INSTRUCTOR: Mr.

Wright
SUBJECT and GRADE: Sophomore American History
DATE: 10/10/13

Kansas State or Common Core Standard: Relationships between people, places, events, and ideas are dynamic
Benchmark: The students will begin to trace the path of the United States from a newborn country to a world power.

I. Learning Goal: The students will understand that the United States was not the world power that it is today but that its
rise to global dominance started during this era.

II. Objective: Students will prepare the teenage years section to their Biography of the United States with 80% mastery as
measured by a teacher-created rubric.

III. Assessment: Students will turn in this section of their Biography of the United States just before the unit test.

IV. Resources/Materials Needed: Youtube video, computer, projector, excerpt from The Influence of Sea Power upon
History,
V. Lesson Design:

a. Before (10 minutes): Video, American Imperialism: Crash Course US History #28
a. After introduction of video ask: What are your reactions to John Greens opening statement? Do you
agree or disagree?
b. What time period are we in?
c. What is new imperialism?
d. Has the United States always been an empire? Explain.

b. During (20 minutes): The main part of this lesson is a lecture on The Pressure to Expand. There will be a
powerpoint with key terms such as: imperialism, banana republics, and nationalism. The big names we will
cover are: Theodore Roosevelt, Matthew Perry, Alfred T. Mahan, and William Taft. We will look at excerpts
from Alfred T. Mahans The Influence of Sea Power upon History. The lecture will move from the beginnings
of the imperialism to the beginning of the Spanish-American War.

a. Modeling (5 minutes): Students have already been introduced to the Biography of the United States
project but they will need a little more instruction. We will look at a portion that I wrote. I will be
sure to point out things that they have been struggling with on their previous biography assignments.

b. Check for Understanding (5 minutes):
i. What is a banana republic?
ii. What are some modern day examples of nationalism?
iii. If you were the President at this time, what would you have done differently?

c. . Guided Practice (5 minutes): Students will get a chance to start their biographies for this section and
ask any questions that they might have.

c. Closure - (5 minutes): Students will be called on individually and be asked to share something that
they learned in class.

VI. Modifications for Differentiated Instruction/Special Accommodations:
a. Exceptionality: #14 Learning Disability
b. Accommodation(s) for this lesson: The student will be provided a hardcopy of the notes with only a few blanks
that need to be filled in. The student will have recieved the excerpt from The Influece of Sea Power upon History a few
days before so that he could have read it before class. The student also has a modified Biography
assignment. He only has to write the biography every other unit. For those in between, he will do a presentation
for the class on the unit.