James Madison University – College of Education

Social Studies Lesson Plan Format

Name: Thea Clark Date: July 18, 2011

Subject/Class: Social Studies: Virginia Studies Grade Level: 5 Topic: John Brown

NCSS Theme # 2: Time, Continuity, & Change

Subthemes:

Knowledge: Key people, events, and places associated with the history of the community, nation, and world.

Process: Use a variety of sources to learn about the past.

Product: Drawing illustrations to show their interpretation of multiple accounts of the same event, and offering ideas about why the accounts differ.

Values: Individual Responsibilities; Individual Freedoms

Essential Questions/Big Ideas: *These will be used for references and guidance throughout unit on Civil War

Big Ideas: Cultures influence change. Change creates conflict.

Essential Questions:

How can conflicts be solved?

How can change lead to conflict?

How can conflict lead to change?

What are the positive and negative consequences of conflict?

What character traits do leaders have?

SOLs/Standards addressed:

VS.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues that divided our nation and led to the Civil War by a) identifying the events and differences between northern and southern states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the creation of West Virginia

Learning Outcomes/Objectives:

Know: John Brown led a raid at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia). He raided an arsenal and was going to arm slaves with the weapons. He was not successful and was captured. He went on trial and was found guilty of treason and hung.

Understand: The raid led to tension and more conflict between the North and South. The tensions and election of 1860 would lead to the South seceding from the Union.

Do: Compare and Contrast Nat Turner with John Brown. Draw a tombstone including an epitaph of John Brown or Nat Turner.

Assessment alignment chart: How will you know they know the objectives listed above?

Objective / Assessment (formative and summative)
U 1: SWBAT compare and contrast Nat Turner with John Brown / Formative Learning log responses
Summative Venn Diagram of Nat Turner and John Brown
U2: SWBAT synthesize information about John Brown and Nat Turner by creating a tombstone showing important pieces.

Background Content Outline:

I.  John Brown

A.  Born in Connecticut in 1800.

1.  Born into a religious family.

2.  Moved frequently around the country

3.  Led massacre known as Bleeding Kansas

B.  October 16, 1859 raid occurred

C.  He led 21 men on a raid of the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia)

D.  Developed plan to arm slaves with the weapons

E.  Brown and his men were stopped by local farmers, militiamen, and Marines led by Robert E. Lee.

F.  Brown was wounded and captured

G.  Put in trial in Charlestown for treason and found guilty

H.  He was hung in Charlestown on December 2, 1859

DEAN CHART

Concept word / D=define / E=examples / A=attributes / N=non-examples
conflict / To disagree; fight; do battle / Opposition; clash; disagreement / Arguments; war; enemies / Cooperation; friendship

Instructional Plan:

What the Teacher Will Do / What the Students Will Do
Hook / Display an image of John Brown at Harper’s Ferry for 30 seconds. Guide the students in the following discussion. What was the person doing? Where is he at? Who is he? / View picture for 30 seconds and then write down what they notice.
Introduction / Explain that the image they saw was of John Brown at Harper’s Ferry. / Share with a partner what they know about John Brown.
Body / Hand out maps. / Locate Virginia and West Virginia.
Show students location of Harper’s Ferry. Point out that during this time Harper’s Ferry was part of Virginia and West Virginia would later be formed out of tensions.
Read aloud portions from stories listed below about John Brown and his raid at Harper’s Ferry. Be sure to stop and discuss meanings of arsenal, raid, and armory. / Listen to story to gather information about John Brown and his raid at Harper’s Ferry.
Display following questions and have students write answers in journal. Was he, or was he not a hero, according to Southerners? Northerners?
What motivated John Brown?
How did he react during and after his capture? / Answer questions in learning log.
Hand out words to song John Brown’s Body. Play the song. / Listen to song and follow along on word sheets.
Review how to fill out a Venn Diagram and pass out Venn Diagrams with headings of John Brown and Nat Turner. / Fill out Venn Diagram.
Closure / Explain to students that they are going to create a tombstone for John Brown or Nat Turner. Explain what an epitaph is and its purpose. Also tell students that as they create their tombstone and write epitaphs they need to write it from perspective as a slave, Union soldier, or Confederate soldier. / Create tombstone.

Materials Needed for the Lesson*:

Books: Harper's Ferry: The Story of John Brown's Raid, by Tracy Barrett. The Story of John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry, by Zachary Kent. John Brown: One Man Against Slavery, by Gwen Everett.

Image of John Brown at Harper’s Ferry; Song: John Brown’s Body; United States maps; tombstone cut outs

Bibliography/Resources Used (using APA):

Center for History and New Media. Slavery and Abolition: Three Unforgettable Names. Retrieved From http://chnm.gmu.edu/fairfaxtah/b76.html

Virginia Department of Education. Enhanced Scope and Sequence: Virginia Studies. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.doe.virginia.gov/

PBS. African’s in America: John Brown. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4p1550.html

National Council for the Social Studies. (2010). National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies: A Framework for Teaching Learning, and Assessment. Silver Spring, Maryland.

Adaption/Differentiation:

ELL/struggling readers/LD / Students will not be doing any independent reading. An aide will assist students with necessary writing and will fill in Venn Diagram orally.

Explanation of Instructional Strategies Used:

This lesson utilizes the use of artwork which was a strategy presented at the CTA. The use of learning logs allows students to have an opportunity to share what they have learned about a topic without the pressure of a graded assessment. Learning logs also allow the teacher to check for understanding in a format other than formal assessments. Music is also used in the lesson to help students who learn best with this learning style. Students are given opportunities to use the support of their peers in class discussion and independent time to develop their own ideas without the influence of other students.

*Supplemental materials for lessons will be created upon grade level collaboration. We are teaching new curriculum this year and will be designing lessons as a grade level team.

Dept. of Middle, Secondary, and Math Education

modified by Dr. Cude & Dr. Stern 8/10