John James Valente, Jr.
This section will briefly outline how I intend to get this material across to students. The plans included here ambitiously cover, for some teachers and students, too much in a short period of time; teachers are advised to use their own discretion and the understanding of their students to shape the unit to fit their needs. After a weekly outline of plans, I provide a set of three sample classroom activities.
Week 1
After the distribution of packet material, students will begin to discover the precise meaning of “political party.” They will, in small discussion groups, address the questions of “what is a political party? What are some of its characteristics? What are some of its characteristics? What are its purposes?” After a consensus is achieved as to a class definition, I will have them read an 18th century definition and ask if there is may difference between their definition and the one of the 18th century. After students have formulated two distinct definitions they will be asked to write an essay which shows the difference between these definitions.
After the formulation of a conceptual framework, I will teach material on the evolution of Connecticut political parties. Students will engage in readings and analyze Noah Webster’s “History of Political Parties” (small sections). Webater clearly articulates a typical 18th century hatred for political parties. Students will be presented with an enigma “If famous people like Noah Webster hated politicsl parties, why do you think they developed?” Once early national Connecticut history has been studied, students will begin study of the lives and writings of Noah Webster and Joel Barlow. Joel Barlow. Joel Barlow will provide good sumary of 18th and early 19th century anti-establishment statements. Students will search local newspapers for evidence of anti-establishment statements in local or national present day campaigns.
Week 2
Students will continue work on early Connecticut political leaders. They will engage in a debate of Federalist versus DemocraticRepublican after an orientation to and readings on issues which divided the early Connecticut electorate. Students will then be introduced to early methods of party orginization and publicity. Students will be asked to create a Federalist and Democratic-Republican newspaper which “puffs” some Connecticut candidate. Students will search local newspapers for present day examples of political “puffs.”
Week 3 Students will study political rhetoric from 1800-1818.
Students will be asked to address the question “What are the differences and/or similarities between rhetoric of the earlier time period and the later time period?” Local politicians will be asked to address the class on their political viewpoints and on the differences between the two parties and on 20th century political issues. Students will be asked to draw analogies from past study of Connecticut political parties and issues. Students will study recent student council elections and try to draw parallel themes with national, local or historical party politics.
Classroom Activities
1)
|
Objective:
|
Students will be able to present orally both sides of a hypothetical debate between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans concerning issues of the early 19th century in Connecticut.
|
|
Activity
|
After students are presented with substantive material on issues dividing Connecticut in the early 19th century, have students clasaify which issues are of most concern to what party. After classifying have students write the party stance for each issue. Have students divide issues politics. Have students select by “stand up” voting the issue to be first debated. Select four debaters, a time keeper, and a room of judges. (Activity assumes previous debate orientation.)
|
2)
|
Objective:
|
Students will be able to make analogies between present and past historical parties of Connecticut.
|
|
Activity
|
After students have a good working knowledge of the history of Connecticut parties, have students begin to search present day newspapers, magazines, etc. for recurrent themes that precipitated the development of parties. e.g., anti-establishment, economic conflict, religious issues, etc. Make sure students take good notes on this material. Have them prove in a good argumentative essay that an analogy can be made between a party of the past and one of the present. Be sure to instruct students that analogies need supporting evidence from each era.
|
3)
|
Objective:
|
Students will be able to analyize the political rhetoric of early political writers of the 19th century.
|
|
Activity
|
Have stsdenta read either Barlow’s work or Webster’s in a small group with assigned tasks. Tell all students they are to be able to understand the document they are reading and they are to be able to formulate as a group a one sentence summay of it. Have one student of each group be responsible for dictionary aid, have another take notes, and a third read. After students have summarized the work, ask them to read biographical material on Barlow or Webster. Ask students to address this question: “How are the authors’ lives reflected in their writings?”
|