Greg Hurley, Malden High School Social Studies Department
US History I, Honors, Grade 9
Topic: A persuasive writing assignment: Should Daniel Shays be
considered an American hero? Use strong evidence analysis to support
your opinion.
Standards:
 USI.6 Explain the reasons for the adoption of the Articles of
Confederation in 1781, including why its drafter created a weak
central government; analyze the shortcomings of the national
government under the Articles; and describe the crucial events (e.g.,
Shays’s Rebellion) leading to the Constitutional Convention.
Objectives:
 Students will identify the reasons for Shays’s Rebellion.
 Students will analyze the actions of Daniel Shays
 Students will identify what they believe is meant by the world “hero”
 Students will form an opinion on whether or not they believe Shays to be a hero
 Students will brainstorm and organize content as a pre-writing strategy
 Students will construct a persuasive essay identifying why Shays was either a hero or not.
Activities & Strategies:
Do Now: Students should identify what they believe is meant by “analysis”
1. Direct Instruction & Modeling/Class Notes:
o Students pair/share their responses, and their definitions are placed on the ENO board.
o Revise: Students use www.Vocabulary.com to look up each and alter their definitions in
their notebooks.
o Then the students, as a class, come up with one definition of analysis.
o Modeling/Think Aloud (I Do)– Instructor asks students to recount what happened in
Shays Rebellion (and the reasons for that rebellion) by looking back at their notes from
previous classes. Selected student shares events and instructor puts these events on
the board.
o Instructor hands out essay assignment and rubric to go with it.
o As instructor models, students should be copying down exactly what instructor
says/does.
o Students then pair/share with each other to explain what they are supposed to do, based
upon instructor modeling.
o Instructor guides students then start thinking about the characteristics of a hero. Do they
believe Shays was a hero?
o Students then create a chart with the following letters on it: T, E, A (for topic, evidence,
and analysis).
2. Guided & Independent Work:
o (We do): Students will write down if they believe that Shays was hero.
o Students will identify concrete evidence from previous discussion to identify why their
opinion is valid.
o Students will pair/share both the evidence and their justification as to why it is
appropriate evidence to support their opinion. Students may also choose to change
their opinion based upon their discussions with partners This will then be shared with
the class and put on the ENO board.
o (You do): Students will work independently, with periodic pair/share check-ins, to classify
another three pieces of evidence into their graphic organizers, to classify a total of four
events on their graphic organizers, which prove why their opinion is valid.
o Students will pair/share the remainder of their work and edit/revise their work in order to
ensure accuracy.
4. Closure (Sharing/Re-teaching): Students will share their graphic organizers with each other
and review all work with one another to ensure understanding. Graphic Organizers will be
checked by instructor as they leave to ensure understanding.
5. Homework: Students will take the outlines created in class to write a complete essay which
incorporates, Topic, Evidence, Analysis based upon what they learned in class today.