Title: “Defending the Homeland” - The
Alien and Sedition Acts of 1789
Type of teaching unit: Lesson Plan
Grade level(s): 9 - 12
Time Frame: four to five (4 - 5) classroom periods
Subject matter: United States History – Constitutional Issues: Alien & Sedition Acts
Teacher information:
Jon
Lyman Parkin
AAM
affiliation (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville)
Lesson Plan Description and
Rationale:
Through this activity students will learn that there
have been times during the history of the United States when, in response
to real and perceived threats, both domestic and foreign, our country has
responded by passing legislation that has abridged some of the fundamental
rights protected by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Even though these episodes have occurred with
greater frequency than our collective memory sometimes acknowledges, it has
resulted in little or no apparent permanent infringement of these highly-prized
liberties. Although in retrospect they
are an embarrassment to a freedom-loving people, emphasizing the visceral
way in which we as a nation sometimes over-react to a situation, the mere
fact that these liberties are quickly restored trumpet the resilience of representative
democracy in
State Standards:
14.A.5 Analyze ways in which
federalism protects individual rights and promotes the common good and how
at times has made it possible for states to protect and deny rights for certain
groups.
14.D.4 Analyze roles and influences
of individuals, groups and media in shaping current debates on state and national
policies.
16.A.4a Analyze and report historical
events to determine cause-and-effect relationships.
16.A.4b Compare competing historical interpretations
of an event.
16.A.5a Analyze historical and contemporary
developments using methods of historical inquiry (pose questions, collect
and analyze data, make and support inferences with evidence, report findings).
16.A.5b Explain the tentative nature of
historical interpretations.
16.B.5a (
Objectives:
Students will investigate selected episodes where civil
liberties have been temporarily abridged, as well as the events that spawned
them, in an effort to understand why they occurred, and to evaluate whether
any lasting, permanent infringement on our civil liberties resulted.
Resources:
6th Federal Congress. “An Act Respecting Alien Enemies”.
1798-07-06. The Avalon Project
at
6th Federal Congress. “An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled ‘An
Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes Against
the
Jefferson, Thomas.
“
Madison, James. “Virginia
Resolutions of 1798, Pronouncing the Alien and Sedition Laws to be Unconstitutional,
and Defining the Rights of the States.” 1798-12-21. A Century of Lawmaking for
a New Nation:
Elliot,
Jonathan, editor. “Answers of the Several
State Legislatures,” A Century of Lawmaking for a New Nation:
Methods:
1.
Preparation.
a.
Reserve a computer
lab sufficiently in-advance of the day you intend to conduct this activity.
b.
Access and print-out
one complete copy of the lesson.
i.
Download and print one copy of the worksheet “Alien and Sedition Acts,
1798.”
- Make photo-copies of the
worksheet for distribution to the class, one per student.
ii.
Download and print one copy of the key source documents
for reference and in-case of an emergency. (You may need to photo-copy additional copies
for student use, in the event that a computer lab is not available and/or
the Internet is not working properly.)
- “An Act
Respecting Alien Enemies” (1798-07-06)
- “An Act in Addition to the Act, Entitled ‘An
Act for the Punishment of Certain Crimes Against
the United States’" (1798-07-14)
-
“Answers
of the Several State Legislatures,” Elliot’s Debates
c.
Divide your class
into small groups of three (3) to five (5) students.
i.
You will need at least two groups.
ii.
Be sure to mix ability levels within each group.
d.
Check the Internet
the day of the lesson.
i.
Verify that it is working.
ii.
Verify that the connections (hyperlinks) to the key
source documents are functioning properly.
- If the links are not functioning
properly, make photo-copies of the key source documents printed-out earlier
for distribution to your students. (See
step 1.b.ii. above.)
2.
Researching
the Alien and Sedition Acts (Day 1).
a.
Complete worksheet.
i.
Distribute copies of the worksheet to each student.
ii.
Have students complete the worksheet by accessing copies
of the Alien and Sedition Acts at the following websites:
- In the event that a computer
lab is unavailable and/or the Internet is not working properly, distribute
hard copies of the key source documents.
b.
Research Background.
i.
Assign each group a perspective from which to conduct
their research:
- Anti-suppression of liberties
for the sake of defending
- Pro-suppression of liberties
for the sake of defending
ii.
Have students use their textbook and sources on the
Internet to research the events leading up to-, and prompting-, the passage
of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
3.
Researching
Responses to the Alien and Sedition Acts (Day 2).
a.
Have students
search the American Memory website for original documents reflecting public
reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts:
- In the event that a computer
lab is unavailable and/or the Internet is not working properly, distribute
hard copies of the documents:
o
Answers
of the Several State Legislatures to the Virginia Resolutions
b.
Students should construct a
chart that collects and categorizes the arguments for/against the Alien and
Sedition Acts.
4.
Researching
and Evaluating Subsequent Events (Day 3).
a.
Assign each group
one of the following documents to research.
i.
General Order 100 (Civil War)
ii.
Espionage Act of 1917 and Sedition Act of 1918 (World
War I)
iii.
Executive Order 9066 (World War II)
iv.
Patriot Act (War on Terror)
b.
Students are
to prepare a short (5 minute) presentation of their findings to the rest of
the class.
i.
If there are enough groups, assign two to each document
representing opposite sides of the issues.
ii.
If they are unable to complete their work in class,
then the students should finish their research as homework.
5.
Debate (Day
4).
a.
Have students
present their research on the documents listed in 4.a. above.
i.
Have presentations go in chronological order.
ii.
Require students to emphasize facts, as opposed to
personal opinions.
iii.
Allow time for students to question each group.
b.
Moderate a debate
on the merits/demerits of abridging civil liberties during periods of domestic
political instability and/or domestic foreign threats.
i.
Everyone must be recognized by the moderator before
speaking.
ii.
Comments/questions should always be presented respectfully.
iii.
Participants should cite specific facts and events
whenever possible.
c.
Homework: Have students write an essay (persuasive or
rhetorical) expressing their opinion as to whether, and under what circumstances,
civil liberties should ever be abridged.
i.
Should cite
- constitutional
concepts, and
- precedents
from history.
ii. Should be presented in an essay form.
6.
Debate (Day 5
– If necessary)
Evaluation:
1.
Students will
demonstrate knowledge of the history of the periodic abridgement of our civil
liberties through a classroom debate. (Debate Rubric)
2.
Students will
write an essay expressing their own opinions regarding if/when civil liberties
can/should be abridged. (Essay Rubric)
Keywords for
this lesson:
o
alien
o
federalism
o
federalist/anti-federalist
o
nullification
o
resolution
o
sedition
o
xenophobic/xenophobia
Page last updated 21st
April 2004