Ms. Mac's U.S. History
  • Welcome To Ms. Mac's Class
    • Class Syllabus
    • Class Calendar
  • World History
    • Industrial Revolution
    • French Revolution
    • Haitian Revolution
    • World War I
    • Russian Revolution to Soviet Union
    • Chinese Revolution
    • World War II in Europe
  • U.S. History
    • Pre-Columbian America and The Columbian Exchange >
      • Pre-Contact America: Clovis Points
      • Pre-Contact America: Buffalo Hunts and Whaling
      • Pre-Contact America: Cahokia-The Corn People
      • Christopher Columbus
    • Colonial Era >
      • Juan Cabrillo and the San Salvador
      • Jamestown
      • Pilgrims, Puritans and Colonial Wars
      • Atlantic Slave Trade and Anti-Slavery Literature
      • Early American Military History
    • Founding Era >
      • American Revolution >
        • Declaration of Independence
        • The Continental Soldier
        • Rappin' the Revolution
        • Founding Fathers on Broadway!
      • Constitution >
        • Constitutional Convention
        • Bill of Rights
        • School Court Cases
        • COTUS Booklet
    • Slavery >
      • Virginia Slave Laws
      • Frederick Douglass
      • Atlantic Slave Trade and Antislavery Art and Poetry
    • Western Expansion >
      • Lewis and Clark >
        • Native Americans
        • Members of Corps of Discovery
        • Jefferson's Vision
        • Mind of Lewis and Clark
        • Corps of Discovery
        • Ethnography
        • Scientific Discoveries
        • Adventures
    • American Civil War >
      • Introducing, Mr. Lincoln >
        • Lincoln's Daily Life in Washington
        • Lincoln Essential Questions
        • Understanding Lincoln
        • Gettysburg Address and Henry V
        • Lincoln-Douglas Debates
      • Civil War Simulation >
        • Massachusetts 54th
        • Berdan Sharpshooters
        • Irish Brigades
        • Zouaves
        • Calvary
        • Artillery
    • Reconstruction and Greater Reconstruction
    • Gilded Age
    • World War I in America
    • Great Depression
    • WWII in the Pacific
    • Cold War
    • Vietnam War
  • Special Projects
    • Bayard Wilkeson Project
    • Ford's Theatre Oratory Project
    • National History Day
    • Hamilton! Lesson Using the Broadway Show >
      • Rappin in the Classroom
      • Founding Fathers on Broadway!
      • Hamilton Traveling Exhibit Activities
      • Hamilton Sign Up!
    • 9/11 History versus Memory
    • The South in American History
    • Books of Study >
      • McCullough's 1776
      • Ambrose's Undaunted Courage
    • Digital History
    • Distance Learning for ALL >
      • U.S. History-Spring 2020 >
        • April 13th-17th
        • April 20th-24th
        • April 27th-May 1st
        • May 4th-May 8th
        • May 11th- May 15th
        • May 18th-May 22nd
      • World Cultures-Spring 2020 >
        • April 13th-17th
        • April 20th-24th >
          • Marshall Plan
        • April 27th-May 1st >
          • The Kitchen Debate
        • May 4-8
        • May 11-15
        • May 18-May 22
    • Facing Crisis Head On
  • Contact

Gilder Lehrman's Hamilton
Traveling Exhibit Activities

Richard Brookhiser: Alexander Hamilton, American
In 27 years of teaching, I've never seen the “history crazy,” that has been caused by Hamilton! Consequently, it is no longer “boring history of old white guys.” Students come into the classroom having already memorized the Hamilton! soundtrack, singing songs about America’s founders! This Broadway show has married art (hip-hop) to history and empowered history educators.

Seizing on this phenomenon,  the traveling exhibit, “Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Invented Modern America,” capitalized on the formation of our country through documents, which presents multifaceted concepts through complex text. The engagement of complex text draws kids in that are not usually engaged. Hip-hop is the hook to history!

The most important outcome of Gilder Lehrman's traveling exhibit is the inspiring of civic engagement. Hamilton’s life story personifies America’s ideals. Students will learn that civic engagement, like Hamilton, requires action. After the creation of student raps, they are left with an American story of industry, resilience, and commitment to nation. 

Activity 1: Rappin' with Hamilton

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“Rapping with the Hamilton!” was a project that examined Hamilton’s central role during the Revolutionary and Founding Era in creating the economic, constitutional, social, journalistic, political, and foreign policy templates for Modern America.  Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award winning Broadway show, “Hamilton”, is the inspiration for “Rapping with Hamilton” project! This project, thanks to the loan of Gilder Lehrman Institute of America History’s traveling exhibition, “Alexander Hamilton: The Man Who Invented Modern America.” would draw from the breadth of America’s culture, rap music, while inspiring students to analyze documents from our nation’s founding.  

New Rap for Miranda's Hamilton!

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After meeting on February 11th and February 25th and filming on March 11th of 2017, students from Josephine country schools (Allendale Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Fruitdale Elementary, South Middle School, North Middle School, and Grants Pass High School) wrote an addendum to Lin-Manuel Miranda's song from the Broadway show, "My Shot." After studying biographies and primary documents on the Marguis de Lafayette, John Laurens, and Hercules Mulligan, the students, that ranged from age 11 to 17 years old, created a new rap titled, "Three Best Friends." 

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Lyrics for "Three Best Friends"

Chorus: Three best friends, determination. Round and round saving the nation.
John Lauren born, 1754
Went to England to learn more.
Headed to America, via France
Thinkin’ that maybe he had a chance.
Abolish slavery, that's what he's here to do
But will this really make due?
Returning to the army 1782
Trying to get all the way through.
Injured in every battle he fought,
Enduring a lot.
Finally. The end came
He was the only one
To die in vain.
Lafayette, he married rich
Royalty relationships
Confided in
His best friends
Struggled with Americans
Highest French nobility
Undying loyalty
Funded revolution
Winning battles with gentility
Suffered pain
Won the game
Aiming without any shame
Hero of two worlds he was
Living by ‘no pain no gain’
​Hercules Mulligan, quite spontaneous
Like Greek legend,
A loyal patriot
Spying’ on soldiers, running’ his shop
The hidden legend was never to be stopped
Using’ his skills to pay the bills
Stoppin’ Washington from being killed
Surveying the British, much to their frustration
Sewing up the nation’s communications 

Activity 2: Hamilton at the Library

Themes in "My Shot" Lyrics

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"Rap teams",  were formed in the eight 8th U.S. History classes. After naming themselves (use rap name generator), the students analyzed Miranda's lyrics from "My Shot." Each group came up with five themes with textual evidence and the whole class discussion merged the themes. Here were the themes for each period:
  • Period 1: Persistence, Arrogance, Ambition, Intellect, Seizing Opportunity
  • Period 3: Seizing Opportunity, Industry, Attraction to Power, Intellect, Ambition
  • Period 4: Struggle, Risk-Taker, Seizing Opportunity, Social Mobility, Industry
  • Period 5: Determination, Ambition, Seizing Opportunity, Intentness (Passionate), Knowledge
  • Period 7: Risk-Taker, Intellect, Determination, Power, Ambition
  • Period 8: Initiative, Intentness, Alliance to Power, Arrogance, Risk-Taker

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On February 28th and March 1st, South Middle School 8th graders took a field trip to the Josephine Community Library to explore the seven themes on the "Man Who Made Modern America." Using the seven panels that Richard Brookhiser created for the New York Society Exhibit, the students found textual evidence (quotes, painting, primary documents) within of the following seven panels:
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  • His World
  • Immigrant
  • Soldier
  • Lawmaker
  • Economist
  • Futurist
  • The Duel and Hamilton's Legacy
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Themes in Hamilton's Traveling Exhibit

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Writing Assessment: TREC - Topic, Reason, Evidence, Connection

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After studying the Founding Era through the life of Alexander Hamilton through the field trip to the library and the study of the lyrics, Hamilton!, students will complete three organizers, using TREC (Theme, Reason, Evidence, Connection). The student then wrote a three paragraph answer to the essential question:

WHAT THEMES THROUGHOUT HAMILTON'S LIFE MADE HIM "THE MAN WHO MADE MODERN AMERICA"?


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