Objective: 

Students will analyze the Ordinances of 1785 and 1787, focusing on how these laws transferred federal land to private ownership, and connect these historical practices to modern considerations about the tradeoffs between public and private data collection in land use and personal information.

Materials Needed: 

• Large printed map of early U.S. territories

• Post-it notes

• Markers

• Scenario cards on privacy and data collection (e.g., public land mapping vs. private land records).

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore the Ordinances of 1785 and 1787 and their impact on the development of American land ownership. 

  • Discuss how the federal government’s decision to privatize land affected expansion and local economies.

• Group Activity: 

  • Divide students into small groups. 

  • Using a map of U.S. territories, have each group draw boundary lines on specific areas to simulate the division of federal land into private parcels, townships, and states as set by the ordinances.

• Privacy Scenario Discussion: 

  • Provide scenario cards related to modern privacy issues, such as public land surveys versus private property records, and ask students to discuss whether they would choose to make certain types of information public or keep it private, considering the pros and cons.

• Class Discussion: 

  • Facilitate a discussion on the tradeoffs of privacy in data collection, comparing the privatization of physical land in early America with how data is managed and protected today.

Equity and Access: 

Provide simplified maps and boundary examples for students who may need additional support with visualizing territorial divisions.

Real-World Application: 

Connect this lesson to modern issues in digital privacy, such as how personal data is bought and sold by corporations, similar to how land was privatized.

CS Practice(s): 

• Communicating about Computing: Students discuss and communicate the impact of public vs. private data collection, drawing parallels between land privatization and data privacy concerns.

Standard(s): 

• CA HSS 8.3.2 

• CA CS 6-8.IC.24

Objective: 

Students will explore how Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton’s ideological conflicts led to the emergence of political parties. They will create simulated social media profiles to represent each figure’s views on topics like foreign policy, national debt, and the National Bank, and analyze privacy concerns when sharing personal opinions and data online.

Materials Needed: 

• Computers or tablets

• Access to a slideshow or document editor (e.g., Google Slides)

• Sample social media templates.

Steps:

• Introduction: 

  • Students explore the key disagreements between Jefferson and Hamilton, emphasizing how their views on issues such as the National Bank and foreign alliances led to the formation of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties, and linking this open debate to free speech rights in the U.S.

• Creating Profiles: 

  • Assign students to work in pairs to create a “social media profile” for Jefferson or Hamilton. 

  • They will include posts expressing their assigned figure’s views on current issues, policies, and debates from their perspective. 

  • Remind students to consider how much information they want to make "public" on these profiles.

• Privacy Reflection: 

  • After creating profiles, discuss the risks and benefits of sharing political views online, and how public information can lead to social influence or conflicts. 

  • Highlight how privacy choices on social media reflect broader concerns of security and influence.

• Presentation and Discussion: 

  • Have students present their profiles to the class, discussing how each figure’s ideas shaped early American politics and how these conversations are still relevant today.

Equity and Access: 

Offer templates with pre-written social media posts or prompts for students who may struggle with historical content or digital design.

Real-World Application: 

Discuss how modern political figures use social media to influence public opinion, exploring the benefits and risks of digital transparency in politics.

CS Practice(s): 

• Fostering an Inclusive Computing Culture: Students consider respectful ways to represent differing viewpoints in their profiles while balancing transparency and privacy.

Standard(s): 

• CA HSS 8.3.4

• CA CS 6-8.IC.24