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NATIONAL HISTORY DAY 2016
• During the discussion, the teacher facilitates by asking guiding questions, such as:
• Who wrote this?
• What is the author’s perspective?
• Why was it written?
• When was it written?
• Where was it written?
• What claims does the author make?
• What evidence does the author use?
• What language (words, phrases, images, symbols) does the author use to persuade the audience?
• How does the document’s language indicate the author’s perspective?
• The teacher writes bullet points of key terms and ideas on the board for the whole class to see, or has a student recorder
do so.
• Larger classes can use the paragraph assignment here as an alternative to the Harkness discussion. Students can use the
second day class time working with each other on home groups to craft their paragraphs.
Assessment Materials:
• The Harkness discussion rubric is based upon a potential score of 20. Students start with 10 points, and add (or subtract)
from that total.
• The paragraph rubric is created to score individual paragraphs. The 16-point option is for a transition statement. Since the
paragraph is intended to stand alone, please score the paragraph as a 15-point assignment.
Methods for Extension
• Students can research primary or secondary source documents that would support one side or another of the argument over
annexation. You may want to direct them to sites such as the U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian’s PhilippineAmerican War webpage (history.state.gov/milestones/1899-1913/war), or Southern Connecticut State University’s Library
Guide dedicated to the Philippine American War (libguides.southernct.edu/c.php?g=200161&p=1316579). For additional
research, direct students to Library of Congress (www.loc.gov) or the National Archives and Records Administration
(www.archives.gov).
• For teachers, Stanford History Education Group’s Unit on American Imperialism (sheg.stanford.edu/?q=node/33) is an
excellent resource for additional lessons.
All lesson materials, primary source documents,
and a complete bibliography can be found at
www.nhd.org/themebook.