Procedures

• STEP 1:

  Warm-Up Questions:

  • What was the Revolutionary War fought over?

  • How did the Revolutionary War end?

• STEP 2:

  Pass out the following handout. Either as a class or individually, have the students watch each of the clips below and answer the questions on the handout.

  Handout: The War of 1812 (Google Doc)

• VIDEOS

  Clip 1: Reasons for the War of 1812 (4:13)

  Clip 2: American Setbacks during the War of 1812 (3:52)

  Clip 3: African-Americans during the War of 1812 (1:41)

  Clip 4: The Importance of the Chesapeake Bay in the War of 1812 (2:24)

  Clip 5: The Battle of Bladensburg and the Burning of Washington (4:36)

  Clip 6: The Events Leading up to the Battle of Baltimore (2:22)

  Clip 7: Francis Scott Key and the Writing of the Star-Spangled Banner (2:43)

  Clip 8: The War of 1812 and The Treaty of Ghent (6:05)

  Clip 9: War of 1812 - Battle of New Orleans (9:06)

  Clip 10: The Legacy of the War of 1812 (2:52)

• STEP 3:

  Review the answers to the handout as a class.

• STEP 4:

  Take a Stand- Should the U.S. have declared war on Great Britain in 1812?

  On one side of the room, post a sign that says "YES;" on the other side of the room post a sign that says "NO." Pose the question to the class "Should the U.S. have declared war on Great Britain in 1812?"

  Have the students write down their answer and provide one supporting argument. After all students have had a chance to respond, have them "Take a Stand" by getting up and walking to whichever side of the room that they agree with.

  Ask individual students from each side to share their supporting arguments and briefly explain why they answered the question as they did. Debrief the activity and review the arguments made during the class. Address any misconceptions and fill in any gaps in knowledge or content.

• EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  Letter from a British Soldier- Write a letter home from the perspective of a British soldier fighting in the War of 1812. Include your opinion of the war and your experiences in America.

  New National Anthem- Like Francis Scott Key did, create a modern-day poem that could be used as our national anthem.

  War of 1812 Playlist- Create a playlist of songs that represent the ideas and concepts relating to the War of 1812. Be prepared to explain your playlist.