Developed by Keisha Jordan
Dayton Early College Academy, Dayton
Social Studies/History
Grade Level: 8

Summary

Hamilton, the amazing new play on Broadway, has humanized the historical figures who designed the American Revolution. Because of this play, there is a renewed interest in history in general and in the revolution in particular! Young people have come in droves to see the play, and teachers are pleased to see the interest it has garnered! Instead of dusty old figures, Lin Manuel Miranda has told the story of vibrant, flawed humans who designed America to be a free nation where everyone is welcome. Keisha Jordan, teacher at the Dayton Early College Academy, has designed a lesson based on what she learned at the Muse Machine Advanced Teacher Training Seminar 2016. Not only did the participants learn about the production, they saw it live as well! Please enjoy Keisha’s interpretation of the history of the period in this lesson plan.

Non-Arts Discipline

Social Studies

Strand/Process

History; Historical Thinking & Skills

Content Statement

1. Primary and secondary sources are used to examine events from multiple perspectives and to present and defend a position.

2. The outcome of the American Revolution was national independence and new political, social and economic relationships for the American people.

Enduring Understandings:
Students will be able to describe the difference between Federalists and Republicans.
• Students will be able to support a claim with evidence from a text.

Level of Inquiry (confirmation/structured/guided/open) Circle and describe

Students are given the rivers activity to invoke personal reflections, realizations, and inquiries.

Essential Questions
• Which ideas are best for the nation? Federalists’ or Republicans’?

 

Content Elaborations

Students will learn …
• to make connections between today and historical events
• to use the arts to express their learning
• to use appropriate evidence to support a claim

 

Expectations for Learning

Students will demonstrate this learning by…
• Writing lyrics that reflect the views of Federalists and Republicans

 

Instructional Strategies

• Visual Discovery
• Whole Class Discussion
• Graffiti Walk

 

Assessment (Pre and/or Post)

• Their ability to draft stanzas that reflect the views of both Federalists and Republicans.

 

Materials & Resources

• History Alive! Native Americans through Industrialism textbook or other reading describing Federalists and Republicans
• Jefferson & Hamilton quotes
• Fed/Repub T-chart
• Lyrics to Hamilton “Cabinet battle” (divided into stanzas, cut up and placed around the room on poster paper in stations)
• Video recording of Hamilton Cabinet Battle

 

Key Vocabulary

• Sourcing
• Great Compromise
• National Bank
• Federalist
• Republican

 

Student Performance Tasks

Before class… Place posters around room, each with a different stanza from Cabinet Battles 1 and 2.

WARM UP – Project an image of a Clinton v. Trump debate with prompt – “Visual discovery – What do you notice? What do you think is happening? Use evidence to support your theory.” Students share responses with elbow partners and once students have an opportunity to share, cold call students to share thoughts with the entire class. Ask students about the political parties each represents and steer conversation to the beginning of political parties.

End discussion with, “Today, you will learn more about the first major political parties, specifically their beliefs about how the new government should operate.”

CLASSWORK – Pass out the Federalist v. Republican handout and direct students to partner up and read aloud to each other, switching readers every 1-2 paragraphs. Students should read aloud with feeling. While reading, each student completes the t-chart. Once students are finished reading, cold call pairs to share characteristics of each group. Clarify any confusion.

Next, play the Cabinet Battle #1 video. Afterward, lead brief conversation about student’s first thoughts. Briefly explain it depicts a debate between Jefferson and Hamilton.

Now, explain the Graffiti Walk. Students will take their completed T-Chart and go to each poster around the room and for each stanza, write 1) which side the quote belongs to, Federalist or Republican, 2) their evidence, 3) a related hashtag, image, question or connection, 4) their initials. Allow students to move from poster to poster either on their own or with the use of a timer.

After 7-10 minutes of the graffiti walk, pass out the complete lyrics to Cabinet Battles 1 and 2, and ask students to just recap to which side Jefferson (Republican) and Hamilton (Federalist) belongs.

Students will now make up 2 stanzas to “add” to either Cabinet Battle, reflecting the perspective of either Federalists and Republicans. Students will perform at the start of the next class. Allow students to select their party, or assign.

 

Career Connections

• Music
• Visual art
• Persuasive writing

 

Diverse Learners

• First, this is a Graffiti Walk activity where students will rotate around the room at their own pace. This will allow students to dissect information and respond on their own time.
• Second, students will have a variety of ways to obtain and respond to information, including drawing images, creating interesting quotes, asking questions, incorporating music, or making connections.
• Finally, the activity is scaffolded with the warm up, reading and t-chart, so students who need more support will have it. Similarly, students who are more advanced, are able to make deeper connections when creating their lyrics.

 

Interdisciplinary Connections

The lesson directly connects to Hamilton, as it draws on the lyrics of 2 Hamilton songs to teach the difference between 2 groups.

It also connects with the question, “who tells your story?”, a concept seen in Hamilton, Shuffle Along, the Bushwick Collaborative and throughout our experience at ATTS.

 

Technology Connections

• Use student’s online textbook, or create online resource with reading
• Student created gSlides presentation with Fed/Repub lyrics
• Students may record their created stanzas, and post on Google Classroom

 

Home/At Work Connections

Students will draft one additional stanza for Cabinet Battle to reflect the views of either Federalists or Republicans (the side they did not select in the last classroom activity).