Middle school students this week are focusing on power dynamics in government and among groups of people. Through discussion of the first three American presidents, students are learning how Washington, Adams, and Jefferson exercised executive power in different ways. This subject also relies heavily on an understanding of transatlantic history, as students need to comprehend how happenings in England and France affected Americans in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Students have also spent time discussing the nuances of the Alien and Sedition Acts and the reactionary Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. They were also able to see how important these government actions were in 1800 when John Adams ran for re-election. Students in 7th and 8th grade took time today to split into two groups and identify the campaign messages of the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans in this contentious election. This process helped them see how government actions affect so many facets of American life. Students then learned of the process that takes place if the Electoral College votes end in a tie, as they did in 1800.
Next, students will take a look at ways in which rights expanded after Thomas Jefferson won the Presidency in 1800. They will examine which groups of people fight to gain more power and the compelling arguments they make.
High school students have wrapped up the Civil War and are moving into Reconstruction. Students will spend time this week reading primary sources from Reconstruction, including Jourdan Anderson’s letter to his former master and a young teacher’s notes on teaching in the South during Reconstruction. They will examine different arguments for how to reunite the American states and the process that eventually took place to tie America back together. Reconstruction provides key context for understanding events and policies during the next century of American history, especially in the southern states.
