The American Revolution
Unit 1
Lesson One: True Or False? Facts About the American Revolution
Students participate in a True/False activity to learn some little known facts about the American Revolution. They also complete a pre-assessment to gauge their present knowledge.
Lesson Two: What is Conflict?
Students work in small groups to explore the concept of conflict. They analyze examples, describe the essential characteristics, and develop a definition of conflict. As a class, students develop generalizations about conflict.
Lesson Three: The Year Was 1763
In this lesson, students analyze the implications of the Treaty of Paris of 1763 as well as the Proclamation of 1763, as a class and through small group discussion where they interpret primary source documents.
Lesson Four: Causes of War
In this two-day lesson, students identify the many factors leading up to the American Revolution and use role-play to interpret them from different points of view.
Lesson Five: The Emerging Ideals of Democratic Citizenship?
Using the text of the Declaration of Rights of the Stamp Tax Congress 1765, students discuss and compare the rights of current United States citizens to colonists prior to and during the time of the American Revolution.
Lesson Six: Lexington and Concord, Where it All Began
In this lesson, students chart the timing and location of the battles of Lexington and Concord. They also use documentary evidence to examine the way in which different groups of people viewed the battles.
Lesson Seven: Founders or Traitors?
Students view an Electronic Field Trip from Colonial Williamsburg and engage in a structured discussion of the question: Were the signers of the Declaration of Independence founders of a new nation or traitors to the British Crown?
Lesson Eight: America Declares Independence
In this two-day lesson, students read and interpret the Declaration of Independence as well as excerpts from some of the philosophical writings that influenced it. Students discuss the Declaration of Independence using a Socratic Seminar format.
Lesson Nine: The Front Lines
Students read accounts of various people who participated in the Revolutionary War in some way. They then work in groups to create role play characters and scenarios in which these historical figures interact.
Lesson Ten: America is Victorious
Students learn about the reasons for American victory in the American Revolution and create a class newspaper.
Lesson Eleven: Where's the Equality?
Students identify potential problems in the Treaty of Paris 1783, interpret a primary source account of the evacuation of New York, and examine the conflict between the ideas of natural rights and the realities of life for various groups of people.
Lesson Twelve: What Lessons Were Learned From the Revolution?
Students review the unit, developing a list of problems they perceive exist in America at the end of the Revolution, and complete a post-assessment.
