Curriculum Units from the 2005 Grant Cycle
Four curriculum units on Europe are available from the Institute's 2005 grant cycle for teachers and others to download free. They are directly aligned with New York State Department of Education learning standards. The complete set of units is also available free on CD-ROM upon request; please contact the outreach coordinator at 607-255-7592.
Ares and the Muses: The Impact of World War I on the Artists
For grades 11 & 12
by George W. Lohmann, English Teacher, Grade 11 Newark Valley High School, New York
How to Die
Dark clouds are smouldering into red
While down the craters morning burns.
The dying soldier shifts his head
To watch the glory that returns;
He lifts his fingers toward the skies
Where holy brightness breaks in flame;
Radiance reflected in his eyes,
And on his lips a whispered name.
Siegfried Sassoon (1886-1967)
Download the introductory PowerPoint presentation
Separation of Church and State in Europe
For grades 10 - 12
by Rebecca Glatter, Teacher, U.S. History & Gov. (grade 11), Participation in Government (grade 12)
C.W. Baker High School, Baldwinsville, New York
This unit offers a hands-on approach to teaching the relationship between church and state. "Several European countries are having to evaluate their policies toward religion in the public sphere as a result of a growing Muslim population that is resisting secularization and assimilation," says Glatter. The unit engages students with primary source documents and includes analyses of the role of the Church in Europe before the Reformation, the religious wars, the Enlightenment's effects on the French Revolution and the Catholic Church, and the French concept of laicite being challenged by French Muslim. Designed for 10th grade Global History and 12th grade Participation in Government curricula, the unit covers several New York State Learning Standards, including World History (Standard 2), Geography (3) and Civics (5)
La Vie Familiale -- Family Life in France
For Level 4 French (grade 11)
by Toni P. Johnson, Teacher, Languages Other Than English (LOTE)Penn Yan Academy, New York
This unit updates and enhances traditional information on French culture found in many teaching resources. "By teaching [students] about the culture of France," says Johnson, "I hope to open their minds to the differences that exist between peoples and to accept these differences, whether or not they agree with them." The 10-week unit, designed for Level 4 French (usually grade 11), includes sections on marriage in France, the home, religious holidays, vacations, and divorce. The unit focuses on changing family customs and the controversy over Muslim students wearing headscarves in schools. This unit covers standards of the New York State standards for Languages Other Than English (LOTE).
European Dining
For foreign language classes, upper-level
By Matthew Holl Teacher, French (Levels I & II), Spanish (Level II), Homer Central High School, New York
This unit gives rural students a chance to immerse themselves in a European culture on the most basic of levels: dining. "Meal-taking" is one of the LOTE curriculum's 14 basic topic headings for instruction, but unfortunately, many students in rural districts have neither the means nor the opportunity to take advantage of even this less-than-authentic dining experience," says Holl, who was teaching at Cincinattus Central School when he received the IES grant for this project. This curriculum unit fills that gap by giving students the opportunity to conduct research on representative dishes from specific regions of Europe and simulate a typical European meal setting, with an emphasis on communication and family. Students write a comparative paper in the target language as part of their learning about the importance of the meal in European family life. The unit is geared mainly toward upper-level classes beyond the Regents level, but can be adapted across levels.