1. Warm Up
You will be given 5 minutes to complete the following: Read the passage titled, “The Kansas-Nebraska Act” on page 431. In your own words, describe the idea of popular sovereignty in a 5-7 sentence paragraph. What is your opinion on this proposal? Do you think this strategy will be more or less effective than the plan laid out in the Missouri Compromise? After 5 minutes, you will “turn and talk” to discuss your answers

2. Academic Vocabulary Word of the Day!!
Contrast What does this word mean? Who can use it in a sentence for us?

3. SWBAT understand why the Dred Scott case was important
Objective
SWBAT understand why the Dred Scott case was important

4. Does anyone know of any important court cases in the history of American that helped shape our country? (Turn and talk) Today we are going to be looking at a specific court case that influenced the course of our country.

5. Dred Scott was an enslaved African American bought by a doctor in Missouri, which was a slave state. In the 1830’s, the doctor moved with Scott to Illinois, which was a free state, then to the Wisconsin Territory. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 banned slavery there. Later the doctor returned with Scott to Missouri Using context clues, who can predict what the issue was that might cause a court case? (Turn and talk)

6. In 1846 anti slavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom
In 1846 anti slavery lawyers helped Scott sue for his freedom. Why would Scott believe he should be free? (Turn and talk)

7. Scott claimed he should be free since he had lived in areas where slavery was illegal. Eleven year later, the case reached the Supreme Court. As issue was Scott’s status, but the case also gave the Supreme Court a chance to rule on the issue of slavery itself. Why do you think it took so long for Scott’s case to reach the Supreme Court? Why did this case attract so much attention?

8. Guided Practice
As a class, we will popcorn read a passage titled “The Court Rules” (Page 435) and answer the following comprehension questions:
Paraphrase or summarize this passage in your own words
What impact did the Dred Scott decision have on abolishing slavery in the United States?

9. Independent Practice
Independently read a passage titled, “Reaction to the Decision” (Page 435) and answer the following comprehension questions:
How did the Republicans and other antislavery groups react?
Why did the Dred Scott decision say voters could not ban slavery?
What is your opinion on the decision? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

10. Group Work
You will receive images from newspapers announcing the Dred Scott decision on their front pages. (Page 435) Group 1-Is this a primary or secondary source? How do you know? Group 2-Summarize what these newspaper articles are showing Group 3-Do these images present a positive view of Scott? Explain your answer. Group 4-Create your own front page of a newspaper announcing the decision of the case.

11. Homework Write a 3-5 paragraph responding to the following:
Why was the Dred Scott case important?