Miranda+Tjelta+-+Thinking+and+Planning+Big

//8th Grade American and North Carolina History//

1. Sub-Themes 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Theme 1:** Federal vs. States’ Rights -- This is a topic that has been relevant since the creation of our country and was part of what led to the creation of the first major political parties, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Our current political parties are also partially grounded in the question of what the Federal government has the authority to do, and many hot topic issues of today, such as CCSS, are able to be tied back to Federal or States' rights. In order for students to understand topic debates, and each political party's stance on said topics, students must first understand the side of Federal and States' Rights to properly understand, analyze and debate today's issues.
 * Debate and Compromise (leading up to the Civil War)
 * Education
 * Supreme Court Rulings
 * Henry Clay, The Great Compromiser, is one of the more well known figures leading up to the Civil War. He is most known for negotiating the Missouri Compromise, but also played a critical role in brokering an agreement during the Nullification Crisis, Compromise Tariff of 1833 and the Compromise of 1850. Compromise as a whole is an important factor in Federal and State's rights, and the compromises leading up to the civil war dealt with issues of states questioning the Federal government's interaction in their lives.
 * Shirley Hufstedler was the First Secretary of Education. A common debate is whether or not the Federal government has a place in the education system. Students can look at the affect Hufstedler had on the education system over her decades of involvement in education, and what the constitution has to say about education- or not say, to determine if they think the Federal government does have a place in education.
 * Earl Warren served as the Chief Justice over Brown v. Board of Education case, along with other cases. In Brown v. Board specifically, Southern states felt that this decision infringed on their State's right to choose to have school districts segregated. This decision changed education forever and led people to continue to question how involved the federal government should be in education. Students will look at all four of Warren's landmark cases to decide whether or not they think his rulings on cases infringes on States' rights.
 * Letter from John Calhoun to Andrew Jackson -- This letter discusses the conflict happening in Missouri and addresses the affect that the compromise could have on Western states and their loyalty to the Federal government. []
 * Section of the NC Constitution on Education -- Students will go over the education section of state constitution and analyze how well the state takes care of education in order to discuss whether or not the Federal government needs to be involved. []
 * Portions of the transcript from Brown v. Board -- This contains the "syllabus" of the case as well as the opinion given by Chief Justice Warren. Reading this transcript is important because it shows students why the Federal government needed to intervene in the segregated schools the states put forward, showing students that the issue of State vs. Federal involvement in education is not black and white. []

// Extended Write-Up //
 * Theme 2:** Personal Freedom and Independence -- Freedom and independence are topics that middle school students in particular show an interest in learning about, because during middle school students typically become more independent in their personal home lives, as well as in school. This increase in their own freedom leads to students to become intrigued by why and how others achieved freedom. Middle school students also are much more aware of what’s going on in the world around them than elementary school students, so looking at the topic of freedom through a world lens is even more applicable to this age group as they become more fascinated with other cultures. Lastly, teaching the themes of freedom and independence by looking at events from different time periods shows the progress our country has made, as well as emphasizing areas that still need improvement in our society's social, economic or political systems. This will give students a sense of what they can do as adults to change their world for the better.

1. Sub-Themes -- The sub-themes contain topics that can be controversial for some students and families, so these themes gives students the chance to begin to appreciate very different viewpoints. The sub-themes I choose would not be appropriate for 6th or 7th grade students, but the overall theme is still applicable and could be used if different topics were chosen. If I were to teach this theme in an actual classroom, I would wait until the end of the year once I have established a tone of respect in my classroom. 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Women’s Rights (Birth Control)
 * Civil Rights Movement
 * LGBT Rights
 * Anthony Comstock took charge of the anti-birth control movement in the late 1800s; he actually helped make birth control illegal by taking a bill to Washington. Normally in Social Studies classrooms teachers and students focus on the people who fought for women’s rights but ignore the opposition. I think it’s important for students to see both sides of an argument.
 * John Lewis is a Civil Rights activist who was an important leader during the Civil Rights Movement who still is an active part of fighting for Civil Rights. In terms of studying the Civil Rights Movement in the 60s, it’s important to look past the more prominent figures to show that lots of people are involved in major social and political movements, and studying Lewis shows students that a movement doesn’t end overnight.
 * Brenda Howard was a LGBT activist who started her work in protesting the Vietnam War, and then moved into fighting for equal rights for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Because Howard was an activist in two capacities, it shows students that fighting for one cause often has a crossover with fighting for another cause. Students can compare Howard's activism in the two capacities and then discuss whether Howard would be pleased with the current state of affairs for the LGBT community.
 * The Birth Control Review -- While this whole volume would be beneficial for students to read and discuss, the piece I would have students focus on is the article “Shall We Break This Law?”. This article uses very vivid and detailed descriptions of the ills of too many unplanned pregnancies on a mother and family. Students could assess how useful Sanger’s rhetoric is throughout her article in arguing her case and then discuss whether or not they think it was appropriate for Sanger and other women to break the law. Students could then connect breaking this law to citizens today breaking laws they see as unjust. []
 * Malcolm X Interview Clip -- Normally when students think of the Civil Rights Movement, they think of Martin Luther King Jr. and his non-violence approach to protests. This interview shows that although MLK was important, not everyone that was involved in the Civil Rights Movement agreed with his approach. By showing a different opinion to well known events, it emphasizes the importance of looking at more than one side of an issue. []
 * HB2 -- This is the most recent text for any of the themes, but it is so relevant that the students could greatly benefit from reading nearly the whole thing. The language in the document will be difficult for 8th grade students to understand, but reading the actual document rather than opinion pieces about HB2. A lot of what circulates around on the media about HB2 is selective in what it talks about; focusing mainly on the bathroom issue, but the bill is more than just about the bathrooms. So having students read the bill would help them learn how to read opinion pieces critically. []

1. Sub-Themes 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Theme 3:** Political Parties -- Because this is an election year, this topic is extremely relevant in addition to simply being important. This is a theme that students will already be interested in and talking about outside of structured lessons. But in order to understand what they see on the news and hear the adults, or even other peers, in their lives talking about, it is essential that students have a basic understanding of each of the sub-topics listed below.
 * Presidential Elections
 * Shift of Democrats and Republicans
 * Third Party Candidates
 * Anderson Cooper is known as a TV host and personality, but he is also very active in the political sphere. Looking at how Cooper is involved in politics is a way for students to explore how the media plays a role in politics, and how a TV host’s personal beliefs role over into their segments.
 * Barry Goldwater was a Republican politician from 1953-1987, but as the values of the Republican party began to change, Goldwater continued to fight for what he believed was right. His time in politics really shows the shift the Republican party made in just a few decades.
 * Gary Johnson is currently one of the third party candidates, and he is working to get equal media coverage and the ability to debate nationally with Clinton and Trump. This is an important third party candidate considering the Democratic and Republican nominations.
 * The Age of Post Truth Politics - [].
 * Maps of Lincoln and Bill Clinton Elections -- Students will look at the maps of these two well known elections to see how the Democratic and Republican Parties supporting states changed over time and analyze whether Clinton's election map is still generally accurate today, or if another shift has happened.
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 * Analyze Gary Johnson’s tweets -- Social media has quickly become one of the main ways younger citizens keep up with real news, so by reading through Johnson's twitter students will learn a new media literacy in deciphering a deeper meaning behind a short tweet. Being able to use social media for real news is a skill that will continue to be important for students to know.

1. Sub-Themes 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Theme 4:** Migration and Immigration -- This is a topic that is typically overlooked in many social studies courses, but the patterns of migration and immigration explain a lot about the societal and economic issues our country is facing today. In general when students think of immigration, they have a very negative connotation connected to the word- they may think of "illegal immigrants" rather than someone who simply leaves their country in order to come live in America. In order to combat the negative idea many students have about both migrants and immigrants, we will look at three very different types of immigrants and how they were received then and now.
 * Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
 * Great Migration
 * Irish Immigrants to the U.S.
 * Judge Greasy Sam Watts was a North Carolina judge who defined what a scalawag was in 1868/1869.
 * Oscar De Priest was a Civil Rights activist who was born in Alabama who then migrated up North and eventually landed in Chicago, where he became a vital part of the Black rights and politics there.
 * Al Smith was the son of Irish immigrant parents, because of this as a politician he was able to identify with the immigrant population. He was connected to the Tammany Hall political machine, which was notably Irish. Explore how the discrimination of Irish immigrants led to Tammany Hall.
 * Carpetbagger Political Cartoon -- Ask students what types of connotations are associated with the portrayal of the carpetbagger in the cartoon. []
 * Letter from possible Migrant from Georgia -- This is a primary source document that shows the urgency that Blacks in the South felt as they tried to travel North. []
 * Article from "The Morning Star and Catholic Messenger" -- About the death of "Boss Tweed", the Tammany Hall boss. Portrays him in a rather positive light. This could be a great piece for students to compare with another article about Boss Tweed. [|http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86086284/1878-04-21/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1873&index=9&date2=1878&searchType=advanced&language=&sequence=1&words=Boss+BOSS+TWEED+Tweed&proxdistance=5&state=&rows=20&ortext=&proxtext=&phrasetext=boss+tweed&andtext=&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1]

1. Sub-Themes 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Theme 5:** America and the World -- It is common for students to think that it is part of America's right as a nation to become involved in other country's affairs. Whether or not this is true is beyond the point of this unit. This unit will look at how America has interacted with other countries throughout time and the outcomes of our actions- positive or negative. By looking back at history, students will be able to debate America's current international affair policies more accurately.
 * Louisiana Purchase (also tied to Federal vs. States’ Rights)
 * Monroe Doctrine
 * 9/11
 * Pierre du Pont was an informal French diplomat starting in 1787. The Louisiana Purchase started off as his idea as a way to keep the peace between American settlers and French Troops in New Orleans.
 * Theodore Roosevelt was an adamant imperialist who also happened to win the Nobel Peace Prize for helping negotiate a treaty between Russia and Japan. In Latin America, Roosevelt had his heart set on building a canal; he eventually settled on Panama. His Latin America policies were reflective of his "speak softly and carry a big stick" outlook on foreign policy.
 * Tom Burnett was one of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11th terrorist attacks. He, along with other passengers and flight crew, forced the plane they were on to crash rather than hit the terrorists' target.
 * Map from 1804 -- Have students discuss why this map of America looks different than the maps we currently have. Was the size of the Louisiana Purchase larger, smaller or the same as the settlers of the time thought? []
 * “Speak softly and carry a big stick” -- William Allen Rogers’ 1904 political cartoon shows Roosevelt trudging through the Caribbean with his big stick toting a train of boats that represent everything his outside foreign policy is creating and bringing to Central America. Ask students how the cartoon would be received in Latin America versus America during Roosevelt's presidency.
 * 9/11 Memorial Site -- Allow students to explore the site and view the live webcam of the site. Have students reflect on what they see in the memorial, in terms of the sacrifices people like Tom Burnett made. []

1. Sub-Themes 2. Individuals 3. Historical Texts
 * Theme 6:** Economic Changes -- Economic policies is another topic that is important but overlooked in many social studies classes but is extremely important in order to understand both personal and national decisions. The economy is continually changing and evolving, so looking back at some trends in our nation's economic history will allow students to better grasp current economic debates, and even some of their parents decisions in regards to what their household spends money on and values. The housing market crash that began in 2006 has major implications in today's economy that still effect all of us, including students.
 * North Carolina Agriculture (look at it over time)
 * Golden Age of Capitalism
 * Housing Market Crash
 * Steve Troxler is the current North Carolina Commissioner of Agricultre and past tabaccoo farmer (ties in with historical text). He first took office in 2005 and is up for re-election this year.
 * William Levitt is a real estate developer who is known for Levittowns, suburban expansion and the assembly line consturction method. Look at how Levittowns were the effect of the baby boom and post World War II legislation.
 * Ben Bernanke was the Chairman of the Federal Reserve starting in 2006, at the same time the housing market began to see its decline. He is criticized for not stopping the housing market from crashing and then for bailing out the big banks. Despite this, he was re-elected as the Chairman.
 * North Carolina Tobacco Report -- (Page 7) "Distribution of Consumer Dollars for Cigarettes" shows the manufacturer's cost, the three different taxes and the retail mark-up on cigarettes. []
 * 1954 Carnation Milk Ad -- This ad shows how "doctor's orders" were used to sell a variety of products during the 1950s in an attempt to appeal to new mothers and house wives. []
 * "Obama is setting us up for another housing market crash" -- An opinion piece relating the housing market crash of the mid 2000s with today's housing market. A great way to get students connecting the past with the present and even future. []