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Lesson 8

We will read and analyze letters between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington and identify the central idea and tone of each.

Lesson Goals

  • Can I express an accurate understanding of the central ideas of texts?

  • Can I recognize and interpret how word choice affects tone?

  • Can I make connections between the information in the letters between Hamilton and Washington and the way in which Hamilton is characterized in “Stay Alive,” “Meet Me Inside,” and “Guns and Ships"?

  • Can I use a variety of strategies (e.g., context clues, word study, and vocabulary resources) to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, phrases, and figurative expressions?

Texts

Core

  • Tradebook
    • Hamilton: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Grand Central, 2016
  • Unit Reader
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 2 May 1781,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1781
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 22 November 1780,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1780
    • “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 27 April 1781,” Alexander Hamilton, Public Domain, 1781

Materials

Tools

Reference Guides

Question Sets

Editable Google Docs

Activity 1: Read

We will consider the context for the letters we will be reading.

Step 1

In small groups, reread the following stanzas from Hamilton: An American Musical:

  • "Stay Alive," from “We cut supply lines, we steal contraband” to “Makes him second-in-command.”

  • "Meet Me Inside," from “Well, I don’t have your name” to “I could fly above my station after the war.”

  • "Guns and Ships," from “We can end this war in Yorktown” to “The world will never be the same, Alexander.”

Step 2

Discuss the following questions in your small group:

  1. What important events do these stanzas recount about Hamilton’s life?

  2. What do they show about Hamilton’s character?

  3. What do they show about what others thought of Hamilton?

Discuss your group’s responses with the class.

Activity 2: Read

We will read letters between Alexander Hamilton and George Washington.

Follow along as your teacher or one of your peers reads the following letters aloud:

  • “Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 22 November 1780”

  • “Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 27 November 1781”

  • “Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 2 May 1781”

Underline unfamiliar words, and note any sections that helped you figure out the central idea of the letters.

After reading each letter, find the central idea of each letter.

Activity 3: Read

We will review key vocabulary from the letters. We will write down important terms in our Vocabulary Journals, so that we can refer back to them later in the unit.

Use the Vocabulary List to complete this activity. As a class, locate the words as they are used in the text:

  • pretentions

  • ferment

  • impute

  • insuperable

  • obviate

  • intimated

  • Subsequent

Respond to the following questions for each word:

  1. What does the context suggest the word means? What is its connotation, and how does it compare with a dictionary definition?

  2. Why is this word and its meaning important in this part of the text?

  3. How might I use this word in my own thinking, speaking, and writing?

Write down these key words, with your notes about their meaning and importance, in your Vocabulary Journal.

Activity 4: Write

We will infer the tone of Hamilton’s letter.

Fold a piece of paper in half and write "Tone" on one side and "Mood" on the other. Underneath each word, jot down ideas you associate with the term.

Discuss your ideas as a class. Review the Tone Reference Guide.

Look at the first letter, “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 22 November 1780.” As a class, determine the tone. Consider the central idea for the letter. Review the words Hamilton uses when he asks Washington to become a part of the fight. Annotate the text while answering the following questions:

  1. What synonyms could he have used?

  2. Note any trends within the words and phrases. For example, are the words generally positive or negative? Are the words casual, technical, informal, or formal?

  3. Identify the effects of the words: What emotions do you feel when you read the words and phrases? How does the text affect you? Do you laugh? Do you become anxious? Do you get angry?

  4. If you were to replace the words with synonyms or antonyms, how would the passage change? Would it affect you in a different way?

  5. What is the tone of the letter?

Activity 5: Write

We will infer the tone of “From Alexander Hamilton To George Washington, 27 April 1781,” and “From Alexander Hamilton To George Washington, 2 May 1781.”

For homework, determine the tone of “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 27 April 1781” and “From Alexander Hamilton to George Washington, 2 May 1781.” You might use the Tone Reference Guide if you need additional support.

Use the same process we completed in class. Consider the central idea for the letters. Review the words Hamilton uses to relay that central idea. Annotate the text while answering the following questions:

  1. What synonyms could he have used?

  2. Note any trends within the words and phrases. For example, are the words generally positive or negative? Are the words casual, technical, informal, or formal?

  3. Identify the effects of the words: What emotions do you feel when you read the words and phrases? How does the text affect you? Do you laugh? Do you become anxious? Do you get angry?

  4. If you were to replace the words with synonyms or antonyms, how would the passage change? Would it affect you in a different way?

  5. What is the tone of the letter?

Write new or interesting words you encounter in your Vocabulary Journal.

Find and write down at least two interesting sentences in your Mentor Sentence Journal.