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Lesson Plan

Early America by Discovery Education

Subject

Social Studies (NYS K-12 Framework Common Core)

Grade Levels

Elementary, 2nd Grade, 3rd Grade, 4th Grade

Duration

Two class periods

Objectives

Students will understand the following:

A leader demonstrates certain traits, qualities, or characteristics.
Leaders exist in America today and existed in early American history as well.

Materials

For this lesson, you will need:

Chalkboard or poster paper

Procedure

In this project, students will identify men and women who are leaders in their community and in the world at large. From this more concrete experience, they will travel back to early America and learn on a more abstract level about leaders of the young nation.

Begin by asking students who the principal of the school is and what he or she does. Start, on the board or on poster paper, a list of leaders' qualities, traits, or characteristics. Such a list might include the following:

Makes up rules
Rewards and punishes people
Earns respect
Helps and comforts people
Makes people work hard

Go on to ask students to identify the persons who head up other groups or organizations that they may be familiar with and to list the heads' qualities, traits, or characteristics. Students may identify a person by name or by title. Consider talking about the leaders of the following groups or organizations. Add qualities, traits, or characteristics of each leader to the list you started in the preceding step.

Leader of the town or city in which students live
Leader of the fire department of the town or city
Leader of the police department of the town or city
Leader of the largest store or major business in the town or city
Leader of the local newspaper
Leader of the state
Leader of the country
Leader of another country

Tell students, or review with them, stories about one or more of the following:

Paul Revere and the minutemen
George Washington and the Continental Army
Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence

Convert the list of leadership qualities, traits, or characteristics, which you've been adding to, into a chart with the qualities, traits, or characteristics as column heads. Place the name of one early American leader in each row. Based on what students have learned about Revere, Washington, and Jefferson, ask them to tell you which leader demonstrated which qualities, traits, or characteristics—and when or how (that is, students should supply an example of when or how the leader demonstrated the quality). Have a student check off the columns that apply to Revere, Washington, and Jefferson.
When the chart is complete, help students interpret it. That is, ask them to look at the data and comment on them. What traits do all these leaders seem to have in common? What traits do none of them have? What traits do some but not all of them have?
After the class discussion, ask students to write one paragraph answering the following question:

What does it take to be a leader?
Why is Revere, Washington, or Jefferson considered a leader?

Adaptations

Tell students the stories about Revere, Washington, and Jefferson. Then ask them to tell you which of the men fit each of these categories:

Someone who bravely took on a difficult job
Someone who worked hard and made other people work hard
Someone who gave the country something to remember

Discussion Questions

Are people born as heroes, or do they have to learn how to become heroes? Explain your answer.
Why do you suppose most of the early American heroes we study about are men?
How are American leaders today like Revere, Washington, and Jefferson? How are American leaders today different from those men?
Why do some people want to become heroes?
Have there been or are there heroes whose names we don't know? Explain your answer.

Evaluation

You can evaluate each student's paragraph using the following three-point rubric:

Three points: clearly identifies several traits of leadership; clearly explains why one or more of the men is considered a hero; writes more than a minimum number of sentences (to be determined)

Two points: identifies at least one trait of leadership; explains why one of the men is considered a hero; writes the minimum number of sentences

One point: answers one but not both questions; does not write the minimum number of sentences

You can have your students contribute to the assessment rubric by having them determine a minimum number of sentences for the paragraph.

Extensions

Dear Mom . . .
Ask students to pretend that they have one of the following jobs in early America:

Running a sugaring business in New England
Helping to build the transcontinental railroad
Working as a cowboy (or cowgirl) on the range

Each student must write a letter to his or her mother. The letter should describe the work and explain its importance. (Students may choose, instead, to write to another family member or a friend.)

Early America in Poetry and Song
Introduce students to a recording of Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" or a folk song such as "I've Been Working on the Railroad," "Casey Jones," "Home on the Range," or "The Streets of Laredo." Ask students to tell you in their own words how the poem or song is like the early American history they have discussed. What does the poem or song mention that students might not have known before?

Resource

Early America

Vocabulary

independence

Definition: Freedom from control by others.

Context: In the year 1775, the American colonists began to embrace the idea of independence from England.

minutemen

Definition: Members of the colonial troops who had promised to take the field in battle on very short notice.

Context: General Thomas Gage, the commander of the British forces, sent them to capture the weapons held by the colonial troops, or minutemen.

unite

Definition: Join together for a common purpose; make as one.

Context: But, more importantly, Adams knew that this man would have to unite the colonies.

revolution

Definition: A significant change in political organization; the act of changing politically by rebelling against the authority in place.

Context: In January of 1776 news arrived from England that King George III was sending an army to crush the growing revolution.

Content Provider

Discovery Education

Discovery Education offers a breadth and depth of digital media content that is immersive, engaging and brings the world into the classroom to give every student a chance to experience fascinating people, places, and events. All content is aligned to state standards, can be aligned to custom curriculum, and supports classroom instruction regardless of the technology platform.

Whether looking for a digital media library service, an implementation to help you transition your classroom to a 21st century environment or to move completely to replace textbooks with digital resources, Discovery Education offers a continuum of solutions to meet your district's specific needs. In addition, we offer real-time assessment services and a variety of professional development to ensure effective implementation in the classroom. You know your needs. We know our services. Together we can create an effective solution.

And, add the vast number of additional classroom instruction opportunities available such as virtual experiences, compelling Discovery talent, free lesson plans and materials, and a variety of contests and challenges and with Discovery Education teachers are truly able to give students opportunities to soar beyond the traditional textbook for endless possibilities.

Credits: Tish Raff, administrator and social studies teacher, Sequoyah Elementary School, Derwood, Maryland.