Strategies
Journaling
Throughout the activities students will partake in many discussions. Journaling will serve as a place for students to think through their ideas before sharing. The journal entries will revolve around our analysis of the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers. The students will be asked to look at different ideas from both points of view and develop their own opinions on the Presidential concepts. Through journaling the students will also gather ideas that can serve as a resource in the debate (more to come on this).
Multi-Media
By nature the topic of the Constitution does not always thrill my students. To help liven the lessons up multiple types of resources will be used. These will include video clips, written text, books, comics, and art. Using a variety of sources will keep my students attention and create more meaningful lessons.
Graphic Organizers
During the activities the students will be receiving a wealth of information. In order to keep this valuable information accessible the students will be given various organizers for certain activities.
One will be for the analysis of the Constitution, Federalist, and Anti-Federalist papers. The chart will have four columns with the headings Constitutional Idea, Federalist View, Anti-Federalist View, and My Idea.
Another organizer will show the Checks and Balances that exist in the Constitution. It will display 3 circles (one for each branch) and an arrow going to and from between the Legislative and Executive, the Executive and Judicial, and the Judicial and Legislative. On the lines of the arrow the students will explain the balance of power between the branches.
The last organizer will be used during the debate. This planning sheet will serve as the outline and guide during the debate. The organizer will have 5 sections including 1. Introduction (grab attention, provide background) 2. Argument One (thesis for reason, evidence from documents, connect thesis and evidence) 3. Argument Two 4. Argument Three 5. Rebuttal (identify argument opposite side used, counterattack with evidence from documents) 6. Concluding Statement (restate main idea with insight).
Debate
Bringing debate into the classroom allows students to practice a variety of skills. They must prepare in writing their arguments, refine their public speaking skills, and collaborate with peers. The debate in this unit will follow the following time limits; Introduction 2 minutes, Arguments 3 minutes each, Rebuttal 3 minutes, and Concluding Statement 1 minute for a total of 30 minutes per debate. The teams will alternate turns and they will flip a coin to determine who will begin. There will be a visible timer for the students so they can keep track of their time. The teacher will serve as the moderator during the debate. If possible using a podium for each team adds meaning to the debate process as well as inviting another class in to watch the debate.
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