Grades: Upper Middle

Duration: 3 days (one day research, two days for creation of project) + presentation time

Curriculum Areas:
Social studies, Integrated Literacy

Goals
To compare the life of Gandhi and other nonviolent leaders
To identify qualities and behaviors of nonviolence

Objectives

To use the internet to gather data
To organize data in a useful way
To synthesis information and communicate findings to audiences in different formats
To understand the meaning of nonviolence by identifying nonviolent qualities

Connection to Wisconsin State Standards

English Language Arts: A.8.1, A.8.4, B.8.1, C.8.1, E.8.1, E.8.3, E.8.5, F.8.1
Social Studies: B.8.1, B.8.4, B.8.7, B.8.10, B.8.12, C.8.7
Information and Technology Literacy: A.8.2, A.8.3, A.8.4, A.8.5, B.8.1, B.8.2, B.8.3, B.8.5, B.8.6, B.8.7, C.8.3, C.8.4, D.8.1, D.8.2, D.8.4

Background Information for Teachers

Teachers may want to use the source page ahead of time. There are many great resources for nonviolence on these pages.

Materials Required

- Computers or computer lab for 1 day (or more depending on assessment project).
- Overhead of “What does nonviolence mean?”
- Four parts of the assignment online or worksheets: “Question” page, “Information Sources” page, “Student Activity” - graphic organizer, and “Assessment” sheet

Introduction

We must be the change we wish to see. M. K. Gandhi

1. Introduce nonviolence with overhead of nonviolent qualities. (Gandhi Power Point also has this.)

2. Ask students if they can think of any nonviolent leaders in the world that exhibit these qualities.

3. Handout the four part worksheet (Also on power point).

4. Ask students what they know about Gandhi? Model filling in Gandhi on the graphic organizer. (Also on Power Point with live links). This will help students understand the task.

5. Have students complete the graphic organizer in pairs or groups.

6. Each student will use the information on the chart to select significant events and qualities of these influential people, and write a one-paragraph essay that includes two significant events in the nonviolent leader’s life showing at least two nonviolent qualities. Which leader stands out in your mind and why? Paragraph graded by rubric (see handout)

7. In pairs or groups students will create a visual product that represents their choice for nonviolent qualities found in these leaders, and select two specific events that show these qualities in the leaders’ life.

Ideas for projects are:

• Do an interview role playing the part of a famous leader.
• Create a slide show or power point
• Make a collage of pictures or words on paper
• Create a documentary on one or more leaders
• Other ideas? (Must be teacher approved)
  
  Your visual will be graded with rubric (see handout).

Extension

• Reflect the relevance of nonviolent qualities in your everyday life. Are there things that you do that reflect these qualities? What could you do to become a better leader in nonviolence?
  
• Who are leaders in our community? Choose three or four to interview. What are the commonalities of these people?
  
• Choose one leader to do a more extensive research project using sources listed on resource page. Why do you believe people may have been opposed to these viewpoints?
  
• Explore the relationship between Gandhi and King’s teachings. How are they alike and how are they different?
  
• Select one quote from each nonviolent leader that you believe represents him/her and tell why?
  
• Which of these leaders have had the most significant impact on the world? Why?
  
• Use a world map to show what parts of the world these leaders have had an impact?
  
  Teacher Support Materials
  
  Consult the following lessons on nonviolent leaders in the world:
  
  - EDSITEMENT – Lesson Plans, National Endowment for the Humanities
  - National Geographic Xpeditions Lesson Plans
  - http://www.bloomfield.org/media/index_mckenzie.php

The Question: What are the qualities of a nonviolent leader? These are some very well known nonviolent leaders from around the world; they have influenced many people.

To answer the question, you must examine these nonviolent leaders and evaluate his/her nonviolent qualities and significant events in his/her life.

Also see handout.

The Information Sources

Encarta

The TIME 100: The Most Important People of the 20th Century

National Geographic: Online

National Geographic Xpeditions Atlas—World Outline Maps

Dalai Lama
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dalai Lama

Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Seattle Times: Martin Luther King, Jr.
The King Center

Mohandus (Mahatma) Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi Official Site
Mahatma Gandhi: Father of a Nation
M.K. Gandhi Institute

Nelson Mandala
Interview with Nelson Mandala by National Geographic’s Peter Godwin in 2000 African National Congress

Eleanor Roosevelt
http://www.wic.org/bio/roosevel.htm
http://www.greatwomen.org/women.php?action=viewone&id=128

The Assessment Activity

Use the information on the chart to select significant events and qualities of these influential people. Write a one-paragraph essay that includes two significant events in the nonviolent leader’s life showing at least two nonviolent qualities. Which leader stands out in your mind and why?

Your paragraph will be graded with rubric (see handout).

Create a visual product that represents your choice for nonviolent qualities found in these leaders. Select two specific events that show these qualities in the leaders’ life.

Ideas for projects are:

- Do an interview role playing the part of a famous leader.
- Create a slide show or power point
- Make a collage of pictures or words on paper
- Create a documentary on one or more leaders
- Other ideas? (Must be teacher approved)

Your visual will be graded with rubric (see handout).

Extensions

- Reflect the relevance of nonviolent qualities in your everyday life. Are there things that you do that reflect these qualities? What could you do to become a better leader in nonviolence?

- Who are leaders in our community? Choose three or four to interview. What are the commonalities of these people?

- Choose one leader to do a more extensive research project using sources listed on resource page. Why do you believe people may have been opposed to these viewpoints?

- Explore the relationship between Gandhi and King’s teachings. How are they alike and how are they different?

- Select one quote from each nonviolent leader that you believe represents him/her and tell why?

- Which of these leaders have had the most significant impact on the world? Why?
Uses a world map to show what parts of the world these leaders have had an impact?