Lesson Title: Day 1 Important Georgians

Grade and Subject: 8th Grade Social Studies

Date: 3/1/16

1. LESSON PLAN LEARNING OUTCOMES AND PROCEDURE

Essential
What did FDR do to help people suffering from the Great Depression?
Question(s) /
How did Richard Russell and Carl Vinson change Georgia
Central Focus
What is Eugene Talmadge known for?
Learning
Objective(s)

Instructional Strategies & Learning Tasks that Support

Diverse Student Needs

CCGPS or GPS
Standard(s)

Introduction to
Lesson

Body of
Lesson

Closure

Learning
Supports:
Differentiation,
Modification(s)
and

Students will be able to differentiate between Richard Russell and

Carl Vinson and their roles in Georgia.
Students will be able to explain Eugene Talmadges role in the
Cocking Affair.
Students will be able to explain how Richard Russell and Carl Vinson
setup Georgia to play a major role in World War II.

SS8H9 The student will describe the impact of World War

b. Evaluate the importance of Bell Aircraft, military bases, the
Savannah and Brunswick shipyards, Richard Russell, and Carl
Vinson.
We will begin the lesson by playing a competitive review game. I will pass out
day 1 important people handout and have students race to fill out the FDR
section. I will tell the class that the fastest class to complete the activity will
win a donut treat. As soon as a student claims to finish we will review the
correct answer as a group and move on to the rest of the activity.
(5 Minutes)
After we have reviewed the FDR section students will be instructed to read
day 1 Russell and Vinson Article and day 1 Eugene-Tallmadge-article with
their neighbors and complete the rest of the day 1 important people handout.
The handout is in the form of scattered notes which means that all of the key
points from each article are located on the bottom of the page and all the
students have to do is read each article and place the proper bullet in its full
format on the correct place.
(55 Minutes)
After students have completed the handouts as a class we will spend time
reviewing the answers as a class. Students will be instructed to ensure that
all of the bullets are in the right place. We will snake around the class and
allow for each student to read out the proper location of each bullet. We will
wrap up the class by discussing how Vinson and Russell were important
because they brought the tools to Georgia that allowed for them to participate
in the U.S. war efforts.
(10 minutes)
The articles are differentiated to meet the average Lexile score of the
class as a whole. By doing so we ensure that each student does not
find the information too easy.
Class will also work in preset pairs which will allow for students to
work in mixed ability groups that benefit each level or learner.

Accommodation(s)

Formal and
Informal
Assessment

While students work in groups I will walk around and clarify any
misunderstandings that might exist in the minds of the students.
The scattered notes activity is also created to allow for students to
practice understanding the difference between key points and other
non-important facts. The scattered notes activity also allows for all
students to understand the material and write quality notes.

Formal Assessment will occur at the end of the class when students are
sharing their answers and their learnings.
Informal Assessment will occur as students are working in their groups and I
am roaming around the class to ensure students are understanding the
material.

Academic
Language

2. RESOURCES
Language
Students will have to analyze the long lasting effects of Carl Vinson and
Functions
Richard Russells efforts to bring military bases to Georgia.
Vocabulary Students will have to read the handouts to have a proper understanding of
the material in this section.
Syntax or
Students will have to write and speak with proper sentence syntax in order to
Discourse
showcase their understanding of the material.
Materials
30 copies of day 1 important people handout
30 copies of day 1 Russell and Vinson article
30 copies of Day 1 Eugene-Talmadge-article
Technology
This lesson does not use any special learning technology. We will use
handouts and articles to teach students the skills necessary to organize and
work with multiple documents.

Russell & Vinson- Supporters of Strong Military

As America entered World War II, Georgia made several contributions to the effort. As it did in World
War I, Georgia supplied thousands of volunteers as well as military bases. This time, however,
Georgians contributed industrially with the construction of both airplanes in Marietta and ships in
Brunswick and Savannah. Before, during, and after the war, two Georgia political leaders, Richard B.
Russell and Carl Vinson helped the country prepare and continue to fight a long and difficult two front
war.
Richard Russell
Richard B. Russell Jr. (1897-1971) Born in Winder was Governor of
Georgia and U.S senator. He served in the senate for 38 years. Russell
was a graduate of UGA. After serving as a lawyer for a year, at the age of
23 he was one of the youngest people ever elected to the Georgia
General Assembly. In 1931, Russell was elected Governor of the state,
the youngest in the 20th century. Russells time as Governor was short;
however as Governor he reorganized the state government like a
successful business and created the Board of Regents of the University
System of Georgia. When Senator Harris died Russell was elected to fill
the vacated Senate seat. It was in the Senate where he made a name for
himself.
Serving on the Armed Services and Appropriations Committees, he
gained a great amount of influence on U.S. military policy. An advocate
for strong military during the 1930s. He helped the U.S. prepare to fight
in World War II. Russell was also influential in bringing 15 military bases
to Georgia, along with many other research facilities, such as the Centers
for Disease Control (CDC).
With all of Russells political accomplishments, he believed the National School Lunch Program was
the most important. Later he became known as the Father of the School Lunch Program
Note: Russell was also a segregationist who opposed many civil rights bills. Many argued that his
beliefs stopped him from becoming president.
Carl Vinson
Carl Vinson (1883-1981) is often quoted as saying The most
expensive thing in the world is a cheap Army and Navy. In his 51 years
in the U.S. House of Representatives (the longest in U.S. history), Vinson
made it his mission to make certain that the U.S. spent funds on both,
especially the Navy. The man known as the Father of the Two Ocean
Navy was born in Baldwin County, Georgia. After graduating from
Mercer University School of Law, he was elected to the Georgia General
Assembly in 1908. In 1912, he lost his seat, but was elected to the U.S.
House of Representatives. His biggest challenge in his 51 years in the
House came from Tom Watson in 1918, but for the most part Vinson ran
unopposed for much of his tenure. Vinson earned his nickname due to
his advocacy for a strong Navy during the 1920s and 1930s.
Like Richard Russell Vinson supported strengthening the U.S. military. However he was largely
ignored during the isolationist period of the 1920s. As war began to rage in both Europe and Asia, his
policies became more accepted, and the nation started preparing for war. During WWII Vinson was
able to pass a bill which eased labor restrictions in Georgias shipbuilding industry. This bill helped
many Georgians secure badly needed jobs during the depression. Vinson continued to be involved in
military matters all the way up until his retirement for Congress in 1964. Due to his hard work, Vinson
received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and had a U.S. nuclear powered aircraft carrier named
after him.
Note: Both Richard B. Russell and Carl Vinson were known for their work in support of national
defense.

Eugene Talmadge
Eugene
Talmadge was
one of
Georgias most
charismatic
and
controversial
politicians. He
lived from 1884 to 1946 and spent 20 of those years
in service to the government of Georgia. Because of
his personality and segregationist actions, many
voters in the state were divided into Talmadge and
anti-Talmadge groups. Some saw him as a political
hero. Others viewed him as a racist bully. State
government changed greatly when Talmadge
became governor. Talmadge was a conservative
white supremacist who did not like federal
government intervention or government debts. He
disliked relief efforts, public welfare, and federal
assistance programs.
Early Career: Talmadge began his career as
commissioner of agriculture. He was very popular
with farmers and people in rural areas. As
commissioner, he was accused of plotting to illegally
raise the price of hogs and for using government
money to take his family to the Kentucky Derby. The
Georgia legislature talked of impeachment and
threatened to sue him for misspending funds.
Despite the corruption allegations, he was still
elected Commissioner of Agriculture and later
governor in 1932.
The Governor: During Talmadges first two terms as
Governor he used an executive order to lower the
price of automobile tag registrations. (An executive
order is an act by a governor/president that does not
have to be approved by the legislature.) The state
legislature voted not to lower the tags price.
Talmadge overruled their decision with his executive
order. He then appointed new people to the Public
Service commission who would lower prices.
Talmadge was scrutinized again in 1934 when he
used martial law and ordered our national guard to
arrest those involved in Georgias worst textile strike
of the time.
Talmadge was also an outspoken enemy of
President Franklin D. Roosevelts (FDR) New Deal
programs. He especially did not agree with New Deal
programs that helped Africa- Americans. Talmadge
did what he could to keep New Deal out of Georgia.
He used the New Deal federal funds to build
highways instead of helping the unemployed.

However in his third term as governor he eased his

anti-Roosevelt views and accepted the New Deal
programs.
The Third Term: Because the law would not let him
run for governor three times in a row, Talmadge ran
for United States Senate in 1936 and 1938 and loss
to the incumbents. Talmadge was eligible to run for
governor again in 1940 and won his third term as
governor. This era of Talmadges governorship is
probably best remembered for what is called the
Cocking Affair. Walter Cocking was hired as the dean
of the College of Education at UGA to improve
academic standards, which he did. In May of 1941,
Talmadge met with the Board of Regents, (the
committee that regulates universities). Talmadge
accused Cocking of supporting racial integration.
Talmadges firm opposition to integration led to
Cocking being fired. The president of the university
heard about the incident and threatened to quit
unless Cocking was given a chance to defend himself
and save his job. Many other college professors
came out in support of Cocking. At a June meeting of
the Regents, Cocking was reappointed as the dean of
the College of Education. Talmadge was furious, so
he replaced members of the committee who
disagreed with him with people who agreed with his
views. When another vote was taken at a July
meeting of the Regents, Cocking was again voted out
of his job. This began a chain-event that seriously
damaged the states university system. Over the
next year, more than ten excellent educators were
fired. The Board of Regents became less powerful,
and academics began to have a low opinion of
Georgias universities. An investigation by the
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
declared that gross political interference had
damaged the states colleges and universities. As a
result, Talmadges interference led to the State of
Georgia losing its college accreditations. (Official
approval from the universities was taken away) This
disaster caused Talmadge to lose the next
gubernatorial election. In 1946, however, he was
elected governor for a fourth term. His victory was
largely due to his opposition to the Supreme Court
decision to allow black people to vote in primary
elections. He died before taking office, but his son
went on to serve in Georgias government for many
years. At the end of his career the Senate
denounced/condemned him for corruption; stealing
money from his supporters.

Notable Georgia Leaders from the Great Depression

Use Georgia and the American Experience pp. 391 401 to complete the matrix below
Complete the matrix
Georgia
Beliefs and Accomplishments
Leaders
o
Franklin

D.
Roosevelt
(also pg. 408)

o
o
o
o

Eugene
Talmadge

Richard
Russell

o
o
o
o
o
o

Carl
Vinson
(Pg. 410)

 Which of the people above more than likely worked closely to increase spending to
support a strong military during the early 1930s and 19040s? (cite evidence from text)M

Use the following to complete the Chart above

1. Known as the Father of a Two Ocean navy
2. paved the way for economic recovery during the Great Depression
3. placed textile mills under martial law during a strike
4. Eased labor restrictions in Georgia shipbuilding industry.
5. Created the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
6. Known for his work with National defense (Army)
7. The New Deal was his plan to end the Great Depression
8. Youngest Governor in the 20st Century
9. Passed the Rural Electrification Act because of his experience in Georgia.
10. Loss Georgias colleges accreditation, because he (AKA the Cocking Affair)-fired two
University administrators who supported integration
11. Father of the school lunch program
12. In 1932 was elected President of the U.S. (defeated Hoover)
13. Served 4 terms as Georgias governor
14. Reorganized state government like a business
15. Visited The Little White House in Warm Springs GA to ease his polio symptoms
16. Brought 15 military bases to Georgia
17. Spent 51 years in the U.S. House (longest in U.S. history)
18. Strong supporter of National defense (Navy)
19. Disliked the New Deal; especially those that helped African-American, but accepted
it in his 3rd term as Governor.