Students engage with key vocabulary related to the role of the United States in international affairs of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The experience can be used as an introduction or a review at the end of the unit.
Students engage with key vocabulary related to the role of the United States in international affairs of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The experience can be used as an introduction or a review at the end of the unit.
Students read an introduction to the unit focus on the role of the United States in international affairs and view a historical U.S. Navy poster. They respond to two polls indicating which vocabulary words (annexation, diplomacy, domestic policy, expansionism, foreign policy, isolationism) they are familiar and unfamiliar with. Students then post predictions on a class wall about the main aspect of U.S. history that the unit will address, based on the vocabulary list.
Teacher MovesPresent the unit overview and clarify that this experience will build key vocabulary for studying U.S. international affairs. Review poll results to gauge students’ prior knowledge and briefly clarify any especially unfamiliar terms without going into full definitions. Encourage a range of reasonable predictions on the wall and, as needed, connect student ideas to the unit’s focus on international relations and U.S. foreign interventions before moving on.
Students read brief explanations distinguishing domestic policy (actions related to conditions within a nation) from foreign policy (actions related to relationships between nations). They complete a drag-and-drop activity labeling examples as domestic or foreign policy. Students then read about isolationism and its root meaning and post predictions on a wall about what a foreign policy of isolationism might involve. Finally, they answer a multiple-choice question selecting the best synonym for diplomacy.
Teacher MovesClarify the difference between domestic and foreign policy and monitor the drag-and-drop activity, providing feedback and explanations for any misclassified examples. Invite students to share and compare their predictions about isolationism, accepting reasonable ideas and noting that they will refine their understanding later. Review responses to the diplomacy synonym question to ensure students grasp the concept and address any misconceptions before proceeding.
Students complete a two-column table by writing definitions for expansionism and annexation, using a dictionary as needed. They then respond on a class wall explaining the relationship between the two terms.
Teacher MovesProvide or confirm clear definitions of expansionism and annexation, emphasizing that expansionism involves a policy of acquiring new territory and annexation is the formal act of taking in that territory. Guide discussion of student wall responses to highlight how annexation functions as one method of carrying out expansionism and to connect these concepts to how nations extend influence through territory, politics, or economics.
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