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Year 1: Unit 6 – “A More Perfect Union” – The Early Republic (1787 – 1820): Lessons

Lesson 1: President Washington’s Legacy (Source Analysis)

Central Question: How did President Washington influence the American presidency?

Historical Background

In April 1789, the ink on the recently ratified Constitution was barely dry when George Washington began the trek from his Mount Vernon plantation in Virginia to the national capital in New York City. Washington was well aware that he had been given the power to shape the American presidency. “I walk on untrodden ground,” was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. He clearly understood that he needed to bring the executive branch to life in the republic he’d helped found with no historic models to follow. Washington believed that the precedents he set must make the presidency powerful enough to function effectively in the national government but, at the same time, could not show any tendency toward monarchy, dictatorship, or favoritism abroad. In defining the traditions, public role, and political powers of the American president, Washington left a lasting legacy on the office that still guides officeholders today.

For more background, read “Presidential Precedents” on the Mount Vernon website and “George Washington and the Constitution” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:

  • President George Washington
  • Washington’s cabinet

Scholars understand the major decisions of President Washington and can explain how these decisions set the precedent for future American presidents and defined the American political system.

Preparation

  • Display the Unit 6 Essential Question on the wall in your classroom for scholars to reference throughout the unit.
  • Create a word wall in your classroom with the Unit 6 Key Terms for scholars to reference during class discussion. Hold scholars accountable for using these Key Terms throughout the unit.
  • Post a timeline in your classroom or digitally to track key events from this unit and previous units.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 6 Lesson 1 Do Now in the Unit 6 Workbook.

Context — 15 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

  • Introduce the Essential Question for Unit 6: How “united” was the early United States?
  • Explain that, each day, scholars will gather more evidence to answer this question.
  • Remind scholars that this unit builds upon past content and that they must constantly make connections to previous periods of history to help them answer this Essential Question.
  • Then pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in beginning their study of the individuals who shaped the early United States.

Read (5 minutes)

  • Read “The Presidency of George Washington” on page 3 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.
    • Scholars should read and annotate the source, writing down a main idea next to the title.

Watch (3 minutes)

  • Watch the video “George Washington’s Precedents” on the History Channel website.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • Why was President Washington so thoughtful about his words and actions while in office?

Discuss (5 minutes)

  • Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the text and the video.
    • How did the Constitution define the powers of the president?
    • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How did George Washington interpret the powers of the executive outlined by the Constitution?

Investigate — 15 minutes

  • Scholars read and annotate Documents A and B on pages 5–7 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
  • While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

  • Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • What was President Washington’s message to American citizens and leaders?
    • How did Washington shape the relationship between the president and Congress? Between the president and the people?
    • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: How did Washington’s tone change from his first inaugural address to his farewell address? Why might this be the case?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • How did President Washington influence the American presidency? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars read the articles “Two Parties Emerge” and “The Election of 1800” on Independence Hall’s USHistory.org website in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 2: Political Parties (Jigsaw)

Central Question: Why did political parties emerge in the early United States?

Historical Background

When the newly elected Congress and president gathered to implement the Constitution, the federal government benefited from extraordinary leadership at the top. But the new leaders soon divided into rival political parties, a development that shocked them all. Washington, Adams, and Hamilton claimed the name of Federalists, whereas Jefferson and Madison organized an opposition party known as the Democratic-Republicans, or Republicans (which should not be confused with the Republican Party of today). The two parties became polarized over several big issues: political economy, foreign policy, constitutional interpretation, and American industry.

For more background, read “The Presidential Election of 1800: A Story of Crisis, Controversy, and Change” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required).

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:

  • Federalist Party
  • Democratic-Republican Party
  • National Bank
  • Agrarian vs. industrial economy
  • Alexander Hamilton
  • French Revolution
  • President John Adams
  • Election of 1800
  • President Thomas Jefferson

Scholars understand the conflicting viewpoints of the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans and can explain why these party divisions emerged in the early United States.

Preparation

  • To complete this jigsaw, before class you must:
    • Make a plan for how you are going to divide scholars into groups for the jigsaw.
    • Ensure that each scholar has the Lesson 2 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 6 Workbook accessible to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

  • Review the Bg Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
  • Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in beginning their study of the rising political divisions in the new nation.

Watch (3 minutes)

  • Watch the video “Crash Course in U.S. History: Where U.S. Politics Came From” on YouTube.
    • Begin the video at 0:58 and pause the video at 4:12 to allow for discussion.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did the political beliefs of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson differ?

Discuss (5 minutes)

  • Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video as well as the questions below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the homework and the video.
    • Who supported the Federalists? Who supported the Democratic-Republicans? Why did these groups choose each party?
    • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: How did the rise of political parties challenge President Washington’s legacy?

Investigate — 15 minutes

  • Remind scholars that the purpose of a jigsaw lesson is to become experts at one topic so they are able to teach their peers. Set the expectations that scholars should be prepared to clearly and concisely share about their assigned topic at the end of their group work time.
  • Divide scholars into groups and assign each group one of the following four topics: American industry (on pages 9–10 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), constitutional interpretation (on page 11 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), foreign policy (on pages 12–13 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), or political economy (on page 14 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook). Each group reads and annotates the documents for its assigned topic. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
  • While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Teach — 10 minutes

  • Remind scholars that they are responsible for learning from their classmates during this time and must take notes in their Lesson 2 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 6 Workbook during each presentation.
  • Have scholars from each group present about their topic to the class in 2 minutes or less.
  • As scholars share, chart the main takeaways from each group and display this chart in your classroom for reference throughout the unit.

Discuss — 5 minutes

  • After each group presents, scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by strong evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • Why did the beliefs of Federalists and Democratic-Republicans differ?
    • How did differing interpretations of the Constitution influence each party’s belief system?
    • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: Compare the divisions between early political parties and delegates at the Constitutional Convention. Why did debates over federal power continue?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Lesson 2 Exit Ticket independently in the Unit 6 Workbook.

Homework

  • Scholars read the articles “The Louisiana Purchase” and “Lewis and Clark” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 3: The Louisiana Purchase (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?

Historical Background

President Thomas Jefferson believed that the United States should be a nation of independent farmers. When France offered to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1803, Jefferson wanted to seize the opportunity to double the size of the nation and to provide future generations with a seemingly inexhaustible supply of new farmland. But Jefferson was a strict constructionist — and the purchase marked an unprecedented use of executive power. The prospect of purchasing Louisiana evoked strong resistance from Federalists, motivated by ideological opposition and practical concerns, as well as political agendas.

For more background, read “Louisiana Purchase” on the History Channel website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:

  • Louisiana Purchase
  • Lewis and Clark Expedition

Scholars can apply their knowledge of early U.S. history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about opposition to the Louisiana Purchase.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 6 Lesson 3 Do Now in the Unit 6 Workbook.

Launch — 5 minutes

  • Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
  • Build excitement for today’s DBQ by watching the TEDEd video “The Historical Audacity of the Louisiana Purchase” on YouTube and investing scholars in continuing their study of the rising political divisions in the new nation. Tell scholars they will apply all their knowledge as historians to answer a question using new sources that they have not seen before.
  • Scholars read the Lessons 3–5 DBQ Historical Context and Task in the Unit 6 Workbook to frame their thinking.
  • Ask: What is this DBQ Task asking us to do?
  • Scholars interpret the Task in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.
    • As a class, be sure to define the meaning of the word “principle.”
    • Ask: How did political principles shape the decisions of leaders in the new United States?

Guided Document Study — 20 minutes

  • Set the expectation that scholars must tackle Documents A through D today by writing a main idea next to the title and using the text and their main idea annotations to concisely answer each short-answer question with a clear claim.

Read and Write (8 minutes)

  • Read Document A* on page 16 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook with scholars. After reading, scholars should write a main idea next to the title and use their understanding of the text to write a claim for the accompanying short-answer question in the Unit 6 Workbook.
    • *Note: Document A contains complex and difficult ideas. If you anticipate that scholars will struggle more with documents B, C, or D, read one of those documents instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

  • Have a scholar with a strong main idea annotation and/or claim share out. Have scholars discuss 1) how the main idea annotation reflects full understanding of the document and/or 2) why the claim effectively answers this short-answer question.
  • Share nonexemplar work. Have the class discuss why the main idea annotation does not reflect full understanding of the document and/or why the claim does not answer the short-answer question.
  • Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work and know what they must do to improve.

Give scholars 2 minutes to revise their main ideas or claims based on the discussion.

Read and Write — 20 minutes

  • Scholars read and annotate the remaining documents on pages 16–18 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook and write a clear and concise answer to each short-answer question in the Unit 6 Workbook. Hold scholars accountable for the clarity and strength of their claims!
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have scholars explain their thinking. Can their main idea annotations be made stronger? Are their claims simple and clear? Are they revising their writing?
    • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

  • Before the next lesson, review scholars’ short answers and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their claims as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Lesson 4: The Louisiana Purchase (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can plan and draft clear and compelling written arguments that answer a historical question with strong theses and evidence that supports or proves their theses.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars revise their short answers from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Plan — 15 minutes

  • With partners or in small groups, scholars discuss possible answers to the DBQ Task. Ensure that scholars explain why opposition was driven more by politics or by principle.
  • Lead a whole-class discussion on possible answers to this Task. Remind scholars that there is not a single right answer to this question, but they must have evidence to defend their answers!
    • Call on pairs to share out their answers and defend them with evidence from Documents A through D.
    • Have scholars evaluate one another’s answers. Scholars should consider whether each answer is compelling and based on accurate evidence from the text.
    • Give scholars feedback on the clarity and quality of their answers.
  • During the discussion, chart strong versus weak answers. Ensure that scholars can explain what makes a particular answer strong versus weak.
  • Tell scholars that their answers to this question will become their theses in their final DBQ essays. All of the evidence in an essay must prove their theses.
  • After the discussion, give scholars 2 minutes to determine their own theses on the planning page of the DBQ in the Unit 6 Workbook. Ensure that scholars are not just copying an answer that was discussed but are actually formulating their own theses based on the discussion.

Outline and Draft — 30 minutes

Outline (15 minutes)

  • Scholars create an outline for their DBQ essay on the planning page of the DBQ by finalizing their theses and determining the three strongest pieces of evidence from Documents A through D that support their theses, based on their work in the previous lesson and the class discussion.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar explain his or her thesis. Does his or her thesis answer the DBQ Task? Is it compelling? Does the evidence selected actually prove this thesis?
    • If scholars are struggling to choose strong evidence, have them write how each document helps answer the DBQ Task on each document or in their outlines.

Draft (15 minutes)

  • Scholars use their outlines to draft their DBQ essays. As scholars draft, they must focus on proving their theses with strong evidence from at least three documents.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have scholars explain their writing. Can their writing be made stronger?
    • Ensure that scholars are using relevant evidence to prove their theses in their DBQ essays.
    • Ensure that scholars are revising their writing to make sure it is simple and clear.
    • Hold scholars accountable for rereading their writing and eliminating any typos and errors in basic conventions.
    • Coach scholars on how to implement the feedback you’ve given them.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

  • Before the next lesson, review scholars’ drafts and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Prioritize the most important change that scholars must make to improve both the strength of their theses and supporting evidence in this essay as well as their future writing. Use your study of scholars’ work to determine a common trend in scholars’ writing.

Lesson 5: The Louisiana Purchase (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars revise their essays based on individualized teacher feedback to make their essays stronger and clearer and to understand how to use their feedback to grow as writers.

Preparation

  • To complete this revision, before class you must:
    • Choose an exemplar and non-exemplar draft essay from the previous lesson to use in the Launch and Mini-Lesson. If there is no exemplar piece, plan to use your own teacher model piece.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars read your feedback on their initial drafts of their DBQ essays and discuss with a partner how they will apply this feedback in their revisions today.

Launch — 10 minutes

  • The launch is your opportunity to provide a whole-class model of excellence and explain the biggest issue that holds scholars back from achieving excellence. The launch should end with scholars describing how this piece of writing exemplifies the Habits of Great Writers.
    • Reread the DBQ Task with scholars: Was opposition to the Louisiana Purchase driven more by politics or by principle? Why?
    • Then share an exemplar draft from the previous lesson. Have scholars discuss 1) what makes the scholar’s thesis compelling and 2) why the evidence selected is effective in proving this thesis.
    • Have scholars articulate to partners how the work study applies to their own writing today.

Mini-Lesson — 10 minutes

  • Choose an anonymous scholar’s draft essay that demonstrates a whole-class trend from your study of scholars’ work from the previous lesson and show this scholar’s line-edited draft to the class.
  • Have the class work together to apply your individualized feedback to begin to revise the DBQ essay. Then call on scholars to articulate how this scholar must apply this feedback to all writing moving forward.
  • Set your expectations for how scholars will apply their individualized feedback to revise their work today.

Revise 1 — 10 minutes

  • Scholars use their individualized feedback to revise their DBQ essays.
  • Set the expectation that scholars should use this entire time to revise their work based on the feedback you have given them. Explain that some scholars may need to start from scratch, and that is OK! Note that this time will only be productive if you have given every scholar individualized feedback.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have scholars explain the feedback that they have received, as well as their plan to apply it.
    • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 5 minutes

  • Share an essay that has greatly improved through revision. Have the scholar explain how he or she has applied his or her feedback to effectively revise.
  • If there is a clear whole-class misconception that must be addressed, share an anonymous example of that trend. Have the class discuss how the scholar needs to change his or her approach to revision in order to make more substantial changes.
  • Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
  • Scholars articulate to their partner how they will revise their work based on the Mid-Workshop Teach.

Revise 2 — 10 minutes

  • Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to continue revising their essays.
  • Set the expectation that scholars should use the entire time to continue revising their essays.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Help scholars focus on what is most important: a strong thesis and supporting evidence.
    • Coach scholars on how to apply your feedback.

Homework

  • Scholars read “The War of 1812” on pages 20–21 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

  • Before the next lesson, give each scholar a final grade on their revised essay, as well as one transferable next step that they must apply to their next piece.

Lesson 6: The Impact of the War of 1812 (Source Analysis)

Central Question: How did the War of 1812 affect American politics and society?

Historical Background

Less than 30 years after the American Revolution, the United States was once again at war with Great Britain. The United States had declared war on Great Britain in 1812, but by the summer of 1814, neither side was winning. Then in August 1814, the British landed 5,000 soldiers near Washington, D.C., the nation’s new capital, and defeated the American soldiers who were defending the city. The British soldiers burned much of the city, including the White House, and President Madison and his wife, Dolley, barely escaped. The destruction of D.C. and the ensuing American victory at the Battle of Baltimore galvanized a nation that had been divided to unite behind the war effort. Although largely a draw, the War of 1812 also served as the first test of the new nation’s ability to defend itself on the world stage and ushered in a new foreign policy shortly thereafter: the Monroe Doctrine. The war began a period of increased nationalism and unity, known as the Era of Good Feelings, that in addition to celebrating American strength on an international scale, emphasized the potential of the nation. The good feelings from the war brought about a strengthening in federal power, the growth of capitalism and the economy, and a newfound sense of unity with the decline of the Federalist Party.

For more background, read “War of 1812” on the History Channel website.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Terms:

  • President James Madison
  • War of 1812
  • President James Monroe
  • Chief Justice John Marshall
  • Era of Good Feelings
  • Monroe Doctrine

Scholars understand the complex events leading up to the War of 1812 and the war’s outcomes, and they can explain how the war ultimately unified Americans and strengthened American foreign policy.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 6 Lesson 6 Do Now in the Unit 6 Workbook.

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

  • Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
  • Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the rising political divisions in the new nation.

Listen (5 minutes)

  • Listen to “The Star-Spangled Banner” on YouTube.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they listen to the song:
    • How did the War of 1812 affect American pride and patriotism?
  • Scholars can follow along with the transcript on pages 21–22 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.

Discuss (3 minutes)

  • Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the song as well as the question below. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework and the song. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • How does “The Star-Spangled Banner” characterize the War of 1812?
    • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Based on the lyrics of “The Star- Spangled Banner,” how did the War of 1812 affect American unity?

Investigate — 20 minutes

  • Scholars read and annotate Documents A through E on pages 23–25 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook. After reading each source, scholars should write a main idea next to the title of the source.
  • While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the document he or she is reading. What is the main idea of this document? How do you know? How does this document help answer the Central Question?
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on the main idea of the document.

Discuss — 5 minutes

  • Scholars discuss the following questions as a whole class. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • Why was the wave of patriotism after the War of 1812 significant at this time in the history of the United States?
    • How did the War of 1812 change U.S. foreign policy and relationships with other nations?
    • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: To what extent did the War of 1812 unite American society?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • How did the War of 1812 affect American politics and society? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars pages 178 and 179 in the textbook History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism (Teachers’ Curriculum Institute: 2002) in preparation for the next lesson.
  • Scholars also browse the individuals on pages 28-48 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook that they will have the option of studying in their Unit 6 PBL and choose the figure or figures they are most interested in researching in class — or come to the next lesson prepared to propose an individual of their own.

Lesson 7: Founding Figures (PBL)

Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?

Historical Background

The Founding Fathers have captivated the imaginations of American historians and citizens alike. Their names evoke childhood tales and an almost mythical stature: George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton. Their reputation, collectively, is not undeserved — in many cases, their leadership was vital to the success of our fragile new republic. But even though they were oftentimes necessary to this success, they were also insufficient. These names that have become such a part of the American lexicon were helped along the way by many lesser known individuals, including many women and black Americans who fought to ensure that this new nation fulfilled its founding vision — that all men are created equal — in their own time, and for posterity.

For more background on individual figures in the early United States, study the scholar source material provided for Lessons 7 through 9 on pages 28-48 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 6 Key Term:

  • First ladies of the United States

Scholars understand the importance of individuals in the revolutionary generation and begin to explain the influence of early American presidents, first ladies, politicians, and citizen-activists on the United States by planning commemorative biographies of their chosen individuals.

Preparation

  • Scholars will complete their final project digitally by creating a PowerPoint with images and text as a “commemorative biography” of their chosen individual.
  • To complete this project, before class you must:
    • Ensure that each scholar has access to a computer, laptop, iPad, Chromebook, etc.
    • Scholars will work with a partner throughout this project. Select partnerships strategically in advance of this lesson or set expectations for how scholars will choose a partner in class.
    • Ensure that each scholar has the Biography Planning Guide in the Unit 6 Workbook accessible before the start of this lesson.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars revise their Exit Tickets from the previous lesson based on the grade and feedback you gave them.

Context — 5 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

  • Review the Big Ideas from the previous lesson by having scholars quickly share their takeaways from the lesson.
  • Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the individuals who shaped the early United States.

Discuss (3 minutes)

  • Scholars discuss the questions below in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your questions with claims supported by evidence from their homework.
  • How did the Founding Fathers influence American history?
  • Which individual or group achievements are often excluded from the story of our Founding Fathers? Why?
  • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How does this exclusion affect the study of American history?

Planning — 35 minutes

  • Tell scholars that today they will choose a founding figure who lived in the early United States and research the life and achievements of this individual. Scholars will spend the next three lessons creating a commemorative biography for this individual.

Investigate (20 minutes)

  • Tell scholars that they will be working with a partner to write text and find images about their founding figure.
  • Divide scholars into their partner groups and assign each group one of the founding figures on pages 28–48 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.
  • Each pair should conduct research for its assigned individual.
  • Direct scholars on how to choose high-quality, accurate websites for their research, using “Scholar Research Guidance” in the Unit 6 Workbook.
  • Scholars begin to plan their presentation in their Biography Planning Guide, referring to the biographical documents and other websites to collect information about their individual.
  • While scholars work, circulate to determine the major trend in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar tell you the main idea of the text or website he or she is reading. How do you know? How does this text help you understand the influence of the individual you’ve chosen?
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on their individuals’ key achievements and influence on the early United States.

Planning (15 minutes)

  • Explain that scholars will plan their PowerPoint biography of their chosen individual, focusing on their key achievements and influence on the early United States.
  • Tell scholars that their projects should express a powerful and compelling idea about their individual with supporting evidence.
  • Scholars continue using the Biography Planning Guide to plan their projects, using the information they have found to write their ideas and plan the details they will use to support them.
  • While scholars work, actively circulate to reinforce your expectations for strong ideas and persuasive visual evidence in project work and to determine major trends in scholars’ work.
    •Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.

    • Have each group tell you the idea conveyed in his or her planning guide. Can the idea be made stronger? How can the project express the idea more effectively? Is the project interesting and visually compelling?
    • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on conveying the achievements and influence of their individual.

Wrap-Up — 5 minutes

  • Show an exemplar plan to the class. Look for work that precisely and compellingly communicates a clear idea about the individual they chose.

Teacher Feedback Guidance

  • Before the next lesson, review scholars’ completed plans and provide feedback on the quality of their work. Focus on the quality and clarity of scholars’ ideas for their artwork and the details they plan to use to support them.

Lesson 8: Founding Figures (PBL)

Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars organize, reread, and revise their projects in preparation for presenting them to the class in the following lesson.

Preparation

  • To complete this project, before class you must:
    • Ensure that each scholar has access to a computer, laptop, iPad, Chromebook, etc.
    • Ensure that each scholar has the Biography Planning Guide in the Unit 6 Workbook accessible, along with any feedback from the previous lesson, before the start of this lesson.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars revise their plans from the previous lesson based on the feedback you gave them.

Project Work — 20 minutes

  • Have scholars recall the previous lesson’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of the individuals who shaped the early United States.
  • Explain that scholars will use their Biography Planning Guides to create their PowerPoint biography today. Scholars should refer to the biographical documents on pages 28-48 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook and their Biography Planning Guides from the previous lesson as they work.
  • While scholars work, actively circulate to reinforce your expectations for strong ideas and persuasive visual evidence in project work and to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Have each scholar tell you the idea conveyed by his or her project. Can the idea be made stronger? How can the project convey the idea more effectively? Is the project interesting and visually compelling?
    • Hold scholars accountable for implementing the feedback you’ve given them.
    • Hold scholars accountable for staying focused on conveying the influence of their individual in the early United States.

Mid-Workshop Teach — 10 minutes

  • Share an exemplar presentation. Have scholars discuss how the presentation illustrates the group’s idea with clear and coherent organization.
  • Share a nonexemplar presentation. Have scholars discuss why the presentation lacks an idea and/or clear and coherent organization.
  • Ensure that scholars understand how this feedback is transferable to their own work.
  • Scholars articulate to their partners how they will revise their work today based on what they have learned.

Revision and Practice — 15 minutes

  • Scholars use the transferable takeaway from the Mid-Workshop Teach to revise their projects.
  • Tell scholars they must be prepared to present their final PowerPoint to the class within a 3- minute time frame.
  • Scholars use the remaining class time to revise their work and prepare for their presentation by talking through the most important information on their PowerPoint with their partner.
  • While scholars work, actively circulate to reinforce your expectations for strong ideas and persuasive visual evidence in project work and to determine the major trends in scholars’ work.
  • Spend 2 to 3 minutes working with three to five scholars.
    • Hold scholars accountable for clearly and audibly sharing their information with classmates as they practice.
    • Hold scholars accountable for implementing any feedback from today or in the previous lesson.

Homework

  • Scholars study their Unit 6 Key Terms in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 9: Founding Figures (PBL)

Central Question: How did individual Americans influence government and society in the early United States?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars finalize their biographies and present them to the class.

Preparation

  • To complete this project, before class you must:
    • Ensure that each scholar has the Biography Planning Guide in the Unit 6 Workbook accessible.
    • Think through systems for scholar note-taking during each group’s presentation to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations for both presenters and listeners.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 6 Lesson 9 Do Now in the Unit 6 Workbook.

Project Work — 5 minutes

  • Explain that scholars will briefly meet with their partners to ensure that their presentations are ready to go.
  • Scholars meet with their partners and finish their presentations, referring to their biographical documents and their Biography Planning Guides as they work.
  • Remind scholars they must be prepared to give the presentation to the class within a 3-minute time frame.
  • Hold scholars accountable for having their PowerPoints ready for presentation by the end of this time to minimize issues during and/or between presentations.

Presentations — 40 minutes

  • Each group takes 3 minutes to present to the class (time might need to be adjusted based on the number of scholars in your class).
  • Hold presenters accountable for presenting clearly and audibly for their classmates. Strong public speaking is essential to an effective presentation!

Homework

  • Scholars read “Missouri Compromise” on the History Channel website in preparation for Unit 7.

Optional Current Events Connection

  • Scholars read the following articles on Newsela*:
    • “Leadership in Congress: It’s a Party Matter”
    • “Opinion: Political Views Can Now Be Expressed Through Choice of Cereal”
  • Scholars write a paragraph of no more than 200 words based on both of the articles above in response to the following prompt:
    • How do political parties affect American society in the present day?

*To access all articles on the Newsela website, you must create a free account.

Extra Credit

Prompts: Scholars may choose one of the following prompts about Big Ideas in American history.

  • To what extent did the ratification of the Constitution unite the new nation? Why?
  • How did political parties differ in their vision for the new United States?
  • Imagine you are an American in the early United States. How would you hope to contribute to the development of your country?

Project Menu: Scholars may then choose to respond to the prompt chosen above with one of the formats outlined below.

  • Thematic Essay: Scholars write a thematic essay that answers one of the extra credit prompts, drawing on evidence both from the unit and from their own independent research.
  • Podcast: Scholars create an original podcast that answers one of the prompts above. The podcast should be 5–8 minutes long. Podcasts must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
  • “Docudrama”: Scholars create a “docudrama” that answers one of the prompts above. A docudrama is a dramatized video that tells the story of historic events. The docudrama should be 5–8 minutes long. Docudramas must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
  • Interview: Scholars record (video or podcast) an interview with a “historian” or a historical figure in order to answer one of the prompts above. The historian or historical figure must be the scholar. A parent, a classmate, or a teacher should be the interviewer. Interviews should be 5–8 minutes long. Interviews must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.
  • Propose your own project: Scholars may propose to do their own project. These projects must still answer one of the extra credit prompts, and any project proposal must draw on evidence both from the unit and from scholars’ own independent research.

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