Lesson Two: Military Leaders- Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
I. Objectives
a. Standard SOL- USI.9: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events, and effects of the Civil War by d) describing the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Frederick Douglass in events leading to and during the war;
b. Learning Objective- Students will be able to evaluate the roles of Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in events leading to and during the war.
II. Materials for Learning Activities
a. “Lets Have Peace, 1865” picture
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/17/arts/1017-HIST_4.html
b. Venn Diagram Student Worksheet (found in supporting documents)
c. Different levels of Civil War books for research
d. Think-Tac-Toe choice board
e. Smart Board
f. Computer w/Smart Board program for the teacher
g. Student computers for research
h. Pictures of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee to pass around
i. Civil War military artifacts (or pictures of artifacts if the actual pieces are unattainable)
III. Procedures for Learning Activities (approximately 1 hour)
a. Introduction: Remind the students that yesterday we took a look at the political leaders of the North and the South. Ask for volunteers to recall the president of the North, Abraham Lincoln, and the president of the South, Jefferson Davis. Let the students know that today we will be learning about two more influential men in the Civil War, but this time from a military perspective. These men are the generals of the Union (the North) and the Confederate (the South) armies. Ulysses S. Grant was the general of the Union army and Robert E. Lee was the general of the Confederate army.
b. Do a KWL chart on Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with the students on the Smartboard. Students will take turns raising their hand to help fill in the three columns. (pre-assessment) (5 minutes).
c. Engage the students with a painting from 1865. This painting shows the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox courthouse. However, do not tell the students what is represented in this picture. Instead, have the following questions on the board and ask the students to choose two to respond to in their journals answers to the following questions: (10 minutes).
i. Who is represented in this painting?
ii. What do you think this is a painting of?
iii. How would you describe each of the men shaking hands?
iv. Do you agree with the painter’s representation of the painting, why or why not?
v. From this painting, which man seems to be victorious?
d. After the students have had a chance to respond, select a few students to share on the various questions. Then share with the class that this painting represents the surrendering of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. Show the students that what makes this painting so interesting is that if someone didn’t know the outcome of the Civil War, there is a good chance they would think that general Lee won the war based on how he is portrayed in this painting. Ask the students why they think the painter painted the picture this way?
e. Wrap up the painting discussion and explain to the students that they will use what they learned from the painting discussion as well as the resources provided (various books, articles, and Internet resources) to fill out another Venn Diagram about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. (15 minutes).
i. Hand out the Venn Diagram Foldable and give instructions on how to piece it together and label
1. Put together the foldable as a class
a) Walk around to make sure it is being put together correctly
ii. Let the students know that they may work in pairs with someone at their table to fill out the Venn Diagram
foldable.
f. While the students are doing their research and filling out their Venn Diagram foldable, I will walk around the classroom taking anecdotal notes on their progress and contribution to their partner. I will also offer my assistance if they have any questions.
g. After approximately 15 minutes I will use my classroom management strategy of clap echoing to get my students attention. I will ask them to return to their seats and we will share what everyone has found
h. Create a class Venn Diagram for Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee using the information the students found. I felt it was important to do this as a class to make sure that all of the students had the important information down because this will be a resource to help them with their Think-Tac-Toe board.
i. Fill out the Venn Diagram by allowing students to volunteer information that they and their partner had found. (5-10 minutes)
ii. Use varying questions from Blooms Taxonomy including:
1. How was Grant similar to Lee? How were they different? (comprehension and analysis)
2. What was Grants’s greatest contribution (knowledge)
3. Do you think. . . (evaluate)
i. Re-introduce the Think-Tac-Toe board (document attach)
i. Instruct students that for the remainder of the class they will be working on their choice from the Grant/Lee
column. They can use their Venn Diagram for information as well as any of the resources in the classroom. (25
minutes)
ii. Let them know that it is ok if they do not have a chance to finish, they will have more time during the week.
However, they must use their time wisely because the entire Think-Tac-Toe board will be due at the end of the
week.
j. While the students are working on their Think-Tac-Toe project I will go around and assist students in choosing their project, answering any individual questions they might have, and observing their progress
k. Closing: Bring the students back together and ask them to self-evaluate their progress. Have students hold up a “1” if they are less than half way done with their Think-Tac-Toe project and feel they are going to need a lot more time to finish, a “2” if they are approximately half way done with their project, or a “3” if they are more than half-way done.
i. Introduce to the students that tomorrow we will be learning about our final two influential people in the Civil War,
Stonewall Jackson and Frederick Douglass.
IV. Assessment-
a. Pre-assessment –
i. Informal and Formative: The class will work together to fill out a KWL chart about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
b. During the lesson-
i. Informal and Formative: I will use the technique of questioning to informally check my student’s understanding. I will target specific students for specific questions based on their readiness and using varying levels of questioning from Bloom’s taxonomy. I will do this while discussing the painting at the beginning of the lesson as well as when going over the Venn Diagram as a class.
ii. Informal and Formative: Venn Diagram (graphic organizer)- students will create a Venn diagram showcasing the similarities and differences between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. This is informal and formative because we will come back together as a class to ensure that the important information is addressed. Differentiation will exist during this assessment because there will be a variety of resources available for the students to use. This is differentiation of process by readiness and/or interest.
iii. Informal and Formative: While the students are working on their Venn diagrams and Think-Tac-Toe boards, I will observe their progress and take anecdotal notes on their collaboration, progress, and knowledge.
iv. Formal and Summative: Students will work with a Think-Tac-Toe choice board. There will be a column about Grant and Lee that students must pick from to complete before the end of this lesson sequence. It is an individual assignment and will be graded using a rubric.
V. Differentiation
a. Content differentiation by interest because several students are huge fans of military history and the wars and therefore I will use this lesson to really get them engaged since we are talking about military generals. I will bring in war artifacts and pictures of the generals that they can incorporate into their Think-Tac-Toe assignments. In this case I am linking these students personal interest in military history with the lesson on war generals and providing them an opportunity to explore their interest area more in-depth.
b. Content differentiation by interests and readiness based on the types of resources students have access to. I have provided picture books, textbooks, encyclopedias, other non-fiction books, articles, as well as Internet resources and videos to help students fill out their Venn Diagram and complete their Think-Tac-Toe activity. A lot of our students are very interested in media, which is why it is important to include videos and media prints. Furthermore, print difficulty ranges from picture books for our ESOL students to more complex biographies and encyclopedias for our students who receive GT services.
c. Process differentiation by learning profile through table groups and partners when the students paired up to do research for their Venn Diagram.
d. Content differentiation by readiness based on the different levels of questioning I address the students with. Bloom’s taxonomy offers questions that range from knowledge to evaluation and each level asks for a higher level of thinking that some students are ready for and other students are not.
e. Product differentiation by learning profile through the Think-Tac-Toe boards. The different rows represent different multiple intelligences that focus on the strengths of my students. These intelligences include spatial for all of our artistic students, interpersonal, and kinesthetic for those with strengths in dance and music. The Think-Tac-Toe board is my high-prep differentiation task that will carry through the entire lesson sequence. It will also act as my summative assessment as mentioned earlier. A Think-Tac-Toe board gives students an element of choice while also making sure their tasks align with my objectives.
f. Accommodations- I have made several accommodations for individual groups of students I may potentially have in my classroom that go beyond the differentiating I did for the class.
i. For students with learning disabilities, I have created a checklist to help monitor their way through both the poetry journal entry and think-tac-toe board. This includes showing them what books to look at for specific information that will help him organize his assignment. I also guided him into a particular think-tac-toe assignment.
ii. For GT students, I asked them to do the artistic choice in addition to one of the other two choices if they finish their work ahead of time
iii. For ESOL students. Not only do I guide them to the easier leveled resources, I encourage them to use the videos and the Internet resources that have been translated into Spanish. I have guided them to the spatial choice for their think-tac-toe pick.
iv. Allow ADHD students to take frequent breaks and provide fidget sticks
a. Standard SOL- USI.9: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes, major events, and effects of the Civil War by d) describing the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and Frederick Douglass in events leading to and during the war;
b. Learning Objective- Students will be able to evaluate the roles of Civil War generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in events leading to and during the war.
II. Materials for Learning Activities
a. “Lets Have Peace, 1865” picture
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/17/arts/1017-HIST_4.html
b. Venn Diagram Student Worksheet (found in supporting documents)
c. Different levels of Civil War books for research
d. Think-Tac-Toe choice board
e. Smart Board
f. Computer w/Smart Board program for the teacher
g. Student computers for research
h. Pictures of Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee to pass around
i. Civil War military artifacts (or pictures of artifacts if the actual pieces are unattainable)
III. Procedures for Learning Activities (approximately 1 hour)
a. Introduction: Remind the students that yesterday we took a look at the political leaders of the North and the South. Ask for volunteers to recall the president of the North, Abraham Lincoln, and the president of the South, Jefferson Davis. Let the students know that today we will be learning about two more influential men in the Civil War, but this time from a military perspective. These men are the generals of the Union (the North) and the Confederate (the South) armies. Ulysses S. Grant was the general of the Union army and Robert E. Lee was the general of the Confederate army.
b. Do a KWL chart on Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee with the students on the Smartboard. Students will take turns raising their hand to help fill in the three columns. (pre-assessment) (5 minutes).
c. Engage the students with a painting from 1865. This painting shows the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox courthouse. However, do not tell the students what is represented in this picture. Instead, have the following questions on the board and ask the students to choose two to respond to in their journals answers to the following questions: (10 minutes).
i. Who is represented in this painting?
ii. What do you think this is a painting of?
iii. How would you describe each of the men shaking hands?
iv. Do you agree with the painter’s representation of the painting, why or why not?
v. From this painting, which man seems to be victorious?
d. After the students have had a chance to respond, select a few students to share on the various questions. Then share with the class that this painting represents the surrendering of Robert E. Lee to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. Show the students that what makes this painting so interesting is that if someone didn’t know the outcome of the Civil War, there is a good chance they would think that general Lee won the war based on how he is portrayed in this painting. Ask the students why they think the painter painted the picture this way?
e. Wrap up the painting discussion and explain to the students that they will use what they learned from the painting discussion as well as the resources provided (various books, articles, and Internet resources) to fill out another Venn Diagram about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. (15 minutes).
i. Hand out the Venn Diagram Foldable and give instructions on how to piece it together and label
1. Put together the foldable as a class
a) Walk around to make sure it is being put together correctly
ii. Let the students know that they may work in pairs with someone at their table to fill out the Venn Diagram
foldable.
f. While the students are doing their research and filling out their Venn Diagram foldable, I will walk around the classroom taking anecdotal notes on their progress and contribution to their partner. I will also offer my assistance if they have any questions.
g. After approximately 15 minutes I will use my classroom management strategy of clap echoing to get my students attention. I will ask them to return to their seats and we will share what everyone has found
h. Create a class Venn Diagram for Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee using the information the students found. I felt it was important to do this as a class to make sure that all of the students had the important information down because this will be a resource to help them with their Think-Tac-Toe board.
i. Fill out the Venn Diagram by allowing students to volunteer information that they and their partner had found. (5-10 minutes)
ii. Use varying questions from Blooms Taxonomy including:
1. How was Grant similar to Lee? How were they different? (comprehension and analysis)
2. What was Grants’s greatest contribution (knowledge)
3. Do you think. . . (evaluate)
i. Re-introduce the Think-Tac-Toe board (document attach)
i. Instruct students that for the remainder of the class they will be working on their choice from the Grant/Lee
column. They can use their Venn Diagram for information as well as any of the resources in the classroom. (25
minutes)
ii. Let them know that it is ok if they do not have a chance to finish, they will have more time during the week.
However, they must use their time wisely because the entire Think-Tac-Toe board will be due at the end of the
week.
j. While the students are working on their Think-Tac-Toe project I will go around and assist students in choosing their project, answering any individual questions they might have, and observing their progress
k. Closing: Bring the students back together and ask them to self-evaluate their progress. Have students hold up a “1” if they are less than half way done with their Think-Tac-Toe project and feel they are going to need a lot more time to finish, a “2” if they are approximately half way done with their project, or a “3” if they are more than half-way done.
i. Introduce to the students that tomorrow we will be learning about our final two influential people in the Civil War,
Stonewall Jackson and Frederick Douglass.
IV. Assessment-
a. Pre-assessment –
i. Informal and Formative: The class will work together to fill out a KWL chart about Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
b. During the lesson-
i. Informal and Formative: I will use the technique of questioning to informally check my student’s understanding. I will target specific students for specific questions based on their readiness and using varying levels of questioning from Bloom’s taxonomy. I will do this while discussing the painting at the beginning of the lesson as well as when going over the Venn Diagram as a class.
ii. Informal and Formative: Venn Diagram (graphic organizer)- students will create a Venn diagram showcasing the similarities and differences between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee. This is informal and formative because we will come back together as a class to ensure that the important information is addressed. Differentiation will exist during this assessment because there will be a variety of resources available for the students to use. This is differentiation of process by readiness and/or interest.
iii. Informal and Formative: While the students are working on their Venn diagrams and Think-Tac-Toe boards, I will observe their progress and take anecdotal notes on their collaboration, progress, and knowledge.
iv. Formal and Summative: Students will work with a Think-Tac-Toe choice board. There will be a column about Grant and Lee that students must pick from to complete before the end of this lesson sequence. It is an individual assignment and will be graded using a rubric.
V. Differentiation
a. Content differentiation by interest because several students are huge fans of military history and the wars and therefore I will use this lesson to really get them engaged since we are talking about military generals. I will bring in war artifacts and pictures of the generals that they can incorporate into their Think-Tac-Toe assignments. In this case I am linking these students personal interest in military history with the lesson on war generals and providing them an opportunity to explore their interest area more in-depth.
b. Content differentiation by interests and readiness based on the types of resources students have access to. I have provided picture books, textbooks, encyclopedias, other non-fiction books, articles, as well as Internet resources and videos to help students fill out their Venn Diagram and complete their Think-Tac-Toe activity. A lot of our students are very interested in media, which is why it is important to include videos and media prints. Furthermore, print difficulty ranges from picture books for our ESOL students to more complex biographies and encyclopedias for our students who receive GT services.
c. Process differentiation by learning profile through table groups and partners when the students paired up to do research for their Venn Diagram.
d. Content differentiation by readiness based on the different levels of questioning I address the students with. Bloom’s taxonomy offers questions that range from knowledge to evaluation and each level asks for a higher level of thinking that some students are ready for and other students are not.
e. Product differentiation by learning profile through the Think-Tac-Toe boards. The different rows represent different multiple intelligences that focus on the strengths of my students. These intelligences include spatial for all of our artistic students, interpersonal, and kinesthetic for those with strengths in dance and music. The Think-Tac-Toe board is my high-prep differentiation task that will carry through the entire lesson sequence. It will also act as my summative assessment as mentioned earlier. A Think-Tac-Toe board gives students an element of choice while also making sure their tasks align with my objectives.
f. Accommodations- I have made several accommodations for individual groups of students I may potentially have in my classroom that go beyond the differentiating I did for the class.
i. For students with learning disabilities, I have created a checklist to help monitor their way through both the poetry journal entry and think-tac-toe board. This includes showing them what books to look at for specific information that will help him organize his assignment. I also guided him into a particular think-tac-toe assignment.
ii. For GT students, I asked them to do the artistic choice in addition to one of the other two choices if they finish their work ahead of time
iii. For ESOL students. Not only do I guide them to the easier leveled resources, I encourage them to use the videos and the Internet resources that have been translated into Spanish. I have guided them to the spatial choice for their think-tac-toe pick.
iv. Allow ADHD students to take frequent breaks and provide fidget sticks