Student Resources

•  Anticipate Moderation/Immoderation Organizer 
• Huey Long and Immoderation (extremism) Narrative
• Virtue in Action Handout

Teacher Resources

• Analysis Questions 
• Virtue in Action  
• Journal Activity
• Sources for Further Reading  
• Virtue Across the Curriculum 

• Immoderation (extremism): Acting in excess or to an extreme. Lacking restraint. 
• Moderation: the avoidance of excess of extremes.  
• Demagogue: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational arguments. 
• Parish: The state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which are analogous to counties in other states. There are various forms of government being used within the parishes. Explore the links below to learn more about each parish. 
• Patronage: In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory. 

Procedures 

• The following lesson asks students to consider the vice of immoderation.  
• Students will engage with the story of Huey Long as a warning against immoderation as they consider the questions: Why is moderation important in a civil society? In leadership? In the general public? 
• During the 1920s and Great Depression, Huey Long found a receptive audience for his populist attacks on the wealthy and corruption, as millions felt left out because of the rapid changes brought about by modernization and the development of a mass society. They overlooked his corruption and immoderate politics that destroyed the rule of law and a healthy democracy because he promised them a better future.  
• The main activity in this lesson requires students to read and analyze a narrative that explores how Huey Long acted immoderately. Students may work individually, in pairs, or in small groups as best fits your classroom. The analysis questions provided can be used to help students comprehend and think critically about the content. As the teacher, you can decide which questions best fit your students’ needs and time restraints.    
• Students will reflect and make plans to ensure what they avoid or act immoderately and that their passions will serve the greater good.  
• Lastly, the lesson includes sources used in this lesson for further reading and suggestions for cross-curricular connections. 

Anticipate

• Scaffolding Note: You may use this activity to prepare your students and introduce the vocabulary and ideas discussed in this lesson. 
  • Immoderation (extremism): Acting in excess or to an extreme. Lacking restraint. 
  • Moderation: the avoidance of excess of extremes. 
• Distribute the Anticipate: Moderation/Immoderation Organizer and review the directions with students. 
  • Directions: The Greek philosopher Aristotle urged people to seek a “golden mean” between extremes in their behavior, thoughts, and habits. In other words, Aristotle thought any habit or thought could be practiced with moderation, rather than extremism. Using the examples in the chart below, think about what would happen if you practiced the extreme of that behavior: Too little or a deficiency, or too much, or immoderation or extremism. The first behavior is done for you as an example.       
• Have students fill in the other two behaviors or habits on the chart on their own, with an option to create two of their own. Note that they only need to complete the portion of the chart that applies to Huey Long. They will revisit the same activity when they learn about William “Boss” Tweed.  

Engage

• Pair students or create small groups to share their responses and examples in the Moderation/Immoderation Organizer.  
• Ask for volunteers to share their pair or group’s responses. 
• Ask students to look for patterns in the responses the class discussed: 
  • What happens when our habits or behaviors go to an extreme?
  • Do you agree with Aristotle that moderation is the best course of action? Why or why not?

Explore

• Transition to the Huey Long and Immoderation Narrative. Students will learn and analyze the story of Huey Long and immoderation.  
• Scaffolding Note: It may be helpful to instruct students to do a close reading of the text. Close reading asks students to read and reread a text purposefully to ensure students understand and make connections. For more detailed instructions on how to use close reading in your classroom, use these directions. Additional reading strategies are provided for other options that may meet your students’ needs.  
• Essential Vocabulary:
  • Immoderation: Acting in excess or to an extreme. Lacking restraint. 
  • Moderation: The avoidance of excess or extremes. 
  • Demagogue: A political leader who seeks support by appealing to the desires and prejudices of ordinary people rather than by using rational arguments. 
  • Parish: The state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes, which are analogous to counties in other states. There are various forms of government being used within the parishes. Explore the links below to learn more about each parish. 
  • Patronage: In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory. 
• Transition to the analysis questions. Have students work individually, with partners, or as a whole class to answer the questions. 
  • Scaffolding Note: If there are questions that are not necessary to your students’ learning or time restraints, then you can remove them from your analysis.  

• Analysis Questions 
  • How did Long’s work as both a salesman and a lawyer prepare him for a later life in politics? 
  • Especially in his early political campaigns, Long employed unconventional tactics and displayed a big personality. Why do you think this appealed to the people of Louisiana? 
  • Long promised to provide free textbooks, modern roads, and toll-free bridges without raising taxes. What are the dangers in a republic of leaders promising citizens services that the country can’t afford? How is this an example of immoderation? 
  • What tactics did Long use to win the position of the governor? How did they violate the rule of law? 
  • What ideas did the “Share the Wealth” club propose? Why did these ideas appeal to Americans? In what ways did the proposals lack the virtue of moderation?

Virtue in Action  

• Transition: Acting with moderation requires us to be vigilant about our thoughts and actions. Any virtue can become a vice if it is not governed by moderation. For example, courage is a virtue, but too much courage can lead to taking great risks, and having too little courage can be cowardice. Having talents and passions can benefit civil society, but it can also be unhealthy, as we saw with the story of Huey Long. Hehad a talent for speaking and connecting with people, but his immoderation in pursuing these talents and passions fed his corruption for power. 
• Distribute and review the directions and examples for the Virtue in Action handout. 

• Directions: Follow the prompts on the handout to create an action plan to guard against immoderation in something you are passionate about. An example of a passion for soccer is provided throughout the plan as an example.  
• Have students fill out this graphic organizer to plan how they will act moderately about something they are passionate about. 

AND/OR 

Immoderation Journal Activity  

• Have students self-reflect and answer the following question in their journal: 
  • Virtuous leaders do not necessarily lack ambition but rather they channel that ambition towards serving the greater good. What are some specific ways Long could have exercised moderation and better channel his ambition towards serving the greater good?

Extend

Sources & Further Reading  

• Explore the following list for additional sources and further reading on Huey Long.  
  • Williams, T. Harry. Huey Long. New York: Vintage Books, 1981. 
  • White, Richard D., Jr. Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long. New York: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006. 
  • Brinkley, Alan. Voices of Protest: Huey Long, Father Coughlin, and the Great Depression. New York: Vintage Books, 1983. 
  • Long, Huey P. Every Man a King: The Autobiography of Huey P. Long. Chicago: Quadrangle Books, 1964. 

Virtue Across the Curriculum  

• Below are corresponding literature suggestions to help you teach about immoderation across the curriculum. Sample prompts have been provided for the key corresponding works. For the other suggested works, or others that are already part of your curriculum, create your own similar prompts.    
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding  
    • Lord of the Flies has themes of extremism, leadership and governance. A group of boys are stranded on an uninhabited island and must govern themselves to survive. How is this novel a cautionary tale against the dangers of immoderation?  
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell 
    • Animal Farm, George Orwell’s satire of the Russian Revolution, has themes of cult of personality and propaganda. Which characters best exemplify the vice of immoderation? How does Orwell’s message in this dystopian novel relate to the importance of moderation in a government and society?  

• OTHER WORKS
  • All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren