Daily Lesson Plan
Teacher: Michael Ulrich
Subject: American History
Date: Spring 2010
Topic: The Founding Fathers
Grade: 7
Allocated time: One Class Period (50 Minutes)
Student Population: 16 students in the class all with GIEP (gifted individual educational plans).
State Standards:
Specific number: 8.1.7 A, B, & C, 8.3.7 A, B, C, & D.
Exact Wording:
8.1.7.A: Demonstrate continuity and change over time using sequential order and context of events.
8.1.7.B: Identify and use primary and secondary sources to analyze multiple points of view for
historical events.
8.1.7.C: Form a thesis statement on an assigned topic using appropriate primary and secondary
sources. (Reference RWSL Standard 1.8.5 Research)
8.3.7.A: Classify the social, political, cultural, and economic contributions of individuals and groups
throughout United States history.
8.3.7.B: Examine the importance of significant historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to
United States history.
8.3.7.C: Compare how continuity and change have impacted U.S. history.
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Belief systems and religions
Commerce and industry
Technology
Politics and government
Physical and human geography
Social organizations
8.3.7.D: Examine conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations in U.S. history.
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Ethnicity and race
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Working conditions
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Immigration
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Military conflict
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Economic stability
Goal for Understanding: Students will understand more about the men who helped to shape the newly
formed United States.
Instructional Objective (Statement): Students will be able to connect the American Revolution to the
men who supported it from the beginning.
Student Behaviors
Sources for Evidence
Criteria for Evaluation
Students will read a chapter out
of Joseph Ellis’ book, Founding
Brothers, to jump-start the
lesson.
Students will use the class text
to research specific Founding
Fathers.
Teacher will provide the
Chapter on a hand-out.
Teacher will provide list of
Founding Fathers, and students
will use the text for further
research.
Students will then decide which
of the Founding Fathers was
most significant during the
Revolutionary Period, and why.
Each student will be given the
opportunity to voice their
opinion on which Founding
Father’s role was most
significant to the American
Cause.
Students will collectively take a
short online quiz on the
Founding Fathers.
Online Quiz (see Resources)
Teaching to the Objective
Estimated Time
10 minutes
Students will highlight
information from the hand-out
for further use in class.
Students will provide
information on each Founding
Father they were instructed to
research.
Discussion rubric.
Quiz Score.
Teaching to the Objective
Introduction
Students will be given a hand-out on the first chapter of
Founding Brothers, which gives a brief introduction to the
Revolutionary Period and the leaders during that time.
20 minutes
Differentiation
The teacher will
provide the
handouts to each
student.
Developmental Activity
Students will use the textbook and internet resources (if
computers are available) to identify the listed Founding
Fathers.
- Founding Fathers to be researched are:
 George Washington
 John Adams
 Thomas Jefferson
 Benjamin Franklin
 Alexander Hamilton
The teacher will
provide assistance
to students finding
difficulty in
researching some
of the Fathers.
Students will present their findings, as well as discuss their
choice for the most significant Founding Father. Students
must support their pick with evidence from the text,
primary or secondary sources, or the internet.
10 minutes
Students can work
in groups if the
teacher allows it.
Assessment
Students will be situated back into regular seating. A quiz
will be presented on the board, and the students must
respond to each question.
- The question will be asked, and then
followed by the answer choices.
- The teacher will repeat the choices A-D and
the students will vote by a show of hands
which answer is correct.
Students can
present
individually or as
a group depending
on the amount of
class time
remaining.
10 minutes
Closure
Students will review the quiz answers and the teacher will
elaborate on why the answer was correct, or identify the
mistake if the answer was wrong.
Materials: Textbook, hand-outs, PowerPoint, multiple computers (if computer lab is available), internet
resources.
Resources: Textbook
Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Vintage Books, 2002.
http://mulrich6667.wikispaces.com/Founding+Fathers
http://www.mystudiyo.com/ch/a104312/go