James Garfield Presidency Overview

How did James A. Garfield’s advocacy for civil service reform and his subsequent assassination influence the future direction of American political and administrative reforms? This lesson and activity examines the early life, education, background, presidency and legacy of President James Garfield. Students will analyze documents and answer corresponding scaffolding questions. They will answer the final summary question to apply their knowledge.

Included in this resource:

Do Now - James A. Garfield’s presidency short reading passage analysis and questions
James A. Garfield document pass/station activity with corresponding scaffolding questions
Document 1: Humble Beginnings
Document 2: Distinguished Military Service
Document 3: Champion of Civil Rights and Government Reform
Document 4: Brief Yet Impactful Presidency
Document 5: Legacy of Leadership and Vision
Spotlight On: James A. Garfield
James Garfield POV and scaffolding questions
Create a legacy brochure of James A. Garfield with rubric
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Assessment: How did the assassination of President James Garfield catalyze the movement for civil service reform and ultimately shape the trajectory of American governmental practices?
Answer key for teachers (suggested)
★Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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