Lesson Plan

"Should They Stay, or Should They Go?" Considering the Point of View of an Alabama Citizen Regarding the World War I Draft

Subject Area

English Language Arts
Social Studies

Grade(s)

11

Overview

In this lesson, students will read and critically examine a letter from an Alabama farm owner to a U.S. Senator from Alabama regarding exemption status for the 1917 Selective Service Act on behalf of one of her workers. This primary source document will allow the students to practice evaluating a complex text. The students will answer active reading questions to participate in a "Philosophical Chairs" class debate regarding the merit of the farm owner's request. The Philosophical Chairs activity will allow the students to verbally articulate an argumentative position while specifically using textual evidence to be able to defend their position.

*Note: A bibliography of resources used can be found at the end of the "Lesson Procedures Section" of this lesson.

This lesson was created in partnership with the Alabama Department of Archives and History.

Social Studies (2010) Grade(s): 11 - United States History II

SS10.US2.4

Describe causes, events, and the impact of military involvement of the United States in World War I, including mobilization and economic and political changes. [A.1.a., A.1.b., A.1.d., A.1.f., A.1.i., A.1.j., A.1.k.]

Unpacked Content

UP:SS10.US2.4

Vocabulary

  • World War I
  • Treaty of Versailles
  • mobilization
  • imperialism
  • nationalism
  • militarism
  • nativism
  • fascist

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The causes, events, and the impact of military involvement of the United States in World War I.
  • Social and political changes and attitudes in the United States related to involvement in World War I, including: American neutrality, mobilization, economic changes, and political changes.
  • The role of imperialism, militarism, nationalism, nativism, and the alliance system in World War I.
  • Geographical and political boundaries of Europe and the Middle East, pre- and post-World War I.
  • Controversies over the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the League of Nations.
  • Short- and long-term effects of the Treaty of Versailles.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Explain the changing role of the United States during specific historical periods and in relationship to specific historical events.
  • Describe the effects of political and social movements and ideologies.
  • Analyze the social and political causes, events, and impact of specific historical events.
  • Identify geographical and political changes related to specific historical events.
  • Analyze controversies related to political policies, plans, and agreements.
  • Analyze primary and secondary sources.
  • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There were many causes and effects of the United States' military involvement in World War I and these had significant social, political, and economic impact on the United States.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R2

Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts to develop a literal and figurative understanding as appropriate to the type of text, purpose, and situation.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R2

Vocabulary

  • Literary texts
  • Literal understanding
  • Figurative understanding
  • Text
  • Purpose
  • Situation

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Strategies to analyze literary text to develop a literal and figurative understanding.
  • Literary texts have different intended meanings depending on the genre, purpose, and situation.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read and comprehend a variety of literary texts.
  • Develop literal and figurative understanding of literary texts appropriate to the text, purpose, and situation.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Literary texts can be understood on both a literal and figurative level.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.R3

Utilize active listening skills in formal and informal conversations, following predetermined norms.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.R3

Vocabulary

  • Active listening
  • Formal conversations
  • Informal conversations
  • Predetermined norms

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Active listening skills.
  • Strategies to identify formal and informal settings.
  • Engage in formal and informal conversations.
  • Predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Demonstrate active listening skills during formal and informal discussions.
  • Practice predetermined norms for formal and informal discussions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Conversations and discussions follow predetermined norms which help us actively listen and gain understanding.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.1

Read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts written from various points of view and cultural perspectives, with an emphasis on works of American literature.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.1

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Evaluate
  • Complex literary text
  • Complex informational texts
  • Points of view
  • Cultural perspectives
  • American literature

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Necessary skills to read, analyze, and evaluate complex literary and informational texts.
  • Strategies to identify and describe various points of view and cultural perspectives.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Read complex texts.
  • Analyze elements within complex texts.
  • Evaluate text based on specific criteria provided by teacher.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Texts written from various cultural perspectives and viewpoints can provide them with valuable information about the thoughts, opinions, and experiences of others.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.6

Analyze a text’s explicit and implicit meanings to make inferences about its theme and determine the author’s purpose.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.6

Vocabulary

  • Analyze
  • Explicit
  • Implicit
  • Inferences
  • Theme
  • Author's purpose

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to comprehend explicit and implicit text meaning.
  • Inference skills.
  • Methods to identify the theme and purpose of a text.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Making inferences about the theme and purpose of a text by analyzing a text's explicit and implicit meanings.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Text often has an explicitly stated meaning and an implied meaning.
  • They can combine their explicit and implicit understanding to infer the theme and the author's purpose for writing the text.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.7

Compare and/or contrast the perspectives in a variety of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts produced from diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, not limited to the grade level literary focus.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.7

Vocabulary

  • Fiction texts
  • Nonfiction texts
  • Perspectives
  • Informational texts
  • Digital texts
  • Multimodal texts
  • Historical viewpoints
  • Cultural viewpoints
  • Global viewpoints

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to identify the perspective of fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts.
  • Strategies to identify the historical, cultural, and global viewpoints of a variety of texts.
  • Methods to compare and contrast texts.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast perspectives in fiction, nonfiction, informational, digital, and multimodal texts.
  • Compare and contrast diverse historical, cultural, and global viewpoints demonstrated in a variety of texts.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • The texts they read will have a variety of historical, cultural, and global viewpoints, which offer a multitude of perspectives on different topics.
  • Similar and different ideas and themes can be presented in a variety of textual formats.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 11

ELA21.11.14

Participate in collaborative discussions involving multiple cultural and literary perspectives, responding to, contributing to, building upon, and questioning the ideas of others with relevant, appropriate evidence and commentary.

Unpacked Content

UP:ELA21.11.14

Vocabulary

  • Collaborative discussions
  • Cultural perspectives
  • Literary perspectives
  • Relevant, appropriate evidence
  • Commentary

Knowledge

Students know:
  • The format and process for respectful, collaborative discussions.
  • Strategies to incorporate relevant evidence to support a perspective in a collaborative discussion.
  • Methods for responding, contributing to, building upon, and questioning the ideas of others with relevant, appropriate evidence and commentary.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Participate in a class discussion in a respectful and collaborative environment.
  • Respond to, contribute to, build upon, or question the ideas of others in a collaborative discussion.
  • Use relevant, appropriate evidence to support perspectives in a collaborative discussion.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Using evidence to support a perspective is necessary for a respectful, collaborative discussion.
  • There are multiple ways to respond to others in a collaborative discussion, including answering questions, asking questions, or adding to others' ideas.

Primary Learning Objectives

  1. Students will read and analyze a letter from 1917, in which an Alabama farmer asks the sitting U.S. Senator from Alabama at the time to help in getting one of her male farm workers exemption statuses from the Selective Service Act of 1917.
  2. Students will answer "before, during, and after" questions in response to the document.
  3. Students will discuss in the "Philosophical Chairs" class debate format the Constitutionality of the Selective Service Act of 1917 according to Executive Powers during wartime.  
  4. Students will formulate and verbally articulate their thoughts regarding the correspondence between the Alabama farmer and the U.S. Senator through an organized class debate.

Procedures/Activities

BEFORE:

Before the lesson begins, the teacher should begin with a written "bell-ringer" or starter activity which is a question written on the board. Students should write down an answer to this question and find a partner next to them ("elbow partner") to compare answers.  The teacher should allow wait time for partners to discuss the answer to the bell-ringer question. This wait time should be followed by selecting several groups of partners to share their answers to the bell ringer question.  

Bell-Ringer Question:  "As historians, what information can we gain from reading primary sources that we might not be able to gain through reading secondary sources?  How could we use this information effectively when studying a particular period in history?"

DURING LESSON:

In this lesson, students will read and critically examine a letter from an Alabama farm owner to a U.S. Senator from Alabama regarding exemption status for the 1917 Selective Service Act on behalf of one of her workers. This primary source document will allow the students to practice evaluating a complex text.

  1. Have the students read the Letters Between Juney Thompson in Siluria, Alabama, and Senator John H. Bankhead in Washington, D.C, then complete the comprehension questions individually.
    • Allow an appropriate time limit for the students to work independently on the reading comprehension assignment. These questions are another form of formative assessment within this lesson to measure reading comprehension of the primary source.
  2. Once all students have completed the questions, they should find an "elbow partner" to discuss their answers.  Have the students review each other’s writing, adding more and/or asking questions, in writing. 
    • The teacher should provide feedback on this exercise formally through Google Docs or written remarks on a hard copy of the document.
  3. The students will participate in a "Philosophical Chairs" class debate regarding the merit of the farm owner's request. The Philosophical Chairs activity will allow the students to verbally articulate an argumentative position while specifically using textual evidence to be able to defend their position.
    • The teacher should refer to the procedures of the Philosophical Chairs activity. The teacher should iterate ground rules for respect and attention to anyone who is speaking. This activity will be the final formative assessment for this lesson.
  4. The teacher will place students into either “agree” or “disagree” groups based on her discretion. Essentially, the groups will be explaining why they agree or why they do not agree with a statement.  No one will begin the debate in the “undecided section.”

AFTER:

Students should complete a summative assessment for this lesson by articulating, through writing, one point or idea from their classmates during the Philosophical Chairs activity that resonated the most with them and why they chose that particular idea or point. They should submit these exit slips to the teacher before leaving the class for the day.

The Teacher should use the following checklist to assess the student's exit slip:

1. Did the student choose an idea that was specified during the Philosophical Chairs activity?  In other words, was the idea that the student chose expressed during the debate?

2. Did the student explain why he or she chose the point that he or she did in the exit slip?

 

Bibliography

 

Alabama Department of Archives and History. (2010, December 7). Letters Between Juney Thompson in Siluria, Alabama to Senator John H. Bankhead in Washington, D.C.:  Retrieved June 28, 2017, from http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/3806 

 

Cooley, A. J. (2008, March 27). John Hollis Bankhead. Retrieved July 6, 2017, from http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1495

 

Olliff, M. T. (2008, May 22). World War I and Alabama. Retrieved July 2, 2017, from http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1545

 

Seales, B. J. (n.d.). Siluria Cotton Mill Company. Retrieved July 6, 2017, from www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~alshelby/SiluriaMills.html

Assessment Strategies

Formative Assessments include:

1. Reading Comprehension Questions that students will answer and ultimately submit to the teacher.

2. "Elbow Partners": Once students have completed the reading comprehension questions, students will collaborate with a person close to them regarding their answers. At this time, they can make any changes they feel they should make to their answers before they submit them to the teacher for a final evaluation of the answers.

3. Philosophical Chairs Activity: This activity requires students to utilize the data they collected from the formative assessments to process and articulate responses to relative statements regarding the primary sources used in the lesson.

 Summative Assessment

1. Exit Slip:  This should be a prompt that asks students to articulate, promptly, one aspect of the debate/discussion during the lesson that resonated with them and why. There must be a direct connection established by the student between the group debate and the primary source reading and or comprehension questions. This will be submitted to the teacher before leaving the classroom for the day.

 

Acceleration

"Get to Know Senator Bankhead"

Visit the following link from the Encyclopedia of Alabama and get to know a little bit about Senator Bankhead's life and career. Find two aspects of his life that may be relevant to Ms. Thompson's request of him. For example, she is asking him to consider her farm's employees and the protection of her crop during 1917. Would this request familiarly strike Senator Bankhead based on the information you have gathered from this article?

Reading List for Students to Pursue Further Information Regarding This Lesson:

Encyclopedia of Alabama:  John Hollis Bankhead

Article Written by Bobby Joe Seals Regarding the History of Siluria, Alabama

Intervention

This particular lesson can work well in an inclusion-based class with or without a Teacher's Assistant present.  If there is a TA present in class, it is beneficial for students who may struggle with reading and comprehending more complex texts to be able to gather with the TA in a small group to chunk the text and answer one category of questions (Before, During, or After).  

Also, for students who may experience challenges concerning staying on task or any other behavioral concerns, strategic placement of these students during Philosophical Chairs may be beneficial in that they could be placed with peers who may challenge them on a level that counteracts any behavioral concerns they might exhibit.  

*Note: Make sure to be aware ahead of time of any specific accommodations that a student with an IEP may require in order to be successful.

Approximate Duration

Total Duration

61 to 90 Minutes

Background and Preparation

Background/Preparation

Before the lesson, the teacher should explain to the students that a "primary source" is a document directly from the time period being studied.  The teacher should explain to the students that a "secondary source" is a document written about the time period being studied.  

The teacher should research the Selective Service Act of 1917 and what the Act entailed.  The teacher should provide a brief explanation of the Selective Service Act of 1917 to the students before the lesson. A good source for the teacher to use to be able to help prepare the students if needed can be found at the following link from the Encyclopedia of Alabama:  World War I and Alabama    http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1545

Materials and Resources

Materials and Resources

Students will need:

1. Access to a personal electronic device, laptop, iPad, Smartphone, etc., that can access Google Docs. The App is free to download as a part of the Google Technology Suite. (If Google Docs is not accessible to all, those students who cannot access it will be able to complete the lesson with complete hard copy access to all materials.)

2. A hard copy of the Letters Between Juney Thompson in Siluria, Alabama, and Senator John H. Bankhead in Washington, D.C. (1 copy per student):

http://digital.archives.alabama.gov/cdm/ref/collection/voices/id/3806 

and the Secondary Source Information from the Encyclopedia of Alabama (1 copy per student):

World War I and Alabama    http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1545

John Hollis Bankhead http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1495  (this document from the Encyclopedia of Alabama is useful in understanding the content of these letters.)

3. Hard Copy of comprehension questions in response to the primary source: Link to questions 
(1 copy per student)

4. Teacher instructions for "Philosophical Chairs" Summative Assessment Debate

(1 copy per student.  The students as well as the teacher can benefit from having these instructions.)

Technology Resources Needed

1. Teacher access to the internet

2. Student access to personal electronic devices

3. Student access to Google Docs

Approved Date

2017-09-15
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