Running head: Motivation Lesson Plan

Motivation Lesson Plan

Cathleen Elizabeth Byrne
University of New England

Motivation Lesson Plan

NEW FAIRFIELD HIGH SCHOOL

MS. BYRNE
AMERICAN STUDIES

Social Studies Department

American Studies

Unit The Gilded Age

Lesson: To what extent should government regulate business?

Objectives:
1. Analyze primary and secondary sources to take the position of a historical figure.
2. Evaluate whether government should regulate business in a class discussion.
Mission Statement: 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 6, 7
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on
grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly
and persuasively.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read and
researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence
from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned
exchange of ideas.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and
early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more
texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Rationale
This lesson is used towards the end of the Gilded Age unit, which exposes how the wealth gap
caused people to question the role of government, as a way for students to analyze historical
documents to demonstrate their understanding of historical figures in a discussion. In this unit,
students learn about the contrasting life in tenement buildings and working conditions in
factories with that of the wealthy industrialists, who can be viewed as Captains of Industry or as
Robber Barons. This lesson challenges students to evaluate whether government should
intervene in business.
Motivational Theory Addressed
The Self-Determination Theory is addressed in this lesson for students who do not have high
beliefs in their abilities, who need autonomy, competence and relatedness (Anderman, 2014).
The group work in this lesson increases student competence with the course material while
simultaneously giving them the relatedness amongst their peers that they need, which will
increase their ability to demonstrate their autonomy in class discussion.

Motivation Lesson Plan

The Social Cognitive Theory is also addressed for students who benefit from positive and
appropriate behaviors from their peers (Anderman, 2014). This is reinforced when students work
together to uncover primary and secondary sources in groups as well as when students meet in
different groups to identify the stance of historical figures on the unit essential question.
At the end of the unit the Goal Orientation Theory is addressed when students complete a self
evaluation of their performance. This contributes to maintaining focus on addressing personal
improvement towards mastery goals rather than comparison to other students with performance
goals (Anderman, 2014). Additionally, this will contribute to student involvement in the learning
process (Ames, 1990).
Materials
-Discovery Video
-SMART Board
-Primary and Secondary sources
-Graphic Organizer: Evaluating Sources
-Schools Chromebook Lab computer cart
-Graphic Organizer: Discussion
-Discussion Rubric/Evaluation
Learning Activities
DAY ONE
Initiation:
-Explain the objective: to analyze primary and secondary sources in preparation to take on the
role of a historical figure to evaluate to what extent government should intervene in business in a
discussion next class.
-Watch the Discovery video (Overview of the Gilded Age).
-Review the historical figures (John Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Stephen Crane, Jacob Riis,
factory worker, factory manager). Have students choose the historical figure they would like to
represent in the discussion.
-Review the difference between primary and secondary sources and the difference between
objective and subjective observations by creating T-Charts on the SMART Board.
Lesson Development:
-Divide students into groups of 5-6 students by pulling names out of the bucket.
-Allow students to work cooperatively, while educators circulate around the room to aid students
in analyzing the sources (The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Building, the statistical chart of
industrialism, the excerpt from The Jungle, and the tenement-dweller children photograph) while
they complete the graphic organizer. Each group will complete additional research on the
provided Chromebooks, which are signed out for the class.
-As a class review the sources and pertinent information on the SMART Board, having students
from all of the groups share information from the documents and their additional research.
Closure:

Motivation Lesson Plan

-As a class, discuss how each document would be used to support differing perspectives on
whether government should intervene in the economy.
-Inform students which historical figure they will represent in the class discussion.
-For homework have students go through the documents, their notes and complete additional
online research to prepare for the class discussion next class.
DAY TWO
Initiation:
-Explain the objective: to use our analysis of primary and secondary sources to take on the role
of a historical figure to evaluate to what extent government should intervene in business in a
class discussion.
-Arrange the room with one inner circle of 6 desks and 6 outer circles (each to represent the 6
historical perspectives). Arrange students in the outer circles to discuss the perspective of their
historical figure on the role of government in business.
Lesson Development:
-Have one student from each historical figure group go into the inner circle and draw open-ended
questions out of the bucket to answer from the perspective of the historical figure they are
representing while drawing on textual evidence from the sources and their additional research.
While students are in the outer circle have them complete the graphic organizer completing the
perspectives of the historical figures they did not research for homework.
-Continue until each student has had a chance to go into the inner circle.
Closure:
-Have students complete the self evaluation of their mastery of skills.
-Review the perspectives on the SMART Board.
-For homework have students write an argumentative response that evaluates to what extent the
government should intervene in business comparing their personal opinion with at least one
historical figure (it does not have to be the historical figure they represented in the class
discussion).

Motivation Lesson Plan

5
References

Anderman, E. M., & Anderman, L. H. (2014). Classroom motivation (2nd ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson.
Ames, C. A. (1990). Motivation: What teachers need to know. Teachers College Record, 91(5),
409-421.