Multple Perspectives Activity

Status:

Multiple Perspectives

Strand VI- Power, Authority, Governance

Andy Walden

Civil War-States Rights vs. Federal Rights

I.    Performance Expectations

Compare and analyze the ways nations and organizations respond to conflicts between forces of unity and forces of diversity (D).

Analyze and evaluate conditions, actions, and motivations that contribute to conflict and cooperation within and among nations (F).

II.                 Learning Outcomes

Student will:

      Recall how Lincoln and the Republicans responded to Southern secession

      Describe the differences between the Confederacy and the Union

      Identify who were the leaders of each government

      Classify what it means to be a Confederate, conversely, a Unionist

      Analyze why the South succeeded, politically, socially and economically

      Evaluate how slavery led to conflict, which ultimately led to war

III.               Evaluation

I would evaluate my students by having them write two position (persuasive) papers. The papers would allow students to argue both sides of the Civil War.  The first paper, the student would take a position of the Unionist. The second paper, the student would take the position of a Confederate. Each paper would be worth twenty-five points. Each paper should contain material covered in class, and additional outside research. Grammar usage, punctuation, and sentence structure will be considered, as well as how convincing of an argument the student presented in the paper.

IV.              Curriculum

Political Science

History

V.                 Instruction

Instruction of this lesson would be in two parts. Each part would last one week. When lecturing for the week, I would be completely biased. If I was lecturing about the Union, I would present soldier’s letters to their families, Abraham Lincoln speeches, and the argument of slavery and human rights. The case of Federal rights would be argued. At the end of the first week, I would assign my first paper. The following week I would present the Confederates argument. I would assume the role of Jefferson Davis and argue why the Confederacy holds power. At the end of that week I would assign my second paper. Both papers would be due in two weeks from the assigned date.

VI.              Questions

Who is Jefferson Davis? What is a Confederate? Why did the south secede? What was classified as the south? What political party represented the south? What does it mean to secede? Who were the Democratic-Republicans? What are the Kentucky-Virginia resolutions? How did these resolutions affect the South’s secession plans? What are states rights? What are federal rights? What is the Supremacy clause? How did slavery impact the southern economy? What document gave the Federal government its power?  Who is Abraham Lincoln? How have states rights evolved today? Who holds more power, federal or state government? What is dual supremacy? What party supported federalism? What party supported states rights?