blue background with stopwatch with 15 minutes written underneath and ping pong paddle and clock

Mini Object-Based Learning Activity

This 15-minute activity uses an object from the National Museum of American Diplomacy’s collection and a video to teach students concepts of diplomacy. This activity can be used as a bell-ringer, introducing the class to a topic, or as an exit ticket, helping students explain their thinking at the end of a lesson.

This activity uses the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero Thinking Routines: Name, Describe, Act; Think, Puzzle, Explore; and The Explanation Game. These routines help students summarize a subject and come to their own conclusions.

Activity Instructions

  1. Select a video from one of the seven Foundations of Diplomacy videos to watch with the class, available in the slide deck.
  2. Watch the video with the class.
  3. Display the accompanying object and its description to the class or pass out a hard copy.
  4. Use one of the visual thinking routines to ask your students questions about the object.

Grades: Secondary (6-12)

Download Google Slides Presentation

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