Unit Plan

Grade 12 ELA Module 3

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

Gun, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond is a seminal work of historical nonfiction from the late 20th century. Use the author's claims and supporting evidence to guide your high school seniors through their research project, culminating in a multimedia journal. The first unit of the module focuses on Diamond's arguments and prompts your class to choose one to evaluate based on textual details in a unit assessment. Next, learners synthesize the skills they have honed in a larger research project in the second unit, which offers several topics and sources to evaluate, investigate, and take positions for or against after participating in an inquiry-based learning experience.

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CCSS: Designed
Instructional Ideas
  • Work with your school's computer science department to design a cross-curricular project between language arts and/or social science, and have your class work on the digital parts of their project in a computer lab or tablet cart
  • If you don't have time for all 41 lessons in the module, use the second unit as a focus on research and presentation skills 
Classroom Considerations
  • You will need a class set or access to ebooks of Guns, Germs, and Steel
  • Does not include a table of contents, which may make the 621-page resource challenging to navigate; use your computer's search function to locate key terms and concepts
Pros
  • Emphasizes proper MLA citation
  • Research, evaluation, writing, and multimedia skills apply to other disciplines and are especially helpful for college-bound seniors
  • Provides worksheets and graphic organizers that you could use with other projects
Cons
  • None