem and resolution. Include a list of resources based. All PP presentations are delivered by each group, in-class, on the assigned date (see course calendar). Groups plan and develop their PP using the discussion forum. When complete each is attached to a post in the BbV Discussion forum for ease of in-class access. Your group grade is determined by instructor and peer evaluation (each student completes an evaluation form).
  • Individual PBL Report (50 %): in the BbV assignment box, upload a written report (3-4 pages). First summarize your group analysis, your learning issues, and your individual response to assigned questions as posted on the BB. Include your group and individual resource list as well as answers to questions 4, 5 & 6 of Analyzing Journal Articles (page 87) and a one paragraph summary of "The Rest of the Story" page 87-88. & "Beyond the Source" (page 87-88) summary (as a Word document). See the check list.
  • CAUTION: If you do not use Microsoft Word, then save your file in rich text format (rtf)prior to uploading - I will convert to word and return your graded report, with comments, for you to download and review.

7. Discussion Board BbV Access: Use the BbV Discussion Board (BB) to discuss group learning issues and distribute results to designated learning group. Post final learning group outcomes and completed group PowerPoint slide presentation on the BB.

  • BbV is an Online Learning Management System.
  • In order to access your BbV course support materials go to http://www.accd.edu/portal.htm then click on San Antonio College and set up your Eportal account for SAC pipeline access to your course -- set up BbV login
  • You will ONLY be able to access the assigned BbV course support materials through BbV login.

* KurdishMedia.com - By Dr Hussein Tahiri
** Department of Medical Education, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Please send any questions, or comments to Carol A. Keller, email, ckeller@accd.edu
Last updated August, 2008
page created by Carol A. Keller
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