Lesson Plan: Letter on Thomas Jefferson

Transcription

1 StudySync Lesson Plan Letter on Thomas Jefferson Objectives 1. Engage students in the language and main ideas of John Adams s Letter on Thomas Jefferson so that they are prepared to discuss and write about the excerpt. 2. Practice and reinforce the following Grade 8 ELA Common Core Standards for reading informational text, writing, and speaking and listening: Time READING: INFORMATIONAL TEXT - RI.8.1-6, 8-10 WRITING - W.8.1-2, 4-8, 9-10 SPEAKING AND LISTENING - SL minutes (with up to an additional 110 minutes of extension possibilities) Materials SyncTV Premium Lesson on John Adam s Letter on Thomas Jefferson Overview The Declaration of Independence was drafted by a group of scholars, writers, and politicians we now call our Founders, or Founding Fathers, including the two subjects of the following excerpt, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. In this letter, written by John Adams to Timothy Pickering, Adams discusses, among other things, a young Jefferson whom he appointed to the committee that drafted the famous declaration. Adams s letters are an invaluable window into the process of creating the document that is the cornerstone of our nation's history. Close examination of this excerpt will prepare students to consider Adams s and Jefferson s ideas, language, and character, as well as the creation of a seminal historical document, and to write thoughtful, informed, and textually-rooted responses, consistent with the ELA Common Core Standards for the high school grades. Background (15 minutes) 1. Watch the Preview (SL.8.1-3). As a group, watch the video preview of the premium lesson. Use the following questions to spur discussion following the preview, and to give Page 1

2 students some context before reading the excerpt: a. What do the images and music in the preview bring to mind? What are your thoughts and feelings about this period of history? b. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson are names you've likely heard before. From what actions and writings did they gain so much distinction? What roles did they play in the founding of the U.S.? c. What was the Declaration of Independence? Why was it written, and by whom? Can you recall any of its passages? Extension (additional 10 minutes) d. Discuss (SL ). When we think of the Declaration of Independence, do we think of it as undergoing a writing process planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing? Or do we think of it as fully formed, almost without an author? What happens when we humanize an iconic document? Engaging the Text (140 minutes) 2. Read the Text (40 minutes) a. Read and Annotate (RI.8.1-6). Have students read and annotate Letter on Thomas Jefferson. If your classroom has a projector, consider reading and annotating the first paragraph as a class, using the projector to model the annotating skills you wish students to use. Instruct students to pay special attention to parsing the sometimes quaint, 18th-century language Adams uses in his letter (e.g., for aught I know ; a happy talent of composition. ) Then have students complete the rest on their own. Have them read and analyze the letter line-to-line. These annotations are visible to the teacher after the students submit their writing assignments or beforehand if using the Mimic function to access the students accounts. b. Discuss (SL.8.1 3). What insights does this letter provide about the drafting of the Declaration of Independence? What did you learn from reading this letter that you didn't already know? Does this letter change your view of how the Declaration of Independence was created? Why/why not? Extension (additional 20 minutes) c. Listen and Discuss (SL.8.1-3). As a class, listen to the audio reading of the text. What are some of the different effects of reading the text versus hearing it read aloud? d. Comprehend (RI.8.1-6). Have students complete the multiple-choice questions. Collect papers or discuss answers as a class. 3. Watch SyncTV (40 minutes) a. Watch. Either watch the SyncTV discussion associated with Letter on Thomas Jefferson as a class or ask students to watch it on their individual computers. b. Focus (RI.8.1-2, 4, 6 and SL.8.1-3) Between 2:50-4:55, the students discuss whether this behind-the-scenes look manages to humanize Adams and Jefferson as people, not just political figures. Consider how this letter manages to make our Page 2

3 Founding Fathers seem, above all, human. c. Focus (RI.8.1-2, 4, 6 and SL.8.1-3) From 5:00-6:20, the SyncTV students discuss the issue of removing anti-slavery arguments from the Declaration of Independence. What does this say about the politics behind the language of the document? d. Discuss (RI and SL.8.1, 3). After watching the model discussion, have a conversation with the class about the ideas discussed in the SyncTV episode that stood out the most. What new thoughts do they have after hearing the students' discussion? Next, divide students into small groups (3-4 students). Move around the room monitoring the groups as students follow the SyncTV episode as a model to discuss some of the following questions: i. Use the details from Adams s letter to get a sense of Adams s and Jefferson's distinct personalities. How does this letter provide insight into the kinds of people Adams and Jefferson were? ii. iii. iv. Why do you think so many passages were edited and revised? What were the authors' primary concerns in editing this document? Who was their audience? What is John Adams s stance on the topic of slavery? What, can we infer, is Jefferson's? What kinds of issues regarding slavery did the two men struggle with? Does this letter provide credible insight into the decisions made by the Founding Fathers? Is Adams a neutral observer in the process, or do you think his version of events is subject to interpretation? v. Is it surprising, as mentioned in the SyncTV episode, to learn that the Declaration of Independence underwent many changes and revisions? Is any historical document such as this ever written in stone? vi. How do you feel about the Founders removing the anti-slavery language? Did the need of not alienating the Southerners in the Revolution outweigh the need of taking a stand against slavery? Extension (additional 20 minutes) e. Research (W.8.7-8, 9b) Who was Timothy Pickering and why was Adams in correspondence with him? Was he a Founding Father? A friend? A mentor? Research Pickering's role in the events in question, and Adams s relationship with him. What other letters did Adams write to him? 4. Think (10 minutes) a. Respond (W.8.1, 4, 9b). Ask students to read the Think questions, watch the corresponding video clips, and respond to the questions, either in class or for homework. 5. Write (50 minutes) a. Discuss (SL.8.1). Read the prompt you have chosen for students, and then solicit questions regarding the prompt or the assignment expectations. Whichever prompt you have chosen, make sure you are clear about the assignment expectations and the rubric by which you and the other students will be evaluating Page 3

4 them. b. Organize (R and W.8.1-2, 5). Ask students to go back and annotate the text with the prompt in mind. They should be organizing their thoughts and the points they ll address in their writing as they make annotations. If you ve worked on outlining or other organizational tools for writing, this is a good place to apply them. c. Write (W.8.1-2, 4-6, 9b-10). Have students go through the writing process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their writing responses. d. Review (W.8.4-6). Use the StudySync Review feature to have students complete one to two evaluations of their peers work based on your chosen review rubric. Have the students look at and reflect upon the peer evaluations of their own writing. What might you do differently in a revision? How might you strengthen the writing and the ideas? Extension (additional 60 minutes) e. Write (W.8.1-2, 4-6, 9b-10). For homework, have students write an essay using one of the prompts you did not chose to do in class. Students should publish their responses online. f. Write Argumentatively (W.8.1, 4-6, 9b-10) Should the original Declaration of Independence be released, and what rights do the authors of a political document have over what is released? Do we have a right to see what was left out? In a short written response, argue whether the Declaration of Independence should be regarded and analyzed in its original, unpublished form. Is the original draft a better representation of the Founders' true aims, or is the final version what matters? Page 4

5 SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS Key Vocabulary 1. aught (pronoun) - (old-fashioned) anything 2. felicity (n.) - a talent for writing or speaking extremely well 3. draught (n.) - (U.K.) draft 4. oratory (n.) - the art of delivering great speeches or talks to groups of people 5. courtiers (n.) - members of the royal court 6. hackneyed (adj.) - overused, clichéd, stale 7. vehement (adj.) - emotionally charged, angry 8. lucid (adj.) - clear and easy to understand; thinking clearly Reading Comprehension Questions 1. One can infer that Timothy Pickering probably. a. was a good friend of Adams s b. was a good friend of Jefferson s c. was interested in history d. was writing a book about the war 2. Thomas Jefferson was voted onto the Declaration committee because. a. he was an especially good writer b. he was a friend of Adams s c. he was a Congressman d. he was one of the Founding Fathers 3. The conversation in the second paragraph is between. a. Adams and Pickering b. Jefferson and Richard Henry Lee c. Adams and Jefferson d. John Adams and Samuel Adams 4. Which of the following was NOT a reason for Jefferson to write the draft instead of Adams? a. Jefferson was a Virginian b. Jefferson was young c. Jefferson was a better writer d. Jefferson was more popular among Congressmen 5. Why does Adams take exception with Jefferson's portrayal of King George? a. Adams believes George is a tyrant b. Adams believes Jefferson was too kind to George c. Adams believes Jefferson's attacks on George were too harsh d. Adams believes George did not need to be mentioned by name Page 5

6 6. Which of the following words best summarizes Adams s feelings about Jefferson? a. jealousy b. admiration c. reverence d. skepticism 7. Which of the following statements would Adams be most likely to agree with? a. The Declaration of Independence was a perfect, flawless document. b. The Declaration of Independence should have been written by a more experienced politician. c. The Declaration of Independence should have been written at a later date. d. The ideas presented in Declaration of Independence were not necessarily original. 8. "I suppose the reason is, the vehement philippic against negro slavery." The word philippic most likely means a. law b. tirade c. ruling d. confusion 9. We can infer from this letter that Thomas Jefferson was likely. a. pro-slavery b. indifferent about slavery c. anti-slavery d. none of the above 10. When discussing James Otis, Adams seems to imply that Otis. a. deserves credit for many of the ideas in the Declaration of Independence b. was not always clear and articulate c. relied on Samuel Adams s help in drafting the pamphlet d. all of the above Answer Key 1. C 2. A 3. C 4. B 5. C 6. B 7. D 8. B 9. C 10. D Page 6

7 Further Assignments 1. Use this lesson in conjunction with the StudySync lesson on Declaration of Independence. Have students analyze the Declaration of Independence in light of the revelations in Adams s letter. How does this letter change or inform your opinion of this seminal historical document? (RHST and RI.8.9) 2. Adams and Jefferson, decades after the Declaration was written, went on to have a series of feuds over political matters. Research these feuds and their cause. How does knowing about this add to your understanding of the context of this letter? (W.8.7-8, 9b and RI.8.9) 3. For a more difficult assignment on the topic, have students read the StudySync excerpt of 1776 by David McCullough. What new insights does that excerpt bring to the Founding Fathers and the creation of the Declaration of Independence? (RI.8.1-6, 9) 4. Much ink has been spilled regarding Thomas Jefferson's views on slavery. Research his complicated views about the topic and how he often wrestled with his stance towards slavery. How did his actions often contradict his beliefs? What did he advocate regarding the official U.S. policy on slavery. (RI.8.9 and W.8.7-8, 9b) 5. Adams s letter mentions several of the many Founding Fathers that were instrumental in the birth of America. Assign a particular Founding Father (Franklin, Sherman, Samuel Adams, etc.) to each student and have them do independent research on their chosen figure. Have each student give a short presentation on their Founding Father during the following class. (W.8.7-8, 9b) 6. What is this "Frankfort advice" mentioned at the beginning of Adams s letter? What is this referring to, and what does it have to do with placing a Virginian at the head of the committee? Why was Jefferson's status as a Virginian so important? (W.8.7-8, 9b) 7. Create a semantic web with students to brainstorm words that apply to Adams and Jefferson based on the information in the letter. Clarify definitions for students. For example, Jefferson might suggest the following: Virginian, Congressman, talented writer, prompt (on time), frank (says what he thinks), decisive (good at making decisions). (ELL) Page 7