History/Social Studies

These are sample modules in the area of History/Social Studies.

These resources give you the tools to try out the LDC approach hands on. We recommend reading the 1.0 Guidebook first as a way to understand the tool designs.

	The Case for Revolution (A Close Reading Module) Students start with a close reading of the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence and build from that to a wider study of colonial grievances. This is one of three prototype close reading LDC modules in which intensive study of one text is pivotal to a larger teaching task. Download either the module or the larger document which contains all three prototypes and an overview from authors Gary McCormick (Kenton County, KY) and Susan Perkins Weston (LDC Design Team). Download Module Download LDC Close Reading Modules
	Comparing Economic Systems Kathy Thiebes (Centennial High School, Gresham, Oregon) offers an argumentation module for teaching this social studies task: “What combination of market and command systems do you believe creates an ideal mixed economy? After reading informational and opinion texts, write an essay that addresses the question and support your position with evidence from the texts. Be sure to acknowledge competing views.” The exemplar status of this module is explained in the scoring guide at the end. Student work from this module has also been scored and annotated for inclusion in a set of anchor papers. Download Module Download Student Work
	Alexander the Great Dan Rau and Chad Thomas of Lebanon (PA) Middle School teach an argumentation module that asks “From a historical perspective, how great was Alexander as a military commander? On our video page, we share Dan and Chad’s thinking on “LDC: Changing Teacher Practice in Social Studies. A scoring guide illustrating the module’s exemplar traits is included. (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) Download Module
	The British Industrial Revolution Students wrestle with the question “Were the achievements and growth of the Industrial Revolution Era worth the cost to society?” Secondary and primary sources support development of argumentation essays in this module created by Sara Ballute and Timothy Lent at the High School for Service & Learning in Brooklyn, New York. This module includes a scoring guide showing why it is considered an LDC exemplar. (LDC Partner: New Visions for Public School) Download Module
	Government Of the People (A Paideia Module) Students compare the definitions of democracy provide by Lincoln at Gettysburg and by Pericles in his “Funeral Oration.” A Paideia Seminar is an integral part of the teaching design. This module includes a scoring guide showing why it is considered an LDC exemplar. (LDC Partner: National Paideia Center) Download Module
	Liberty and Revolution: Colonial Reaction to The Declaration of Independence Melody Barbour assigns her students to research the colonial grievances and write “a feature article that defines liberty and explains why/how the colonists of 1776 felt their liberties had been violated by Great Britain.” (LDC Partner: Kenton County Schools, Kentucky) Download Module
	Julius Caesar: Hero or Tyrant? Plutarch, Suetonius, Shakespeare and other authors provide the readings students use to decide and support their positions on Tilney Wickersham’s question: Was Julius Caesar a tyrant or a hero of the people? (LDC Partner: Center for Inspired Teaching) Download Module
	You Can Run But You Can’t Hide! Students prepare an editorial on the privacy challenges of the digital world and a solution that could address those challenges. Teachers Mary Rafferty, Kathryn Robinson, Kate Ramsey, Tracy Stanley, Ashlee Predmore, Catherine Glass, Taryn Anello, Sandra Tune created this module and note that it could be used in social studies, English language arts, technology courses or other disciplines. (LDC Partner: Hillsborough County Public Schools, Florida) Download Module
	A Reading of the Gettysburg Address (A Paideia Module) “Has ‘The Gettysburg Address’ influenced our contemporary understanding of American Democracy?” That central question guides students’ careful study of the seminal American text. Speaking and listening skills are fully integrated into this design, including seminar engagement between the reading and the writing steps. (LDC Partner: National Paideia Center) Download Module
	US Policy of Isolationism vs. Aggression in the 1930s Paul Wilson of the Rogers (Arkansas) Public Schools in Arkansas challenges students with this teaching task: “After researching selected websites, textbook and printed articles on the US policy of Isolationism and fascist aggression (German/Italian) in Europe along with Japanese aggression in the Pacific, 1933-39, write an essay that identifies a problem with the US policy and its affect on World events during that time and argues for a solution. Support your position with evidence from your research. Be sure to examine competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate and clarify your position.” (LDC Partner: SREB) Download Module
	Letter to Congress Stacia Snow and Josh Hatala, (Tech Valley High School, Rensselaer, NY) draw students into constitutional participation with this teaching task “After researching fundamental elements of the Constitution, landmark Supreme Court cases, and a modern Constitutional issue, write a letter to an appropriate elected official that argues your position on a constitutional issue of your choosing. Support your position with evidence from your research. Be sure to acknowledge competing views. Give examples from past or current events or issues to illustrate, clarify, and support your position” (LDC Partner: New Tech) Download Module
	Foreign Wars “When should the United States become involved in foreign wars?” Carolina Azeles and Jason Dermes of the Lebanon (PA) School District challenge with that big question, asking them to read both informational texts and argumentation texts before writing a letter to the President that addresses the question. (LDC Partner: Lancaster-Lebanon Intermediate Unit 13) Download Module
	The Great War: Evaluating the Treaty of Versailles Daniel Zeitz (Jessamine County, Kentucky) assigns students to study primary sources, maps, and other tests as they develop their arguments on the question “Was the Treaty of Versailles a fair one for Germany? “ (LDC Partner: Jessamine County Schools) Download Module
	The Individual and the Community: My Responsibilities in a Time of Crisis This module is built around the Paideia method and the Socratic Seminar. The Gulf Oil Spill of 2010 created with an opportunity to think about the individual’s role in society: specifically the individual’s responsibility during a disaster. The essential question addressed in this module is: “What is the individual’s proper response to a disaster?” A Paideia seminar approach is used to develop speaking and listening skills alongside understanding of the content. This module reflects the collaboration of Ross Anderson (Moore Square Museum Magnet School, Raleigh, NC), Amy Freeman (Chattanooga School for the Arts and Science), Melissa Hedt (Ashville Middle School, Ashville, NC), Nathan Marsh (Pueblo School for the Arts and Sciences, Pueblo, CO), and the National Paideia Center. (LDC Partner: Paideia) Download Module
	Ideologies of the 19th Century Laura Jordan (Washington, DC, private school) shares a history module that asks students “Of the political ideologies we’ve studied in this unit which do you think was the most influential ideology in Europe during the years of 1814-1871?” (Early Sample Module) Download Module
	Ancient India & China Donna Schaidle, Kevin Biddle, and Jeremy Troop (Elizabethtown Area School District, Pennsylvania) call on students to synthesize their learning in response to this teaching task: “After researching secondary sources on ancient India or China, write a report that explains the geography, culture/customs, and government of these civilizations. What conclusions or implications can you draw? Student work from this module has also been scored and annotated for inclusion in a set of anchor papers. (Early Sample Module) Download Module Download Student Work
	The Cold War Kathy Thiebes (Centennial High School, Gresham, Oregon) asks students to evaluate the question “How effective was the United States government in its attempt to halt the spread of communism in Europe and Asia between the years 1945 and 1975?” The students use primary source documents and earlier class work to develop their essays. (Early Sample Module) Download Module
	Why Canadians Live Where They Live: The Impact of Geography on Population Density in Canada Symantha O’Byrne (Forsyth County Schools, Georgia) works with texts on Canadian geography as students develop an editorial on the question: “Do geographic characteristics such as climate, location, and distribution of natural resources have an impact on population density?” (Early Sample Module) Download Module