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At a Glance:
| Grades: | 8 |
|---|---|
| Subject: | History; Social Studies |
| Topic: | Panama Canal Debate |
| Lesson Length: | 45 - 60 mins |
Standards / Framework:
What will students learn in this activity?
Students will practice their research and debate skills by creating a comic which explains their perspective on a historic event.
What should students know before this activity?
Students should be familiar with the issues related to the U.S. taking ownership of the Panama Canal.
How can teachers introduce this lesson?
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Read and discuss the sample comic.
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What were the benefits of building the Panama Canal?
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What were the costs?
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Why would building a canal be difficult?
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Why did Panama oppose the building of the canal?
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As students answer, list arguments for and against on the board.
What will students do?
- After reading, discussing and critically thinking about this issue, students will create a six-panel comic presenting the issue of whether the United States should have taken over the Panama Canal zone and built the Panama Canal.
- The comic should reflect the student’s opinion as to whether or not the building of the canal was a good idea.
- Students should include specific details supporting their opinion.
How can teachers wrap up the lesson?
- Have students present their comics to the class and display them on a bulletin board or online.
How can teachers differentiate this activity?
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Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
- Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
- Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
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Provide a printout of the sample comic for student reference.
- Explore more recent debates regarding the Panama Canal.
U.S. Executive Branch
Presidents' Day
