Lesson Plan Format Using Understanding by Design Framework

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

Title: Who is Responsible for the Atrocities in the Congo?

Grade: High School (9-12)
Author: Madison Noakes
Number of Class Periods: 3-4 50 Minute Lessons
Essential Questions:

1) What were the effects of European imperialism and colonialism on colonized peoples?
2) Is imperialism ever justified?

State of Michigan Content Standards (GLCEs/HSCEs):

6.2.4 Imperialism – analyze the political, economic, and social causes and consequences
of imperialism in different regions.

Learning Objectives:

1. I can identify the parts of the world impacted by European imperialism. (DOK 1)
2. I can describe the changes that happened in the societies of colonized/imperialized people
as a result of colonization. (DOK 2)
3. I can compare different accounts of the experience of colonization/imperialism to
determine and understand the most realistic depiction of colonization/imperialism. (DOK
3)

Content Rationale:

This content is relevant and important for high school World History students for a
number of reasons. Firstly, the case study of the Congo Free State/Belgian Congo is so acutely
brutal and violent that it has a profound impact on students. This content exposes students to the
true horrors of what colonial rule did to native African peoples in particular. Students also
happen to be very naturally interested in this case study because of its incredible drama and
violence, which leads the way to rich conversation and high levels of engagement. Secondly, this
topic is also an essential stepping stone along the way as we move throughout the semester in
World History. Taking a look at the Congo Free State provides the foundation of knowledge that
students will need to understand why anti-colonial nationalist groups rose up in Africa
throughout the 20th century, as well as how many nations in Africa continue to be impacted by
the remnants of colonialism.

Instructional Strategy Rationale:

There are a number of instructional strategies that are used in this lesson: individual
journaling/work, small group/partner discussion, whole class discussion, and secondary
document analysis. Each is used intentionally to allow students to engage with this material in a
number of ways. Individual journaling is used at both the beginning and end of class and right
before whole class discussions to allow students to gather and formulate their thoughts, and also
to practice communication through written language. Small group and partner work is used as
part of the “meet-and-greet,” which will encourage students to be the detectives that are piecing
together the facts of the case of what happened in the Congo in the late 19th century. Class
discussion is used in a mock trial format, where students are practicing deliberation skills as they
determine responsibility for the atrocities in the Congo. Lastly, secondary document analysis is
sprinkled throughout the lesson set to give students context (i.e.: the information about their
meet-and-greet character, the summary given in the video, etc.).

Background and Context:

This lesson takes place in a broader unit based around the growth of nationalism and the Age of
Imperialism in the mid-19th through the early 20th centuris. Throughout this unit, students will
investigate how the global revolutions, like the French and American Revolutions, led to the rise
of nationalism in Europe, the reasons why European nations imperialized other parts of the
world, particularly Asia and Africa, and how imperialism impacted those parts of the world.
Among the specific topics discussed includes: the unification of Germany and Italy, the Meiji
Restoration, the British Raj, the Opium Wars and Unequal Treaties, the White Man’s Burden,
other SPEC reasons for European imperialism, the Scramble for Africa, the Berlin Conference,
and the lasting impact of colonialism on Africa. The overall guiding question for this unit is: Is
imperialism ever justified? The supporting questions for this unit are as follows: 1) How did
nation-states develop in both western and non-western contexts during the 19th century? 2) What
were the social, political, economic, and cultural factors that led to the rise of imperialism by
western nations? And 3) How did imperialism and subsequent colonization affect colonized
people?

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence (Assessment)

Diagnostic/Formative Assessments:
1) Meet-and-Greet Worksheet
2) Day 1 Free Write: What happened in the Congo Free State from 1885-1908?
3) Evaluate the participation of students throughout the Meet-and-Greet and preparation
for the Mock Trial
4) Evaluate the participation of students throughout the Mock Trial
Summative Unit Assessments:
1) Evidence-based essay that evaluates the unit’s compelling question
2) Objective Unit Test about the Age of Imperialism, including the question: What
happened in the Congo Free State from 1885-1908?

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences (Procedure)

Day 1 Instructional Strategy:

 Opening/Activator:
o 5 minutes: Good Things, talk through agenda and Learning Targets
 o 10 minutes: Brief lecture on the SPEC aspects of how imperialism impacted
Africa, broadly
o 3 minutes: Explanation of directions for the Meet-and-Greet activity, assign roles
for each student. Share essential question that students should be able to answer
by the end of class: What happened in the Congo from 1885 to 1908?

 Activities:
o 25 minutes: students mingle while they assume the identity of their character
(examples of which include: King Leopold II, Leon Rom, Ilanga the Congolese
villager, etc.). During this time, students are filling out their worksheets, trying to
piece together their answer to the essential question.

 Anticipated Students Interactions/Questions:

o Lots of moving pieces, directions are pretty detailed
 Reiterate a couple of times, ask for questions before we get going, stop in
with partners/small groups along the way
o Some students will be shy/unmotivated to engage
 Check in with these students multiple times throughout class, casually
pairing them with others if necessary

 Closing/Summarizer: 7 minutes
o Individual Journal Question: In your investigation so far, what happened in the
Congo from 1885-1908?

Anticipated Total Time Required: 50 Minutes, with time given for transitions
____________________________________________________________________________

Day 2 Instructional Strategy:

 Opening/Activator:
o 5 minutes: Good Things, review yesterday’s activity and Learning Targets
o 2 minutes: Share out any questions from yesterday, take out worksheet and Free
Write to add details

 Activities:
o 15 minutes: Watch a clip that summarizes the economic imperialism and eventual
colonization that took place in the Congo from 1885 to 1908 under the leadership
of King Leopold II of Belgium. As students watch, we will debrief along the way,
they will add details to their Free Write, and list out three questions they still
have.
o 5 minutes: Debrief video. Students will write their response to the information
using three adjectives; we will discuss these as a class.
o 5 minutes: Transition to Mock Trial activity. Now that we know what happened,
we have to determine who is most responsible. Students will be split into six
groups, each representing a possible culprit for the atrocities in the Congo: King
 Leopold II, Colonial Administrators, the Force Publique, Consumers of Rubber,
Capitalism, or the Congolese people.
o 20 minutes: students will read through each of the “case” documents, finding
weaknesses in the other side and arguments that will help them defend
themselves. They will fill out their Mock Trial Worksheet as they go.

 Anticipated Students Interactions/Questions:

o Lots of moving pieces, directions are pretty detailed
 Reiterate a couple of times, ask for questions before we get going, stop in
with partners/small groups along the way
o This is really complex content and skill development
 Check in with these students multiple times throughout class, ensuring that
they are reaching the depth of understanding that I’d like to see, as well as
modeling my own thinking

 Closing/Summarizer: 2 minutes
o Recap agenda for today, preview tomorrow’s Mock Trial

Anticipated Total Time Required: 50 Minutes, with time given for transitions
______________________________________________________________________________

Day 3 Instructional Strategy:

 Opening/Activator:
o 5 minutes: Good Things, talk through agenda and Learning Targets
o 5 minutes: Students regroup, check in to make sure worksheet is complete, do
their final preparations for the Mock Trial
o 5 minutes: Explain directions for the Mock Trial: teacher acts as the prosecution,
making the first accusation, and the jury (to be selected here) will listen to all
arguments and accusations before making their decisions.

 Activities:
o 20 minutes: Mock Trial Activity: Groups defend their own cases, while accusing
other groups of more culpability or responsibility than their own.
o 5 minutes: The jury steps out to deliberate and rank the groups in order of
responsibility, while students in the room do the same on their own.

 Anticipated Students Interactions/Questions:

o Lots of moving pieces, directions are pretty detailed
 Reiterate a couple of times, ask for questions before we get going, stop in
with partners/small groups along the way
o This is really complex content and skill development
 Check in with these students multiple times throughout class, ensuring that
they are reaching the depth of understanding that I’d like to see, as well as
modeling my own thinking
 Closing/Summarizer: 15 minutes
o Whole Class Discussion: Which group did you rank as most responsible? Why?
How did you determine level of responsibility? (Go where the discussion leads)

Anticipated Total Time Required: 50 Minutes, with time given for transitions

Other Important Information

Materials:
1) Worksheets, one for every student for both activities
2) Summary of each character for the Meet-and-Greet and each individual/group for the
Mock Trial
3) Video (public on YouTube)
4) PowerPoint to guide discussion and provide background info

Modifications and Accommodations:

For this lesson, modifications and accommodations can be made along the way to ensure
that all students can successfully engage with material. Firstly, creating a worksheet for students,
rather than having them copy questions or answers from the board, is an easy way to help all
students, but particularly those with ADHD or ASD, to organize their thoughts. Additionally,
students can have access to the worksheets text through Google Classroom, so they can zoom in
on text as much as they need to so that they can see comfortably. Modifications to the questions
and text can also be made for students with significant LD.

Extension Ideas:

This lesson will be extended by shifting our focus from the short-term effects of
imperialism and colonization to looking at the long-term effects, especially in Africa.
Additionally, this information can be used to answer our unit’s compelling question. There is
plentiful evidence from this case study to help students take a position on whether or not
imperialism is ever justified.