Painting of a large group of men dressed in 18th century clothing gathered in a meeting hall. Five men in the center present documents to a man seated behind a desk.
Declaration of Independence by John Trumbull, 1819.

Before History Is Written

History often reaches us as a finished story—cleaned up, organized and neatly presented. But before history is turned into a textbook chapter, a musical or a monument, it exists as something far messier: conversations, arguments, letters, silences and decisions made behind closed doors.

In this lesson, students will step into the role of a curator—someone who observes a historical moment, examines the evidence left behind and make intentional choices about how that moment is remembered and represented.

Using historical primary sources, students will analyze the language, perspectives and power dynamics of a specific moment in time. Like a fly on the wall, they will pay close attention: to what is said, to what is omitted, and to whose voices are present—or missing altogether. From these sources, students will create an original theatrical text that reflects their understanding of the historical context.

This work asks students to consider the following questions: Who shapes our understanding of history—and how does the way it is told influence our beliefs? How is history interpreted through theatre? How do artists create new works based on historical events?

In this lesson, students will examine how stories are constructed—and then practice doing it themselves, with intention and care.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Analyze historical primary sources to identify perspective, bias and power dynamics within a specific historical moment.
  • Synthesize language from multiple primary sources to construct an original theatrical representation of history.
  • Evaluate whose voices are centered, marginalized or absent in historical narratives and explain the impact of those choices.
  • Apply ensemble collaboration and performance techniques to communicate historical understanding through devised theatre.
  • Reflect on how historical narratives are constructed and how those constructions influence contemporary understanding of history and civic life.

Day 1: Creating the Scene

1. Introduction: From Source to Scene (2 minutes)

  • Say: History shows up all around us—in textbooks, in monuments and on stage. Those stories can feel finished or settled, but they usually leave out the moment before the story hardens. Before history becomes a chapter, a song, or a monument, it’s messy. It’s arguments, letters, careful conversations, and moments where people decide what to say—and what not to say. Today, we’re going to look at a moment while it’s still unfolding and explore how different sources shape the story we come to know.

2. Lesson: Getting started with Primary Sources (2 minutes)

  • Say: To start, we’re going to practice observing a moment closely. I’m going to show you an image. You’ll have two minutes for the activity. In the first minute, you will look closely and take in as many details as possible. In the second minute, you will write what you believe is happening. You may write a short paragraph or a few sentences. Don’t share yet—we’ll get there.
    • While students write, guide them with these questions (posted or spoken):
      • What details stand out?
      • Where do your eyes go to first?
      • What seems important here, even if its small?
      • Does anything feel unfinished or unresolved?
  • Ask students to turn to a partner and share some of what they noticed.
    • Remind them: This is about what you see and think—not about being right.
  • After they’ve shared with a partner, invite volunteers to share. Here are some helpful guiding questions and statements:
    • What makes you say that?
    • Where do you see that?
    • Why do you believe that?
    • Where in the image do you see that happening?
    • What more can you find?
    • I’m hearing ___ build on ___
  • Say: Now we’re going to look at another kind of source from a similar moment—letters written before a duel. Unlike the image, these were not meant to be seen by the public. They are careful, controlled and private.
  • Distribute or project excerpts from the Burr–Hamilton correspondence (Library of Congress). Give students 2–3 minutes to read silently.
    • As students read, prompt them to jot notes responding to:
      • What words or phrases stand out to you?
      • How does the tone compare to the image?
      • What feels restrained or indirect?
      • What tensions remain unresolved?
    • Ask students to turn to a partner and share what they noticed in the letters.
    • Invite volunteers to share with the class, using prompts such as:
      • What makes you say that?
      • Where do you see that in the text?
      • What do these letters avoid saying?
      • What do you think the writers are trying to control?
  • Say: Long after moments like these pass, they are often retold. Sometimes through history books. Sometimes through art. Sometimes through music. Each retelling makes choices about tone, focus, and emotion.
  • Introduce the Hamilton song “Your Obedient Servant”. Explain that the song is a reconstruction—it uses rhythm, repetition and emotion to shape how the moment is remembered.
    • Ask students to reflect briefly (think–pair–share or whole group):
      • How does the creator’s point of view shape what we understand about this moment?
      • What feels emphasized in the song compared to the image or letters?
      • What feels minimized, simplified or left out?
      • How does emotion change how we experience the event?
      • What responsibilities do artists or storytellers have when retelling history?

3. Journal Activity: IT’S MY OPINION!!! (Writing from the student’s perspective) (10 minutes)

  • Say: Writers and historians make choices about who is telling the story, and those choices shape how a moment in time is understood. You will write a journal entry from the perspective of anyone or anything connected to the moment shown in the image and primary source.
    • Possible perspectives include:
      • A person visible in the image
      • Someone present but outside the frame
      • A fly on the wall
      • An object or element in the environment (a chair, the floor, a doorway, the sky)
  • Emphasize expectations: The goal is not to invent events, but to interpret the moment through a chosen perspective.
    • Grounding in evidence:
      • Details from the image (position, expression, setting, relationships)
      • Language from the primary source
      • What appears unfinished, tense or unresolved
  • Model briefly: Read or project a short example sentence (teacher-created), such as:
    • “I sit against the wall, watching men speak in careful tones, their words circling the decision they won’t name yet.”
    • Give students 8–10 minutes to write a journal entry (one paragraph or more) from their chosen perspective, reminding them to reference specific details from the image and source.
  • Ask for student volunteers to read their journal entries.

4. Exit Ticket: In the future… (5 minutes)

  • If a student in the future came across an image of you or something you wrote, what story do you think it would tell about you?

Day 2: Raising the Stakes (Conflict, Perspective, and Escalation)

1. Mini Lesson: Let’s talk about conflict and escalation. Let’s talk about you and me (15 minutes)

  • On the board, write the word conflict and its definition: “A form of communication that happens when two people want different things.” Have the students write down all of the ways in which we can create conflict.
    • Say: Conflict isn’t always yelling, fighting or violence. Most conflict is quiet. It’s tension. It’s what goes unsaid. It’s people wanting different things in the same moment and not knowing how—or being unwilling—to give way. In theatre—and in history—conflict is what creates scenes. What are some different ways conflict can show up between people?
    • Under the definition, draw a line or spectrum on the board:
      • Small / Everyday ————————— Life-Changing / Historical
      • Say: Conflict can be small, like a parent forgetting to wake you up in the morning, or life-changing, like what happened between Burr and Hamilton. Let’s build this scale together.
      • Ask students:
        • What’s an example of a small conflict?
        • What’s a medium conflict?
        • What’s a large conflict?
          • As students respond, write their examples along the spectrum.
      • Then ask:
        • What do you notice?
        • How do small conflicts turn into big ones?
    • Circle two or three student examples on the board.
      • Say: In theatre—and in history—conflict isn’t just about what happened. It’s about what people wanted that led them to take certain actions.
        • Then ask, for one example:
          • What did Person A want?
          • What did Person B want?
          • Why couldn’t they both get it?
        • Say: The moment two wants collide, you have a scene. When we study historical moments, we’re often given the outcome.
          What we don’t always get are the conflicts that led there—the disagreements, the pressure, the conversations that didn’t make it into the textbook. Today, your job is to step into one of those moments and ask: Who wanted what? And what happened when those wants couldn’t all be satisfied?

2. Lesson: Filling in the pieces (30 minutes)

  • Say: Yesterday, you acted as observers—curators, studying primary sources and writing from a specific perspective. Today, you will act as theatre-makers, using that evidence to construct a scene that could have existed inside that historical moment. This is not about recreating history word-for-word. It’s about using evidence to imagine the conversations, conflicts and decisions that history leaves behind. In your groups, you will create a short dramatic scene based on the primary sources and journal entries you’ve already written.
    • Write or project these non-negotiables:
      • 2–4 characters
      • At least one page of dialogue
      • Each character must want something
      • At least one character does not get what they want
      • Every choice must be grounded in evidence
        • (language, relationships, power dynamics or details from the sources)
    • Say: If you can’t point to the source that inspired a moment in your scene, then do not include it.
  • Help them scaffold the moment:
    • Choose the Moment
      • When this scene takes place
      • Why this moment matters
      • What is unfinished or unresolved in the source
    • Define Wants
      • What does each character want?
      • Who has power?
      • Who doesn’t?
    • Step 3: Write the Scene
      • Dialogue-driven
      • Actions included
      • Let the conflict build—don’t resolve it too neatly

3. Exit Ticket: To infinity… (5 minutes)

  • Imagine someone 20 years in the future discovers the scene your group created today. What might they believe about this historical moment—and what questions might they have.

Day 3: the Finale (Sharing of students work)

1. Lesson continuation: Students finish their work (20 minutes)

  • Say: Today is not about adding more lines. It’s about sharpening the choices you’ve already made. As you finish your scenes, ask yourselves:
    • Whose perspective is centered?
    • Where is the conflict most alive?
    • What choice are we making about how this moment is remembered?

2. Presentations: (25 minutes)

  • Students will present their scenes

3. Exit Ticket: (5 minutes)

  • After creating and watching these scenes, how do you, now, believe history is shaped—and who has the power to shape it?

Grade Level: adaptable (6 to 12)

Curriculum Connections:

  • Language Arts: Primary Source Analysis, Textual Evidence, Narrative Construction, Oral Presentation, Perspective and Bias Analysis
  • Theatre/Drama: Devised Theatre, Ensemble Collaboration, Performance Techniques, Spatial Storytelling, Dramatic Interpretation
  • Social Studies/History: Historical Inquiry, Use of Primary Sources, Power and Perspective, Democratic Decision-Making, Historical Context

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