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The U.S. in the 1920s: Congressional Hearing

Persistent Issue:
What actions are justified in the interest of the welfare or security of the community?
Central Question:
Was the government justified in limiting individual freedoms in the 1920s?
Topic:
The U.S. in the 1920s
Course:
U.S. History
Strategy:
Congressional Hearing
Grade Level:
11
Lessons in this unit:
  1. The U.S. in the 1920s: Cartoon Analysis
  2. The U.S. in the 1920s: Congressional Hearing

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Standards Addressed

Click here to download a chart detailing the standards addressed in this lesson as identified by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), the National History Standards, and the Alabama Course of Study.

Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

1.
Clip 1: Introducing the Lesson

Ms. Smith introduces the central question and topic of the lesson, and explains why the topic of the Red Scare is relevant today. Ms. Smith also introduces the culminating activity - a Congressional Hearing.

Reflection: Ms. Smith discusses her strategies for introducing the lesson and engaging students - particularly students with special needs in her class. She also discusses the impact of the introductory activity completed prior to this lesson.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

2.
Clip 2: Exploring Perspectives of Characters

Ms. Smith assists student groups as they explore the perspecitves of the various caharters they will be portraying during the Congerssional Hearings.

Reflection: Ms. Smith discusses the use of embedded questioning as students read materials associated with their characters. She reflects upon her choices in providing guidance to each student group.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

3.
Clip 3: Teacher Modeling of Character Testimony

Ms. Smith models what she expects from students during their presentations of their respective characters by presenting the perspective of John Nichols, and by modeling the types of questions that might be asked of John Nichols during the Congressional Hearing.

Reflection: Ms. Smith discusses why she modeled testimony of one of the characters for students before they did their presentations. She then discusses her strategies for constructing student groups. Finally, she discusses the challenges students faced in completing this activity.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

4.
Clip 4: Student Poster Presentation

Students present a description of the poster they developed to represent the position of Eugene Debs.

Reflection: Ms. Smith discusses the preparation she provided to students prior to their poster activities - thinking symbolically by conducting cartoon analysis.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

5.
Clip 5: Student Testimony: Emma Goldman

Student representing Emma Goldman presents her testimony during the congressional hearing. She is then asked questions by a student representing her lawyer, and from other class members represnting various perspectives.

Reflection: Ms. Smith explains the importance of the modeling she provided to students prior to their presentation. She also discusses the importance of providing students with opportunities to develop rough drafts of their work, and how she monitored student progress and provided assistance to groups as they completed the activity.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

6.
Clip 6: Student Testimony: A. Mitchell Palmer

Student representing A. Mitchell Palmer presents testimony during the congressional hearing. She is then asked questions by a student representing her lawyer, and from other class members represnting various perspectives.

Reflection: Ms. Smith discusses her role as the moderator during the congressional hearings. She explains how she decided to interject questions into the student discussions, and her questioning strategies
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

7.
Clip 7: Questioning Officer O’Reilley

Student representing Officer O'Reilley, a police officer in New York City, is questioned by the student representing Emma Goldman regarding the use of force against protest marches. Officer O'Reilley's lawyer assists with the answers to questions from other students. Students represnting A. Mitchell Palmer and Eugene Debs also question Officer O'Reilley.

Reflection: Ms. Smith explains the role of the attorney during the congressional hearings, and points out that the attorney in this video performed particularly well in this role. She then discusses her strategies for encouraging participation from the overall class. Finally, she reflects on the additional scaffolding she might need to provide students selected for the role of the congressman.
Lesson Video
Teacher Reflection

8.
Clip 8: Debriefing of Congressional Hearing Activity

Ms. Smith asks students to come out of their characters and discuss their personal views regarding whether the government was justified in the actions they took against immigrants during the 1920s.

Reflection: Ms. Smith explains the purpose of the debriefing at the end of the activity, and the assessment that students would complete after the debriefing. She discusses the opportunities the debriefing provides to foster historical empathy, and how she felt the students were able to portray their characters' viewpoints even though they did not necessarily agree with those positions.

Ms. Denise Smith

Denise Smith is currently a social studies teacher at Greensboro West High School, in Greensboro, AL. She has been employed in this position for 13 years. Denise is a graduate of the University of Alabama with both a B.A. degree in geography and political science and a M.A. degree in secondary education. Denise currently teaches a range of subjects and ages, including 10th and 11th grade American History, 7th grade geography, and 12th grade government and economics. In addition to these courses, she also serves as the adviser for the school yearbook.

Greensboro West High School

Greensboro West High School is a 7-12 school serving approximately 300 students. It is one of three high schools in Greensboro, Alabama which is in Hale County in the black belt region of Alabama. Classes meet on a block schedule of 97 minutes each for one semester. The 1920’s unit was taught to an 11th grade American history class. The students in this class range widely in ability level. Many of these students struggle with economic disadvantages common throughout the black belt region of Alabama. Specifically, according to the 2000 Census, the percentage of adults holding a high school diploma in Hale County is 65% with 8% holding bachelor’s degrees (the national average is 80.4% and 24.4% respectively). The median income for a family of four is $25,807 (compared to the national average of $41,994) and the poverty rate is 27% (compared to the national average of 12.4%).

Teacher Pre Interview

Lesson Video

1.
Clip 1: Pre-Interview Lesson Description

Lesson Video

2.
Clip 2: Pre-Interview Students and Setting

Ms. Smith provides a description of the students participating in the lesson, and unique aspects of the classroom and/or school.
Lesson Video

3.
Clip 3: Pre-Interview Curricular Context

Ms. Smith discusses how this particular lesson fits within her overall curriculum.
Lesson Video

4.
Clip 4: Pre-Interview Standards Addressed

Ms. Smith provides a description of the state and national standards addressed by this lesson.
Lesson Video

5.
Clip 5: Pre-Interview Unique Aspects of Lesson

Ms. Smith discusses some of the segments of this lesson that she believes will be most interesting to viewers. She also discusses aspects of the lesson that she is particularly excited about.
Lesson Video

6.
Clip 6: Pre-Interview Challenges in Planning Lesson

Ms. Smith discusses challenges faced in designing and implementing this type of lesson.
Lesson Video

7.
Clip 7: Pre-Interview Evidence of Effectiveness

Ms. Smith discusses why she believes the approach exemplified in this lesson is effective with students.
Lesson Video

8.
Clip 8: Pre-Interview Preparation Necessary for Planning Lesson

Ms. Smith describes any equipment, materials, or preparation needed to implement this lesson. She also discusses prerequisite knowledge and/or skills needed by students in order for them to be successful with the lesson activities.
Lesson Video

9.
Clip 9: Pre-Interview Assessing Student Achievement

Ms. Smith discusses her plans for assessing student achievement during the lesson.

Teacher Post Interview

Lesson Video

1.
Clip 1: Post-Interview Overview of Lesson

Ms. Smith provides a overview of what occurred during the lesson.
Lesson Video

2.
Clip 2: Post-Interview Scaffolding Used During Lesson

Ms. Smith discusses the types of scaffolding support she provided to students throughout the lesson.
Lesson Video

3.
Clip 3: Post-Interview Student Assessment

Ms. Smith describes how she assessed student achievement during lesson activities.
Lesson Video

4.
Clip 4: Post-Interview Advice for Other Teachers

Ms. Smith provides advice and suggestions for other teachers who would like to implement this type of lesson with their students.
Lesson Video

5.
Clip 5: Post-Interview Modifications to Lesson

Ms. Smith discusses modifications she would make to this lesson prior to delivering it again.
Lesson Video

6.
Clip 6: Post-Interview Thinking About Her Students

Ms. Smith discusses how the experience of designing and delivering this lesson has changed her thinking about her students' abilities.
Lesson Video

7.
Clip 7: Post-Interview Thinking About History

Ms. Smith discusses how the experience of designing and delivering this lesson has changed her thinking about the effectiveness of persistent issues when teaching history.
Lesson Video

8.
Clip 8: Post-Interview Thinking About Her Students

Ms. Smith discusses how the experinece of designing and delivering this lesson has changed her thinking about her role in her classroom, and the challenges of facilitating a persistent issues lesson.