Lesson Topic: Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota Grade level: Eighth Grade
Length of lesson: Fifty Minutes with Outside Preparation
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Content Standard(s): The student will know and understand the impact of the Dakota War
of 1862.
Understanding (s)/goals
Essential Question(s):
What different perspectives exist regarding this
Students will understand that there exist
event? What caused the Dakota War of 1862
multiple perspectives for any given event.
according to what you have learned from the
This involves engagement on a social,
differing perspectives examined?
moral, emotional, and cognitive level
This focuses on the cognitive, affective, and
(domains). We all have our own
psychomotor domains. It includes making
perspectives and this directly attaches the
value judgments based on differing
lesson to the learner by making
perspectives after careful examination and
connections with what the student already
testing.
knows (Zull, 2002).
In what ways does this conflict resonate today?
This question will connect the historical
content with the contemporary world that the
students live in and lead them to make
connections between the past and the present.
Zull (2002) writes at length about connections
and this directly relates to the idea of brain
development.
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
 Identify different perspectives using primary documentation; analyze said perspectives in
historical context within a small group; prepare/produce a way to convey perspectives to
other groups; consider and compare other perspectives through group activity; summarize
findings and make conclusions.
Affective Domain: Stage One emphasizes the affective domain in a variety of ways. It
calls on students to interact on at least four levels of Affective Domain (Bloom,
Krathwol, & Masia, 1964). In dealing with multiple perspectives students will both
receive and respond to a primary source document. Students will respond to this in a
small group setting where listening and respecting others is a must. Students will also be
called upon to place value in separate areas in order to compose a cohesive presentation
to other groups regarding assigned perspective. Value will also be emphasized when
groups convey their message to others, and receive others’ findings. Students will be
called upon to organize the perspectives they have been exposed to by historical
documentation and other students, relate their own perspective, compare multiple
perspectives, and synthesize different values in order to both summarize and make
conclusions regarding what they have learned.
Cognitive Domain: Stage One involves students with each level of Bloom’s Cognitive
Domain (1956). Students will operate on prior knowledge and that which they gain
through the analysis of primary documentation and through interactions with other
students regarding perspectives and how they differ. Students must explain what they
have learned to others by summarizing information in their own words (comprehension).
Students must apply what they have learned in generating a verbal argument for their
view and expressing it to other groups in class. They must further apply this
understanding in taking in what others have to say regarding different perspectives that
they have not been exposed to (Compare/Analyze). This involves combining what they
understand regarding their assigned perspective with new material and sorting it out in
order to promote deeper understanding (Synthesis). Students will be exposed to multiple
perspectives and asked to determine causation (Evaluation).
Psychomotor Domain: The students will be engaged in the generation, verbalization,
and the active testing of ideas generated in class. They will be engaged in discussion
with other groups to test what they have learned and to further reach toward an
understanding of the issues during group work. All of this is active learning according to
Zull (2002).
(Above annotations apply to all three stages in this lesson plan)
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):
Other Evidence:
 Students must demonstrate what they
 Students will come to class prepared to
have learned and what they are
discuss the Dakota War of 1862 from
learning in the classroom group
assigned perspective obtained through
activity. They must further
primary document reading
demonstrate what they have/are
(independent).
learning while participating in class
This portion reinforces the cognitive domain in
wide discussion relating the material
that it provides students the base knowledge
they are working with as well as their
that will aid them in understanding the issues.
conclusions based on thorough
It also expands on what they have learned
evaluation.
previously and will aid them in class to move
This task touches on all domains. Students
throughout the rest of the cognitive domain as
must apply what they have learned - cognitive - they will, at a minimum, apply this base
in their group work by interacting with other
knowledge to the in class activity.
students - affective - and actively testing their
 Students will work in small groups
ideas – psychomotor – by publicly voicing their
with primary documentation in order to
analysis and conclusions (Zull 2002).
discuss perspectives in a group
 The in class group activity is working
activity. This will allow students to
toward the essay due at the end of the
work with different perspectives inunit that will serve as an overall
class while working toward their
summative assessment in which
summative essay assessment directly
students will be asked to write a
related to these perspectives. One
research paper from one of the existent
student from each group will be
perspectives represented.
responsible to discuss findings in large
Students will apply what they have learned
class discussion concluding group
during this lesson to their summative
activity.
assessment. They will need to make
Group work is an integral part of work in the
connections between this lesson with lessons
affective and this task covers the entire domain.
that have come before and lessons that will
As discussed in stage one, during group work
come after in order to successfully complete
students will receive and respond to
the essay assessment. This will be emphasized information, place value on what they have
in the classroom activity as well as the
learned, organize differing perspectives, and
individual reflection on the topic assigned for
internalize value while participating (Bloom, et
homework (exercise listed at the end of Stage
al., 1964). The cognitive domain (Bloom,
Three). This task will be built on learning that 1956) is also involved here and in the class
takes place in all domains.
wide discussion. This will include the
cognitive domain in its entirety (check stage
one explanation). The psychomotor domain is
utilized as well. Students will engage in
actively testing their ideas with their peers by
vocalizing their thoughts and listening to what
others have to say.
 Students will use in-class folders to
independently reflect on issues
discussed during group activity.
This assignment will involve the students’
independent engagement with the material. It
involves all that was learned during the class
and the students’ prior knowledge as well.
This means that the affective and cognitive are
directly related to this as well as the
psychomotor. The psychomotor domain
involves what Zull (2002) calls active learning.
The students will be asked to write, in their
own words, what they have learned and apply
that to what they think regarding the subject.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
 Materials and Resources:
1. Northern Lights Textbook.
2. Primary sources. Each student will receive a copy of a primary source (more on this
in letter B. of Development/Body section) to work with during class period. This
will be provided at the end of the preceding day’s class period.
3. Folder with prepared reflection topic included and group assignment for in-class
activity.
4. Classroom with individual desks or group tables and blackboard/chalk (minimum).
5. Pens/pencils.
6. Students.
7. Teacher.
8. Imagination.
 Timeline (approximations in minutes):
Introduction:
(Students enter classroom, retrieve folders (beginning of each class period), and find
seats before the bell rings).
A. Teacher will direct this portion of lesson using the following methods:
a. Reviewing yesterday’s lesson using perspectives through primary
documentation in order to examine attitudes toward slavery in Minnesota.
b. Segue into today’s topic by reading short excerpt from Big Eagle, a Dakota
chief, directly related to the beginning of the Dakota War of 1862.
c. Students will be asked to respond verbally to what they have just heard from
teacher with the floor open to ideas and questions (5 minutes for oration,
Q/A, and idea generation introductory activity).
Development/Body:
B. Introduce primary source activity regarding perspectives and how students will
be interacting with the material during class. Direct students to form into their
assigned groups based on which perspective they received. Students will form
into ten groups of three students (thirty student class). Each group will be
looking at this issue through primary documentation relating one of the following
perspectives: Dakota (e.g. traditional or farm), white settler (e.g. fur trader,
missionary, or farmer), U.S. Government (e.g. treaty document, soldier, or
politician). Students will form into groups (6 minutes).
C. Guiding question for initial group discussion provided in folder:
According to your assigned perspective, what may have caused the Dakota War
of 1862? (7 minutes for group discussion).
Students will record discoveries and ideas.
D. Each group will be asked to send out two representatives to the other groups (one
to each group) in order to both gather their perspective/s regarding the initial
question and offer theirs (9 minutes).
E. Students will return to their initial groups and share their findings with other
group members and answer the following guiding question written on the black
board:
According to what you learned from the other groups and your own perspective,
what caused this conflict? (9 minutes).
Conclusion:
F. One member from each group will present group findings to class. This report
will include their initial thoughts regarding the event and whether or not those
perspectives changed after the group activity. This report will be done in an
informal manner and generate points of discussion for the entire class (12
minutes).
G. Folder reflection exercise to end lesson. Students will be given reflection
questions during the last 2 minutes of class and will be allowed to bring this
home and have ready to hand in the following day. The teacher will introduce
this exercise and announce that their responses will be used for tomorrow’s
lesson. Students will reflect on the following:
1. What did you learn from today’s group activity? Did learning about the
other perspectives change your mind or not? Explain.
2. Which perspective seemed to you to be the most compelling and why? If
you choose to write your essay regarding this topic which perspective will
you write from and why?
3. Do you see any connections between any of the following: the Dakota War
of 1862, slavery, and the Civil War? Explain.
4. Is this relevant today? How?
Psychomotor Domain
All students will read primary documentation and participate in group activity exposing them to
various perspectives. All students will write an independent reflection directly related to this
lesson.
Most students will read primary documentation, engage in meaningful discussion regarding both
their assigned perspective and that of their peers. During discussion students will test their
perspectives against others in order to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of the entire
issue. Students will incorporate this into their thought process and their written independent
reflection.
Some students will incorporate what they have learned in this lesson by actively seeking to
discover other person’s perspectives through active testing in their everyday lives.
Cognitive Domain
All students will be exposed to new knowledge through written sources and verbal discussion.
Most students will display comprehension and application in oral discussion and written
reflection.
Some students will further compare the differing perspectives represented (analysis); combine
differing perspectives in order to gain an understanding of the subject (synthesis); and come to
conclusions supported by multiple perspectives (evaluation).
Affective Domain
All students will receive new information/phenomenon through both written work and verbal
communication and they will have to respond to this in speech and writing.
Most students will respond by joining in small group discussion and intergroup work comparing
the differing perspectives and drawing conclusions based on a variety of viewpoints. Students
will gain a deeper level of understanding by applying what they learn during classroom activities
into their written reflection (valuing/organization).
Some students will apply what they have learned regarding differing perspectives to their lives by
gaining an understanding regarding the importance of perspective and the impact that they have
on events (Internalizing values).