West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Basic Information
Lesson Title:
Author(s):
Content
Area(s):
Synopsis:
Grade
Level(s):
WVCSO’s:
Eloquent Words
Tia Miller
Language Arts
Subject(s):
Students will learn about
Background
both sides of an issue, then
& Student
attempt to write persuasively Relevance
for one. This will give
students practice in making
logical arguments and using
rhetorical techniques. It will
also help students learn to
look at both sides of an
issue.
8th Grade
Chief Logan’s Lament
It is important for students to understand the
conflict between Native Americans and
Europeans for control of the frontier. There
were no "good guys" and "bad guys." Both
sides had their reasons for doing what they
did, whether history has shown that to be right
or wrong.
Students also need to learn how rhetoric is
used to get a speaker's point across to his
audience.
Frontier
Discovery #3
Museum
Correlation:
Standards
RLA.O.8.1.06 determine and interpret the elements of literature to construct meaning and
recognize author’s purpose and/or reader’s purpose
RLA.O.8.1.08 recognize connections among ideas in literary and informational text and
recognize that global awareness promotes understanding, tolerance, and acceptance of ethnic,
cultural, religious and personal differences.
RLA.O.8.1.12 identify literary technique used to interpret literature:
RLA.O.8.2.02 analyze how analogies, illustrations, examples, and anecdotes are used to
enhance oral and written communication
21st
Century
Skills:
RLA.O.8.3.01 model effective oral communication skills
21C.O.5-8.1.LS.1
Student, when presented with a problem, identifies the information
needed, uses text, people, online databases and search engines to filter relevant information
efficiently, analyzes information for biases, synthesizes information gathered and creates an
effective and efficient response to the problem.
21C.O.5-8.2.LS.1
Student engages in a critical thinking process that supports synthesis
and conducts evaluations by applying comprehensive criteria.
21C.O.5-8.2.LS.2
interpret systems.
Student draws conclusions from a variety of data sources to analyze and
Implementation Plan
Essential Question: What happens when belief systems of different societies and individuals come into
conflict?
Pre-Visit: Have students read, listen, or watch Chief Logan’s lament (see materials list for suggestions).
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West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Have them research the events leading up to his delivery of the speech. Discuss the speech with students: Do
you agree with Logan? Do you think he should have signed the treaty or was he right not to? Did he have the
right to kill all those people? Would you classify him as a villain or a hero? After discussion, let students
work in pairs or groups to fill out the analysis chart.
During Visit: In Discovery Room #3, students will learn more about white settlement in the area that is now
WV and the conflict that existed between Native Americans who were already in the area and the European
settlers who wanted to move in. Instruct them to research the European point-of-view as it compared to the
Native American point-of-view they have already studied. They are to find reasons that the Europeans might
have given for their rights to own the land and reasons that the Native Americans might have given that no one
can own the land.
Post-Visit: Once back in class, students are to work in pairs to create a pair of speeches – one that argues that
the Europeans should have the western Virginia frontier, one that argues the same for the Native Americans.
By working together, they can help each other think of reasons and construct an argument. Encourage them to
use some of the rhetorical techniques that Chief Logan used. Once each pair has finished their speeches, they
can deliver them for the class.
Product Description
The student’s final product will consist of a written and oral component. Students will work together in pairs
on their final product. This will hopefully alleviate some of the concern over doing something that most eighth
graders have not yet been asked to do – write and deliver a speech.
First the pairs will work together to brainstorm the reasons that Europeans had for claiming the land and the
reasons Native Americans had. Encourage them to use the information they gathered from the Discovery
Room.
Next, one person in the pair will choose a side to defend; the other person will defend the other side. Working
together, they are to write a short speech (though incredibly powerful, Chief Logan’s speech is just under 200
words, a manageable length for eighth graders) where they give their side’s reasons for claiming the land.
Encourage them to look back at the analysis sheet and see what rhetorical techniques Chief Logan used in his
speech. Prompt them to try using at least one of the techniques listed at the bottom of the analysis worksheet.
After writing a first draft, the pair will sit down for a two-on-one conference with the teacher so she can help
them look for ways to revise.
After a revision session, students will present their speeches to the class. The teacher can choose to do this
debate style, with each person in a pair going one after the other, or she/he can choose to have all those arguing
for one side go first and then those arguing for the other side.
Once everyone has delivered their speeches, the class can discuss all the reasons that both sides had for
claiming the land they now live on. Encourage students to come to a conclusion. Who was right? Who was
wrong? Can we really say? As a follow-up, students can research other fights over land rights, like those
between the Palestinians and Israelis.
Material’s List
Audio and Text Version of Speech:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/nativeamericans/chieflogan.htm
TeacherTube – Video Version of Speech
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=45da4c1ed7f7c05c7685
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West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Analysis Worksheet
Rubric
Assessment
Completed analysis worksheet
Speech – written and oral
Students can use the internet to find a copy of Chief Logan’s speech and research information about the events
leading up to the speech.
Additional Notes
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