Graduate Classes to High School Classrooms: A Collection of Lesson Plans Aimed at Teaching History Graduate Content to High Schoolers

Author

Christopher Taylor, Utah State UniversityFollow

Date of Award

5-2023

Degree Type

Creative Project

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

History

Committee Chair(s)

Patrick Q. Mason

Committee

Patrick Q. Mason

Committee

Seth Archer

Committee

Colleen O'Neill

Abstract

As a high school teacher I wanted to create a project that would help benefit my high school students. My project consists of ten lesson plans that incorporate course material from my graduate classes and developed activities to teach this material in a high school setting. The lessons emphasize religious studies, indigenous studies, and different elements of historical method and theory. Each lesson plan is connected to specific Utah core content and literacy standards. The project also contains two papers that I wrote while completing my studies in graduate school. These give a glimpse into the type of research I focused on while working on my MA. Two of the lessons focus on historical tools. The first one goes over the individual parts of the historical method and culminates in students producing their own historiographical essay. The theory lesson exposes students to historical theory.

The second set of lessons focus on indigenous studies. The lessons include topics such as forced migration, diversity in cultures, and the impact of colonization. These lead into a set of lessons that focus on religious studies, and the development, diffusion and syncretism of world religions such as Judaism and Christianity. Many of these lessons focus on the intersectionality of indigeneity and religion. While the content typically focuses on religious encounters and the impact of these engagements, they also touch on key literacy standards for 10th graders such as evaluating primary and secondary sources, identifying main ideas and using textual evidence to support their responses.

Comments

This project consists of 2 papers and 10 lessons plans with accompanying activities.

The first paper focuses on the complexity of indigenous conversions and the second looks at the state of the field of Mormon Studies. Both were based on projects completed during my graduate classes

The first lesson plan deals with historical methods and includes "historical methods" slides, "historiographical essay assignment" doc, "historical methods" doc, "finding aid assignment" doc, and "citations activity" doc. The "historical methods" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The second lesson plan deals with historical theory and includes "historical theory" slides, "theory mini debate: strengths and weaknesses" doc, "macro vs micro approaches" doc, "historical theory activity" doc, "historical theory" doc, "GGS full readings" doc, and "cheese and worms full reading" doc. The "historical theory" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The third lesson plan deals with religious diffusion and syncretism and includes "American Christianity" slides, "religious syncretism caricature assignment" doc, "group 1 reading assignment" doc, "group 2 reading assignment" doc, "early American religious communities activity" doc, "Domingos Alvares full reading" doc, "Christian Slavery full reading" doc, "Catholic Calumet full reading" doc, and "American Christianity: Religious diffusion and syncretism" doc. The "American Christianity: Religious diffusion and syncretism" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The fourth lesson plan focuses on writing and missionization and includes "Complexity of Missionization" slides, "DBQ prep assignment" doc, "DBQ docs" doc, and "Complexity of Missionization: Religious Diffusion" doc. The "Complexity of Missionization: Religious Diffusion" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The fifth lesson plan deals with teaching about Judaism and analyzing primary texts and includes "Judaism" slides, "Short Narrative" doc, "Primary Source Perspectives on Siege of Jerusalem" doc, "Primary Source Analysis Questions" doc, "Judaism" doc, and "Assessment Questions" doc. The "Judaism" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The sixth lesson plan deals with NGOs and FBOs and includes "Religion and Society" slides, "Short Narrative" doc, "Religious Quotes in Primary Sources" doc, "NGOs and FBOs" doc, "Group Project on Human Rights Issue" doc, "Eastern FBOs Activity" doc, and "Assessment Questions" doc. The "NGOs and FBOs" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The seventh lesson plan deals with transnationalism and feminism and includes "Transnationalism" slides, "Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments Activity" doc, "New Perspectives and Transnationalism" doc, "Feminism for the Americas Activity" doc, and "Feminism Around the World" doc. The "New Perspectives and Transnationalism" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The eighth lesson plan deals global exchange and the effects of colonization and includes "Global Exchange and Colonialism" slides, "Oral History Reading" doc, "Global Exchange and Colonization" doc, and "Global Exchange and Colonialism Essay Standard 4.5" doc. The "Global Exchange and Colonization" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The ninth lesson plan deals with complex Native American societies and includes "Complex Cultures" slides, "Complex Societies Brochure" slides, "Olmec Assignment" doc, and "Complex Cultures in the Americas" doc. The "Complex Cultures in the Americas" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

The tenth and final lesson plan deals with the effects of colonization and forced migration and includes "Native Migration and Diaspora" slides, "Student Data Collection Assignment" doc, "Native Research Assignment" doc, "Created History Assignment" doc, "Colonization and Forced Migration" doc, and "Colonialism in Documents Activity" doc. The "Colonization and Forced Migration" doc gives a breakdown of the lesson and the slides also have links to all the activities with additional instructions in the slide comments.

Recommended Citation

Taylor, Christopher, "Graduate Classes to High School Classrooms: A Collection of Lesson Plans Aimed at Teaching History Graduate Content to High Schoolers" (2023). All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023. 1702.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/gradreports/1702