Lesson Plans
Extension Ideas
Overall the lesson plans represent a traditional approach to covering Andrew Jackson. In addition to the more creative approaches provided in the two WebQuests on the web site, the following represent additional strategies that could be included to enhance understanding and address different learning styles.
WebQuests
Two WebQuests were developed as part of the curriculum that accompanies the PBS Andrew Jackson documentary. Both tasks complement the traditional lesson plans and can be used as a culminating project. In addition to being available on PBS Andrew Jackson Web site, teachers wishing to modify the WebQuests to suit their specific classroom needs and objectives may access and change them on QuestGarden, a web site dedicated to the development of WebQuests.
- WebQuest 1: Middle School: Organize an Andrew Jackson Museum Exhibit - The main task of this WebQuest involves the selection of five objects that best represent Jackson's presidency and his influence on the United States. This WebQuest was designed for a middle school audience.
- WebQuest 2: High School: Should Andrew Jackson be on the Twenty-Dollar Bill? - In this task, student groups first examine the opinions of Jackson's contemporaries, both rivals and allies. Next, based upon their findings, they recommend whether or not to keep Jackson's portrait on the twenty-dollar bill. This WebQuest was designed for a high school audience.
Topic Extensions
- Without the modern technologies of television, radio, telephones, and the Internet, politicians in early America relied upon speeches and letters to convey their ideas and messages. To simulate these methods of communications, have students write a persuasive speech from the perspective of Jackson or one of his rivals about any of the controversies of the time, including nullification, Indian removal, the Bank War, or the increased power of the president. Review public speaking strategies and encourage students to practice their speeches. Dedicate a day to students' speeches and when finished reflect upon both the content and the process of preparing the speech.
Alternatively, students could also write letters back and forth to one another about a specific topic. Using a modern form of communication, a blog, students could easily publish their letters for a wider audience.
- Review the biographies of Jackson's contemporaries available on the web site and have students write a dialogue or short skit involving Jackson and one or more of these individuals. Jackson's fiery personality and the intense rivalries he developed could create some exciting situations. Allow students to present.
Additional Culminating Activities
- Review with students James Parton's Description of Jackson that they read in the first homework assignment. Ask students to write their own eulogy of Andrew Jackson. If possible, provide time for students present their eulogies to the class. This could be done individually or in small groups.
- If you do not have time to implement the Should Andrew Jackson Be on the Twenty-dollar Bill WebQuest, hold an informal debate/discussion on whether or not Andrew Jackson should be on the twenty-dollar bill. Students may also suggest possible replacements (Martin Luther King and Ronald Reagan have been pushed in the past), arguing their merits and contributions over Jackson's.
Modern Connections
- Compare Andrew Jackson to a candidate in the current or most recent presidential election. Have students create an imaginative script for a debate or conversation between Jackson and a modern candidate. How might Jackson react to the issues facing current presidential candidates? Select the candidates that would most likely agree or disagree with Jackson on those issues. Students could also develop a modern campaign for Jackson by selecting a running mate, creating a slogan, and a campaign advertisement.
- Andrew Jackson's Democratic Party has changed significantly since his presidency. Have students compare and contrast the differences that have evolved over the last 180 years. Would Jackson still consider himself a Democrat today? Why or why not?
- Andrew Jackson easily won the 1828 election through a carefully organized campaign, the first in United States History. Using the technology of the time, the Jackson presidential campaign effectively reached more households then his rivals. With the constant transformation of the means of communication, how might Jackson take advantage of current technological trends? Have students plan a modern campaign strategy and reflect on what Jackson's opinion of these technologies might be.
