By: Kyle Carlson
Unit Title: Depressive Disorders
Prefatory Statement
One out of every fifteen adults and one out of every twenty-five
teenagers are affected by depression each year. Every student
sometime in his or her life will know a depressed family member
or friend, or will deal with depression themselves. Within this
Unit, students will research a particular depressive disorder
and present their findings to the class. Students will also analyze
characters dealing with depression and connect it to their findings.
Students will be better able to recognize the symptoms of the
various types of depression and will know where to go to find
help if they or anyone they know requires assistance in dealing
with depression. Students will also have a better understanding
of characters within literature that are depressed. Students
will be better able to analyze these characters and connect with
them on a deeper level.
Within this unit students will in groups research and write a
paper on a particular depressive disorder by using the internet,
library resources, and interviews of experts. Students will also
be expected to give a presentation on a particular disorder. Students
will learn to work together effectively as a group. Students
will also learn about the research process. By using the movie
Ordinary People as an example, students will have the opportunity
to see and journal about a realistic character with depression.
Class Specification
This unit is designed for eleventh and twelfth grade students in mind. This unit is suited to students who are ready to refine their writing skills, possibly up to a point where they are ready for a college writing class. For students who have a limited familiarity with the research process, more emphasis should be put in the early weeks which deal with finding information. For those students who have done some research work in the past and are more likely to be ready to hone their writing skills, more emphasis should be put on the later weeks during the revision process. This unit will deal with topics that will almost certainly affect some students on a personal level. What students write about in their journals will be varied and personal. The teacher should work with the school guidance counselor while keeping in mind student journals, class discussion, and any other relevant reactions from students, as the topic might well intermingle with students personal lives.
Significant Assumptions
· Students know how to use the WWW.
· Students will have access to a computer.
· Students will have time to interview an expert on depressive
disorders.
· Students will be comfortable with the topic of the unit.
· Student groups will effectively work together.
· Students will be familiar with the outlining process.
· Students will be familiar with the revision process.
Desired Outcomes
Students will be able to demonstrate standard specifications D, E, and F under the Minnesota High School Graduation Standard Research Process. A student shall use primary research techniques of surveys, structured and unstructured interviews, observations, questionnaires, and access secondary sources in multiple ways to:
1. write a review of background information based on a survey
of related literature from a variety of sources including identifying
key issues, and identifying relevant historical and contextual
background;
2. collect and interpret primary data; and
3. discuss research findings, including describing research problems,
describing the findings from a survey of literature, presenting
primary data, interpreting and analyzing information, and formulating
possibilities for further research.
By the end of the unit the students will also have learned:
· to draw upon a variety of research sources
· to connect, compare, and contrast their research from
a variety of sources
· to hone their writing and presentation skills to produce
a smooth and effective delivery
· to recognize many of the characteristics of depressive
disorders
Possible Whole-Class Activities
· Viewing of movie Ordinary People
· Guest speakers
· Discussion on questions generated by students on movie
Possible Small-Group Activities
· Work on researching and presenting information on specific depressive disorder
Possible Individual Activities
· Journaling to reflect on assignments, movie, and class discussion
Ongoing activities
· The Main focus of this unit will be the ongoing research
on depressive disorders.
· Journals will also be an ongoing activity and question
may be used to spark student writing, however, journals should
be somewhat open ended to allow students to personalize their
reflections.
Student Resources
· Journals
· Handout on depressive disorders
· Computer lab with internet access
Unit Launch
Objectives: Students will be able to:
· Recall prior knowledge of depression and connect it
with information given in class
· Identify basic characteristic of the major depressive
disorders
Methods:
1. Write down words "Depression" and "Depressive Disorder" on blackboard. Have students break into groups of 3-4 to write down a short description, 3-4 sentences, on what they think depression and depressive orders are. Have group designate one person to write down answer to be handed in at end of class. (5 minutes)
2. Have one spokesperson (other than group recorder) present answer to class. Ask class as a whole what characteristics given by the class accurately describes depression or depressive disorders. (5 minutes)
3. 3. Give handout on depressive disorders (below). Have students go back into groups and take turns within their groups reading aloud sections of handout. Within groups students will then discuss how their own definitions of depression and depressive disorders were different from the handout and how they were similar to the handout. One person will record answers to be handed in at end of class. (15 minutes)
4. Have new spokesperson from every group share results from discussion. Discuss as a class why some of the answers from the group discussion differ from the handout. (10 minutes)
5. Give overview of the unit and the project students will be working on. (5 minutes)
6. Write on board names of disorders along with "teen depression." Have students sign up for type of depression they want to work on. Maximum of 4 students per group. (5 minutes)
Assessment:
I know students will have met the objectives if:
* they contribute to their group discussions.
* they respond in a thoughtful manner in their written group
responses.
Information from handout taken from:
http://www.psychologyinfo.com/depression/index.html
http://teenage.depression.tripod.com/depression/id8.html
Handout:
Depression is one of the most common psychological problems,
affecting nearly everyone through either personal experience or
through depression in a family member. Each year over 17 million
American adults experience a period of clinical depression.
Depressive disorders come in different forms. There are several
different diagnoses for depression, mostly determined by the intensity
of the symptoms, the duration of the symptoms, and the specific
cause of the symptoms, if that is known.
Major Depression (Unipolar)
This is the most serious type of depression, in terms of number of symptoms and severity of symptoms, but there are significant individual differences in the symptoms and severity. You do not need to feel suicidal to have a major depression, and you do not need to have a history of hospitalizations either, although both of these factors are present in some people with major depression.
Mild Depression (Dysthymia)
This refers to a low to moderate level of depression that persists for at least two years, and often longer. While the symptoms are not as severe as a major depression, they are more enduring and resistant to treatment. Some people with dysthymia develop a major depression at some time during the course of their depression.
Adjustment Disorder with Depressed Mood (Reactive Depression)
This category describes depression that occurs in response to a major life stressor or crisis. If symptoms of anger, gloominess and inability to cope persist then it is probably adjustment disorder with depressed mood.
Manic Depression (Bipolar Disorder)
Bipolar disorder usually develops without any clear cause. This condition involves episodes of major depression alternating with periods of high energy and wildly unrealistic activity. One example given is that someone who is manic might call at 3 am to announce she is going to fly to Hollywood and marry one of the film stars in all seriousness.
Atypical Depression
Atypical is another word for unusual or abnormal. So in this
condition
instead of feeling gloomy and lethargic the person might seem
deeply
depressed for a few days and then fine for a while, or anxious
and
irritable. There is often no event that triggers this sort of
depression.
Seasonal Affective Disorder
SAD is also referred to as "winter blues". The lack
of sunlight in winter
causes a reaction and the person develops mild or major depression
from late
fall until early spring. This condition is more common the further
away from
the equator you go. For the Northern Hemisphere the worst months
are
December, January, and February.
Organization of the Unit
Week 1
Students will generate a list of questions they want answered about their particular disorder, the disorders of other groups, and about depression in general. Each group will be assigned to find one person who works with people who have depressive disorders and interview that person to be quoted within the group paper. Along with the student generated questions, students should look for information on:
· identifying the disorder
· treatment for the disorder
· case studies
· famous people who have had the disorder in contemporary
times and in history
· relevant/interesting statistics about disorder
· misconceptions about disorder
· conflicting information/viewpoints about disorder
Students should also be thinking about why it is important that people know about their particular depressive disorder and looking for information about it. Not every group member has to be present at the interview however, each a list of interview questions should be made up as a group (to be handed in). Those students conducting the interview should try to ask three follow up questions. The teacher should suggest those students who do not take part in the interview be given other responsibilities in the groups. By the middle of the week, the groups should be able to report how they have divided the work amongst them and whom they are interviewing.
Students will also spend one to one and half-hours of class time in the computer labs looking for online information about their disorders. In the middle part of the week a short lecture will be given on recognizing legitimate Internet sources.
The first half-hour of the movie Ordinary People will be watched in two sessions and responded to in student journals. Journal questions will be given and should be responded to however, students should not feel the need to limit their responses to only answering the journal questions. Students should be encouraged to write about the movie, their research, or personal experiences with depression.
Week 2
Interviews should be conducted by the second day of the week
(preferably sooner).
By the end of the week students will have a rough draft of a 4
page single-spaced informative paper on their disorder. The paper
will have a short introduction and ending. The paper will also
be split up and organized into topics to make it easier for groups
to divide the work between them. It should be made clear to students
that they will have a day in class to work on their papers but
that they should spend time outside of class working on their
papers and that work should be divided up between group members
by topics within the papers. During the early part of the week
a lecture should be given on how to properly cite information
from interviews and online sources.
During the middle part of the week, a day should be set aside
for the students to work on typing up their rough drafts within
a lab. By the end of the week, groups should begin to prepare
an 8 minute oral presentation by dividing up information on their
particular depressive disorder. Remind students that their presentations
should differ from their papers with a telling of how they found
their information. At the end of the week, students should meet
with the teacher to report on their progress.
Minutes 30 through 90 of Ordinary People will be watched and journaled about over 3 days.
Week 3
Papers will be due and presentations will be given at the end
of the week. Rough drafts will be handed back and groups will
conference about their rough drafts with the teacher.
One day should be given during the early part of the week to allow
groups to polish their papers within a lab. Students will also
create a typed outline for their presentation to be handed in.
By Thursday students should be prepared to practice their presentation
in front of another group. Presentations should be given on Friday.
Minutes 90 through 105 will be watched and journaled about during
one day of the week.
Week 4
One or two presentations may spill over to the first day of week four. Short story assignment to be given. Lecture and discuss as class what went well and what did not go well with the projects and presentations.
Week 4, Day 2
Objectives: Students will be able to:
· make a connection between the movie Ordinary People
and information from research.
· support claims made about the movie Ordinary People with
evidence from their research or from group presentations.
Methods:
1. Students will be asked to write in their journals on the following questions:
In what ways do you think the movie Ordinary People accurately depicts a case of depression? Are there ways in which you think that the movie is unrealistic in its depiction of a depressed character? Try to find examples from your research or from other group presentations to support your answers. (15 minutes)
2. Have 4-5 (brave) volunteers read aloud their answers. (5 minutes)
3. Ask class if they agree or disagree with the opinion of the volunteers. To try and start a dialogue between students, have those students who disagree present their reasons and/or read aloud their response to the questions. Have students write their reasons on board in two different columns (a column for why the movie is realistic and a column for why the movie is unrealistic) (20 minutes)
Assessment: I know students will have met the objectives if:
1 student journals fully answer the questions given in class
2 students participate in the class discussion
Week 4, Day 3
Objectives: Students will be able to:
· bring closure to unit
· effectively tie unit together
Methods:
1. Watch last 15 minutes of Ordinary People.
2. Have students write about what happens to the Jarrett family a week or even a month later. The story could be from the perspective of an outside observer or from the perspective of a character with in the movie. The story could take place over one specific scene or can be a more general telling. The story can have one, two, or all three of the Jarretts within it. Stories to be handed in at end of class. If desired, students may even alter the ending of the story. (15 minutes)
3. Have volunteers read stories aloud and have short time after each reading for peer response. (15 minutes)
Assessment: I will know students have met the objective if:
· They have completed the short story and have followed the directions of the assignment.
Journaling Questions on Ordinary People
0-15: What problems do you see with the Jarrett family or any problems with individual members of the family?
15-30: If you were in Conrad's position and could yell one thing at any of the authority figures in your (Conrad's) life, who would you yell at and what would you say?
30-60: Do you think Karen is fully recovered? Who do you think is more stable or healthy, Karen or Conrad? Why?
60-75: What would you tell Conrad if you had the chance to meet him?
75-90: Do you think Conrad's mother is depicted as the villain in this movie? What can be said in defense of her?
90-105: Who is the person or people that Conrad has to forgive?
105-120: (within lesson above)
Grading: You will be graded on
20 points- Group depressive disorder definition assignment
70 points- 7 Journal assignments, 10 points each
25 points- Rough draft of paper
40 points- Final draft of paper
20 points- Outline of presentation
25 points- Presentation
200-180 points- A
180-160 points- B
160-140 points- C
140-120 points- D
120-0 points- F
LMC: I didn't change the wording on the task description very much. I kept it in mind when creating my lesson and I think it fits the unit. Will teachers who look at my unit be able to make the connection between my unit and the task description?- I may be assuming too much. I might be hesitant in changing the wording.
Learning Area: Inquiry and Research
Level: High School
Content Standard: Research Process
Task: Doing your search and presenting your findings.
Task Description:
1. In your research file, note your topic and sub-questions. Also
respond to these prompts:· Why is this important to me?·
What do I already know?· What do I want to know?·
What are some questions I want answered?· Why do I want
to research this topic?· Who is my audience? 2. Within
your journal, create a short narrative of your research experience.
Later, your presentation will require that you tell the story
of your hunt for information. You will tell about your successes,
difficulties, sources and the way you found them. 3. Implement
your research plan. As you access resources, collect data as planned
and include it in your research file. Also, evaluate resources
according to criteria established by you and your classmates.
To identify the criteria, meet as a class. Discuss what you think
are qualities or concerns an investigator needs to consider when
examining resources. For example:· affiliations of author,
web site creator or interviewee· intended audience and
purpose of resource· fairness or bias of representation·
expertise of author, creator or interviewee· date of publication,
creation or interview· cultural, social and historical
context of the publication, presentation or interviewAlso discuss
the unique challenges the Internet poses in data and information
collecting and what criteria one should apply when reviewing such
resources.4. For each resource, in your research file, record
information that appears relevant to your topic, audience and
purpose using tools as designated in your plan (note cards, data
base, graphic organizers etc.). Document the resources as directed
by your teacher. Take notes on the content of the resource. Give
attribution when quoting from the resource, paraphrase your understanding
of the information and/or record specific statistics, places,
people's names etc. In your research file, note and explain your
appraisal of the resources. Remember to use the criteria established
earlier. Be sure to support your appraisal with examples. Also
note the historical and contextual background of the information.For
example: you might note, "This web site seems intended for
a student audience. The graphics are those that would appeal to
teenagers. There are some pretty graphic pictures of the victims
of violence that I think are intended to incite the audience.
There are links to organizations that support gun control. The
statistics are identical to those I found in a news source."
For human resources, you might note, "I found Ms. James through
the Department of Education. She is a consultant to schools that
have high incidences of violence. I asked her 30 minutes worth
of questions (the questions and her responses are in my research
file). This was a successful interview because she had a lot of
research background and seemed up-to-date in her appraisal of
what is going on in schools." For your response to a survey
published in a newspaper, you might note, "I really had trouble
getting valuable information from this survey. I think the survey
designer should have changed the questions because they didn't
really get the kind of information needed. I think, too, that
the sampling was too narrow to provide reliable data. (Survey
questions and matrix showing a break down of the responses is
in my research file.) According to the date of the newspaper,
this survey was done following an extreme incident of violence.
People may have responded very emotionally given the survey was
conducted within twenty-four hours of the murder of several students."
When you have finished using and evaluating your resources, bring
your narrative about the resources to a conclusion. In your research
file, draw a comparison about the helpfulness of the resources
in providing reliable, valid information. Identify in what ways
your resources, both primary and secondary, supported or contradicted
each other. 5. After collecting your information and evaluating
your resources, begin to organize and interpret your findings.
Sort the content of your research file, compare information, interpret
the results of your data and begin the process of organizing and
integrating the research results. 6. Review your original thoughts
about your purpose and audience. Organize the data and information
in a way that best helps you accomplish your purpose and meets
the needs of your audience. Sketch out an organizational plan.
Meet with classmates and your teacher and share how your plan
to present the findings in an interesting way. Ask for feedback
on whether the plan meets your purpose and audience needs. Summarize
your research findings and ask if there are areas that seem unclear,
confusing and/or disproportional. 7. With the feedback in mind,
prepare to present your findings. Choose a format appropriate
to your topic, purpose and audience. Your presentation must have
five parts: a) An explanation of what you already knew about the
topic and what you wanted to find outb) An explanation of why
the research topic, question and sub-questions are significant
c) A narrative of your hunt for information (your successes, difficulties,
sources, your hunt for sources, your evaluation of the sources)d)
An explanation of what you learned about your topic/question/sub-questions
and what you learned about research (include which of your assumptions
and beliefs were confirmed, what surprised you, what information
is useful to you/your audience, facts upon which your conclusions
are based and how those facts are corroborated by your sources
and what further study and questions you/your audience might consider.
Also present primary data in a way appropriate to your topic,
purpose and audience and explain its correlation to your conclusions.)e)
A work-cited document (bibliography)8. Practice and share your
presentation with a feedback audience (small group of classmates,
your teacher or others who may be representative of your audience),
asking for feedback on its effectiveness. You may want to use
the checklist provided for this task as a discussion or feedback
tool. Adjust your presentation based on comments you find helpful.
Present your findings to your class.
Task Checklist
Student Type of Evidence Teacher
Research File
File documents a review of resources. The review is comprehensive,
reasonable, supported by examples and includes an appropriate
interpretation of the impact of historical and contextual background
of the information
Information collected is relevant to the research topic, question
and sub-questions, from varied sources (both primary and secondary),
organized in a way that facilitates interpretation and an adequate
amount to provide a valid interpretation and conclusion(s)
Primary data noted has been collected in a manner that is reliable
and valid
Presentation of Findings
Presentation includes a description of a significant research
topic and its relevance to the researcher and the intended audience
and an effective process for the gathering and interpreting information
from primary and secondary sources
The narrative describing the research process includes a reasonable
appraisal of successes and challenges experienced by the researcher
and is supported by examples
The narrative evaluates the usefulness of sources by limits,
what was learned, and how sources support or contradict each other
The evaluation of usefulness of sources is reasonable and supported
by examples
The interpretation of data and information is thorough, by relevance
of the data to the research topic and question is demonstrated,
and conclusions are supported by sufficient and reliable data
Presentation of primary data is appropriate to topic, purpose
and audience, and shows correlation of data to conclusions drawn
Possibilities for further research are identified and clearly
connected to findings
Scoring Criteria
Inquiry and Research
The High School Level
Scores are ranked 4-0 with 4 being highest score and 0 being lowest.
Scores reflect a professional judgement based on multiple evidence
of sustained student work over time.
Important! All parts of the listed criteria must be met for a
specific score to be given.
Exemplary- To receive a score of 4, a student:
· Develops an original, complex question of interest to
the researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records comprehensive, relevant information
from a variety of sources, to answer a question, support a position
or test a hypothesis.
· Analyzes data and draws insightful conclusions with credible
evidence to answer a question, support a position or evaluate
a hypothesis.
· Clearly and creatively communicates findings/displays
information in a well-designed original format.
Proficient- To receive a score of 3, a student:
· Develops a clearly focused question of interest to the
researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records sufficient relevant information
from multiple sources, answer a question, support a position or
test a hypothesis.
· Reviews data and draws logical conclusions with sufficient
evidence to answer a question, support a position or evaluate
a hypothesis.
· Clearly communicates findings/displays information in
an appropriate format.
Novice- To receive a score of 2, a student:
· Develops a focused question, with some assistance, of
interest to the researcher and significant in the area of study.
· Collects data and records limited relevant information
from multiple sources, to answer a question, investigate a topic
or test a hypothesis.
· Summarizes data in an attempt to answer a question, support
a position or evaluate a hypothesis.
· Adequately communicates findings/displays information
in a simple format.
Emerging- To receive a score of 1, a student:
· Develops a question of interest to the researcher but
not necessarily important in the area of study.
· Collects data and records minimal information from a
few sources to answer a question, investigate a topic or test
a hypothesis.
· Sorts and reviews data in an attempt to answer a question,
investigate a topic or test a hypothesis.
· Poorly communicates findings/displays information and
has many errors.