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LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR THE AGENDA FOR EDUCATION IN A DEMOCRACY

Name: Joseph Luebbe

Date: November 18, 2014

Unit Essential Question: How did Westward Expansion affect American, Native American, and
Mexican societies?
Lesson Topic: Mexican-American War

Class: U.S. History ________

PLANNING THE LESSON


With Democracy and Social Justice at the Center of Instruction
Focusing on the National Network for Educational Renewal (NNER) Mission the 4-Part
Agenda for Education in a Democracy
EQUAL ACCESS
ENCULTURATION
NURTURING PEDAGOGY
STEWARDSHIP
To Knowledge
In Democratic Society
Safe and Caring for All
of the Mission
What are you and your students doing today to advance the 4-Part Mission? Connections:
With which part(s) of the Agenda does this lesson connect most clearly? And how?
This lesson will advance Enculturation in a Democratic Society because students will read
primary sources from both Mexican and American perspectives about the conflict between the
two countries. The practice of respecting other individuals perspectives is necessary in a
democracy.
STANDARDS (www.cde.state.co)
Content: History 1.1
Use the historical method of
inquiry to ask questions,
evaluate primary and
secondary sources, critically
analyze and interpret data,
and develop interpretations
defended by evidence.

Literacy and Numeracy:


Use logic and rhetoric to
analyze and critique ideas.

Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
Discern bias, pose questions,
marshal evidence, and
present solutions.

Literacy and Numeracy:


SWBAT formulate an
argument using logic and
rhetoric to analyze and
critique ideas by reading
multiple primary sources and

Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
SWBAT analyze sources to
discern bias, pose questions,
marshal evidence, and
present solutions for the

OBJECTIVES
Content:
SWBAT evaluate primary
sources and develop an
opinion defended by evidence
by formulating an essay on if
the Mexican-American War

was a just war.

by writing an essay on
whether or not the MexicanAmerican War was a just war.

purpose of developing critical


thinking and problem solving
skills.

ASSESSMENTS What is your evidence of achieving each objective? How will students know
and demonstrate what they have learned in each of the areas, all of the objectives?
Content:
Students will:
1. Participate in a discussion
on questions posed from
sources.
2. Submit an essay as to why
they think the war was
just or unjust.

Literacy and Numeracy:


1. Students will read sources
with different
perspectives, formulate
and pose questions on the
sources, and submit an
essay as to why they think
the war was just or unjust.

Democracy and
21st Century Skills:
1. Students will read sources
with different
perspectives, formulate
and pose questions on the
sources, and submit an
essay as to why they think
the war was just or unjust.

Literacy and Numeracy


Coding
T-Chart

Democracy and
21st Century Skills
Well-informed opinion

KEY VOCABULARY
Content
Manifest Destiny
Santa Anna
Westward Expansion

HIGHER ORDER QUESTIONS for this lesson


Content
What would the United States
look like if the War never
occurred?

Literacy and Numeracy


Why is it important to be able
to code properly when
reading?

Democracy and
21st Century Skills
How does reading primary
sources from multiple
perspectives create a wellinformed opinion?

LESSON FLOW
This is the actual planning of the lesson activities.
Time

Anticipatory Set Purpose and Relevance


The purpose is to get students thinking about westward expansion and Manifest
Destiny, two key precursors of the Mexican-American War.

Time

Pre-Assessment
Ask students if they are familiar with the Alamo to determine background
knowledge of tensions between U.S. and Mexico.

Time

Building Background
Link to Experience: Students have been going over the Westward Expansion of
the U.S. and the idea of Manifest Destiny.

Time

Link to Learning: Students this week will learn about the events leading up to the
Mexican-American War, the War itself, and its legacy.
Activity Name
Interpreting Our Past through Art
Anticipatory Set
Have students interpret John Gasts American Progress painting by dividing it up
into four quadrants and interpreting each quadrant.

Time

Instructional Input
Input:
Students will receive a brief lecture and PPT where they will be asked to take
notes. Students will be given the website address to read four primary documents
on the Mexican-American War.
Modeling:
I will model the Anticipatory Set by giving a couple of observations on the
painting American Progress. I
Checking for Understanding:
I will check for understanding by asking Quick Assess questions during the
lecture, as well as reading their essay as to whether they think the MexicanAmerican War was just or unjust to check for understanding of the lesson overall.
Models of Teaching:
Inquiry, Direct Instruction, and Discussion
SIOP Techniques:

Lesson Preparation, Building Background, Scaffolding, Comprehensible Input


Guided Practice:
Students will receive guided practice as they interpret the painting and write their
essay.
Reading , Writing, Listening, Speaking
Students will read four primary documents, write notes and an essay, listen to my
lecture as well as peers questions, and speak when they are interpreting the
painting and answering quick assess questions.
Checking for Understanding:
For the lecture I will use quick assess techniques, for the lesson I will read their
essay.
Questioning Strategies:
When was the Mexican-American War?
How would the U.S. look if the War never occurred?
After reading and evaluating the four primary sources, was the MexicanAmerican War just or unjust?
Independent Practice:
After the lecture of background rote knowledge on the Mexican-American War,
students will be asked to analyze four primary documents to assist them in
forming a well-educated opinion on the justness of the War.
Time

Accommodations, Modifications, and Student Adjustments


Accommodations and modifications will be given as necessary and per IEPs.

Time

Review and Assessments of All Objectives


Content:
Both the students and I will know that we achieved our content objective by the
content of their justness essay. Quick assessments during the lecture will also
help me assess their understanding during the lecture.
Literacy and Numeracy:
Students will analyze and critique the ideas using knowledge from both the
Mexican and American sides of the War.
Democracy and 21st Century Skills:

The essay will allow them to ascertain biases and gather evidence to formulate a
well-informed opinion.

Time

Closure
With about ten minutes remaining, I will poll the class to determine who thought
it was just and who thought it was unjust. I will cold call to find out whey they
chose what they chose.

Time

Next Step
Continue the unit on Westward Expansion and Manifest Destiny.

Post-Lesson Reflection ( For the Teacher)


1. To what extent were all objectives achieved?
2. What changes would you make if you teach the lesson again?

3. What do you envision for the next lesson?


4. To what extent does this lesson achieve the Mission of the Agenda for Education in
a Democracy? To what extent does this lesson achieve the 21st Century Skills?

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