Overview:
TIME magazine named Albert Einstein Person of the Century in their January 3, 2000 issue, noting that his ideas "reverberated beyond science, influencing modern culture from painting to poetry." A nonconformist from an early age, he rejected the militarism of his homeland and embraced the principles of pacifism. After receiving the Nobel Prize, he used his fame to advocate harmony among nations. His pacifism was to be sorely tested as the strength of fascism grew in Europe and he had to weigh his principles against the realities of Nazi aggression. In this lesson, students will explore Einstein's dilemma as the splitting of the atom and World War II converged to alter history forever.
Grade Level:
9-12
Time:
- one class period to view and debrief clips
- one to two class periods for research and formulation of position papers
- one class period for evaluation
Subject Matter:
Science, History
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to do the following:
- gather content from video
- make inferences from content
- gather pertinent resources to contribute to a group presentation
- formulate conclusions based on research
- defend a position based on a synthesis of information
National Standards:
MCREL U.S. HISTORY, Level 4, Standard 26, Benchmark 1
Understands scientific and technological developments in America after World War II (e.g., the new system of scientific research and development, advances in medical science and how they improved the standard of living and changed demographic patterns, the global influence of the communications revolution ushered in by American technology).
MCREL WORLD HISTORY, Standard 41, Benchmark 8
Understands the climax and moral implications of World War II (e.g., the moral implications of military technologies and techniques used in the war, statistics of population displacement caused by the war, debates surrounding the use of the atomic bomb to end the war with Japan).
MCREL SCIENCE, Level 4, Standard 11
Understands the nature of scientific knowledge.
MCREL SCIENCE, Level 4, Standard 12
Understands the nature of scientific inquiry.
MCREL TECHNOLOGY, Level 4, Standard 3, Benchmark 1
Knows that science and technology are pursued for different purposes (e.g., scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world and seeks to answer questions that may or may not directly influence humans; technology is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems).
MCREL TECHNOLOGY, Standard 3, Benchmark 7
Knows that mathematics, creativity, logic, and originality are all needed to improve technology.
Visit PBS TeacherSource
|
