Teacher Materials 

• Vocabulary Cards 
• Lesson Slide Deck 
• Lesson Teacher Resources 
• Lesson Rubrics 
• Lesson Video

Student Handouts  

• Handout A: Vocabulary Word Study 
• Handout B: Political Cartoon Analysis 
• Handout C: Lesson Reading 
• Handout D: Articles of Confederation Primary Source 
• Handout E: Founder Research
• Handout F: Lesson Student Self-assessment 
• Handout G: Articles of Confederation Visual Guide 
• Handout H: Monologue Peer-review 
• Explore #3 Partner Cards  

 

This lesson is designed around inquiry questions. There is one essential question, and several guiding questions around which the content is based. The lesson takes place in 5 stages:  

• Anticipate- Students build background knowledge needed to be successful in the lesson. 
• Engage- Students are ‘hooked” into the lesson. 
• Explore- Students grapple with the main content of the unit (usually 2-3 parts). 
• Assess- Students demonstrate their knowledge through a performance assessment. 
• Reflect- Students reflect on their learning in the lesson. 
• The sections below provide a brief overview of the unit’s structure. It offers a snapshot of the organization and flow of the entire unit. 

The following detailed sections break down the five stages of the lesson. Each stage is discussed thoroughly with actionable steps to guide you through the teaching process effectively. 

Anticipate

Vocabulary Word Study

To anticipate the lesson, invite students to conduct a word study to understand the civic virtue focus of the lesson responsibility and the principle focus of the lesson consent of the governed. This knowledge will enable students to build on this common knowledge throughout the lesson. 

• Glossary term(s): term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Responsibility 
  • Consent of the Governed 

To begin, provide each student with two copies of Handout A: Vocabulary Word Study, pencils, coloring utensils, and dictionaries or devices for research. Then provide students with an adequate time to complete, approximately 5-10 minutes, or assign for homework.  

When time has elapsed or students have completed Handout A, review with students by asking 1-3 students to share their writing for each section of the organizer.  

Optional: When students complete the organizer, review the definitions and illustrations from the Vocabulary Cards 

Finally, lead a whole group discussion inviting students to answer the discussion questions aloud.  

• How do adults encourage you to be responsible in your own life? Consider both home and school. 
• How does behaving responsibly affect your relationships with your friends? 
• Let’s discuss what is meant by the “laws of nature”. How does nature work and how does that connect to consent of the governed?  
• How are responsibility and consent of the governed related? 

Before moving on to the next part of the lesson, tell students: “We will be thinking a lot about responsibility and consent of the governed in this lesson. At the end of the lesson, you will participate in a class “wax-museum” where you will pretend to be a speaking statue of a historical figure. The information you share about them will focus on their responsibility. Be sure to keep these ideas in mind as we move through the lesson and ask any questions you have along the way.” 

Engage

Political Cartoon Analysis

In this section of the lesson, students will explore primary source political cartoons. Through guided exploration, students will begin to understand American’s opinions of the government during the Revolutionary War period. This will pique their interest, build prior-knowledge, and prepare them for learning more in the explore sections. 

• Glossary term(s):  term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Exaggeration 
  • Political Cartoon 
  • Interpretation 
  • Consent of the Governed 
  • Responsibility 

 This activity is written for you to lead, or model, students through each step of analyzing a political cartoon beginning by looking for items and people, identifying exaggerations in the cartoon, and then drawing conclusions to interpret the cartoon. This structured approach leads students from literal thinking to complex conceptual thinking.   

Scaffolding note: Your students may need less scaffolding, or you may need this activity to take less time. In these cases, consider leading the students through identifying items and people, exaggerations, and interpretations of one cartoon, examining another cartoon together, and then allowing them to analyze the last on their own. 

 Political cartoons for this activity: 

• The horse America throwing his master 
• Poor old England  

Identifying Items and People 

To begin, students will need to view the political cartoons. You can project them from the lesson 4 teacher slide deck or print student copies.  

Look at the cartoons together, noticing items and people in the images.  

Sample items and people: 

• The horse America throwing his master: a horse, a rider who looks like a king, a man in the background holding a flag, a pole with many weapons attached to the end, the ground, bushes, rocks etc. 
• Poor old England: a old looking man with a peg leg, a crutch, a whip, uniforms, many different hats, a group of younger looking men with stings attached to their noses, the Atlantic ocean, etc. 

Identify Exaggerations 

Next, students will need Handout B: Political Cartoon Analysis to record their thoughts. Share with students that one of the key differences between political cartoons and other cartoons is that political cartoons use exaggerations. They show extremes to make a point.  

Look at the political cartoons again and this time discuss what aspect of the cartoon is exaggerated. 

Sample exaggerations:

• The horse America throwing his master: the horse is not a horse, it’s a place. The pole is not a real weapon and probably wouldn’t work very well.  
• Poor old England: the old man has a very large nose, the young men are doing rowdy things like shooting spitballs and showing their bottoms, the Atlantic Ocean is shown as very small.

Interpreting  

Then, utilize an “I do, we do, you do” structure to draw conclusions about the meaning of each political cartoon. Choose a cartoon to interpret aloud for students. Then ask students to assist you in analyzing the next cartoon. Finally, have students interpret the last cartoon on their own or in small groups.  

Sample interpretations: 

• The horse America throwing his master: The American colonies are the horse throwing their rider, the King of England. The weapon shows all of the military “tools” the King has at his disposal. It shows America is “throwing off” the rule of England. The American colonies, the horse, want to be independent and rule themselves. 
• Poor old England: The American colonies are the children. The old man is England, and he is trying to get his children to behave properly. It shows America, the children, as rebelling against its parent, England. 

Wrap-up 

Finally, wrap up the activity with a classroom discussion. Interpreting political cartoons is an advanced skill and students will need a lot of support in this discussion. Be prepared to prompt students beyond the questions listed. These questions are also on Handout B so students can make notes or submit written answers after discussion. 

Discussion Questions: 

1. What are the cartoons saying about what the colonists were trying to do? Why do you think this? Give a specific example from the cartoons to support your answer. 
2. What are the cartoons saying about England? Why do you think this? Give a specific example from the cartoons to support your answer. 
3. Consent of the Governed is the idea that power comes from the people. Which cartoon’s artist do you think believed in this idea most strongly? Why? 
4. Responsibility is Acting on good judgment about what is right or wrong even when it’s not popular. How might the leaders of America and England see the responsibility of government differently? 

Explore 

In this part of the lesson, students will discover how the newly formed United States of America formed its first constitution. First, students will view the Articles of Confederation and investigate the purposes for creating it. Then, students will consider the Founders who created the document. Finally, students will investigate the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and why the Founders ultimately decided it was too weak. Each part of the lesson will build the skills needed to participate in the summative assessment, during which students will participate in a classroom wax museum.  

Explore Part 1: What responsibilities did the Founders assign to the national government under the Articles of Confederation? (45-60 mins.)

In this activity, students will read the lesson text and/or watch the lesson video. Students will understand why America needed a new government after the American Revolution and what type of government the Founders set out to create. Then, students will investigate excerpts and a visual overview of the Articles of Confederation. Finally, students will use what they learned to write a summary of this era from the perspective of someone alive during the time. 

• Glossary term(s):  term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Responsibility 
  • Consent of the Governed 
  • Confederacy  
  • Tyranny 

Primary Source Investigation 

To begin, place students in groups to read Handout C: Lesson Reading. For more information on methods of reading you can utilize for this activity, check out the teacher support document.

Scaffolding note: To improve understanding, consider pausing at various points during the reading to engage students in a brief discussion.  You might instruct the groups to read one paragraph at a time, then discuss with comprehension questions such as:  

1. How can you summarize this paragraph in your own words?
2. How does this paragraph relate to what you already know? 
3. What does this section remind you of?

Then, provide each student with a copy of the Handout D: Articles of Confederation Primary Source and Handout G: Articles of Confederation Visual Guide. Additionally, make a photograph of the document available to students by displaying it on the classroom board or printing copies for students. 

• Motion to the Articles of Confederation photo and explain to students that this is what the primary source looks like.  
• Guide students through reading and examining the Visual Articles of Confederation. Explain that this document describes what the Articles of Confederation says. 
• Instruct students to complete Handout D. Clarify that this activity will enable them to see the Articles of Confederation in its original words.  

 Discussion Questions: 

1. What words are visible on the Articles of Confederation picture? 
2. How does this document remind you of the Declaration of Independence? 
3. Using the visual Articles, make a list of the powers the Founders assigned to the national government. What powers were reserved for the states?  
4. Remembering back to our Engage activity, what connections do you see between the political cartoons and the kind of government that the Founders created? 

Scaffolding note: The Handout D may be best completed together as a class in stages. For younger students or those requiring additional support, forming groups with proficient readers can be beneficial. Alternatively, you can skip the Primary Source and use only the visual Articles and the picture.  

Formative Performance: Perspective Taking Writing Task

In this formative assessment task, students will practice writing and perspective taking skills by writing a 3-4 sentence paragraph in another person’s point of view. This assessment will build skills needed to write a monologue in the final summative assessment.  

 To begin, read a simple story like a fairy tale or nursery rhyme from your school or classroom library. Just about any story works for this activity!  

Then, ask a few students to re-tell the story from the point of view of another character.  

• For example, Read The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss and tell the story from the perspective of Thing 1 and Thing 2, or read Knuffle Bunny by Mo Williems and tell the story from the perspective of the bunny.  
• Teacher note: You can read a book that showcases multiple perspectives.  
• A Tale of Two Beasts by Fiona Roberton 
• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka 

Finally, tell students that, they will be writing from the perspective of an American alive during the period after the American Revolution. The person could a be a Founder, like Benajamin Franklin or an imagined person. Their writing will be 3-4 sentences long and explain the Articles of Confederation, from the perspective of their assigned character.  This is a good time to review your expectations and the rubric so students can align their work. 

To begin the writing assignment, distribute pieces of lined writing paper. Ask students to choose who they will write as and note their role on the top line. This will be the perspective they are writing from. Then, ask students to imagine they are this person. What does this person think about the Articles of Confederation? How would they explain it? Were they involved in the creation? If there is no clear answer, encourage students to be creative! 

Scaffolding note: It can help to give students needing more support assigned roles and sentence stems to being their writing: 

• Role Name Ideas: Caroline- seamstress, Hannah- tavern waitress, Abigail wife of a politician, Katherine- lives on a farm, Henry- blacksmith, William- sailor, John- store owner, George- member of Congress  
• Sentence stems:  
  • “Our new government is very interesting…” 
  • “I just heard from a neighbor that we have a new government…” 
  • “I’m not sure I agree with this new Articles of Confederation…” 
• Paragraph support: 
  • Sentence 1: Tell what your person think about the articles. 
  • Sentence 2: Give one reason why they feel that way. 
  • Sentence 3: Closing sentence 

Allow students 5-10 minutes to write their piece, then quickly (or during class or the next day) evaluate students sentences using the 1-point rubric provided so students can improve their writing skills leading up to the summative assessment.  

Teacher note: A student self-assessment rubric has also been provided. Allowing students to evaluate their own work can be a powerful tool for academic growth. If time allows, students can evaluate themselves and/or receive feedback from the teacher.  

Teacher 1-point Rubric:  

Evidence of Mastery	Expectations	Room for Growth
	Organization  Writing has a clear message and can be understood easily.
	Content: Writing is historically and factually accurate.
	Perspective Taking: Writing is from the point of view of another person.
	Writing Quality: Writing is neat and easy to read. It uses capital letters and periods in all sentences.

 

Student Self-Evaluation Rubric:  

	3	2	1
Organization	My writing has a clear message, and my reader can understand easily.	My writing isn’t always clear to my reader.	My writing is very unclear to my reader.
Content	My writing is historically accurate because I used good sources.	My writing is mostly accurate or reasonable.	My writing is not accurate or reasonable.
Perspective Taking	My writing is written from the point of view of another person.	My writing is sometimes from the perspective of another person.	My writing isn’t from another person’s perspective.
Writing Quality	My writing is neat and easy to read. I used capital letters and periods in all my sentences.	My writing is readable, but I didn’t do my best. I used capital letters and periods in most sentences.	My writing is very messy and hard to read. My writing is missing many capital letters and periods.

Explore Part 2: Who was involved in the creation of the Articles of Confederation? (45-60 mins.)

In this explore activity, students will investigate the Founders who authored the Articles of Confederation to understand their goals. The students will focus their investigation on how the Founders attempted to create a limited government with the consent of the governed. Then students will do research on an American Founder to build skills they will need for the summative assessment.  

• Glossary term(s):  term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Responsibility 
  • Consent of the Governed 
  • Articles of Confederation 

Class Discussion

To begin, assign students to groups. Ask students to define consent of the governed and responsibility. They can use the definitions from the Lesson 4 vocabulary cards or write the definition in their own words. Ask the students to keep the definitions in their work area so that they can refer back to them. 

• Teacher note: If you completed the anticipate activity, you can omit this step and have students get out their completed Handout A. 

Then, watch the Lesson video as a class. Together with your students, create a t-chart on poster paper or the board. Label one side of the t-chart responsibility, label the other side consent of the governed. Ask students to find evidence for the civic virtue and founding principle from the video.  

 Example: 

Responsibility	Consent of the Governed
The Founders had a responsibility to create a government different than England’s.  The Founders had a responsibility to respect the principles of equality and natural rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence.   The Founders had a responsibility to create a government based on consent.  The Founders had a responsibility to respect the states.	The Articles had to be approved by all 13 states to become the official law.  State legislatures chose their delegates to congress.  State legislatures chose their delegates

 

Discuss with the class how the Founders attempted to create a government in which the citizens were respected and had a voice. After the American Revolution of Independence from Britain, it was their duty or responsibility to create a new government that embodied the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.  

Read aloud this quote from the Declaration: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.–That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” 

Lastly, display this list of some signers of the Articles of Confederation:  

• Roger Sherman 
• Robert Morris 
• Thomas McKean 
• John Hancock 
• Samuel Adams 
• Richard Henry Lee 

Tell students that these are some of the individuals who signed their name to the Articles of Confederation and next we will learn more about them. 

Assign or allow students to choose their subject for research in the formative performance task.  

Formative Performance: Articles Signers Research 

In this formative assessment task, students use what they have learned in Explore Part 2 to practice the skill of researching. Students will choose or be assigned an American Founder. Then they will complete Handout E: American Founders Research.  

Before the lesson, prepare websites and books for research for students to use. Be sure the resources you provide to students meet your school or districts media guidelines if applicable. 

To begin, define the word “biography” with students.  

• A biography is the story of a real person’s life. They are common stories that can be very inspiring. 
• Ask: Have you ever read a biography? Have you ever watched a biography show or movie? 
• Allow students to share examples of biographies they have read or seen. 

 Next, tell students that they are going to be writing a biography later in this lesson, but for today they will be focusing on how to research for a biography. Hand out copies of the Handout E to each student.  

• Review your expectations for students in each section.  
• Review choosing online sources with your students before researching online. Teach students to ask: 
• Does my information come from a well-known source?  
• Do multiple places say the same thing?  
• Is it a fact or an opinion?
• Take some time to check students work for accuracy and verify that students are using trustworthy sources in their research.
• Try to give students feedback in real-time or in writing as soon as possible.  

Teacher note: This can also be assigned for homework and may be a good way to support family engagement.  

 When students complete their research, allow them to share with the class in a quick round of “speed dating”.  

• Set up two opposing sets of chairs assigning one row to scoot, and the other to stay.  
• Set a timer for 30 seconds and allow each pair to share who they researched and 1-3 facts.  
• When the time goes off, have the scoot row move down so each student has a new partner.  
• Repeat until the scoot row returns to their original seat.  

Scaffolding note: To challenge students or dive deeper into a particular founder, check out these resources from Bill of Rights Insitute’s Founders and the Constitution curriculum. 

 

Explore Part 3: What were the limits and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? (30-45 mins.)

In this section of the lesson, students will look closely at the limits and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation to understand the calls for a stronger central government, especially in the wake of Shay’s Rebellion. Then students will use what they have learned to write a monologue, building skills they will need for the summative assessment.  

• Glossary term(s):  term(s) that can be used during this part of the lesson for pre-teach opportunities: 
  • Rebellion 
  • Articles of Confederation 
  • Revision 

Gallery Walk

Before the lesson, create your class set of partner cards. The partner cards will serve both as a random grouping strategy and topic assignment. Print, cut, and store the cards in a hat.   

To begin, walk around the room and allow each student to pull a piece of paper from the hat. Then have students find their partner by finding the student with the same weakness of the Articles as they have. Then distribute a piece of poster paper and art materials to each pair.  

Ask students to create a simple poster displaying their assigned weakness of the Articles of Confederation and a drawing that conveys what it means. You may want to allow students a device for research. Give students 5-15 minutes to create their posters depending on the class time you have available.  

When time has expired, allow the students to walk around the room with their partner viewing the other weaknesses and limits of the Articles of Confederation.  

Leave these posters around the room and transition students back to their seats to begin the formative performance task. 

Formative Performance: Writing and Sharing a Monologue 

In this formative assessment, students will use what they learned to write a paragraph of 2-3 sentences in the style of a monologue. Then, students will read their monologue to a peer practicing speaking skills, like, speaking clearly at an understandable pace and using formal English in appropriate tasks and settings.  

To begin, define a monologue for students.  

• Say: “A monologue is a speech given by one character in a play or movie. So, in a way, it’s like a short, one person play!”

Next, explain to students that they will be using what they have learned about the limits and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation to write a monologue and then practice reading it to their peers. 

Ask students to write 2-3 sentences on a piece of paper explaining the limits and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation in their own words, from their own point of view. They can make it serious, silly, explanatory, or persuasive, let them be creative and show their personality. 

Next, give students a few minutes to practice their monologue and get it just the way they want it. This is a good time to have students practice their pace and speaking clearly. 

Finally, pair students and give each student a Handout H: Monologue Peer-Review. Give 5-10 minutes for students to read their monologues to each other and record their thoughts on the top section of the review page. If students are reviewing their peers, allow them to give their pages to each other and explain their notes. Then have students review themselves at the bottom portion of the page and set goals for their next speaking task. 

Assess

Living History “Wax” Museum

In the summative performance assessment for lesson 4, students research an American Founder focusing on responsibility. Then, they will create and present a biography monologue of the Founder’s story in a class “wax-museum.”   

 To begin, return to the research of an American Founder students completed in Explore #2.  If you would like to save time in this step, use the research students completed in that step. If you are completing this summative assessment separately from the rest of the lesson or would like to invite students to research someone new, use the research worksheet Handout E. 

Some options for biography research: 

• Benjamin Franklin 
• James Madison 
• Thomas Jefferson 
• Henry Lee 
• John Jay 
• Alexander Hamilton 
• John Dickinson 
• Samuel Adams 
• John Hancock 
• Richard Henry Lee 
• Robert Morris 
• Roger Sherman
• Charles Pinckney 
• Thomas McKean 
• Robert Livingston 
• Elbridge Gerry 

Teacher note: Be sure to address that Founders listed may not have had any role in the Articles of Confederation. Direct students to highlight responsibility in their historical figure’s lives instead. If you want more options for more students or representation of diverse groups in your class wax museum, add historical figures from your local area or use the character cards from Lesson 2. Allow students to highlight responsibility in their historical figure’s lives. 

Next, students write their biography in first person, they should take the perspective of the historical figure they researched. This will become the monologue they speak at the classroom wax museum.  

You can use scaffolding supports like providing sentence stems to support students who need help getting started.  

• My name is ________. I was born in _____. I am best known for ________, etc. Modify the sentence stems to reflect the information you would like students in your class to focus on. 
• You may want to reference the rubric used to evaluate their work (below) now, highlighting the expectations for mentioning responsibility, and role in the Articles of Confederation. Not all Founders were involved in the creation of the Articles.  

Finally, students plan their pose, costume or props, and a “button” which will be used during the Wax Museum Day to start a monologue. The pose, props, and button should reflect their chosen historical character and accompany the monologue biography from the point of view of the historical figure that students have written. 

• In classrooms where props and costumes are cost prohibitive, students can create props from art materials (this might be a cross-curricular opportunity with your art teacher), create a digital “prop board” with a laptop or tablet, or this may be omitted entirely.  

On the Wax Museum Day, teachers can invite parents, students from other grades/classes, administrators and community members to view the museum. Students wait in their poses until a visitor or classmate presses their button, and then they deliver their monologue. Students can be required to memorize their monologue or carry note cards.  

Scaffolding note: For students with limited speech abilities, intense shyness, or other speaking concerns, use technology like a tape recorder, voice notes app, or video camera to record the student’s voice speaking their monologue. Then when a visitor presses their button, allow the student to act out a scene while their monologue plays. Alternatively, speech-to-text AI may also be used. Students will still gain the experience of doing research, writing monologues, and standing in front of a group.  

 Teacher note: If it is not possible to have a day dedicated to bringing in visitors, students could be recorded, and videos could be put together to be viewed. This could be another way to cross-curricular plan, perhaps with high school technology classes if available. This would also allow students in the same class to see each other’s work.  

Rubric:

Evidence of Mastery	Expectations	Room for Growth
	The figure’s role in the Articles of Confederation is clear
	The monologue is clearly a biography
	Information is well-researched and factual
	The responsibility of the figure is clear in the monologue
	The written monologue features an appropriate historical figure
	The written piece is an appropriate length for a 30 second monologue
	Pose, button, Costume, and props are supplied and thoughtfully chosen

Reflect

In the final activity of the lesson, students complete a self-assessment to reflect on their growth and learning during the lesson. Then students synthesize and reflect on their understanding of a historical topic by creating a memory map, visually organizing key concepts, events, and figures they have studied. This activity helps students develop a deeper understanding of historical relationships and enhances their recall skills through visual learning and creative expression.  

Self-Assessment

To begin, distribute Handout F: Lesson 4 Student Self-Assessment Handout.

Hanout F prompts students to reflect on their learning using the lesson objectives and primary question. The student reflection is designed to flex to fit your classroom. Be sure to give students the scale they will use to assess themselves. Stars, number scales, written responses, and sketches all work well. 

Students can complete Handout F individually or with prompts from the teacher. However you choose to facilitate the student reflection, be sure that each student has their own paper and time to reflect independently so that the activity is a true self-reflection.  

Scaffolding note: It can be helpful to model with a think-aloud the first time students are self-reflecting. To use a think-aloud in your classroom, plan ahead. Before the activity, identify places in the handout that students may struggle. Then while assigning the activity, review the handout and stop in those places. Model for students how they might support themselves. For instance, a teacher may choose to stop on an unfamiliar vocabulary word to define it. Additionally, teachers may read a complex sentence, stop, acknowledge the complexity, and re-read it for more clarity.  

Memory Maps

When students have completed their self-reflection, transition to the memory map activity. Students will need large sheets of paper (one per student or group, depending on preference); Colored markers, pencils, and crayons;  

Rulers (optional, for those who wish to create more structured diagrams) 

Begin by explaining the concept of a memory map: a visual representation of key information, structured in a way that helps the creator remember and understand the material. Unlike traditional maps, memory maps are personalized and may include images, words, arrows, and symbols that connect ideas logically or chronologically. 

Next, recap the historical topic that the memory map will cover. For this lesson, students learned about Shay’s rebellion, the second continental congress, and the Articles of Confederation. Highlight major events, significant figures, and critical concepts to ensure these elements are fresh in the students’ minds before they start their maps. 

Instruct students to design the memory maps.  

• Step 1: Ask students to list out major events, ideas, and people on a separate piece of paper. Encourage them to use their resources or notes as a reference to ensure accuracy and completeness. 
• Step 2: Have students think about how these elements are interconnected. They should consider cause and effect, chronological relationships, and thematic links. 
• Step 3: Students begin creating their memory maps on the large sheets of paper. They should start by placing the most significant or central concept/event/person in the middle or at the top of the page and then branching out from there. 
• Step 4: Encourage students to add symbols (e.g., responsibility represented by hands, consent of the governed represented by two stick figures saying ”yes”), make illustrations, and use different colors to represent different types of information (e.g., red for conflict, green for progress). 

As they work, encourage students to think about why they place items in certain positions and how the overall layout helps explain the historical narrative. 

After completing their maps, have students present their memory maps to the class or in small groups. Each student or group should explain why they arranged the map the way they did and what they believe are the most crucial connections. Encourage feedback from peers, focusing on clarity of the presentation and the effectiveness of the memory aids used in the map. 

Wrap up by discussing how this activity might help them remember historical facts and concepts. Collect the maps so they can be displayed in the classroom, or let students keep them as study aids.