Effects of Political Machines
Goals & Objectives
Goal: Students will be able to understand the effects of political machines in society.
Objective:
Students will:
- Decide what aspect of U.S. society political machines affected the most in terms of political, economic, moral or social welfare.
- Students will reflect in a quick write what part of society was most affected by political machines, will list how two ways it affects society as a whole and two ways it affects an individual.
Objective:
Students will:
- Decide what aspect of U.S. society political machines affected the most in terms of political, economic, moral or social welfare.
- Students will reflect in a quick write what part of society was most affected by political machines, will list how two ways it affects society as a whole and two ways it affects an individual.
California State Content Standards
11.2. 4. Analyze the effect of urban political machines and responses to them by immigrants and middle-class reformers
Common Core Literacy Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.11-12.2.E
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic)
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic)
Driving Historical Question
How did the United States’ population and politics change as a result of the Industrial Revolution?
Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) ‖ Time: 7 minutes
Students will walk into the door, sit down, take out their warm up handout and write down their response for the warm up prompt. The prompt will be “What is a political machine? What do you think it is?”
This warm up question will help students think about what they have learned in other history classes, they will reflect and write down what they think is the answer. The question is asking what they “think” a political machine is as well, so that they do not think the teacher just wants the right answer. Including the word is acknowledging that students maybe right or wrong but that the teacher, wants to evaluate their level of background knowledge.
Students will share their responses with the whole class after five minutes. Three students will be called randomly on using the Pick Me application. Their responses will be evaluated and then the teacher will provide the class with the definition of machines.
Political machines are groups of people such as business who use their power of controlling their workers to vote for political representatives of the group’s (or businesses’) choice. The teacher explains that they will be learning about the effects political machines had on the individual and society.
This warm up question will help students think about what they have learned in other history classes, they will reflect and write down what they think is the answer. The question is asking what they “think” a political machine is as well, so that they do not think the teacher just wants the right answer. Including the word is acknowledging that students maybe right or wrong but that the teacher, wants to evaluate their level of background knowledge.
Students will share their responses with the whole class after five minutes. Three students will be called randomly on using the Pick Me application. Their responses will be evaluated and then the teacher will provide the class with the definition of machines.
Political machines are groups of people such as business who use their power of controlling their workers to vote for political representatives of the group’s (or businesses’) choice. The teacher explains that they will be learning about the effects political machines had on the individual and society.
Vocabulary (Content Language Development
Political Machine
Moral
Economic
Social Welfare
Political
Moral
Economic
Social Welfare
Political
Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) ‖ Time: 10 minutes
The teacher explains to students that they will be introduced to background information or the history of political machines and the effects the progressive movement it had on the system.
The teacher has students take out a paper to write down the guiding question and create a t-chart. The teacher introduces a question that the students must ask themselves as the teacher is reading the text. The question is: How do political machines affect the individual and U.S. society? One side of the t-chart is how it affected individuals and the other side will have how political machines affect society.
Read aloud: The teacher reads aloud a text about the problems that political machines brought and the magnitude of the influence they had. The section titled cleaning up local government and reforming local government, would provide students with both reasons why political machines were negative and examples.
The teacher will stop after each paragraph to ask for volunteers some of the individual or societal effects political machines created. The teacher will have students answer this question after each paragraph.
The teacher will have students, chosen randomly to read the section titled reforming elections to introduce some of the ways political changed as a result of political machines. This is a two paragraph summary of how governments reacted to the problem and the solutions that were created. Students volunteer how they would organize the new information from the text into the two columns.
The teacher has students take out a paper to write down the guiding question and create a t-chart. The teacher introduces a question that the students must ask themselves as the teacher is reading the text. The question is: How do political machines affect the individual and U.S. society? One side of the t-chart is how it affected individuals and the other side will have how political machines affect society.
Read aloud: The teacher reads aloud a text about the problems that political machines brought and the magnitude of the influence they had. The section titled cleaning up local government and reforming local government, would provide students with both reasons why political machines were negative and examples.
The teacher will stop after each paragraph to ask for volunteers some of the individual or societal effects political machines created. The teacher will have students answer this question after each paragraph.
The teacher will have students, chosen randomly to read the section titled reforming elections to introduce some of the ways political changed as a result of political machines. This is a two paragraph summary of how governments reacted to the problem and the solutions that were created. Students volunteer how they would organize the new information from the text into the two columns.
Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) ‖ Time: 25 minutes
The teacher explains that now that they have background knowledge on a few reasons why political machines were a threat to our society and government, they will use critical thinking skills to examine the effects of political machines.
The teacher provides instructions for their activity. The teacher explains to the students that they will have to think of political machines in terms of their assigned role and topic. The teacher has students divide into groups of four, each group is then provided with a point of view they will be looking at political machines through such as economic, political, moral, political and social welfare effects. Since there will be eight groups, for each type of effect one group would focus on the effects of the individual, while the other group with the same effect will focus on the effects on society. Each group gets a definition of the word describing their focus, such as economic, political, social welfare and moral effects. Each group must provide three reasons why political machines were positive to the individual or society and three ways it was negative. The teacher tells students that during their group discussions they must allow each person to talk, give eye contact, lean in, listen and provide feedback to one another.
Students will work as a group to think and discuss possible answers. They will build on one another’s thoughts to create a response. The teacher will be walking around and clarifying the instructions or provide guiding questions to help the groups create a response.
Each group will then present what their focus was, the definition of the assigned effect (such as political, economic, moral and social welfare), then present both the positives and negatives for the individual or society. Each group will be required to provide two other groups with either more information to build on the information presented or ask a question that would require the group using their critical thinking skills. If a group is asked a question they would have one minute to talk to their group members and create a response.
As each group is presenting, I will be summarizing their findings and writing them down on the whiteboard for students to copy on their own handout. By summarizing the information students will be able to focus on the main points and see the bigger picture.
I will then have them take a few minutes to think about any modern day examples of corruption either in our society today or in the lives of students. I would have students volunteer answers and consider ways our society can take to prevent corruption.
The teacher provides instructions for their activity. The teacher explains to the students that they will have to think of political machines in terms of their assigned role and topic. The teacher has students divide into groups of four, each group is then provided with a point of view they will be looking at political machines through such as economic, political, moral, political and social welfare effects. Since there will be eight groups, for each type of effect one group would focus on the effects of the individual, while the other group with the same effect will focus on the effects on society. Each group gets a definition of the word describing their focus, such as economic, political, social welfare and moral effects. Each group must provide three reasons why political machines were positive to the individual or society and three ways it was negative. The teacher tells students that during their group discussions they must allow each person to talk, give eye contact, lean in, listen and provide feedback to one another.
Students will work as a group to think and discuss possible answers. They will build on one another’s thoughts to create a response. The teacher will be walking around and clarifying the instructions or provide guiding questions to help the groups create a response.
Each group will then present what their focus was, the definition of the assigned effect (such as political, economic, moral and social welfare), then present both the positives and negatives for the individual or society. Each group will be required to provide two other groups with either more information to build on the information presented or ask a question that would require the group using their critical thinking skills. If a group is asked a question they would have one minute to talk to their group members and create a response.
As each group is presenting, I will be summarizing their findings and writing them down on the whiteboard for students to copy on their own handout. By summarizing the information students will be able to focus on the main points and see the bigger picture.
I will then have them take a few minutes to think about any modern day examples of corruption either in our society today or in the lives of students. I would have students volunteer answers and consider ways our society can take to prevent corruption.
Lesson Closure ‖ Time: 5 minutes
Students will define as well as decide what political machines affected the most either the economic, political, moral, or social welfare of individuals or society.Students will write a quick write in which they will define as well as decide what political machines affected the most either the economic, political, moral, or social welfare of individuals or society and will list how two ways it affects society as a whole and two ways it affects an individual, it has to be different from their own assigned activity. Students will write down their responses and this will be use to evaluate any misconceptions that students hold. This will help the teacher identify what needs to be down after this lesson and evaluate if students are able to define what a political machine is and how it affected society or the individual during the 1920s. Students will write down any questions they still have unanswered or any additional information they want to learn.
Assessments (Formative & Summative)
Formative: During the discussion during group work, the teacher will evaluate if students are on task, working together and if they are focusing on the topics assigned.
Formative: Students will present to the class their assigned effect they focused on and will provide three ways that political machines affected either society or the individual positively and negatively.
Formative: The quick write will allow the teacher to evaluate if students were attentive during the presentations and reflect in their own words on the information they learned.
Formative: Students will present to the class their assigned effect they focused on and will provide three ways that political machines affected either society or the individual positively and negatively.
Formative: The quick write will allow the teacher to evaluate if students were attentive during the presentations and reflect in their own words on the information they learned.
Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
Smaller groups allow English learners and students with special needs to be placed with gifted students that would allow the students question each other. Students that have struggle with English would be placed with other students who can provide additional support if they need any instructions clarified. Group work will allow me to walk around and focus on the students who need more direction, I will be able to use my time effectively to provide additional support. By reading aloud and modeling how to fill out a t-chart, students know what my expectations are of them. Students are reminded of my expectations that they are aware of how to succeed.
Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)
Textbook: The Americans Reconstruction to the 21st Century McDougal Littell
pages 309-312
http://autocww.colorado.edu/~flc/E64ContentFiles/PoliticsAndGovernment/PoliticalMachines.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5DwnNPHVAU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHZYDbludDU&list=PL4496249A46D6B51B
pages 309-312
http://autocww.colorado.edu/~flc/E64ContentFiles/PoliticsAndGovernment/PoliticalMachines.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5DwnNPHVAU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHZYDbludDU&list=PL4496249A46D6B51B