For many people I know, tomorrow is a very big day. They will be going to see Solo:A Star Wars Story. Unfortunately due to the fact that I decided to have children and those same children decided to play musical instruments and those instruments need to be played in front of an audience on Thursday and Friday night, I will have to wait until Saturday to see it.
Luckily for me, I don't worry too much about spoilers. Oh wait. Yes I do! In fact I hate spoilers!
But it is ok. I'm not going crazy preparing for it or anything. It's not like people are running contests centered around making fun of me for being so psyched that I have entered excited puppy mode. Oh wait. Yes they are! 
Take us to see Solo now!
Luckily for me I have 
Which lessons are you most passionate about, and which is your least favorite subjects to teach and why?
As far as the worst, I'll go with teaching about Feudalism. That system sucks. Aside from getting to show a brief clip of Monty Python and the Holy Grail it really is no fun at all.
Since that is no fun, allow me to explain my favorite lesson. I guess to be more accurate, I should say allow me to more thoroughly explain my favorite lesson. I wrote a little bit about it back in February.
I love teaching about revolutions. I especially like to have my students study different revolutions to see why they started and what they have in common. As I mentioned in my previous post, some of these common causes for revolution include:
I already explained that this particular lesson ends with an activity that involves looking for these causes of revolution in the Simpsons episode titled Kamp Krusty. However, in that description, I "yada, yada, yada'd" over my favorite part of this lesson.
One sure fire way to get students to understand and remember something is by creating an emotional connection to the content. When dealing with angst-ridden teenagers, it works best if you can get them really fired up and hopping mad about something. In order to provide them with an authentic learning opportunity, I do just that when I begin my unit on revolutions.
I've got them just where I want them.
It is important to note that this lesson takes place in February each year. I have had over five months in order to create excellent rapport with my students. If I did not have this rapport, there is no way I would attempt this lesson. Because of this relationship, after it is over and I need to beg for forgiveness, they usually grant it to me... after making me grovel a little.
I begin the lesson by walking to the front of the room with a stack of red papers. I put on my most serious face and say,
"Guys when you accept a job, you are agreeing to a contract with your employer. You agree to follow their directives in exchange for a paycheck. The employee does not get to decide which rules he will follow. As long as the directives are not illegal or immoral, I need to carry them out. But I don't need to like it. I plan on meeting with the administration after work today in order to make a case against this. I need you guys to help me by providing arguments to use against these changes. All I ask is that we discuss this in an organized way. When you are expressing your concerns, please don't yell or swear."
This introduction never fails to hook every single kid. I know I have their attention and they are going to be fully engaged in the discussion.
I pass out the red paper which contains a paragraph explaining that our school has decided to institute a new decision making process. I explain that students will now have more of a say in the rules of the school. However, due to the fact that Freshman and Sophomores are younger, less mature and less experienced, their two classes will only have one vote while the Juniors and Seniors will have one each.
It does not take long for the students to figure out that they, as Freshman and Sophomores, will be outvoted in every single vote. (This also happens to be the exact way decisions were made in France before the French Revolution... a fact my students never forget.)
I then go on to explain that:
Cafeteria prices for Juniors and Seniors will be cut in half while those for Freshman and Sophomores will double
Each Freshman and Sophomore will be required to pay a $100 “Safety insurance fee” each semester.
1/2 of all Freshman and Sophomore snack foods will be transferred to the Junior and Senior campus cafeterias
All Freshman and Sophomores will pay a $150 “construction fee” in order to build a pool they will never get to use
Juniors and Seniors will be able to get paid for jobs around the school
In order to save money, our school will merge with our rival school and take on the name of their mascot: The Bulldogs
Each day will begin with a morning prayer. The prayer is NOT optional and will be decided upon at the next meeting of the Estates General.
I have never made it through the list without being interrupted by angry students. When this occurs, I tell that that I can't wait to hear what they have to say, but we should get through the whole list first. As soon as I complete the list...
Actual footage of my classroom.
The room explodes!
Students begin shouting out complaints.
Again, I calm them and ask for them to share their concerns one at a time so I can write them down and share them with the principal. One by one we go through the list and the students share why it is so unfair and wrong.
After completing the list I ask, "What can you do about it?"
Students begin to brainstorm ideas. Invariably the list always contains the following actions:
- Write letters to the school board
- Tell their parents to come in and complain
- Boycott the cafeteria
- Refuse to pay the fees
- Walk out
- Refuse to come to school
- Take over the school
At this point, I tell them that they don't have to do any of that because...
I made it all up!
They lose their minds! Some claim they never believed me (even though they were pretty hyped when they suggested the walkout). Others tell me how mad they are at me.
Before it gets too out of hand, I stop them and profusely and sincerely apologize... and I mean it. I explain to them that I did not do this to "punk" them. I am not interested in laughing at them or getting them upset for sport. I explain that it is part of a lesson. I ask them what they think this next unit could possibly be about. Then I ask them what they were preparing to start.
I can practically see the light bulbs going off as one by one they realize that were about to start a revolution. As a result, they conclude that revolutions must be our next topic of study.
As I begin the discussion surrounding the Power Point presentation, kids immediately start to see how each rule in the fake example illustrates one of the common causes of revolution.
The lesson ends with the students completing this sheet:
They all get a 100% on it... then growl at me on the way out the door.
Although they always vow to get revenge, they never do. They also never forget it. I have used this lesson for many years. Whenever I see a former student on the street or at the grocery store they always smile and say, "Do you remember when you got us so mad?"
I do.
Then they ask, "Do you still show the Simpsons all the time?"
I do.
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The other two images were created by me.