Was Robert E. Lee a hero or a villain?

This lesson is titled “Was Robert E. Lee a hero or a villain?”

The lesson begins with a Starter Activity in which students are asked to look at the names of four schools and identify the odd one out (which is the one named after Lee, because it was renamed due to its association with the Confederacy.) This introduces the class to the idea that Lee is a controversial figure from the past. The Key Question is then stated. Aims and lesson objectives are graduated (all will/most will/some will). There are slides of background information to allow for teacher exposition. Students are then placed in a pair and given one of two character cards (for and against Lee). They work together to sift through 12 evidence cards to decide if the evidence suggests he was a hero or a villain. A plain version is provided as well as a colour coded one with simpler language for those who need a little more help. Using this they then attempt the second part of the main activity which is to write a two-sided newspaper report. The lesson objectives are revisited. The lesson concludes with two plenaries. First, they are asked to come to the board and fill up an eight-petalled flower with compelling evidence. They then vote with their feet by standing to the side of the classroom they mostly agree with (i.e. he was a hero, or he was a villain). I hope your students get as much from this lesson as mine do.

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Wishing you a terrific day.