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Year 3: Unit 7 – “The Era of Big Government is Over” – The 1980s and 1990s (1980 – 2000): Lessons

Lesson 1: The Reagan Revolution (Jigsaw)

Central Question: To what extent was Ronald Reagan’s presidency revolutionary?

Historical Background

In 1980, Americans were disheartened following the malaise of the previous decade: A scandal, a poor economy, and international crises resulted in an American public ready for change. In the election that year, Republican Ronald Reagan promised to bring that change, ushering in a new era of small government, supply-side economics, and strong foreign policy as well as the support of the emerging evangelical religious movement.

For more background, read “Conservatism” on the University of Groningen website, read “Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required), read “The Real Origins of the Religious Right” on the Politico website, and watch “Crash Course: The Reagan Revolution” on YouTube.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • Revolutionary
  • Ronald Reagan
  • Supply-side economics/“Reaganomics”
  • New Right
  • Moral Majority

Scholars understand the presidency of Ronald Reagan and can determine the extent to which his presidency was revolutionary.

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

Context — 10 minutes

Launch (2 minutes)

  • Introduce the Essential Question for Unit 6: How did the nature of American government and politics change in the 1980s and 1990s?
  • 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 launching their study of how Ronald Reagan’s presidency began to change the role of the government and politics.
    • Note: Ensure that scholars can define the term “revolutionary” in order to access the deeper meaning of this lesson.

Watch (1 minute)

  • Watch the video “Ronald Reagan: It’s Morning Again in America” on YouTube.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did Ronald Reagan appeal to voters?

Read (4 minutes)

  • Read the essay “The Reagan Revolution” on pages 3–4 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook.
  • Scholars should read and annotate the source, writing a main idea next to the title.

Discuss (3 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 text and the video.
    • Why did many people support the “Reagan Revolution”?
    • Why did many people criticize the “Reagan Revolution”?
    • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: How did the conditions of the 1970s lead to the election of Ronald Reagan?

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 must 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 three topics: Reaganomics (pages 6–7 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), the New Right (page 8 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), or foreign policy (pages 9–11 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 1 Note-Taking Template in the Unit 6 Workbook during each presentation.
  • Have scholars from each group present about their topic to the class in 3 minutes or less.
  • As scholars share, chart the major 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 evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • To what extent did Reagan’s policies adequately address the crises and conflicts of the 1970s?
    • Who benefited from Reagan’s policies? Why?
    • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: How did Reagan’s presidency affect the lives of Americans?

Wrap-Up — 5 minutes

  • Tell scholars that tomorrow, based on the reading and discussions from today’s class, they will debate the Central Question: To what extent was Ronald Reagan’s presidency revolutionary?
  • Divide scholars into two groups: pro, the Reagan Revolution was revolutionary; and con, the Reagan Revolution was not revolutionary.
  • Explain to scholars that for homework, they will be using the sources and discussion from today’s class to fill out the Debate Planning Guide in the Unit 6 Workbook in preparation for tomorrow’s debate. Emphasize that scholars who do not adequately complete the planning guide cannot participate in the class debate.

Homework

  • Scholars complete the Debate Planning Guide in the Unit 6 Workbook in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 2: The Reagan Revolution (Debate)

Central Question: To what extent was Ronald Reagan’s presidency revolutionary?

What Does Success Look Like?

Scholars can explain whether or not the economic and social changes of Ronald Reagan’s presidency were revolutionary and convincingly present their perspectives in a debate.

Preparation

  • To complete this debate, before class you must:
    • Think through systems for scholar note-taking during scholars’ debate time to ensure that notes are purposeful and scholars are clear on your expectations.
    • Divide your room into two sections. Label one side “Pro” and the other side “Con.”
    • Ensure that scholars have their completed Debate Planning Guides in the Unit 4 Workbook accessible.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 4 Lesson 2 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.
  • Pose today’s Central Question and invest scholars in continuing their study of how Ronald Reagan’s presidency began to change the role of the government and politics.
  • Show exemplar planning guides from both sides and have scholars discuss what makes the arguments chosen for the debate compelling.

Planning — 10 minutes

  • Break scholars into the same two groups from the previous lesson: those who believe that Ronald Reagan’s presidency was revolutionary (the pro side) and those who believe that his presidency was not revolutionary (the con side). Scholars sit with their teams on their respective side of the room.
  • Explain to scholars that they should use this time to plan how they will present their arguments in the debate.
  • As scholars plan, they should:
    • Summarize their assigned position about the Reagan Revolution.
    • Identify three to five arguments based on their planning guides and the previous lesson that support their side of the debate.
    • Determine at least three counterarguments they anticipate the opposing side will argue, based on the previous lesson and their homework, and how they plan to rebut those arguments.
  • While scholars work, circulate to ensure that scholars are effectively planning their arguments for a debate and are keeping the ideas of their arguments front and center.

Debate — 20 minutes

  • Have a scholar from one side present his or her argument at the front of the class.
  • After this scholar presents his or her argument, have the other side respond directly to that scholar’s argument.
  • Then have a scholar from the opposing side present his or her argument, next allowing the first group to respond.
  • Hold scholars accountable for taking notes while scholars are presenting their arguments; they will use these notes to come up with a response to the other side’s argument.

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • To what extent was Ronald Reagan’s presidency revolutionary? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars read the article “30 Years In, We Are Still Learning From AIDS” by Lawrence K. Altman, M.D., on the New York Times website in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 3: The AIDS Epidemic (Source Analysis)

Central Question: To what extent did the government adequately address the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s?

Historical Background

During Reagan’s presidency, the United States experienced an AIDS epidemic. The disease was first noticed en masse by doctors who treated gay men in Southern California, San Francisco, and New York City in 1981. When cases of AIDS first emerged in the United States, they tended to originate among either men who had sex with other men, hemophiliacs, and heroin users. The fact that the disease was also prevalent among Haitians led to the “Four-H Club” of groups at high risk of AIDS. The prevalence of the disease among gay men in the United States in the ’80s and ’90s initially resulted in a stigma against homosexuals and general fear and misunderstanding regarding how AIDS was spread. The government exacerbated this hysteria initially with its avoidance of the topic and then later with legislation that prohibited targeting the specific populations suffering the most from the disease in campaigns to educate citizens. However, as such celebrities as Rock Hudson and Freddie Mercury revealed that they had the disease, and Magic Johnson came forward as HIV positive and dedicated his retirement to educating others about the virus, attitudes began to change. In 2010, a U.S. travel ban on HIV-positive people that had been in effect since 1987 was lifted, allowing them to finally enter the country without a waiver.

For more background, read “AIDS in the ’80s: The Rise of a New Civil Rights Movement” on the CNN website.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • AIDS epidemic

Scholars understand the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and can explain the extent to which the government adequately addressed this conflict.

Do Now — 5 minutes

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

Context — 15 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 understanding the reduced role of the government in addressing social issues during the 1980s and 1990s.

Watch (10 minutes)

  • Watch the video “Andrew Sullivan Remembers the AIDS Epidemic in the 80s” on the CNN website.
    • Begin the clip at 0:27 and pause the clip at 10:22 to allow for discussion.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did the AIDS epidemic affect the lives of Americans with the disease?

Discuss (3 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 homework and the video.
    • How should new generations remember the AIDS epidemic?

Investigate — 20 minutes

  • Scholars read and annotate Documents A through E on pages 13–15 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 there mass hysteria about AIDS?
    • How did the AIDS epidemic challenge the notion of progress in American society?
    • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: To what extent were responses to the AIDS epidemic beneficial to those with the disease?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • To what extent did the government adequately address the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars read the article “Fall of the Soviet Union” on the History Channel website in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 4: The Fall of the Soviet Union (Video Analysis)

Central Question: Why did the Soviet Union collapse?

Historical Background

Throughout his presidency, Ronald Reagan maintained a firm hand with the Soviet Union, attempting to limit its continued growth and power. In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev became the Soviet Union’s leader.
Unlike the Soviet Union’s previous leaders, Gorbachev was much more willing to work with the United States as well as establish reforms within the Soviet Union. When George H.W. Bush took over as president in 1989, he continued a strong relationship with Gorbachev, ultimately easing Cold War tensions. Within the Soviet Union, Gorbachev’s reforms led to instability, and nationalism within the empire inspired uprisings. As a result, in 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and the Cold War came to a close.

For more background, read “The Soviet Union Is Gone, but It’s Still Collapsing” on the Foreign Policy magazine website and “Mikhail Gorbachev: The Man Who Lost an Empire” on the BBC website, and watch “Crash Course History: George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War” on YouTube.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • Mikhail Gorbachev
  • Berlin Wall

Scholars understand the changes in the Soviet Union in the 1980s and can explain the factors that caused its collapse.

Do Now — 5 minutes

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

Watch and Discuss 1 — 20 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 beginning their study of the United States’ increasing power and influence in the world during the 1980s and 1990s.

Watch (14 minutes)

  • Watch episode 5, “Tear Down This Wall,” of the documentary The Eighties, available on Netflix.
    • To access Netflix, you must first create an account.
    • Begin the documentary at 7:50 and pause it at 21:20 to allow for discussion.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did advances in military weapons shape the course of the Cold War?

Discuss (4 minutes)

  • Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed before 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 video.
    • How did Mikhail Gorbachev’s leadership affect the Soviet Union?

Watch and Discuss, 2 — 20 minutes

Watch (17 minutes)

  • Continue to watch episode 5, “Tear Down This Wall,” of the documentary The Eighties, available on Netflix.
    • Continue the documentary at 25:20 and pause it at the end to allow for discussion.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did the Cold War evolve over the course of the 1980s?

Discuss (3 minutes)

  • Pairs of scholars discuss the question posed before 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 video.
    • Why was the fall of the Berlin Wall significant?

Exit Ticket — 5 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • Why did the Soviet Union collapse? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars watch “Crash Course History: George H.W. Bush, the New World Order, and the Gulf War” on YouTube in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 5: The Gulf War (Source Analysis)

Central Question: Why did the United States get involved in the Gulf War?

Historical Background

Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and occupation of neighboring Kuwait in early August 1990. Alarmed by these actions, fellow Arab powers such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt called on the United States and other Western nations to intervene. Hussein defied United Nations Security Council demands to withdraw from Kuwait by mid-January 1991, and the Persian Gulf War began with a massive U.S.-led air offensive known as Operation Desert Storm. After 42 days of relentless attacks by the allied coalition in the air and on the ground, U.S. President George H.W. Bush declared a cease-fire on February 28; by that time, most Iraqi forces in Kuwait had either surrendered or fled.

For more background, read “Technology in the Persian Gulf War” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required) and “Why the Gulf War Served the National Interest” on the Atlantic website, and browse “Frontline’s The Gulf War” on the PBS website.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • George H.W. Bush
  • New World Order
  • Gulf War
  • Saddam Hussein

Scholars understand the meaning of George H.W. Bush’s declaration of a “New World Order” and can explain why the United States got involved in the Gulf War.

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 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 United States’ increasing power and influence in the world during the 1980s and 1990s.

Watch (2 minutes)

  • Watch the video “Operation Desert Storm” on the NBC news website.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did Operation Desert Storm affect the course of the Gulf War?

Discuss (6 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.
    • Why did the Gulf War begin?
    • How did George H.W. Bush’s declaration of a “New World Order” affect the United States’ role in the Gulf War?

Investigate — 20 minutes

  • Scholars read and annotate Documents A through E on pages 20–22 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.
    • How did some Americans justify the United States’ participation in the Gulf War?
    • How did some Americans criticize the United States’ participation in the Gulf War?
    • Make a connection to the Big Ideas. Ask: To what extent did the Gulf War benefit Americans?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

  • Write a paragraph of no more than 200 words:
    • Why did the United States get involved in the Gulf War? Justify your argument with at least two concrete pieces of evidence from two sources.

Homework

  • Scholars read “The Evolution of the American Workforce” on page 24 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 6: The Evolution of the American Workforce (Jigsaw)

Central Question: Why did the American workforce evolve in the 1980s and 1990s?

Historical Background

The 1980s and 1990s were a time of great change in American society. Although various forms of computer technology had existed since the 1950s, in the 1970s the first personal computer was invented, infiltrating homes and offices by the 1980s. With the invention of the World Wide Web in 1991, technology was rapidly changing the way Americans lived, worked, communicated, and consumed. The workforce was changing during this era, thanks to an influx of immigrants, especially from Mexico and other parts of Latin America, following the Immigration Act of 1965 and the sharply increasing number of women entering the workforce in the 1980s. While the U.S. economy grew, certain sectors, such as manufacturing, were quickly disappearing.

For more background, read “The Digital Revolution’s Important Moments” on the Vanity Fair website, browse the graphs in “Largest U.S. Immigrant Groups over Time, 1960–Present” on the Migration Policy Institute website, and skim the study “A Century of Change: the U.S. Labor Force, 1950–2000” on the Bureau of Labor Statistics website.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • Computer revolution
  • Immigration
  • Women in the workforce
  • Service industry

Scholars understand the makeup of the American workforce in the 1980s and 1990s and can explain why it was changing during these decades.

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 6 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 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 beginning their study of domestic changes during the 1980s and 1990s.

Watch (5 minutes)

  • Watch the video “Crash Course History: The Clinton Years, or the 1990s” on YouTube.
    • Begin the clip at 5:38 and pause the clip at 11:16 to allow for discussion.
  • Tell scholars to think about the following question as they watch the video:
    • How did advancements during the 1980s and 1990s affect Americans’ quality of life?

Discuss (3 minutes)

  • Scholars discuss the question posed at the beginning of the video in pairs. Then call on pairs to share out. Insist that scholars answer your question with claims supported by evidence from the homework and the video.
    • Make a connection to previous content. Ask: Why were the 1980s and 1990s different from the 1960s and 1970s?

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 must 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 four topics: the Computer Revolution (page 25 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), immigration (pages 26–28 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), gender roles in the workforce (pages 29–32 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook), or changes in industry (pages 33–35 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 6 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 evidence from the documents. Ensure that the discussion leads scholars to answer the Central Question.
    • How did the changing workforce in the 1980s and 1990s affect the U.S. economy?
    • Make a connection to the Essential Question. Ask: Who benefited the most from the changes in the 1980s and 1990s? The least? Why?

Exit Ticket — 10 minutes

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

Homework

  • Scholars read “The Clinton Presidency” on pages 37–38 of the Unit 6 Sourcebook in preparation for the next lesson.

Lesson 7: The Clinton Presidency (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: To what extent was Clinton’s presidency a time of national prosperity?

Historical Background

George H.W. Bush, a Republican, served as president for only one term. Despite his foreign policy successes and the end of the Cold War, Democrat Bill Clinton defeated him in the election of 1992. The 1990s were one of the most economically prosperous decades since World War II: The economy grew, unemployment dropped, and the U.S. government had a surplus for the first time in decades. However, inequality was growing during this era, and controversial measures such as welfare reform and “tough on crime” legislation did not positively affect everyone, with their consequences still debated today. Even so, despite an extramarital affair with Monica Lewinsky and an impeachment trial, Clinton left office as one of the more popular U.S. presidents.

For more background, read “Bill Clinton” on the History Channel website and “Legacy of the Clinton Administration” on the PBS website.

What Does Success Look Like?

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

  • Bill Clinton
  • Welfare reform
  • Impeachment
  • Income inequality

Scholars can apply their knowledge of U.S. history to interpret original sources and use these sources to write clear, concise, and compelling claims about the legacy of President Bill Clinton.

Do Now — 5 minutes

  • Scholars complete the Unit 6 Lesson 7 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 and invest scholars in beginning their study of how Clinton’s presidency shaped the role of the government during the 1990s. 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 7–9 DBQ Historical Context and Task to frame their thinking in the Unit 6 Workbook.
  • Ask: What is the DBQ Task asking us to do?
  • Scholars interpret the Task in pairs. Call on pairs to share out.

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 39 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 Document B, C, or D, use that document instead.

Discuss (10 minutes)

  • Have a scholar with an exemplar 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 non-exemplar 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 40–42 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 8: The Clinton Presidency (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: To what extent was Clinton’s presidency a time of national prosperity?

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 how Clinton’s presidency was or was not a time of national prosperity and why.
  • 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.

Plan 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 a 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 9: The Clinton Presidency (DBQ Writing)

Central Question: To what extent was Clinton’s presidency a time of national prosperity?

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.

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: To what extent was Clinton’s presidency a time of national prosperity?
    • 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 2000 Presidential Election” on pages 3–5 of the Unit 7 Sourcebook in preparation for Unit 7.

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.

Extra Credit

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

  • How did President Ronald Reagan transform American government during the 1980s?
  • Why did President George H. W. Bush declare a “New World Order” after the fall of the Soviet Union?
  • To what extent did small government benefit average Americans?

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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