Grade 8 Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 01 Suggested Duration: 2 days Articles of Confederation Lesson Synopsis: In this lesson, students read, analyze and summarize the Articles of Confederation through a group activity, a powerpoint, and a series of primary source analysis questions. TEKS: 8.4 History. The student understands significant political and economic issues of the revolutionary era. The student is expected to: 8.4C Explain the issues surrounding important events of the American Revolution, including declaring independence; writing the Articles of Confederation; fighting the battles of Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown; enduring the winter at Valley Forge; and signing the Treaty of Paris of 1783; Readiness Standard 8.15 Government. The student understands the American beliefs and principles reflected in the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and other important historic documents. The student is expected to: 8.15B Summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Supporting Standard Social Study Skills TEKS: 8.29 8.29B Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to: Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions. GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION Performance Indicator: • Write a letter to the delegates meeting to discuss changing the Articles of Confederation. In the letter, summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain the issues that are evidence of the weak confederation. (8.15B; 8.29B) 5G Key Understandings and Guiding Questions: • Conflict often influences the development of and changes in government. — What issues surrounded important events in the writing of the Articles of Confederation? — What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? Vocabulary of Instruction: • • confederation governance • • sovereignty opinion • compromise Materials: • Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials. Attachments: • • • • • Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of Confederation Handout: Articles of Confederation (1 per student) Handout: Reading Notes (1 per student) Handout: Reading Notes KEY Handout: Frayer Model (1 per student, or students draw their own) ©2012, TESCCC 04/30/13 page 1 of 4 Grade 8 Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 01 Resources and References: None identified Advance Preparation: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Become familiar with content and procedures for the lesson. Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson. Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this lesson. Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines. Prepare materials and handouts as needed. Primary source documents discussing revisions to the Articles of Confederation John Jay letter proposing changes to Articles of Confederation Background Information: At the end of the Revolutionary War, the new nation was in political, social, and economic transition. The colonists were no longer British citizens and loyal to the King. Mercantilism now gave way to a free enterprise system. In addition, the new states were now in debt. Because of the experience under a tyrannical government, the newly-established states were apprehensive toward giving any new government too much power. The Articles of Confederation were ratified while the American Revolution was in progress and became the first form of government for the new republic. A confederation, or loose association, was all the states could handle at this point, as little unity existed between the different sections of America. This time period is marked by a constant balancing act of giving the government enough power to protect the people while maintaining the rights of the people and the states. GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners. The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page. All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher ENGAGE – Confederation 1. Show students Slide #2 of the Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of Confederation. 2. To summarize previous learning and prepare students for the content of this lesson, introduce the day using words such as: • Based on what you have read and learned in the previous weeks and based on the symbolism (images) and clues that you see on this slide, describe the important historical event in American history. NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes Suggested Day 1 – 10 minutes Attachments: • Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of Confederation Purpose: This short activity serves as a review and helps to introduce a justification/rationale for the Articles of Confederation. TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B 3. Students write their description on their own paper. 4. Use a teacher-preferred method of selecting students to share their descriptions. Instructional Note: Students may scribe their answers on a slide when explaining their interpretation. 5. Students will describe the image and explain their interpretation while the teacher scribes. 6. Display and then read the statement: “With freedom comes responsibility.” 7. Facilitate a brief discussion where students respond to the statement. Some questions/statements that can be used to incite discussion include: • Can someone elaborate on this statement? Do you agree ©2012, TESCCC 04/30/13 page 2 of 4 Grade 8 Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 01 Instructional Procedures • • Notes for Teacher or disagree? Justify. What if there were no rules in our classroom, or no rules in our school, or no laws in our city? What sorts of consequences come attached with a lawless society? Write the student responses. Do you see some basic principles or ideas emerging to bring order to the chaos? While it might have seemed like complete chaos for the colonists during the American Revolution, a governmental system had already been established. Today, our goal is to learn about a system of government that the colonists established: The Articles of Confederation. EXPLORE – Confederation? 1. Divide the class into small groups (no more than three). 2. Distribute the Handout: Articles of Confederation and the Handout: Reading Notes. Suggested Day 1 continued – 20 minutes Attachments: • Handout: Articles of Confederation • Handout: Reading Notes • Teacher Resource: Reading Notes KEY 3. Students (in groups) read the excerpts of the Articles of Confederation, answering the questions on the Handout: Reading Notes and discussing in their groups. Purpose: The purpose of this part of the lesson is to encourage students to explore the ideas outlined in the Articles of Confederation to examine strengths 4. Students may deepen their understanding of the content by and weaknesses of the document. This reading appropriate sections in the textbook and other classroom exploration will strengthen their content to deepen materials on the functions and powers of the national discussion and analysis of other perspectives government under the Articles of Confederation. (This can be during the Elaborate part of the lesson. completed as homework.) TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B Instructional Note: During reading and notetaking, teacher will circulate among the small groups to probe with questions, correct misinformation, and enrich thinking. See Teacher Resource: Reading Notes KEY. EXPLAIN – Frayer Model 1. Provide each student a copy of the Handout: Frayer Model. 2. Students use what they have learned during the Explore section to complete this vocabulary activity. 3. Within their groups, students share definitions, characteristics, and examples, changing their graphic organizers as needed. 4. Project the following questions: • What problems do you see with the powers under the Articles? (little power is given to the national government to pay debts or make laws) • How can NOT having the power to tax affect the national government? (national government’s revenue depends on taxes; no revenue means the government cannot provide services) • Why did colonial leaders allow state governments to retain most of the power under the Articles? (states ©2012, TESCCC 04/30/13 Suggested Day 1 continued – 10 minutes Attachments: • Handout: Frayer Model (1 per student) Purpose: The purpose of this part of the lesson is to label the ideas that students explored in the Articles of Confederation. The concepts that students analyze in this part of the lesson are essential to their understanding of how the confederation required a stronger agreement that later results in a Constitution. TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B Instructional Note: To strengthen the discussion using academic language, students may use a Word Wall or posted Frayer models to practice using the concepts frequently and correctly. page 3 of 4 Grade 8 Social Studies Unit: 04 Lesson: 01 Instructional Procedures • • • Notes for Teacher differed greatly and were interested in meeting the needs of their own states; they were not ready to give up any power) Why weren’t there provisions for an executive in the Articles? (their experience under a tyrannical king kept them from giving up any power to a central authority or one person) Who held most of the power under the Articles? (the states) Do you think many laws were enacted or changed? Why or why not? (many laws were not passed or amended because it was difficult to get the states to agree) 5. Facilitate a discussion where students use academic language to discuss the questions. (Discussion within the small group before sharing with the whole class often helps students communicate their ideas more clearly.) ELABORATE – Strengths and Weaknesses Suggested Day 1 continued – 10 minutes Materials: • Primary source documents discussing revisions to the Articles of Confederation. 2. Students will share their understanding of the differing opinions • John Jay letter proposing changes to Articles communicated in the primary source documents and those of the of Confederation time period, including important topics during the Constitutional Conventions. Attachments: • Teacher Resource: PowerPoint: Articles of 3. Students will predict how these differening opinions might come Confederation. together during the Constitutional Convention. (Refer to compromise on a World Wall or in a Frayer model.) TEKS: 8.4C, 8.15B, 8.29B 1. Project or distribute primary source documents discussing revisions to the Articles of Confederation. 4. Show students the last two slides of the PowerPoint: Articles of Confederation. (Weaknesses and Strengths) 5. With a partner, students discuss how they would change the Articles of Confederation, based on their understanding of the historical context of the document and the multiple points of view they have studied. Instructional Note: Students may have the misconception that all Americans agreed about wanting a new Constitution. Studying the multiple points of view about the Articles of Confederation is a parallel discussion about compromise that students will have about ratifying the Constitution. 6. Facilitate a discussion where students use what they have learned to support the Key Understanding and answer the guiding questions. • Conflict often influences the development of and changes in government. — What issues surrounded important events in the writing of the Articles of Confederation? — What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? EVALUATE • Write a letter to the delegates meeting to discuss changing the Articles of Confederation. In the letter, summarize the strengths and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and explain the issues that are evidence of the weak confederation. (8.15B; 8.29B) 5G ©2012, TESCCC 04/30/13 Suggested Day 2 – 30 minutes TEKS: 8.15B, 8.29B page 4 of 4