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How I Plan to Teach APUSH Period 9 in the Age of ChatGPT

Yup, it will be different

Peter Paccone
13 min readMar 8, 2023

I am an experienced AP US History teacher who, since the launch of ChatGPT, has been closely examining its potential impact on my students’ learning.

After careful consideration, I have concluded that this tool has the potential to significantly enhance my student’s understanding of the subject matter.

As a result, I am revising my teaching approach for Period 9, the last unit of the course, with this new approach to include a significant amount of CHatGPT teacher and student usage.

Specifically, I will use CHatGPT to produce multiple resources that should significantly enhance the student’s learning experience, while the students, if I am greenlighted, will use CHatGPT to create a Period 9 history-revealing parody of a song of their choosing.

Procedure

  1. It starts with me giving the students a link to my “Period 9 CHatGPT Produced P9 Notes.” These notes were created last week and align 100% with the CED’s Period 9 Topic Sequencing and related Key Concepts.
  2. Next, I will provide the students with a link to my Period 9 Slideshow, which was created in 2017 and also aligns 100% with the CED’s Period 9 Topic Sequencing and related Key Concepts.
  3. Then, I will project these slides onto a screen at the front of the room though I intend to only focus the students’ attention on specific topics (i.e., the ones that are most likely to be tested on or most challenging for students to comprehend.)
  4. After each topic, Topic 9.2, for example, I will direct the students to read over the relevant CHatGPT-Produced Notes for homework. This should help reinforce their understanding of the material.
  5. Then in class the next day, I will start the period by asking the students the following questions:
  • Did the slideshow mention anything about the topic that wasn’t mentioned in the notes?
  • Did the notes mention anything about the topic that wasn’t in the slideshow?
  • Did you notice anything in the slideshow that you think isn’t true?
  • Did you notice anything in the notes that you think isn’t true?

This should encourage critical thinking and further reinforce the student’s understanding of the material.

Then, I will ask the students to look over the CHatGPT-produced P9 Glossary that follows:

  • Al-Qaeda: A militant Islamist group founded by Osama bin Laden, responsible for the 9/11 attacks and other acts of terrorism.
  • Affirmative Action — A policy designed to address past discrimination by giving preferential treatment to historically marginalized groups.
  • Berlin Wall: A concrete wall that divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989, separating East Germany from West Germany and symbolizing the divide between communism and capitalism.
  • Black Lives Matter — A movement that began in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and seeks to end police brutality against Black people.
  • Cold War: The period of political and military tension between the United States and the Soviet Union from the end of World War II to the early 1990s.
  • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA): This program, introduced in 2012, allowed certain undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children to apply for temporary protection from deportation and work permits.
  • Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell — A policy introduced in 1993 that prohibited openly gay individuals from serving in the military.
  • DREAM Act: The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act was first introduced in 2001 and aimed to provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.
  • Fall of the Soviet Union: The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, which marked the end of the Cold War and the beginning of a new era in international relations.
  • Feminism — A movement for gender equality that gained momentum in the 1960s and continues today.
  • Globalization: The process of increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of economies, cultures, and societies around the world, particularly in the late 20th century.
  • Gulf War: A conflict that took place in 1990–1991 between a coalition of nations led by the United States and Iraq, following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.
  • Equal Protection Clause — A provision of the Fourteenth Amendment that prohibits states from denying equal protection of the laws to any person within their jurisdiction.
  • Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986: This law granted legal status to undocumented immigrants who had lived in the United States for at least five years and met specific requirements.
  • Muslim fundamentalism, also known as Islamic fundamentalism, is a political and religious movement that advocates a strict interpretation of Islamic principles and a return to what its adherents see as the original values and practices of Islam. It is characterized by a literalist and legalistic approach to the religion and often involves a rejection of Western cultural influences and values.
  • NAFTA: The North American Free Trade Agreement was a trade agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico that went into effect in 1994. It eliminated tariffs and other trade barriers between the three countries.
  • Obergefell v. Hodges — A 2015 Supreme Court decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
  • Patriot Act: The USA PATRIOT Act was passed in response to the 9/11 attacks and gave law enforcement agencies broader surveillance and intelligence-gathering powers.
  • Proposition 187: This California ballot initiative sought to deny social services, including education and healthcare, to undocumented immigrants. It was passed in 1994 but later ruled unconstitutional.
  • Sanctuary Cities: These are cities that have policies in place to limit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities in order to protect undocumented immigrants from deportation.
  • Reaganomics: Refers to the economic policies implemented by President Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, including tax cuts, deregulation, and increased military spending.
  • Rodney King Riots — Riots that erupted in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of police officers who were videotaped beating Rodney King, a Black motorist.
  • Traditional social values: During the Reagan era in America, traditional social values were a central theme of his administration and political platform. Reagan and his supporters sought to promote a return to what they saw as the core values that had made America great in the past, such as hard work, self-reliance, and family values. Some traditional social values emphasized during the Reagan era included: Individualism: The belief that individuals should take responsibility for their own lives and not rely too heavily on the government or others. Family values: The importance of traditional family structures, including the nuclear family and gender roles, and the promotion of marriage and child-rearing. Patriotism: The love of country and the belief in American exceptionalism, including strong military and support for veterans. Religious faith: The belief in God and the importance of religion in shaping morality and behavior. Anti-communism: The opposition to communism and the belief in the superiority of capitalism and free markets. Law and order: The emphasis on solid law enforcement and punishment for criminals.
  • War on Terror: A term the George W. Bush administration coined to describe the United States’ efforts to combat terrorism following the 9/11 attacks.
  • 9/11: The terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, led to increased security measures and stricter immigration policies, particularly for people from Muslim-majority countries.

Any questions, I’ll address them.

Formative Assessment

When done “teaching” the unit, I will call on the students to work in small groups to answer some of the CHatGPT-Produced Short Answer Questions appearing below.

  • Briefly explain ONE significant difference between Reaganomics and traditional Keynesian economics.
  • Briefly explain ONE significant similarity between Reagan’s foreign policy and Johnson’s foreign policy.
  • Briefly explain ONE significant difference between a liberal and a conservative.
  • Briefly explain ONE development that led to the end of the Cold War.
  • Briefly explain ONE situation Reagan faced during his presidency that tested his leadership skills.
  • Briefly explain ONE cause of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
  • Briefly explain ONE result of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.
  • Briefly explain ONE development in the Middle East that affected US foreign policy during the Reagan administration.
  • Briefly explain ONE situation that caused tensions between the US and the Soviet Union to escalate in the 1980s.
  • Briefly explain ONE development that contributed to the rise of the conservative movement in the 1980s.
  • Briefly explain ONE reason why immigration became a contentious issue during the Reagan administration.
  • Briefly explain ONE factor contributing to the rise of undocumented immigration in the 1980s.
  • Briefly explain ONE significant difference between the immigration policies of Reagan and his successors.
  • Briefly explain ONE outcome of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
  • Briefly explain ONE outcome of the deregulation of the airline industry.
  • Briefly explain ONE development that contributed to the decline of American manufacturing in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Briefly explain ONE factor that contributed to the decline of labor unions in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Briefly explain ONE situation that contributed to the rise of the Religious Right in the 1980s.
  • Briefly explain ONE development that led to the growth of the service sector in the US economy.
  • Briefly explain ONE factor that contributed to the increase of income inequality in the US in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Briefly explain ONE situation that caused tensions between the US and China to escalate in the 1990s.
  • Briefly explain ONE development that contributed to the growth of the Hispanic population in the US in the 1980s and 1990s.
  • Briefly explain ONE reason why the US invaded Iraq in 2003.
  • Briefly explain ONE factor that contributed to the global financial crisis of 2008.
  • Briefly explain ONE situation that caused tensions between the US and Russia to escalate in the 2000s.
  • Briefly explain ONE difference between the Immigration Act of 1965 and the Immigration Quotas of the 1920s.

Then I will assess, using Formative and its lockdown browser

Then, I will call on the students, in small groups, to compare and contrast what follows:

Grouping #1

President Johnson’s Great Society
President Roosevelts New Deal
President Reagan’s Great Discovery

Grouping #2

Cold War
Hot War

Grouping #3

Big Stick Diplomacy
Dollar Diplomacy
Moral Diplomacy

Grouping #4

The Sunbelt Migration
The First Great Migration
The Second Great Migration

Grouping #5

Watergate Scandal
Teapot Dome Scandal
Crédit Mobilier Scandal
Iran-Contra Affair
Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky Affair

Grouping #6

Traditional social values
More modern social values

Grouping #7

Interventionist foreign policy
Isolationist foreign policy

Grouping #8

Liberal
Conservative

Grouping #9

The 2008 financial crisis
The Great Depression

Grouping #10

War in Iraq
War in Afghanistan

Then I will assess, again, using Formative and its lockdown browser. That said, the students will be provided with these grouping at the start of the unit.

Then I will ask the students, for homework, to look over the five CHatGPT-produced APUSH-style Long Essay Questions appearing below:

  • Evaluate the extent to which the Reagan Revolution of the 1980s transformed American politics.
  • Evaluate the extent to which the events of September 11, 2001, significantly changed American foreign and domestic policy.
  • Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the decline of labor unions in the period after 1980.
  • Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the rise of income inequality in the period after 1980.
  • Evaluate the relative importance of the causes of the decline of unions in the period after 1980.

Summative Assessment

Next up, I’ll summatively assess the students’ Period 9 content knowledge and writing skills via an AP Classroom Period 9 MCQ, SAQ, and LEQ test.

The Close-Out-the-Unit Project

The CED suggests that teachers need seven 54-minute class periods to properly prep their students for the Period 9 Exam, though I’m guessing I won’t need more than 4, thanks to CHatGPT.

If that proves to be the case, I will put before the students my Parody Creating, Karaoke Singing Project.

This project starts with the students spending a half hour or so exploring the world of parody-creation and karaoke singing through the YouTube channel “Best of Mr. Betts Class”, featuring AP US History teacher Mr. Matthew Betts.

After this, the students are given the opportunity to choose a Period 9 topic and a song to parody, with the students then encouraged to research the chosen topic.

Once the students have a good understanding of their topic, they may direct ChatGP to create a parody of their chosen song’s lyrics, being sure to ask CHatGPT to incorporate any relevant information they have learned about their topic.

If a student has chosen to focus on the topic of the Cuban Missile Crisis” and decides to parody Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl, ChatGPT will produce something that looks like this:

Verse 1:
I heard about this thing called the Cold War
When USA and USSR were at war
They had their bombs and their nuclear toys
The world was scared, they were making noise

Chorus:
I ain’t no hollaback girl
I ain’t gonna let them nuke the world
I ain’t no hollaback girl
Gonna keep us safe, gonna save the world

Verse 2:
Kennedy and Khrushchev were in a fight
Their missiles were pointed, it wasn’t right
The world was on edge, it was so intense
But then they talked and they made some sense

Chorus:
I ain’t no hollaback girl
I ain’t gonna let them nuke the world
I ain’t no hollaback girl
Gonna keep us safe, gonna save the world

Bridge:
Diplomacy, that’s the way to go
Talking it out, so we don’t go blow for blow
We can’t let fear control our fate
We gotta work together, before it’s too late

Chorus:
I ain’t no hollaback girl
I ain’t gonna let them nuke the world
I ain’t no hollaback girl
Gonna keep us safe, gonna save the world

Outro:
So let’s remember, what we’ve learned
From the Cold War, our bridges were burned
We gotta work together, to find a way
To peace and safety, each and every day.

The students will then be given a chance to “karaoke” their songs in front of the class, showcasing what they’ve learned in an engaging, entertaining, and low-stakes manner.

To close out, I will give all students a chance to score their peer’s parody performance along with their ability to answer several follow-up questions:

  1. In your song, you mentioned the Cold War. What was that?
  2. In your song, you mentioned “Kennedy and Khrushchev.” Who was Krushchev?
  3. Briefly describe TWO significant outcomes of the Cuban Missile Crisis
  4. Compare and contrast the Bay of Pigs Invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis.
  5. Other than the Cold War, describe something of significance that was going on in America during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Here’s a possible rubric that students can use to evaluate their peer’s parody performance:

Criteria:

  1. Creativity and Originality — Did the parody show creativity and originality in adapting the lyrics of the original song to the assigned topic?
  2. Performance and Delivery — Was the parody performed confidently and effectively, with clear enunciation and appropriate gestures or movements?
  3. Musical Quality — Did the parody fit well with the melody, rhythm, and tempo of the original song, while also being distinctive and memorable?
  4. Relevance and Coherence — Did the parody clearly relate to the assigned topic, and did the lyrics make sense and flow logically from verse to verse?
  5. Historical Accuracy — Did the parody accurately reflect the historical context, events, and themes related to the assigned topic, and avoid any significant factual errors or distortions?

Scoring:
Each criterion can be scored on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 being the highest score. The total score can be calculated by adding up the scores for each criterion, with a maximum possible score of 25. A score of 20 or above can be considered excellent, 15–19 good, 10–14 fair, and below 10 poor.

Note:
The historical accuracy criterion should be given significant weight in the evaluation, as it is crucial for a parody to reflect the historical context and facts accurately in order to convey a meaningful message and avoid misinformation or confusion.

Also, note that it’s not the work produced by CHatGPT that’s to be assessed; only the ability of the students to respond to logically predictable follow-up questions related to that work.

Sidenote #1

As a teacher, I am excited to offer my students the opportunity to produce a parody using a language model such as CHAtGPT. However, I understand that some students may prefer not to use this technology, and I want to assure them that it is not a requirement for this assignment.

For those who choose not to use CHAtGPT, I will provide an alternative assignment that will allow them to showcase their creativity in a different way. I have not established the specifics of this alternative assignment because I plan to work with each student individually to ensure that they have the opportunity to produce a history-revealing, non-CHatGPT using work that they also find fun and engaging.

Sidenote #2

The read was published on March 9, 2023, and won’t be field tested for another two weeks. Therefore, if you, at any time, notice any glaring errors or omissions (or take issue with anything written) and wish to give me a heads-up, I can be reached at ppaccone@smusd.us.

Sidenote #3

See below for several articles that SUPPORT the call for the incorporation of CHatGPT into education.

Sidenote #4

See below for several articles that OPPOSE the call for the incorporation of CHatGPT into education.

Sidenote #5

According to a recent survey — commissioned by the Walton Family Foundation — asking 1000 K-12 teachers what they thought about CHatGPT:

  • Fifty-one% of the teachers said they use ChatGPT for school (which is way lower than the teachers I know).
  • Fifty-nine percent agreed that “ChatGPT will likely have legitimate educational uses that we cannot ignore,” while just 24% agreed that “ChatGPT will likely only be useful for students to cheat.” (That’s close to what I’m seeing)
  • Seventy-three percent said the use of CHatGPT can help their students learn more (also seems about right, for now).

It seems like teachers are warming up to the idea of using CHatGPT.

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Peter Paccone
Peter Paccone

Written by Peter Paccone

569 Followers
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Social studies teacher, tutor, book author, blogger, conference speaker, webinar host, ed-tech consultant, member of College Boards AI in AP Advisory Committee.

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