Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction — Calvin College Education Program

Teacher Josh Sterenberg

Date November 6, 2018 Subject/ Topic/ Theme Articles of Confederation: What a Failure!
Grade _____8th___________

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
The students are studying the Articles of Confederation going into the formation of the Constitution. The previous lesson will have given students a background on
the Articles of Confederation. This lesson aims to look deeper into the articles and how the articles failed when used as the first government structure for Americans.

cognitive- physical socio-

Learners will be able to: R U Ap An E C* development emotional
 Understand the National powers, State powers and how both made the Articles of Confederation weak. Understand
 Analyze why the Articles of Confederation failed for America. Analyze
 Apply and discuss historical issues in the context of the Articles of Confederation.
 Evaluate the voting process related to the Articles of Confederation in a simulation.
Apply X X
Evaluate X

Common Core standards (or GLCEs if not available in Common Core) addressed:

- U3.3.1 Explain the reasons for the adoption and subsequent failure of the Articles of Confederation.
- C2 List the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation as set forth by their critics.
- U3.3.2 Identify economic and political questions facing the nation during the period of the Articles of Confederation
and the opening of the Constitutional Convention.
- E1.4 Discuss state currency v. federal currency (inter/intra-state trade).

(Note: Write as many as needed. Indicate taxonomy levels and connections to applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to particular learners
write the name(s) of the learner(s) to whom it applies.)
*remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, create

II. Before you start

Identify prerequisite Students need to understand that America is trying to form a government structure unlike the
knowledge and skills. monarchy of Great Britain, who they were fighting at the time of the Articles of Confederation.
Students should also know that States acted like, more or less, independent countries.
Pre-assessment (for learning):

Ask the students why did America choose to form a democratic structured government and not a
monarchy like the British?

Formative (for learning):

Outline assessment At the end of the class have each student write down what they think is the weakest weakness in the
activities Articles of Confederation and why.
(applicable to this lesson)
Formative (as learning):

The students should all be able to participate in the simulation through comments and questions. The teacher will
be able assess how well the students understand the topic based on the amount of participation by the students.
Summative (of learning):

Provide Multiple Means of Provide Multiple Means of Provide Multiple Means of Action
Engagement Representation and Expression

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What barriers might this
lesson present?
What will it take –
neurodevelopmentally,
experientially,
emotionally, etc., for your
students to do this lesson?
Students will be held accountable
for their participation in the
simulation, through their partners
and class voting during the
simulation.
Students will be challenged at the
beginning of the class through
formative assessment in the form of
discussion at the beginning of class
and a short reflection at the end of
class.
The simulation of the weaknesses
of the Articles of Confederation
will allow the students to critically
think and actively engage in the
information. Having the active
engagement should spark curiosity
and challenging questions.
There will be class and
individual discussion, active
engagement through the
simulation, and visual aid using
the screen projector for notes to
help the students better
understand the information.
The students will be able to see
a table of “National
Powers” ,“State Powers” and
“Weaknesses”, which should
help clarify the information and
help the students organize their
notes.
The students will be able to
grasp the information through
working through the
weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation in the simulation.
The teacher will also be writing
notes on the whiteboard and
verbally explaining the
information to the students.
Short-term: During the simulation I
will interject questions that guide
the students to the main points of
the lesson.
Long-term: Change certain aspects
of the simulation to strengthen the
information and historical context.
Students will be able to express
themselves through class
discussion and written
reflection.
Set the simulation up in a more
courtroom style approach in
which the students will need to
come up to the front to explain
their reasoning as to why said
article is weak.

Materials-what materials - Graphic Organizer w/ Student Friendly version of the Articles of Confederation.
(books, handouts, etc) do - Screen Projector / Whiteboard (For the notes)
you need for this lesson - “Vote the Genre” Simulation Packets (13)
and are they ready to use? - Lined paper for reflection question.

3 columns of desks facing the front containing 5 rows with 2 desks per row. There are gaps in the
How will your classroom middle for walking space. Classroom setup must be applicable to partner work.
be set up for this lesson?

III. The Plan

Describe teacher activities AND student activities
Time for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking questions and/or
(5 prompts.
Components
0
m
)
5m
Motivation Welcome the students into the classroom and once Students are examining the packet which gives
(opening/ the class starts, hand out the “Vote the Genre” them an overview on what to do during the
introduction/ Packets. While doing this the teacher can causally simulation.
engagement) ask them the question, “Why did America choose
to form a democratic structured government and Students will think about what it meant to form a
not a monarchy like the British?” new government for Americans, compared to their
old government of a British monarchy.
Answer and expand on any questions or comments
the students might have regarding the question.

40 m Developmen
t Explain the Simulation to the students and talk The students will be wondering “what in the world
(the largest them through what the simulation is trying to does music do with the Articles of Confederation”.
component or represent (The Articles of Confederation’s
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 main body of weaknesses). A good way to do this is to ask the The students should start to understand once they
the lesson) students why they think there are 13 “groups”. The make the 13 groups = 13 states connection.
groups represent the colonies

Simulation Directions:

1. The simulation is rigged so that there will

always be difficulty voting on a solution
for the choice of genres. This represents
the trouble for the colonies to pass policy
due to competing interest and required

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 (9/13) votes to pass. Don’t tell the
students it’s rigged.

2. Start by telling the students that the radio

station that the whole country listens to
can only play 3 genres. It is up to you to The students may want to vote for their favorite
represent your state and to vote for the genre of music. (Teacher may want to emphasize
most popular genres in your state. (The the representation part.)
higher the number the more popular the
music).

At this time give the students a few moments to

talk it over with their partner. This should not take
long as all the “Top 3 genres” are right in front of Students will choose the top 3 genres on their
them on the packet. packet.

Call the students back and explain the voting

process. (If the crazy energetic teaching style
suites you, feel free to embody an old 1770’s
congress monitor and act as if the classroom is Students start to think about the classroom as the
meeting room) meeting place for congress.

3. Explain to the students the voting process

and that you will be monitoring the Students may be a bit confused. (Run through an
debates. example round if needed).

The voting process:

a. One group nominates a genre (Hip-Hop,

Country, Rock, Rap, Christmas)
b. The nomination must be seconded
(agreed upon by another group.)
c. All group debate on why said genre
should or should not be played on the
radio. Students will give a plethora of reasons on why
d. Afterwards give the students a minute to they think the music their representing should be
discuss with their partner on whether or added to the radio.
not the 3 chosen genres should be played
on the radio. Students will want to know why the class did not
come to a conclusion on what genres to play on the
Once the voting process is over ask the students radio.
what they found interesting/difficult about the
simulation.

Ask the students to take out their graphic

organizers and go through the weakness of the
Articles of Confederation, while emphasizing the
competing interests among the colonies caused the Students will take notes on the weaknesses of the
process of voting to be frustratingly tedious. Articles of Confederation.

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5m Closure
(conclusion, At the end of the class have each student write Students will need to critically think what makes
culmination, down what they think is the weakest weakness in their choice the weakest. (The teacher should be
wrap-up) the Articles of Confederation and why. prepared to receive a number of different answers).

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as well as ideas for improvement
for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the
process of preparing the lesson.)

This was my first time teaching a simulation to the class and the first thing that stood out to me was the need for
participation to make this simulation work. In the future it may be necessary to add a participation assessment within the
simulation to make sure the whole class is engaged in the discussion/debate. However, the students seemed to enjoy trying to
convince the class why their genre was better.

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