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Description
Overview
Barbara C. Jordan is known as one of the most influential women in Texas and U.S. history. She was a political trailblazer who paved the way for so many people, including women and people of color. Barbara Jordan possessed many skills as a speaker, advocate, and teacher.
Essential Questions
- What are the attributes of a good leader?
- What leadership qualities did Barbara Jordan possess?
- How did Barbara Jordan make an impact as a leader?
Teacher Tools
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Lesson Plan
Downloadable/editable versions of this lesson plan.
Student Activities
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Hook Exercise
This printable hook exercise focuses on building background on qualities of good leaders. Students will read the transcription of the eulogy delivered by Dr. Thomas Freeman at Barbara Jordan’s funeral as a hook.
Next students will be asked to think about qualities of a great leader. Students will then create a word splash or word collage to communicate what they believe are attributes of a leader. To enhance this hook activity, students can also create their word splashes digitally using an online program or the teacher can use a digital program such as Menti.com to allow the whole class to contribute to one word splash.
Following the lesson, revisit your wordsplash to confirm your words, revise, or add additional descriptive words that describe Barbara Jordan specifically. Suggested printing: 1 per student
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Slideshow Presentation
This ready to use classroom presentation contains essential questions, and information on the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan beginning with her early life through her death.
The powerpoint will feature two primary source documents with guided questions to promote discussion among scholars (see lecture notes within the slides for specific details) about the impact of Barbara Jordan during her early career as a representative of Texas and her impact at the national level during the Watergate Scandal. Students also have an opportunity to hear Barbara Jordan advocating for women’s rights by viewing a clip of her speech given at the 1977 Women’s Conference. Suggested printing: 1 per student as needed for note taking accommodations
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Graphic organizers
This printable graphic organizer was specifically designed to be used in conjunction with the presentation. Students will use the guided notes to create a timeline of events in the life of Barbara Jordan. Students will also reflect on how each event reflected Jordan’s leadership qualities or impact as a leader.
In addition to the note taking sheet, students can also utilize the timeline graphic organizer to place key events and actions during the life of Barbara Jordan in chronological order. Suggested printing: 1 per student or group
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Then, Now Future: the Fifth Ward
This printable primary source document should be used in conjunction with the first “Think-Pair-Share” activity from the slideshow presentation (slide #7) or independently as a student activity to provide context for the role that Houston’s Fifth Ward will play in Barbara Jordan’s political career.
Teachers are encouraged to print or provide students with digital copies of the original document This is important as students can read Jordan’s thoughts in her own handwriting, which personalizes the content for the students. Suggested printing: 1 per group
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Watergate Impeachment Hearing
This printable student document should be used in conjunction with the SECOND “Think-Pair-Share” activity from the slideshow presentation (slide #17) activity or independently as a document analysis activity.
Students can analyze the excerpts in pairs and compare their analysis before answering the questions. Suggested printing: 1 per group
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Exit Ticket
This printable exit ticket uses the three essential questions from the beginning of the lesson to provide a formative assessment opportunity at the end of the lesson. Students can also revisit the word splash from the “hook” activity to reflect or make revisions. Suggested printing: 1 ticket per student (two tickets per page)
Description
Overview
This is the accommodated version of the lesson From Student to Stateswoman: The Life and Legacy of Barbara Jordan. Modifications may include links within the Slideshow presentation along with modified student documents and activities. Modifications include sentence stems and summaries of primary source documents. Sentence stems directs students in the right direction and scaffolds instructional content making it more accessible to more students. Many Primary Source documents lack accessibility to all students due to the language used. Summaries provide the student better access to the content provided and can answer questions pertaining to the primary sources. You could use these accommodated resources in addition to the original version or completely separate.
Barbara C. Jordan is known as one of the most influential women in Texas and U.S. history. She was a political trailblazer who paved the way for so many people, including women and people of color. Barbara Jordan possessed many skills as a speaker, advocate, and teacher.
Essential Questions
- What are the attributes of a good leader?
- What leadership qualities did Barbara Jordan possess?
- How did Barbara Jordan make an impact as a leader?
Teacher Tools
-
Lesson Plan
Downloadable/editable versions of this lesson plan.
Student Activities
-
Hook Exercise
This printable hook exercise focuses on building background on qualities of good leaders. Students will read the transcription of the eulogy delivered by Dr. Thomas Freeman at Barbara Jordan’s funeral as a hook.
As an auditory support, the teacher may also opt to play the recorded eulogy and provide students the printed transcription to read as they follow along.
Next students will be asked to think about qualities of a great leader. Students will then create a word splash or word collage to communicate what they believe are attributes of a leader.
Teachers can provide students with a scaffold for the word splash by writing the word “Leader” in the middle in the center of a sheet of paper or on a white board with three to five arrows stemming from the word. Students can then add words that describe a leader around the central word.
To debrief the activity, the teacher can project the sentence stem: A good leader is described with the words such as …
Give students 3-5 minutes to select one or two words to share with a partner or with the class.
Following the lesson, revisit your wordsplash to confirm your words, revise, or add additional descriptive words that describe Barbara Jordan specifically. Suggested printing: 1 per student
-
Slideshow Presentation
This ready to use, classroom presentation contains essential questions, information on the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan beginning with her early life through her death.
As an accommodated version, this slideshow highlights key words and places the dates in bold for students to generate chronological understanding of the life of Barbara Jordan.
The slideshow will feature two primary source documents with guided questions to promote discussion among scholars (see lecture notes within the slides for specific details) about the impact of Barbara Jordan during her early career as a representative of Texas and her impact at the national level during the Watergate Scandal. Students also have an opportunity to hear Barbara Jordan advocating for women’s rights by viewing a clip of her speech given at the 1977 Women’s Conference. Suggested printing: 1 per student as needed for note taking accommodations
-
Graphic organizers
This printable graphic organizer was specifically designed to be used in conjunction with the presentation. Students will use the graphic organizer to create a timeline of events in the life of Barbara Jordan. Students will also reflect on how each event reflected Jordan’s leadership qualities or impact as a leader.
In addition to the note taking sheet, students in need of additional support can also utilize the timeline graphic organizer to place key events and actions during the life of Barbara Jordan in chronological order. Suggested printing: 1 per student or group
-
Timeline Graphic
Students use this graphic timeline to outline key points in the life of Barbara Jordan.
-
Then, Now Future: the Fifth Ward
This printable primary source document may be used in conjunction with the FIRST “Think-Pair-Share” activity from the slideshow presentation (slide #7) or independently as a student activity to provide context for the role that Houston’s Fifth Ward will play in Barbara Jordan’s political career.
Teachers are encouraged to print or provide students with digital copies of the original document This is important as students can read Jordan’s thoughts in her own handwriting, which personalizes the content for the students. Suggested printing: 1 per group
-
Watergate Impeachment Hearing
This printable student document should be used in conjunction with the SECOND “Think-Pair-Share” activity from the slideshow presentation (slide #17) activity or independently as a document analysis activity.
Students can analyze the excerpts in pairs and compare their analysis before answering the questions. Suggested printing: 1 per group
-
Exit Ticket
This printable exit ticket uses the three essential questions from the beginning of the lesson to provide a formative assessment opportunity at the end of the lesson. Students can also revisit the word splash from the “hook” activity to reflect or make revisions. Suggested printing: 1 ticket per student (two tickets per page)
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