Leadership

http://edweb.sdsu.edu/courses/edtec596/Units/Leadership/Leadership.html

Jennifer Brown
Laurie Furman
Debbie Hake
Randi Miller
Mike Wegenka

Introduction

This unit was developed at San Diego State University in EDTEC 596, Interdisciplinary Teaching with Technology, Bernie Dodge, Instructor.

This Unit will explore the meaning of Leadership in all its realms. Students will delve into the questions of what a leader is, what society looks for in its leaders and why we need leaders.

Content Areas and Grades

This unit is anchored in seventh grade social studies and language arts, but also involves science and math to a lesser extent. Although this unit was written for the seventh grade level it could easily be adapted to work for grades from sixth through twelve.

Curriculum Standards

As educators we would like our students to be able to recognize the need for leadership in any society. They should also be able to differentiate between the different types of leadership that exist in the world and compare different characteristics of leaders world wide. We want our students to be able to analyze and evaluate the geographical and chronological effects on leaders in a global and historical setting. Ideally students should see connections between the past the present and the future of leadership.

Social Studies Standards Addressed

This unit supports various content appropriate teaching methods that actively encourage students in the learning process.
This unit emphasizes the importance of enriching the study history with the use of literature.
This unit incorporates a multicultural perspective throughout the social science language arts curriculum.
This unit emphasizes the application of ethical understanding and civic virtue to public affairs.

Our unit will implicitly teach several types of thinking in accordance to Bloom's cognitive taxonomy. Although traditional learning outcomes within the content areas will be addressed inference-making, critical thinking, creative production, creative problem-solving, observation and categorization, comparison, teamwork and compromise will also be incorporated.

Organizing Theme and Guiding Questions

The organizing theme of this unit is Leadership. The theme is described in terms of four guiding questions.

What is a leader?
What are the variations of leadership?
What do we look for in leaders?
Why do we need leaders?

Guiding Question Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation
What is a leader? Identify several working definitions of leadership. Summarize biographical information of two to four leaders. Research a leader and analyze their work. Differentiate the characteristics of leadership. Develop an ideal leader. Defend the characteristics of your ideal leader.

What are the variations of leadership? Identify leaders in different content areas. Classify the qualities of leaders in a semantic features chart. Compare and contrast the various leaders across the content areas. Differentiate between heroes, Idols and leaders. Create a biography for your ideal leader. Assess which variation of leadership is most critical to society.

What do we look for in leaders? List and label the qualities of leaders throughout history. Classify the characteristics of leadership according to the societies from which they originated. Determine the differences in leadership through role play and simulation. Predict the qualities of leadership that will be need in the future. Invent an ideal society for your ideal leader. Evaluate your ideal leader's chances for election compared to a current political figure.

Why do we need leaders? Define terms related to the absence of leadership. Illustrate leadership in times of instability. Imagine a situation without leadership. Debate how leaders benefit or detract from society. What if your ideal society lost its ideal leader. Recommend alternatives to current forms of leadership.

Guiding Question	Knowledge	Comprehension	Application	Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation
What is a leader?	Identify several working definitions of leadership.	Summarize biographical information of two to four leaders.	Research a leader and analyze their work.	Differentiate the characteristics of leadership.	Develop an ideal leader.	Defend the characteristics of your ideal leader.
What are the variations of leadership?	Identify leaders in different content areas.	Classify the qualities of leaders in a semantic features chart.	Compare and contrast the various leaders across the content areas.	Differentiate between heroes, Idols and leaders.	Create a biography for your ideal leader.	Assess which variation of leadership is most critical to society.
What do we look for in leaders?	List and label the qualities of leaders throughout history.	Classify the characteristics of leadership according to the societies from which they originated.	Determine the differences in leadership through role play and simulation.	Predict the qualities of leadership that will be need in the future.	Invent an ideal society for your ideal leader.	Evaluate your ideal leader's chances for election compared to a current political figure.
Why do we need leaders?	Define terms related to the absence of leadership.	Illustrate leadership in times of instability.	Imagine a situation without leadership.	Debate how leaders benefit or detract from society.	What if your ideal society lost its ideal leader.	Recommend alternatives to current forms of leadership.

Implementation Overview

Although this unit is social studies driven the theme of leadership encompasses several different content areas. These areas include language arts, math, science and physical education. Students will be taught by a team of teachers over several periods a day. This multi disciplinary unit will span four weeks.

Material Resources Needed

Social Studies (Humanities)
- Grade appropriate social studies text,
- Computers with internet access,
- Audio visual presentation equipment,
- Encyclopedias and Almanacs in classroom and library,
Language Arts (Humanities)
- Class set of Lord of the Flies by William Holding,
- Computers with internet access,
- Class set of local newspaper delivered once weekly,
- Autobiographical reference materials located in library,
- Audio visual presentation equipment,
- Audio visual reference materials on historical figures,
- One large conch shell,
- Arts and crafts supplies,
Science
- Class set of Terrestrial Bioms by Pat and Barbara Ward,
- Computers with internet access,
- Encyclopedia in library,
- Reference materials on Elephants, Chimpanzees, and Wolves also in library
Math
- Text material on measures of central tendencies,
- Computers with internet access,

Internet Accesss

All content area classrooms will be making some use of the internet. In some cases students will be looking at specific sites and at other times students will be using the net to do research about individual leaders. We strongly suggest that teachers who are going to allow their students to do independant internet searches closely monitor the content of the sites that students access. If possible there should be more than just one adult in the room when students are accessing the the internet in this way.

Human Resources Needed

This unit is designed to be taught by five teachers representing each content area working together on an interdisciplinary team. Currently there is no need for additional adults in the classroom except for field trip supervision and days when the students will be doing independant searches on the internet.

Entry Level Skills and Knowledge

Most subject areas will be making some use of the internet so student should have some basic knowledge of what the internet is and how to access it. In addition they will need the following skills in each content area.

Social Studies (Humanities)
- Previous exposure to the concept of democracy
Language Arts (Humanities)
- Library research skills
Math
- Graphing skills
- Basic knowledge of fractions and percents
Science
- Library research skills
Physical Education

Teacher Experience

This unit was developed by novice teachers, but experience with directing debates and role plays would be helpful. Experience with the use of the internet would add tremendously to the quality of the unit, however the unit could still function without this technology.

Outline of Activities

Week #1	Week #2	Week #3	Week #4
Humanities	Humanities	Humanities	Humanities
Math	Math	Math	Math
Science	Science	Science	Science
Physical Education	Physical Education	Physical Education	Physical Education

Evaluation of Students

Evaluation of students will be based on the work that they produce during the course of the unit. In language arts evaluation will be based mostly on written assignments, participation in Socratic seminars and project work. In social studies students will be evaluated on the successful creation of their ideal leaders and societies as well as their active participation in debate proceedings. In science evaluation will mainly be based on written research assignments and successful completion of worksheets. In math evaluation will be based upon their student survey projects the completion of the project hot list and tests. In physical education students will be evaluated on their role as leaders.

Evaluation of the Unit

Teachers should consider this unit successful if eighty percent of students can complete evaluative level assignments.

Possible Variations

Variations on this unit include field trip destinations dependent upon availability of resources, funds and time. The websites dealing with election material may need to be altered or updated.

Conclusion

A successful completion of this unit will enable our students to analyze and evaluate the pros and cons of leaders and their leadership abilities. This will give them the tools to make educated and informed opinions regarding their own global communities. In turn, our students, should they choose to embrace a leadership role, will be able to affect change in their lives.

Last updated on May 22, 1996. Return to the Index of Units Page