May 31, 1907: President Theodore Roosevelt Addresses a Joint Session of the Michigan Legislature May 31, 2007: TR Does it Again!
MGTV Elementary Lesson Plan Activities for the 100th Anniversary of TR’s Address
Introduction:
In 1907, Michigan Agriculture College (later to become Michigan State University) celebrated the 50th anniversary of its opening. In honor of the event, MAC President Jonathan L. Snyder invited President of the United States Theodore Roosevelt to speak to the graduating class. Roosevelt accepted. Prior to delivering MAC’s commencement address, he spoke to a joint session of the Michigan Legislature, becoming the first president to do so.
Ninety years later, President Bill Clinton also spoke to a join session of the Michigan legislature. Clinton’s remarks about TR’s visit provide many opportunities for reflection and inquiry.
Below you will find some suggested activities to use in conjunction with the MGTV’s video recording of the reenactment of President Roosevelt’s speech to the Michigan Legislature.
Learning Outcome Defined
Although the Grade Level Content Expectations were in draft form during the development of these lesson plan activities, we were confident the final draft approved by the State Board of Education would include the purpose of these activities. The purpose of these activities is for students to use primary and secondary sources to compare Michigan’s economic past with the present.
Instructions:
Inform students what is Michigan Government Television (MGTV) and what it does for the citizens of Michigan. Refer to http://www.mgtv.org/mission.html.
Have your students view all or parts of the reenactment of Roosevelt’s speech recorded by MGTV, and then share with them excerpts from President Clinton’s speech included with these activities.
Select a suggested activity below keeping in mind the purpose is for students to use primary (speeches) and secondary sources (identified in each activity) to compare Michigan’s past with the present.
Elementary Activities:
Elementary Activity 1: Create a Timeline
Roosevelt mentioned “…questions of securing proper control of corporations, especially of those great corporations doing interstate business…”
Using information from Michigan Historical Museum Website at http://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore/museums/hismus/prehist/manufac/index.html and information from the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth 21st Century Industry Sector Analysis report for the region of your state at http://www.milmi.org/?PAGEID=205, provide students with a list of about five economic activities from each era.
Have students create a timeline and ask the follow questions:
1. How did economic activity in Michigan change between 1907 and 1997?
2. What do you think could have caused those changes?
3. What kind of corporations do you think President Roosevelt was referring to? Why?
4. What was life like in Michigan during the early 1900s considering what President Clinton said in his speech about President Roosevelt’s visit to Michigan?
5. What do you think is the biggest difference between life in 1907 and life today in Michigan? Why?
Elementary Activity 2: Communication and Transportation
Review with students the portion of President Clinton’s speech in which he references the State Capital Building being wired for electricity and the “newfangled contraption”. Information and a picture of a REO Automobile can be found at http://jliptrap.us/Reo.htm.
1. Why do you think President Clinton referred to the Reo automobile as a newfangled contraption?
2. What would you consider a newfangled contraption today?
3. How do you think the REO automobile impacted life back in 1907?
4. How does the newfangled contraption you identified impact life today?
Elementary Activity 3: Oral History
Thoedore Roosevelt was famous for the popularizing the West African proverb, “Speak softly and carry a big stick, and you will go far.” What does the proverb mean to you? Ask your parents, grandparents or another older person what it means to them. Also ask them to remember other political slogans, who said them and what effect they had.
Lesson plans prepared by:
Roy Sovis
Coordinator for Instruction – Social Studies
Genesee Intermediate School District
David Barr
Education Consultant
Michigan Government Television
