Michael K. Milton ~ @42ThinkDeep

While some may want a time machine to witness seminal moments in history, I just want to go back a month ago. It was a simpler time back then, a younger Michael Milton went to begin teaching a unit that would lead his class to the American War for Independence. And I want very much to travel back to stop him.

It’s not that my unit went off track.

I’m proud of the fact that I added in a lesson that discussed ways in which enslaved workers protested – which included looking at the Dunmore Proclamation where enslaved workers in Virginia could fight with the British military in exchange for their freedom (which is referenced in the last of the grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence).

It’s that I think I know how to make the unit better.

And in doing so, I would make one of the most important pieces of our history as the centerpiece.

I figured it out while preparing and updating  an activity for my World History class. For this class, my students are looking at the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of Citizen to decide which of the sacred rights of man that Robespierre violated during his Reign of Terror. I call it, “Law & Order: French Revolution.” [Here is a link to the piece that I wrote about this a few years ago.] Continue reading →

Below is the start to my post for Discovery Education about using Hamilton the Musical in the classroom! Check it out!
_____________________________________________________________________

“And the world’s gonna know your name –
What’s your name, man?

Alexander Hamilton.
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
There’s a million things I haven’t done
But just you wait. Just you wait…”

For the past four years, I have used Lin-Manual Miranda’s performance at the 2009 White House Poetry Jam to introduce my students to Alexander Hamilton. And every year, they demand a second viewing. Lin-Manual’s ability to tell Hamilton’s story through hip-hop is absolutely amazing and my students often sang the song weeks later.

Lin-Manual Miranda is the genius behind Hamilton the Musical, the hit musical that tells the story of the first treasury secretary and of our young nation. When tickets for the production went on sale I immediately bought them. I cannot explain how amazing the show is. Mr. Miranda not only does a remarkable job bringing Alexander Hamilton to life, he breathes life into the founding of our nation. After seeing it, I could not wait to bring it to my class.

While Act 1 does an amazing job focusing on Hamilton’s experience during the War of Independence, as a classroom teacher it is the second act that I feel could help illuminate the differences between the Jeffersonians (Democratic-Republicans) and the Hamiltonians (Federalists). Two of the songs in particular, “Cabinet Battle #1” and “Cabinet Battle #2” directly highlight the foundational differences between the beliefs of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.

For this lesson, I am going to focus on “Cabinet Battle #1” which focuses on core economic differences between the two secretaries. In this rap battle, President Washington mediates a discussion regarding Hamilton’s economic plan. The lyrics are fast and full of history! As my students would be overwhelmed with this at first, I need to back up and discuss the differences between the two men.

Source: Hamilton vs. Jefferson: Using Hamilton the Musical in the Classroom | Discovery Education