As America emerged from WWI, the struggle to rebuild a wounded nation begun.
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Goals and Objectives
- Students will understand how the Harding administration fits into post WWI America.
- Students will contrast Harding’s idea of “normalcy” with the reforms of the Progressive Era orally through discussion and by filling out a chart on the guided notes.
- Students will analyze how scandals affected the Harding Administration, as well as compare and contrast the Teapot Dome scandal with a modern day political scandal on a two column foldable.
California State and Common Core standards
CSS11.1: Discuss
the policies of Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Essential question
How did America tackle the new political and societal challenges of the post-WWI world?
Lesson Introduction
Students will engage in a Quick write on the following topic: Who are you most comfortable taking advice from in your life? Do you listen to adults or your friends more?
This question sets the stage for understanding why Warren Harding listened to his kitchen cabinet more than his official one, and adds relevance to the material by relating it to the lives of students.
This question sets the stage for understanding why Warren Harding listened to his kitchen cabinet more than his official one, and adds relevance to the material by relating it to the lives of students.
Key Vocabulary
Normalcy
Kitchen cabinet
Ohio Gang
Graft
Teapot Dome Scandal
Kitchen cabinet
Ohio Gang
Graft
Teapot Dome Scandal
Content Delivery
The instructor will deliver a lecture about the Harding Presidency and how it fits into the post WWI landscape. Throughout the presentation the instructor will ask questions indicated in the instructor notes (available below) which will further engage students in the content. During the presentation, students will be asked to follow along with their guided note sheet (available to download above).
Warren Harding presentation
More PowerPoint presentations from Zachary Melendez
Student Engagement
In order to allow students to understand how political scandals shake the public trust in institutions of government, students will engage in an activity which connects the Teapot Dome scandal to current events. Students will be given an article on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s recent “bridgegate” scandal. Students will then be placed in groups of three and will create a two column foldable where they will compare on one column and contrast on the other the Teapot Dome scandal with bridgegate.
Lesson Closure
The class will come together, and one member of each group will be asked to list one similarity and one difference the group found between the two scandals. The instructor will then explain that scandals often create a distrust in government, and will ask the students if they can think of any other examples of political corruption scandals they may have heard of.
Assessment
Formative: Instructor will ask guiding questions throughout the presentation that will activate critical thinking. Some sample questions are included in the notes of the master powerpoint file.
Summative: Instructor will collect student created foldable comparing and contrasting Teapot Dome with bridgegate, which will ensure that students can make connections between what they have learned and current events, and also identify any misunderstandings or misconceptions about the material.
Summative: Instructor will collect student created foldable comparing and contrasting Teapot Dome with bridgegate, which will ensure that students can make connections between what they have learned and current events, and also identify any misunderstandings or misconceptions about the material.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving readers, and students with special needs
ELL’s, Striving Readers, and Students With Special Needs will be assisted with guided notes which provide a scaffold for to aid them. Students will also be placed in groups with stronger students during the group discussion activity.