SHCS Lesson Plan – Social Studies Department
Teacher: Greg MacPhee Course: World History II
Week of: 1/14/13 Periods: 1 & 7
Unit: Imperialism
Level: C
Essential Question (for current Unit)
Is the United States today an empire? Use examples from the imperialism we learned about in class to say why or why not.
Common Core Writing Standards: Social Studies Department
X
X
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and
sufficient evidence. (Example: essays, debating bullet points)
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the
effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. (Examples: DBQ’s, ACAPS, responding to charts and graphs)
X
5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. (Example:
research paper)
X
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. (Example: analyzing primary
source documents)
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single
sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. (Example: bellringers)
X
Other Standards (if applicable) ex: ELBPO, reading, cross-disciplinary
WHII.11. WHII.12,WHII.15, Martin Luther King Day lesson
FRAMEWORK:
OBJECTIVE:
What do you require your student to know?
Use an action verb that can be measured: S.W.B.A.T.
Example: Analyze the roles and policies of various
Civil War leaders. (US1.39)
Example: Identify leadership qualities of Ulysses S.
Grant in a written open response essay.
This week we will focus on specific aspects of
imperialism, with also a focus on making political
cartoons. Examples of imperialism in the Congo and in
India will be shown to the students. They will also
examine several drawings and political cartoons about
imperialism and then draw their own examples.
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Weekly Open Response Question:
figure out the main idea of a political cartoon
articulate and draw their own political ideas and
what they have learned in this unit in their own
political cartoons
Understand the role racism played in imperialism
identify aspects of the “White Man’s Burden” in
other works
Understand the connection between Gandhi’s antiimperialism campaign and MLK’s own nonviolent
resistance to segregation
Rubric
Prior Knowledge:
Future Learning:

“White Man’s Burden”

political cartoons

definition of imperialism

specific examples of imperialism in Africa and India

imperialist’s motivations

examples of American imperialism
DAY
PLAN
M
Activities: (Periods 1 & 7)
-Teacher will announce that we’re going to be examining some pictures
-Students will get into preselected groups, each group will get a different picture meant to
symbolize imperialism, with a special focus on those supporting or opposing the “white
man’s burden”
-Students will be told to imagine that they are online looking at a facebook or instagram
album and be asked to “comment” on each picture. Sheets of paper will be provided along
with the pictures for students to write their comments as a group, writing one-by-one in a
circle
-Teacher will project an image onto the board to demonstrate and have students say their
initials reactions and what do they notice about the picture. As they say them, teacher will
write down their observations on a piece of paper which will also be projected onto the board
-After demonstration is done, students will begin looking at the pictures. Groups will have 5
minutes at each picture, then they will rotate to another picture, until all students have seen
and commented on all 7 pictures.
T
W
Th
Assessments/HW:
Activities: (No Period 1)
(Period 7)
-Teacher will welcome students back and ask them about their impressions of the imperialism
“album” activity from yesterday
-Teacher will project the pictures on the board and read out some of the students’ comments
-After short discussion of each picture, teacher introduces the concept of political cartoons
-Teacher explains what political cartoons are, that the message is more important than the art,
and then project contemporary examples of political cartoons for students to see and discuss
-Students will be asked to come up with a political cartoon of their own, first to think of an
issue which they have an opinion on and then sketch a cartoon which they will have some
class time to do and then do the rest for homework
Assessments/HW: Sketch a political cartoon about an issue that you have an opinion on
Activities: (Period 1)
-Teacher will welcome students back and ask them about their impressions of the imperialism
“album” activity from Monday
-Teacher will project the pictures on the board and read out some of the students’ comments
-After short discussion of each picture, teacher introduces the concept of political cartoons
-Teacher explains what political cartoons are, that the message is more important than the art,
and then project contemporary examples of political cartoons for students to see and discuss
-Students will be asked to come up with a political cartoon of their own, first to think of an
issue which they have an opinion on and then sketch a cartoon which they will have some
class time to do and then do the rest for homework
(Period 7)
-Students will post their political cartoons at the front of the class and then be given post-it
notes
-Students will be asked to comment on four different cartoons with their post-its, with an
emphasis on either questions or positive feedback
-After about 10 minutes, students will return to their seats and then teacher will read aloud
some of the comments and ask students to explain their work
-Students will then be asked to come up with a political cartoon for imperialism, that is what
they will hand in for homework tomorrow
Assessments/HW: (Period 1) Sketch a political cartoon about an issue that you have an
opinion on (Period 7) Sketch a political cartoon about imperialism
Activities: (Period 1)
ELL/Sped
Accommodations
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low-stakes
writing based
off of visuals
ELL students
placed in groups
with students
able to translate
for them
art incorporated
into the lesson
for students
with strong
artistic leanings
pictures
projected onto
board for all to
see

same as
previous day
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art once again
-Students will post their political cartoons at the front of the class and then be given post-it
notes
-Students will be asked to comment on four different cartoons with their post-its, with an
emphasis on either questions or positive feedback
-After about 10 minutes, students will return to their seats and then teacher will read aloud
some of the comments and ask students to explain their work
-Students will then be asked to come up with a political cartoon for imperialism, that is what
they will hand in for homework tomorrow
(Period 7)
-Students will hand in their imperialism political cartoons
-Students will then be asked to break up into small groups and read excerpts from the book
“King Leopold’s Ghost” about imperialism in Congo with each reading dealing with a
different aspect, such as King Leopold, Congo’s pre-imperial history, post-imperial history,
Belgian atrocities, etc.
-Students will have 20 minutes to read their articles and then summarize them
-Students will share out what they have found and teacher will write them on the board for all
students to copy down in a graphic organizer provided
Assessments/HW: (Period 1) Sketch a political cartoon about imperialism
Activities: (Periods 1 & 7)
-Students will watch various clips from the film “Gandhi” portraying Gandhi’s struggle, his
nonviolent tactics, and British repression such as the Amritsar Massacre
-After students have viewed the clips they will be asked to write a half-page response to the
question, “Do you think that conflict and oppression is inevitable in imperialism?”
-Students will discuss their responses and what they thought of nonviolence
-Teacher will ask students if they know of any examples of nonviolent tactics used to
overcome repression in this country, then lead a short discussion of how Martin Luther King,
Jr. was inspired by Gandhi
F
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incorporated
small groups for
students to work
together
readings split up
to be smaller
findings posted
onto the board
film clips to help
all visualize
examples of
imperialism
Assessments/HW:
Pros

students enjoyed
looking at modern day
political cartoons and
in several cases, ELL
or IEP students were
able to figure out the
meaning of the cartoon
before other students
Reflections/modifications


political cartoons lessons took longer in
period 7 than anticipated and Congo lesson
was pushed back to next week
Gandhi was screened in period 1 on
Wednesday of the following week
Cons