GRADE: High School
TECHNOLOGY: Word Processing
BY: Johnelle Hinkle, Bethany
Tindall, Jon Rogers
WRITING A POSITION PAPER
1. Target Grade/Subject:
11th
Grade (Junior) Advanced Placement (AP) United States History
For
students in Virginia, United States History must be taken during the junior
year of high school, before the mandated United States Government class of the
12th grade year. Lesson
Plan 1 bridges both subjects in order to prepare students for not only the AP
test, but also the Standards of Learning examination and their next academic
year. The lesson plan draws on
historical background and personal reflections to inspire interest in the
background of our Constitution and its relevance to today’s diverse
population. Students are given a
framework of ideas about the history of the Constitution and will use that
framework to develop a position paper that reflects their own views through
fact-based analysis. The exercise
allows students to perform analytical thinking and also serves as a useful writing
exercise, as the students must develop clear theses in their papers, then
support their ideas with facts.
Writing
may not be the students’ favorite exercise, but the integration of the
students’ own thoughts and views into the position paper helps them to be
more excited about the task, and the classroom lecture and debate gives
students the opportunity to share their knowledge with their peers. The lesson plan reflects Bruner’s
ideas about guided discovery learning and the value of intuitive thinking
(Woolfolk, 284-285). The exercise
provides students with a strong historical base of facts and encourages them to
think about the nature of their government.
2. Objective(s):
The
lesson plan prepares students for the AP United States History examination, as well
as the History and Social Science Standards of Learning test for United States
History. Students participate in a
guided lecture on the history of the Constitution and its implications, then
prepare and submit a 1-2 page position paper, using their own views supported
with facts from the lecture and reading materials. Assessment is based on student participation in class,
proper use of computer lab facilities, submission of a 1-2 page paper with
clear thesis supported by factual evidence, as well as attention to grammatical
and mechanical skills.
3. Materials:
1. Woll, Peter.
American Government Readings and Cases, 13th ed. New York: Longman, 1999. Chapter 1-2: John P. Roche, “The Founding Fathers: A
Reform Caucus in Action” (p. 10-31). Chapter 1-3: Charles A. Beard, “Framing the
Constitution” (p. 31-40)
2. Stinebrickner, Bruce, ed. Annual Editions: American Government 98/99, 28th ed. Guilford, CT: Dushkin/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Article 2: “The Constitution of
the United States” (p. 10-20).
Article 15: Thurgood Marshall, “Race and the
Constitution”(p. 64-66).
3.
Classroom with enough space to facilitate a full circle of desks.
4. Computer lab with Microsoft Word or Corel Word
Perfect word processing and print capabilities.
4. Lesson Description:
*
Assign the required
reading materials in a timely manner prior to the designated class date with
the expectation that students prepare to discuss materials during the class
period.
*
Organize the classroom
in to a circle of desks so that all students are visible to the instructor and
their classmates.
*
Lead students through a
discussion on the history of the framing of the Constitution and its
implications for the present.
Incorporate facts about the Constitutional Convention, the characteristics
of the members, the importance of the document, and its relevancy to United
States government and democracy.
*
Ask students for their
thoughts and questions about the document and its history.
*
Continue the exercise,
demonstrating how the Constitution did not provide full equality to all groups,
e.g. no women’s suffrage, no minority suffrage, the presence of the 3/5
compromise, and no direct election of the president and senators.
*
Cite the relevance of
state concerns during the process of framing.
*
Open the class to
discussion and allows students to debate what the most powerful interests were
when the framers wrote the Constitution, using material from the lecture and
the articles found in Woll and Stinebrickner. Allow students to discuss whether or not the Constitution
reflects a true desire for a democratic society and ask the students to express
their views on the implications of the Constitution for the diverse population
of the modern United States.
*
Direct the class to a
computer lab, where students use word processing programs (Microsoft Word/Corel
Word Perfect) and citations from the reading to formulate a 1-2 page position
paper (double spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point font) on the nature and
influences of the Constitution.
Encourage the students to present their own views, but stress that
opinions must be reinforced in order to be effective and appropriate to the
assignment (i.e. not “I think that...” statements–student
should use third-person perspective only).
5. Evaluation:
As stated,
evaluation is based on student participation in class, proper use of computer
lab facilities, and the submission of a 1-2 page position paper. The following rubric explains how
points should be allotted in
assigning the grade.
A.
Student Participation in Class (20 points):
Student demonstrates knowledge of the reading
materials.... 15 points
Student offers comments in a willing, respectful
manner.... 15 points
Keep
a class record nearby while students offer comments; each time a student participates,
make a note in the class record.
If a student is unwilling to participate, unable to show that he/she has
completed the reading, or disruptive during discussion, deduct points from the
total score.
B.
Proper Use of Computer Lab Facilities (5 points):
Student works in a quiet manner, with focus on the
assignment.... 5 points
C.
Submission of the Position Paper (65 points):
Student submits position paper after desired
deadline....-10 points per day
Student follows directions regarding length and
format.... 5
points
Student
demonstrates appropriate grammar and
mechanics,
including attention to the use of
third-person perspective....
20 points
Student
offers a clear thesis supported by cited details from
the
reading materials and information from the
discussion.... 40
points
The
position paper is an exercise in writing skill and information analysis. While errors in grammar and mechanics
should cause deductions from the student’s score (subtract 0.5-1 point
for each error), it is most important that the student demonstrate a knowledge
of the subject matter. For that
reason, a paper of only one or two short paragraphs (perhaps half a page)
should be reduced in score.
Students should offer a clear thesis that can be supported with enough
details to provide at least one full page of material. Students should draw upon the
discussion and lecture as well as the readings; the absence of appropriately
cited content from the assigned reading should bring a deduction of 20-30
points from the 40-point subsection.
Because of the concise length of the paper, students should understand
that they must have a focused topic, and points should be deducted for
extraneous details.