Course(s)
Required Time Frame
Roughly 1 block class period (about 90 minutes)
Subject(s)
Lesson Abstract
Students will examine primary sources, both written and visual aids, in class to evaluate and create an opinion on General Thomas Ewing's Order No. 11 and determine the overall purpose of the order and create an argument as to whether or not it was justified, fair, and successful.
Description
Students will examine primary sources, both written and visual aids, in class to evaluate and create an opinion on General Thomas Ewing’s Order No. 11 and determine the overall purpose of the order and create an argument as to whether or not it was justified, fair, and successful.
Rationale (why are you doing this?)
After examining details of the Border Wars between Kansas and Missouri, including the causes, events, and ideologies of both combatants students will examine General Ewing’s Order Number 11 from both the perspective of the Missourians and Kansans and judge whether or not the order was fair and effective and explain why they came to that decision. Using this information, students will choose a side to support, either Kansas or Missouri, and justify their reasoning using events recently studied.
Lesson Objectives - the student will
- Examine primary source documents, both written and visual.
- Analyze the documents to determine bias, meaning, and to construct an argument.
- Determine and justify which side was in the “right” during the Border Wars and how Order Number 11 contributed to this stance.
District, state, or national performance and knowledge standards/goals/skills met
- 3a. Knowledge of continuity and change in the history of Missouri and the United States: 1.6 Distinguish major patterns and issues with regard to population distribution, demographics, settlements, migrations, and cultures in the US.
- 3a. Knowledge of continuity and change in the history of Missouri and the United States: 1.9, 1.10: Analyze Missouri History as it relates to major developments of US History including 1. Exploration and settlement 2. Mid 1800s (conflict and war) 3. Urbanization, industrialization, post-industrial societies
- 7. Knowledge of the use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps and documents): 1.7, 1.5 Distinguish between and analyze primary sources and secondary sources.
- 7. Knowledge of the use of tools of social science inquiry (such as surveys, statistics, maps and documents: 1.7, 3.5, 3.6 Distinguish between fact and opinion and analyze sources to recognize bias and points of view.
Secondary materials (book, article, video documentary, etc.) needed
- http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/kansas.html and http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/missouri.html provides visual aid to show students which counties were affected by Order No. 11
Primary sources needed (document, photograph, artifact, diary or letter, audio or visual recording, etc.) needed
- George Caleb Bingham’s Marshal Law (Order No. 11) visual representation of consequences of Ewing’s order
https://digital.shsmo.org/digital/collection/art/id/333/
Fully describe the activity or assignment in detail. What will both the teacher and the students do?
- If necessary (depending upon when or if you previously discussed the Border Wars) have students read the review of the Kansas and Missouri Border Wars to refresh events and major people for homework the night before. Students should also address the following questions: What evidences of bias do you see (at least 3 examples)? What did General Thomas Ewing’s Order Number 11 do? Which counties were affected? What were the lasting results?
- To open the lesson discuss student responses to the homework questions, or engage in brief review of Border War events that led up to the passage of Ewing’s order.
- Next, have students examine each of the primary source documents, you may do this in groups, individually, or in pairs (whichever best suites your students’ abilities, class size, and time frame).
- For Bingham’s painting: have students look at the image in quadrants using a piece of computer paper to cover the ¾ of the image. As students examine the image in quadrants have them answer or discuss the following questions. 1. What can you see in the image (describe it with detail)? 2. What can you infer based on viewing the image as a whole? 3. What did the artist think of Ewing’s order, how did you come to that conclusion? 4. How do you think people might have perceived this painting when it was created, what makes you say that? Based on this image, what is your personal perception of the order?
- For the excerpted letters and description of the event: 1. What did the author think of Ewing’s order, why do you think that? 2. Based on these excerpts what do you think of Ewing’s order? 3. Why do you think this author reacted in the way that he did to Ewing’s order?
- Once students have examined all of the primary sources, have them answer and justify their argument for the following prompt in a short 5 paragraph written assignment with a developed thesis statement (see assessment portion for additional information and criteria):
- General Ewing’s Order Number 11 was fair, justified, and successful.
- After students have written their responses the entire class should discuss their findings. Part of this discussion should include the aftermath of Ewing’s order and the consequences that the affected counties had to deal with, in addition to tying this topic to the overall progress of the civil war.
Assessment: fully explain the assessment method in detail or create and attach a scoring guide
- Students will create a short 5 paragraph essay with a thesis statement to justify and explain their personal opinion of Ewing’s Order Number 11. After examining several primary documents and reviewing the events of the Kansas/Missouri Border Wars the students will respond to the following prompt: General Ewing’s Order Number 11 was fair, justified, and successful. The following checklist should be used to assess the students writing.
- General Ewing’s Order Number 11: Agree or Disagree
- Based on your general knowledge of the Kansas/Missouri Border Wars, and your detailed knowledge of General Thomas Ewing’s Order Number 11, respond to the following prompt in a well-developed 5 paragraph essay with a thesis statement that presents your argument and supporting information that justifies your stance.
- Prompt: General Ewing’s Order Number 11 was fair, justified, and successful.
- Grading Criteria:
- Length, Grammar, Organization, Structure _____/10 points
- Entire prompt addressed with appropriate justification _____/30 points
- Accuracy and relevancy of support and historical information _____/10 points