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Indian Problems for Georgia - LP3
Matthew Graham
Constitutional Ratification _Graham
In this lesson students will evaluate two primary source documents to determine the impact of Georgia's relationship with the Creek Indians on her unanimous vote in favor of the Constitution. In cooperative learning groups, students will analyze the documents and share insights with their peers.
- Written Document Analysis Handout
- The Debate on the Constitution, Volume 1. New York: Library of America, 1993.
- Primary Source #1 - Excerpt from Letter written by James Madison to Thomas Jefferson on October 24, 1787
- Primary Source #2 - Excerpt from a newspaper article written by "A Columbian Patriot", Mercy Otis Warren in February of 1788
- Coleman, Kenneth. A History of Georgia, 2nd ed. Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1991.
One 60 minute class period
3
What impact did Georgia's relationship with the Creek Indians have on her unanimous vote in favor of the Constitution?
- Write the following question on the board for students to respond to when they enter the room:
"In your notes, identify and list as many connections as you can think of between the area we live in and the Creek Indians (artifacts, historic sites, Indian names, etc.)."
- Allow students 3-5 minutes to complete the assignment. Discuss student answers and use the discussion as a springboard into the activating strategy.
Note: A few days before this lesson is used, consider asking the students if anyone has any artifacts found in this area, or other areas in Georgia, that they might want to bring in and share with the class. This could gain students' interest and participation in the lesson.
- KWL Chart - Georgia's Relationship with the Creek Indians - Using their prior knowledge and the discussion from the bell assignment, students should complete the "K" column - what they know, and the "W" column - what they want to know, on the handout. For homework students should complete the "L" column of the chart - what they learned. These should be turned in the next day.
- Discuss what the students' wrote in the "K" and "W" columns of their KWL Charts. There may be a variety of answers, but the teacher should direct the discussion toward the struggling relationship between Georgians and the Creek Indians.
- Distribute copies of the excerpts of the two primary source documents for students to read and the written document analysis handout. (See Linked Files)
- Primary Source #1 - Except from letter from James Madison in New York to Thomas Jefferson in Paris, October 24, 1787
Primary Source #2 - Excerpt from a newspaper article written by "A Columbian Patriot", Mercy Otis Warren, from Boston, Massachusetts in February of 1788
- After completing the readings, students should evaluate each document by completely filling out the document analysis handout.
- Students should get into their assigned small groups. Using each group member's completed document analysis, the group should agree on a "final answer" for each question and write that answer on a blank copy of the handout.
- Using the group handout, one group member should be chosen to "present" their findings. The teacher should compile a list of the different answers to #6 a - e on the board. A discussion of each question may be appropriate after each group has presented and the list is complete.
- If there is anything listed on the board for question #6 a - e that the student didn't get on his/her individual handout, the student should copy that onto their sheet. Groups should turn in their group handout, as well as their individual document analysis handout.
- The handouts should be returned to the students and placed in their notebooks.
Students should answer the essential question in two to three sentences in their journals.
"What impact did Georgia's relationship with the Creek Indians have on her unanimous vote in favor of the Constitution?"
Below is a quote from Kenneth Coleman's 1991 A History of Georgia, 2nd ed. pg. 95, that summarizes what the students should get from the lesson:
"Both Georgia's quick action and unanimous vote in favor of the Constitution can be attributed to her relations with the Creek Indians. Her greatest problem in 1787 was a threatened Creek war, and Georgia needed help if she was to defeat the Indians. As she had not been able to secure the desired aid from the old confederation or from other states, many Georgians hoped that the new and stronger central government would be helpful. The upcountry could hope for protection, while Savannah and the coast desired better trade regulations. Thus the entire state united in favor of the new Constitution."
None
Problems with Indians_-Primary Source Document Exc
NARA Document Analysis Sheets_LP3 Graham
KWLChart_Georgia Relationship With Creek Indians_L