pcondon_rev

= = LESSON Patrick Condon Lesson Page


 * Standard:** Explain how American citizens were expected to participate in, monitor, and bring about changes in their government over time, and give examples of how they continue to do so today.


 * Guiding Question:** What were immigrants’ claims on citizenship?

What does it mean to be an immigrant? What is citizenship? What does it mean to be an American? How did immigrant Irish during the American Civil War claim citizenship for themselves?
 * Lesson Essential Questions:**


 * Title:** Fighting to Fit In: The Irish Struggle to Be One with the Union


 * Introduction:**

You will be working with primary source material in order to analyze the experiences of the recent Irish immigrants to America who felt the necessity to fight in the Civil War to achieve citizenship in their new homeland.

You will take on the roles of Irish immigrants in Boston during the Civil War. You will be working with various primary source documents to better understand the choices made by the soldiers in the Irish Brigades. In particular, you are facing the choice of whether or not to become a Union soldier and fight.

Some questions to think about include the following: Why would a recent Irish immigrant choose to fight in the Union Army? Was fighting a way for them to achieve citizenship in their new homeland?


 * Task:**

The topic is Irish immigrants and the American Civil War. You will take on the roles of Irish immigrants in Boston during the Civil War. You will be working with various primary source documents to better understand the choices made by the soldiers in the Irish Brigades. In particular, you are facing the choice of whether or not to become a Union soldier and fight.

First, you will consider movement and migration and the reasons why Irish chose to immigrate to the United States. Next you will gain more background on the American Civil War. Then you will look at letters and writings about Irish immigrants who became soldiers in the United States Army 1861-1865. What motivated them to join? Why would a recent immigrant from Ireland to Boston choose to join the U.S. Army and fight in the Civil War? What did enlisting offer? What could you, a recent Irish immigrant, offer by enlisting? Did the efforts of Irish immigrant soldiers like you support the U.S. government? Would you receive the benefits of citizenship in return?


 * Lesson Process:**

__Day One: Irish in America__

Opening of the Lesson:

Let's consider the notion of recording history. Your warm-up today will be to define these terms on the Word Wall as best you can. Use the Warmup Worksheet. After defining the terms on the worksheet, we will discuss the following question: Which term causes the MOST disagreement when trying to write a common class definition?

WARMUP WORKSHEET HERE

Scaffolding Activity: Why Move and Settle Someplace Else?

View the images from the “From Place to Place: The Theme of Movement” PowerPoint. Remember the theme of movement from earlier in the year. Think of push and pull factors.

Today we are going to apply these concepts and images to a new time and place.

MOVEMENT PPT HERE

Activity -- What was the U.S. Civil War? Why would immigrants participate?

View the following presentation. What was the Civil War? Why did some recent Irish immigrants to the U.S. join the army? Would you as an Irish immigrant join the Union Army?

The following two maps and PowerPoint will help set the scene. What do they tell you about the Irish in the United States c. 1861?



Map of the United States, showing by colors the area of freedom and slavery, and the territories whose destiny is yet to be decided, exhibiting also the Missouri compromise line, and the routes of Colonel Fremont in his famous explorations

Author: Publisher: Elliott, G. W. Date: 1856 Location: United States

The World, on the globular projection with a graduation for the measurement of distances especially adapted for the use oe [sic] schools, geographical & historical lectures, and missionary meetings

Author: Tracy, Joseph Publisher: Crocker & Brewster Date: 1843 Location: Eastern Hemisphere, Western Hemisphere

LESSON PPT HERE

After viewing the PowerPoint and its images, go to these websites and learn more about the Irish and the American Civil War:

Irish in America from the Library of Congress: "Irish-Catholic Immigration to America" @http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish2.html "Religious Conflict and Assimilation" @http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish5.html "Racial Tensions" http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish6.html

The American Civil War: http://www.us-civilwar.com/ "Causes of the Civil War" "Timeline of the Civil War"

Debriefing: Discuss these questions as a class: Why would you as an Irish immigrant choose to join the Union Army? What other choices would you consider? What would you do?

Homework: Homework for tonight will be to complete the "Historical Evidence in Your Daily Life” worksheet.

HOMEWORK WORKSHEET HERE

__Day Two: Irish in the Civil War__

Warm-up: Writing Prompt for your Journal.

In your Journal answer the following questions: Would letters from other immigrant Irish soldiers convince you to join the Union Army? Why or why not? Would joining aid you and/or the U.S. government? In what ways?

Then let's discuss last night's homework. What is historical evidence?

Group Activity (to be done in groups of four):

Read your group's document from the folder. Think about what you have read. Discuss with your group members what you have read as a group. Go to another group’s document after a given period of time. For each document complete the handout which all group members should have. The worksheet is called “Primary Source Document Analysis.”

PRIMARY SOURCE ANALYSIS WORKSHEET HERE

Documents: Document Set 1:

You will look at documents one of of these sites:

Letters from the 28th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers [|__http://www.28thmass.org/letters.htm__] Irish Brigade Letters [|__http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/brigades/IrishBrigade_McLernon.pdf__] St. Patrick's Day in the Irish Brigade [|__http://www.winonahistory.org/companyK/st__patrick's_day__1863.htm__] NY Times Report of Gen. Meaghar's Speech [|__http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E13FD3A5B1B7493C0A81789D95F458684F9__]

Document Set 2:

You will look at documents from one of of these sites:

1) Pittsfield Sun 5/02/1861-2 http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/1106CDC818C78568/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

2) Barre Gazette 1/17/1862 Facts About the Volunteers http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/10B7ADAB360D2498/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

3) Barre Gazette 4/18/1862 The Emerald Tint of the Army http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/10B7ADEDBB909C88/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

4)Pittsfield Sun 5/9/1861 An Irish Regular's Reasons for Not Deserting with His Officer http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/1106CDCAF1C8B870/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

5) Philadelphia Inquirer 10/8/1861 Eloquent Address at Concert Hall. Oration of Capt. T. F. Meagher @http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/1134CDD5B525E178/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

6) Daily Delta 8/28/1862 Letter from an Irish Soldier @http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/11360B12456568A0/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

7) New Orleans Times 1/31/1861 The "Fenians" @http://docs.newsbank.com/s/HistArchive/ahnpdoc/EANX/110D2A8025276210/0F20FECAAFCBE6ED

After this class session, you will have visited at least two stations and have read two primary source materials.

Debriefing: Think about what the primary source documents were telling you. What does it say about the Irish immigrants? What can we learn about reasons for fighting in the American Civil War? Was citizenship a reason? What would be our reasons to fight or not fight if we were recent Irish immigrants?

Share your answers to these questions and information gained from the primary source documents with your group.

Homework: Create your own "primary source." Write a letter describing what it would be like to fight for your new homeland of America. Use information from the primary sources you have seen in class.

__Day Three: Nationalism and Citizenship__

Share your letter with the class. Listen to the letters of others.

Write a reflection of what it means to be an American and evaluate the method employed by various Massachusetts the Irish Regiments during the Civil War.

Answer this question the following in your journal: Why did recent Irish immigrants to the United States fight in the Civil War?


 * Conclusion:**

Now that you have learned about the choices and sacrafice one immigrant group, the Irish, made in order to keep the country united, go home and talk about what you have learned with your family. Discover what kinds of sacrifices were made by your ancestors to get you where you are and/or to get this country where it is today.


 * Assessment:**


 * //STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO… // || //STRONG // || //GOOD // || //ADEQUATE // || //INADEQUATE // || //WEIGHTING // ||
 * Discuss their opinion of who a citizen is and how they should be treated as a citizen in a democratic nation, given prior knowledge and personal experiences. || //Demonstrates a clear focus and willingness to learn through a great deal of positive and active participation in verbal and written form // || //Demonstrates a focus and willingness to learn through positive and active participation in verbal and written form. // || //Demonstrates a somewhat clear focus and sometimes willingness to learn through active participation in verbal and/or written form // || //Almost demonstrates a focus and willingness to learn through active participation on occasion whether it be in verbal or written form. // || //15% // ||
 * Given a group reading of primary source documents, identify actions taken by Irish immigrants to fight the inequalities and write a well-developed reflection || //Composition stays focused on the topic at hand; provides necessary information; and is polished/free of errors. // || //Composition stays mostly focused on the topic at hand; provides information; and is mostly polished/free of errors. // || //Composition is sometimes focused on the topic; provides some information; and has a few errors. // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Composition does not stay focused on the topic; provides a few bits of information; and has errors/ needs polishing. // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">70% // ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Successfully compare and contrast their own experiences with recording events of their lives with those faced during the Civil War, given prior knowledge and personal experience. || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Demonstrates a clear focus and willingness to learn through a great deal of positive and active participation in verbal and written form // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Demonstrates a focus and willingness to learn through positive and active participation in verbal and written form. // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Demonstrates a somewhat clear focus and sometimes willingness to learn through active participation in verbal and/or written form // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">Almost demonstrates a focus and willingness to learn through active participation on occasion whether it be in verbal or written form. // || //<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif';">15% // ||
 * Resources:**

Additional Resources:

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">NPS Civil War Soldiers Letters Home <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://americancivilwar.com/kids_zone/soldiers_letters_civil_war.html

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://www.libraryireland.com/Maguire/XXIX-1.php

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Gilder Lehrman resources <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://www.yale.edu/glc/archive/subject.htm

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"Why the Irish Fought for the Union" <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://www.jcs-group.com/military/war1861ahouse/irish.html

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Library of Congress, Irish Immigration <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/immigration/irish.html

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">PBS Civil War Resources <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">@http://www.pbs.org/civilwar/classroom/annotated_list.html

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">28th Massachusetts Volunteers, historical reenactors website @http://www.28thmass.org/index.htm

@http://dmna.state.ny.us/historic/reghist/civil/brigades/

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