8th Grade Argument Writing Sample Lesson
After studying the first seven presidencies
Andrew Jackson and the Growth of American Democracy
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
Was Andrew Jackson a hero or a villain?
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
· describe the perspectives of various groups of people in response to Jackson and his key policies.
· evaluate how well Jackson promoted democracy, citing both his positive and negative contributions.
ELA COMMON CORE STANDARDS FOR ARGUMENT WRITING:
· Introduce claims, acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and distinguish the claims from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
· Support claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
· Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationship among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
· Establish and maintain a formal style.
· Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
MATERIALS:
TEXT(S): Prentice Hall, American Nation (Red) pp 329-337 OR
TCI, History Alive! Pp189-199
IMAGES: George Washington’s 1789 Inauguration
Andrew Jackson’s 1828 Inauguration
Andrew Jackson Battling the Bank
Andrew Jackson and the Nullification Crisis
Andrew Jackson’s Approach to Governing (King Andrew)
The Trail of Tears
MUSIC (OPTIONAL): Hail Columbia
The Hunters Of Kentucky
WORKSHEETS: History Alive! Reading Guide for Andrew Jackson (Optional—Teacher’s Guide for answer key)
Article: “What Makes a Good Leader?”
Social Studies Writing Checklist
Hero or Villain Graphic Organizer
Social Studies Writing Organizer
LARGE SHEET OF WHITE PAPER (for Act-it-Out)
HIGHLIGHTERS OR COLORED PENCILS
TIME FRAME: 5-10 CLASS PERIODS
Day 1: Steps –
1. Discuss the characteristics that make a “good” leader. Thinking Map (circle) may be used for students to create an original list and then share their ideas.
2. Examine the 5 sections of an Argument Essay.
3. Read “What Makes a Good Leader?” article to analyze for the 5 sections of an argument essay. Choose a color for each section, and students may use highlighters to identify the various sections as they find them in the article.
4. Discuss their findings as a class. Did they find every section? Are some things missing? Is it a good argument—why or why not?
5. Review the five parts of a “good” argument to conclude the day’s lesson.
Day 2 and 3: Steps –
1. Warm-up with the question – What are the five parts of an argument? Students will be examining Andrew Jackson’s presidency to determine whether or not he was a hero or villain based on actions he took as president. They will be writing a persuasive argument essay based on the checklist used the previous day.
2. Preview activity comparing Jackson and Washington :
A. Play “Hail Columbia” and project The Elections of Washington and Jackson in the presentation.
Remind students that this song was first played at Washington’s 1789 inauguration, and explain that the painting
shows him on the way to his inauguration. Ask,
• What are two adjectives that describe the song’s mood? (serious, formal, optimistic)
• How would you describe the people that attended Washington’s inauguration? (wealthy, well-dressed, formal, serious)
B. Play “The Hunters of Kentucky” and project The Elections of Washington and Jackson in the
presentation. Explain that this song was written for Jackson’s presidential campaign and celebrates his military leadership in the War of 1812. The image shows Andrew Jackson stopping to greet people after winning the 1828 election. Have students follow along with the lyrics in their Interactive Student Notebooks as they listen. Then ask,
• What are two adjectives that describe the song’s mood? (fast, fun, folksy)
• How would you describe the people in the image who supported Andrew Jackson? (excited, eager, common people)
• Judging from the images and songs you have analyzed, how do you think the presidencies of Andrew Jackson and George Washington differed? (Jackson’s presidency was more inclusive, livelier, and more responsive to the needs of ordinary people.)
3. Reading
A. Introduce the Essential Question and have students read text sections about Andrew Jackson (either in American Nation or History Alive). Have students identify the Essential Question: How well did President Andrew Jackson promote democracy? Then have them read the text section about the Election of 1828. Afterward, ask,
• Why was the election of 1828 considered one of the dirtiest in U.S. history?
• What groups of people voted for Adams? Who voted for Jackson?
• In what ways do you think President Jackson might have promoted democracy during his presidency?
B. Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for this Section. Have several volunteers share their responses. Use the Reading Notes Key to check their answers.
C. Have students complete the remaining Reading Notes for the lesson. Assign students to read Sections about Jackson and the US Bank, the Nullification Crisis, Jackson’s approach to governing, and the Trail of Tears.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACH
Visual Discovery
A Place students in pairs and introduce the activity. Tell students they will analyze images relating to the presidency of Andrew Jackson to assess how well he promoted democracy. They will bring two of these images to life in act-it-outs.
ALL IMAGES CAN BE FOUND IN EITHER HISTORY ALIVE, AMERICAN NATION, OR ON THE WEB TO BE PLACED IN A PRESENTATION FORMAT.
B Introduce activity by projecting Jackson’s Inauguration(seen in preview on Day 2) in the presentation. Tell pairs to find three interesting and unique details in the image. After a few minutes, have five to eight volunteers form a line nearthe projection screen. Hold up the sheet of white poster board, and explain that this “magic paper” can be held
about a foot in front of the screen to enlarge a detail from the image. Have the first volunteer use the magic paper to point out a detail. Then have the other volunteers point out their details.
C Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for Section 3. Review the main points with the class.
D Have students prepare to bring the image to life. Have pairs form groups of four. Distribute a copy of Student Handout 14: Creating Act-It-Outs About Jackson’s Presidency to each group. Assign each group one of these characters for the first act-it-out: Farmer on the Frontier, Banker from Philadelphia. Then review the directions and give groups about five minutes to prepare.
E Conduct the act-it-out. Call up two farmers and two bankers to stand in front of the projected image, taking on an appropriate character’s posture and facial expression. Acting as the on-scene reporter, ask the characters some of the questions from Student Handout. (Note: Consider conducting the act-it-out a second time with new actors.)
F Introduce Section 4 by projecting Jackson’s Approach to Governing in the presentation. Ask,
• What do you see in this cartoon?
• What is Jackson being shown as?
• Why do you think Jackson is pictured in this way?
G Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for Section 4. Review the main points with the class.
H Have students reexamine Jackson’s Approach to Governing . Encourage students to use what they learned in Section 4 to answer these questions:
• Who are the people trying to grab the objects attached to the strings?
• What do you think is the cartoonist’s opinion of the people seeking political office?
• Would the cartoonist think that Jackson’s approach to governing
promoted democracy? Why or why not?
• Do you agree with the cartoonist? Why or why not?
I Introduce Section 5 by projecting The Nullification Crisis in the presentation. Ask,
• What do you see in this cartoon?
• What might the man near the top of the staircase be doing?
• Why might the man on the far right be pulling on the coattails of another?
J Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for Section 5. Review the main points with the class.
K Have students reexamine The Nullification Crisis. Draw students’ attention to the word DESPOTISM at
the top of the cartoon, and explain that despotism is a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute
dictator. Make sure students understand the words on the stairs nullification, treason, civil war, deception, and disunion. Also make sure they know that John C. Calhoun, Jackson’s vice president, is the figure at the top of the stairs, and that Jackson is the figure pulling on the coattails of a Calhoun supporter. Then ask,
• What does the cartoonist imply that Calhoun wants?
• Would the cartoonist think that Jackson’s response to the nullification crisis promoted democracy? Why or
why not?
• Do you agree with the cartoonist? Why or why not?
L Introduce Section 6 by projecting Jackson Battles the Bank in the presentation. Ask,
• What do you see in this cartoon?
• Andrew Jackson is pictured on the left. What is he doing?
• What might the many-headed monster symbolize?
M Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for Section 6. Review the main points with the class.
N Have students reexamine Jackson Battles the Bank. Explain that Nicholas Biddle is pictured in a top hat
and that the monster’s heads represent the 24 state directors of the bank. Then ask,
• What dangers does the cartoonist think this monster will bring?
• Would the cartoonist think that the dismantling of the bank promoted U.S. democracy? How can you tell?
• Do you agree with the cartoonist? Why or why not?
O Introduce Section 7 by projecting The Trail of Tears in the presentation. Ask,
• What do you see?
• How do you think these people feel? How can you tell?
• Where might they be going? Why?
P Have students read and complete the Reading Notes for Section 7. Review the main points with the class.
Q Have students prepare to bring the image to life. Have pairs form groups of four. Assign each group one of these characters for the second act-it-out on the Student Handout: Armed Soldier, Elderly Cherokee Woman,
Cherokee Warrior, Cherokee Mother, Cherokee Boy, Cherokee Father Driving Wagon, Georgian Settler, Andrew Jackson. Then review the directions and give groups about five minutes to prepare.
R Conduct the act-it-out. Call up one actor from each group to stand in the appropriate location in front of the projected image, taking on that character’s posture and facial expression. Place the settler and Andrew Jackson on opposite sides. Acting as the on-scene reporter, ask the characters some of the questions from the Student Handout.
Day 4 Steps—(the writing process will probably take more than 1 day.)
1. Individually or as a whole group, have students complete the Graphic Organizer “Hero or Villain” to organize their Reading Notes about Andrew Jackson for the argument essay.
2. Use the argument essay Graphic Organizer to plan their essay.
3. Students will need to combine their content Organizer AND their writing organizer in order to write a rough draft of their argument essay.
Final Days Steps
1. Peer Edit using argument checklist; provide time for revisions; students may highlight to find all parts of an argument essay;
2. Students will complete a good copy of the essay which may include a commemorative plaque/wanted poster of Jackson as either a hero or villain.
If you wish, you may choose alternate people for your hero/villain essay. Other choices may include:
Robert E. Lee
Abraham Lincoln
King George III
Benedict Arnold
Thomas Jefferson
John D. Rockefeller
Andrew Carnegie
Wyatt Earp
“Buffalo” Bill Cody
George Custer
William T. Sherman
Ulysses S. Grant
Belle Boyd
Tecumseh
At the end of the school year, please have 3 examples of student essays copied and ready to turn in.