HomeEngagement
*Almost instantly, September 11, 2001, was identified as a defining moment in American history. Who gave it that definition? Why was it identified as a defining moment?
*What other national events do you know of that can be identified as defining moments in American history? What qualifies that event as significant?
*Together with your group members, establish the criteria you would use to determine whether or not an event can be classified as a defining moment.
*Share your ideas with the class at large, and through discussion, come to a consensus in determining the criteria everyone will use to decide what defines an event as important. Post the criteria on the classroom wall for future reference.
* On your own, list events from your life that meet the criteria. Compare your list to your classmates. What patterns can be identified?
Exploration
* Think of at least three adults you know whom you could interview about their defining moments.
* Arrange to meet with the people you want to interview. Explain that you are working on a research project in which you are trying to discover what events occurred in the past that they consider to be defining moments and why those events were important.
* Organize the information resulting from your interviews. Consider not only what the events were, but also when the events took place and the reasons given of the event’s importance. Consider, also, the age and gender of those whom you interviewed. Would that affect whether the interviewee considered event significant or not?
* Compare your results with those of your group. How are the results alike and different? Use a graphic organizer to record your decisions.
Explanation
* Based on the information presented in class and your own understanding, write a group report which explains which events identified can be considered defining moments using the criteria established by the class at the beginning of the experiment.
* Share the group’s information with the class at large, again comparing results. You are looking for patterns that might help to identify events commonly considered significant. Classify the events as local, state, national, or other appropriate category.
Extension
* Select one local event of the past and extend your research. Try to discover as much about the event as you can from more than one perspective.
-Where could you go to find more information?
-What other people were affected by the event?
-Do they consider the event to be a defining moment for the community or local area?
-Was the event reported by the local media? Why or why not?
-What caused the event to happen?
-What happened as a result of the event?
-Why would this event be considered a defining moment in the history of your local community?
* Create an original product that most effectively communicates your knowledge and understanding of the event you selected to further research.
* Share your product with your classmates and others who are interested in local history.
Evaluation