Making America (Direct Lesson Plan)

I. Describe the Class

Grade: 11
Number of Students: 32 (2 students with Learning Disabilities, 1 gifted student, and 1 English
Language Learning student [Spanish])

II. Subject/Skill
History
History skill: Identifying the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

III. Objective(s)
Students will be able to:
Identify and explain the ideas of Americans when drafting the Articles of Confederation
Identify and explain the problems that arose due to the Articles of Confederation

IV. Procedures
1. AIM Question: Why was a Constitution Convention called in 1787?
Key Terms: Confederation, Constitution, Northwest Land Ordinance, Shays Rebellion
2. Students will need to know the events leading up to the American Revolution and an
understanding of American Colonists’ ideas of Democracy.
3. I will present the information via Powerpoint in a lecture style manner. I will then
close my lecture will a video to wrap up the lesson and review the information. \
4. The primary method to guide students through the lesson is scaffolding. I will ask
questions that will reference information from the previous lessons (Events Leading
up to the Revolutionary War and the Revolutionary War), as well as current
knowledge about our government.
5. Students will be given a work sheet that will ask students to point out the weaknesses
in the Articles of Confederation, why the weakness posed a problem to America and
how the problem would be fixed in our current Constitution.
 V. Materials
PowerPoint
Notebook
Pen/Pencil

VI. Grouping Structures

A total of 32 students in a classroom

VII. Modifications
All PowerPoints will be available to all classes via Canvas. Any videos used in class will also be
available through Canvas as well. Additional learning sources will also be available. Students
will be able to ask questions at anytime in class or can email me. Students are free to write the
assignment on paper or through a Google Document and send it to me. The ELL student will be
provided with materials in Spanish and is free to write their response in Spanish as well.

VIII. Assessment
1. Before class ends students will be asked to share a few responses in their work. I will
allow students to make corrections to their peers’ work as well as give them my feedback.
I will quickly review areas I feel are necessary and, if needed, reteach the lesson the next
class.
2. Students can work on the worksheet given in class for homework. An assignment given
specifically for homework will have students look over arguments for and against a new
Constitution and will be asked to construct a short response if they believe the U.S. was
right to construct a new Constitution.