Allison Nees Methods November 12, Unit Plan. Grade Level: 10th grade Subject: U.S. History Topic: Civil War

Transcription

1 Methods November 12, 2009 Unit Plan Unit goals: This unit will cover the broad spectrum of the American Civil War. We will begin with the causes, look at the key happenings, and investigate the lives of those that lived during the Civil War. The goal of this unit is not only to teach them the necessary facts about the Civil War but to apply it as a defining historical time for our nation. Each lesson will have the corresponding GLCEs listed. Instructional Objectives: My objective for this unit is to get my students to think about the Civil War as if they were living in it. By learning about it through the perspectives of those that lived it I believe the information will have a larger impact on them and will stick with them better. Throughout the Unit there will be a number of opportunities for them to demonstrate this. The unit will culminate with a multiple choice group review game administered with turning point. The test will be an essay exam on the final day of the unit. The review game will focus of facts, terms, and information that will prepare them to answer the essay questions.

2 Day 1: IDS Presentation Concept: The Causes of the War, focusing on slavery. Disciplines: Social Studies and English Objectives Students are to learn: U The differences in the lives on free and enslaved blacks and whites. U The role of the Northwest Ordinance and it's effect on slavery. (Talk about the role of Michigan being created as a free state.) U Discuss the following terms and events: Missouri Compromise, Wilmot Proviso, Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott v. Standford U Describe how issues debated at the Constitutional Convention such as disagreements over political power, individual rights, states right, executive election, and slavery explain the Civil War Brief overview of what the lesson will consist of. (1 minute) Mini lecture on the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act, Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the Northwest Ordinance (with specific focus on Michigan). (5 minutes) I will use a power point to guide the lecture and help them with note taking. Debate North vs. South: (15 minutes) Using what you learned in your reading about Fredrick Douglas and the life of a slave, have a debate between the North and the South. Focus on slavery and how this plays a role in state s rights, differing regional economies, and regional needs. Brief closing discussion following debate (2 minutes) Explain the type of assessment you will use: The class will be graded on their debate and their use of facts to back up their perspective. At the end of the unit there will be a formal test over the material. Blending Social Studies and English

3 Day 2 Concept: Slavery Though Slavery was not technically the cause of the Civil War it played a huge role as an incentive. Slavery has become an important part of our history as it shaped the nation we live in today. It also affects the way different races coexist in our lives. It is important that my students understand and appreciate the complexity of this issue. Objectives: 8 U5.1.5 Describe the resistance of enslaved people (e.g., Nat Turner, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, John Brown, Michigan s role in the Underground Railroad) and effects of their actions before and during the Civil War. (C2) 8 U5.2.4 Describe the role of African Americans in the war, including black soldiers and regiments, and the increased resistance of enslaved peoples. We will look at slave songs, writing, journals, and testimonies to get a feeling of what the life of a slave tended to be like. We look specifically at the role of the Underground Railroad in freeing them. The role of slaves in the actual fighting also becomes an integral part of the American Civil War. We will look at their contributions to the battles. Finally we will have a class discussion about the differing views on slavery and the role slaves played in the economy. During the last 20 minutes of class they will write out an essay discussing the varying views on slavery. They will write one page on the Northern views and one page on the Southern views.

4 Day 3: Music Presentation Allison Nees Concept: The Clash and the Lives affected. Songs used: Battle Cry of Freedom and God Save the South Rationale: Each student is impacted by different methods. Some learn best when they hear a lecture, others prefer hand on projects, and there are others that are spoken to through music. This lesson gives those individuals a chance to impacted by songs and lyrics that were actually created and song during the Civil War. The hearts and the lives of those who fought and died are reflected through the words. Objectives Students are to learn: U5.2.5 Construct generalizations about how the war affected combatants, civilian (including the role of women), the physical environment, and the future of warfare, including black soldiers and regiments, and the increased technological developments. Brief overview of what the lesson will consist of. We will be looking at the warfare during the Civil War and the lives affected by it. We will first listen to a song Battle Cry of Freedom and read the lyrics together aloud. We will also read the lyrics to God Save the South in order to look at both perspectives. We will then have a discussion based on the following questions: Are songs a good historical source? Why? What did you think about during the songs? How did you feel? What made you feel that way? Did you perspective or view of the war change at all after hearing these songs? Individually or in a small group of 2 or 3 they will write your own song. Using any genre you prefer. They will then discuss what they wrote with their larger group. Finally we will come together as a class and have volunteers share what they wrote. Brief closing discussion about what was written. Explain the type of assessment you will use:

5 I will collect their written pieces and grade them for participating. At the end of the unit there will be a formal test over the material.

6 Day 4 Concept: Lives of the Civil War History is defined by those who lived it. By looking at the women, men, soldiers, siblings, political leaders, slave, etc. etc. that lived the American Civil War we will have better insight into the impact of the war. Objectives: 8 U5.2.5 Construct generalizations about how the war affected combatants, civilians (including the role of women), the physical environment, and the future of warfare, including technological developments. (National Geography Standard 14, p. 171) The class will be divided up into 4 groups. Each group will be given an article about a specific demographic. There will be a Rebel soldier, Yankee soldier, free black, and a politician. They will read and discuss their articles. Each group will then present on their person. They will identify specific facts, make generalizations, hypothesize about their lives before and after the war, and discuss how they would feel if they were in their person s position. I will observe the groups as they discuss their articles. Each person in the group must participate during the group presentation and will receive a participation grade based on their effort and insight.

7 Day 5 Concept: Because we live in a post Civil War world where we know the North won we often forget that there were no such guarantees during this time. They had no idea who would claim the victory. Our nation would look very different had the South won the War. Objectives: 8 U5.2.2 Make an argument to explain the reasons why the North won the Civil War by considering the critical events and battles in the war the political and military leadership of the North and South the respective advantages and disadvantages, including geographic, demographic, economic and technological (E1.4) (National Geography Standard 15, p. 173) Each student will be given time to come up with 2 reasons why they think the North won the war and supporting points for their reason. We will then go around the class and have everyone say one of their points and give their support for that reason. Following that we will have a class discussion about what was said, if anything was left out, and what impacted us most during that discussion. The assessment for this portion will again be informal. Their participation, input, and insight will determine their grade for the day.

8 Day 6 Concept: Why the North? And the importance of Lincoln Abraham Lincoln is one of the defining individuals in the history of America. He played a key role as President of the United States during the Civil War. Yet we know surprisingly little about him and his life. This lesson will give us insight into his life, views, and impact on our country. Objectives: 8 U5.2.3 Examine Abraham Lincoln s presidency with respect to his military and political leadership the evolution of his emancipation policy (including the Emancipation Proclamation) and the role of his significant writings and speeches, including the Gettysburg Address and its relationship to the Declaration of Independence (C2) During this class we will watch a documentary on Abraham Lincoln and his role in the Civil War. We will follow this documentary with a class discussion about him. What were the defining moments of his life and of his presidency? What do you think would have changed had Lincoln not been elected? What if he had never been assassinated? At the end of the class each student will write an exit slip with 5 facts from the movie. They will be assigned a 2 page summary of Abraham Lincolns life and his impact on our country.

9 Day 7 Concept: Reconstruction Following the Civil War there was still a lot of work to be done. Everyone had a different view on what must take place in order to re-unite the North and the South and place safeguards in place in the South to prevent them from uprising again. This lesson will look at the proposed solutions. Objectives: 8 U5.3.1 Describe the different positions concerning the reconstruction of Southern society and the nation, including the positions of President Abraham Lincoln, President Andrew Johnson, Republicans, and African Americans. We will begin the class with a brief overview of the attempts to clean up the mess that was left after the Civil War. The class will then be broken up into two teams. Each team will learn about one of the proposed Reconstruction plans. They will then have a debate as they attempt to come together with one plan to reconstruct the United States of America. They will be graded on their input and participation both in their groups and in the class debate.

10 Day 8 Concept: After the war The American Civil War forever shaped our country. However, the idea that everything flowed smoothly after the war is quite wrong. Following the war Amendments were based and rival groups emerged to attempt to continue the Civil War. Objectives: 8 U5.3.2 Describe the early responses to the end of the Civil War by describing the policies of the Freedmen s Bureau (E2.2) restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and Black Codes (C2, C5) 8 U5.3.3 Describe the new role of African Americans in local, state and federal government in the years after the Civil War and the resistance of Southern whites to this change, including the Ku Klux Klan. (C2, C5) (National Geography Standard 10, p. 162) 8 U5.3.4 Analyze the intent and the effect of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution. We will begin the class with a mini lecture about the Freedman s Bureau and the Black codes. This will give them a background on the continued attempts to exclude and discriminate against African American. Next we will look at the African American politicians that rose following the Civil War and the KKK which formed as a response. In order to convey the seriousness of this issue we will look at literature, art work, and news from this period as primary sources. Finally we will discuss as a class the 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments and their importance in the years following the Civil War as well as in today s society. This lesson will have no formal assessment but these concepts will be key for the end of the unit exam.

11 Day 9: Technology Lesson Plan Concept: Review Day before the Test Technology: Turning point Rationale: In the classroom students are constantly having information thrown at them. Over the course of a unit there is a lot of information to take in. On top of the information adolescents have many other things vying for their attention. When test time comes it is our job as teachers do the best we can to prepare them for it. Review time in class is essential to ensure that you have covered everything and that they understood the information. Objectives Students are to learn: This is a review lesson so I will be reviewing all of the standards in the U5 USHG ERA 5, Civil War and Reconstruction ( ). We will spend this class playing a review game for the test coming the next day. Turning point technology is a great method. It allows every student to participate actively. As a class we will go through multiple choice questions during the game. We will then have a time for questions. This is important so that anything that proved to be particularly confusing can be cleared up before the class time is over. How the Use of Technology enhanced the lesson: Many classroom games get a couple individuals involved while the others sit around simply watching or even daydreaming. Turning point technology allows every student to have a remote and participate actively in the question-answer process. After each question results are given. This allows me as the teacher to see how the class as a whole understood the topic. This can be used when creating or administering the test as well as for future teaching. This is a great tool for everyday use as well because it is a quick interactive way for students to test their knowledge. This technology also allows me to assign each student a certain remote and at the end of the period I can review their scores individually. This can help me know who needs more one-on-one attention and who has a firm grasp on the concepts. Explain the type of assessment you will use: This game will be assessed based on the results that turning point provides. More importantly though, this lesson will prepare them for the unit test the following day.

12 Day 10 A lesson or unit is only effective if the students are able to retain and apply the information they learn. The final day will be used to assess their knowledge and comprehension of the information we studied. Because this is the last day of the unit they will be taking an exam. This exam may be a little different than they are used to. Most people can memorize facts. The important part is whether or not they retain and synthesize the information. By giving them an essay exam I will allow them to state facts and apply their knowledge at the same time. The exam will consist of 4 essay questions. They will choose 3 of the 4 to answer during the exam period. Questions: 1) Choose a side and argue why either the North or the South deserved to win the Civil War. Be sure to support your point of view with facts. 2) Discuss the various Reconstruction methods that were proposed and the outcomes you would have expected from each one. Be sure to support with facts. 3) Describe the attempts of white individuals in the South to continue to oppress the blacks even after the Civil War. Be sure to support with facts. 4) On the first day of the class we discussed the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act, Dred Scott v. Standford, and the Northwest Ordinance (with specific focus on Michigan). Describe in detail 3 of the 4 of these terms and their impact on the United States and the coming of the Civil War.