Causes of the
American Revolution
Unit Plan
Karina Alvarez
EDEL 108C
December 2005
Fifth grade Unit Plan
1. Essential Question:
What
caused disagreements between people that lead to the American Revolution?
2. Broad Standard / Substandard:
5.5
Students explain the causes of the American Revolution.
5.5.1
Understand how political, religious, and economic ideas and interests brought about the Revolution (e.g., the Stamp Act, the
Townshend Acts, taxes on tea, coercive Acts).
3. Behavior Objective:
TSWBAT
restate how political, religious, and economic ideas and interests brought about the American Revolution by designing flyers
that outline and summarize events or terms assigned and through a debate presenting the colonists perspective and the British
perspective.
TSWBAT
summarize The Sugar Act, The Stamp Act, The Quartering Act and The Townshend Duties.
4. Sub questions:
What
political interest brought about the American Revolution?
What
economic interest brought about the American Revolution?
5. Assessment:
The
assessment for this unit will be based on the group flyers and a quick write for the first day.
A T-chart assignment that the students will prepare to use for the debate will also be graded, as well as their participation
in the debate on the second day. See attached scoring rubric for specific grading criteria on the debate.
Teaching Strategy:
Day 1
Title:
Why the Fight for Freedom?
Materials:
§
Play money
§
Visuals:
The
study prints from: The American Experience Smithsonian
Institution, Colonial Years, Scholastic Magazines, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1975.
Differentiations/Adaptations:
All students will be able to participate and understand the game used to introduce this unit. This introductory activity is extraordinary cleaver and will get everyone’s attention. This is especially important because English learners will also be able to understand the concept being
taught in this lesson. Furthermore, there are visuals to assist with the vision
of the colonial era. Lastly there is an artistic group activity to focus on the
multiple intelligence range of the class.
LESSON OUTLINE
Setting of Context
This lesson begins the unit plan for the causes
of the American Revolution. Students should have studied the 13 colonies and
have an understanding of the tensions that were building as the colonists became more dissatisfied with the mother country.
The students should have studied the causes and outcomes of the French and Indian War.
The following lesson will allow the students to personally understand how the colonist felt by the assimilation in
today’s activity.
Motivation:
Before the students come in, take the pictures mentioned in the materials
section and set them up around the room. As soon as the students come in walk
around and hand out play money to everyone. Then announce a new class rule.
State that each time a student moves without permission, the entire class will lose one dollar. Begin to enact the new
rule as this lesson begins and collect money every time someone moves.
Read the
following passage simultaneously:
“Imagine
that it is 1776 and you are an American in the British colonies (Point out that there are pictures set up around the room
to help their imagination, this of course will have to involve movement so make sure to collect money from the students). You are not happy with the British government that rules you. You do not like
the laws that you are being forced to obey. You feel that the taxes that you are being charged are unfair”.
After a few minutes of the new rule, stop and
ask the students how they feel about the new rule and about the money being taken away. Allow for a discussion.
Most students will probably feel that the rule is unfair. After discussion, chart the student’s reasons as to
why the rule is unfair.
Development
Now allow the students to stand up and look at
the pictures that are posted around the room so that they see and identify with the colonial era. This is also helpful for ELL students and for those who rely on visuals to enhance their imagination. Explain each picture.
Picture
#1. (2-11) Spinning was an important home occupation for colonial woman.
Picture
#2.(2-21) A view of fishing for curing and drying cod at the New found land.
Picture
#3. (2-25) The building of Savannah Georgia in 1733.
Picture
#4. (2-37) Hemp was grown and processed as a substitute for flax to make fiber for
sails and rope in the colonial period.
Picture
#5. (2-40) the American School, another profession in this era
Picture
#6. (2-5) Fruits and Vegetables from the Americas
Picture
#7. (2-20) Lady and Gentleman of the Ten Eyck Family in early 18th century
costume.
Now that the students have an understanding of
why the Colonists were angry at their mother land divide the class in 4 groups. Each group will be given an activity
card that will have the event they are to summarize and construct flyers for. The cards will have the following terms:
The Sugar Act
The Stamp Act
The Quartering Act
The Townshend Duties
Each group
will be allowed to use their textbooks, other research materials and the Internet to get more information on their term/event.
They will then prepare two flyers one for the colonist (or colonist point of view) and one for the British (or British point
of view) of an outline and or summary that defines or illustrates their term. Dates
are important and also a description of whom these events/terms affected the most. These
will be shared with the class and will play a key role for tomorrow’s debate.
Critical thinking questions (quick write up)
1) What went through your head as the teacher imposed the new rule in the classroom?
2) How did it feel to receive money and then get it taken away with out agreeing to pay?
3) How does this assimilation relate to what the colonists where going through after
the French
and Indian war?
4) Do you think the Colonists reacted against the unfair taxes forced upon them? If so, in what way?
Assessment
The Students will be assessed
in many ways through out this unit. First of all a diagnostic assessment will
be conducted orally through oral questioning and through the students’ reaction to the introduction. Then the assessment for this first lesson plan will be the flyers that each group will produce and the
quick write up.
Day 2
Title:
Putting
Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Materials:
§
Video of a classroom debate (any video will work so that those students
who are not familiar with debates may see how a debate is done).
Video:
Debate Made Easy DVD. Author: Mercedes Smith, Bishop Kenny High School, Jacksonville, FL. School Library Journal, June 2001
Differentiations/Adaptations:
The video in this lesson is helpful so that the students familiarize with
the debate process. Some students are visual learners others might be verbal
or logical. For this reason, a video on a debate will be shown and a hand out
of the debate instructions along with a graphic organizer for the debate will be distributed so that all students understand
the assignment. It is important to allow all students to learn the debate process
so that they contribute to their team.
LESSON OUTLINE
Setting
of Context:
The British were victorious in the French and Indian War and the colonists no longer felt threatened by the French. Many colonists wanted to explore the territory west of the Mississippi. The war left Great Britain with many
debts, and felt that the colonists should help to pay for these debts. The British government began to charge the colonists
taxes to help get back the money that was spent during the war. The Americans were not happy with these new taxes like
The Stamp Act that required that they pay a tax on things like newspapers and other documents. The Americans rebelled
against the new taxes and felt they were unfair because they did not help make the tax law in the first place. The British
made these laws in a place called Parliament where leaders met to make the laws. These leaders did not include any Americans
and they felt that because they were not represented, the laws were unfair.
The British passed more laws like the Tea Tax
that forced Americans to pay a tax on the tea that they drank. This made the colonists very angry. They no longer
wanted to be ruled by Great Britain. They decided that it was time to take action.
Motivation:
Tell the students that they are going to be having a real life classroom
debate. The students will be given a point of view for their debate of either
British or Colonist. Tell the students that every time someone participates in
a debate they need to research their topics to be well prepared. In this case,
their information will be partially given to them by their peers through the flyer assignment from yesterday. Ask the students to think of their
topic and have them place themselves in the shoes of the Colonists. Now ask them
to place themselves in the shoes of the British. This should have them thinking
about both sides like looking at the two different sides of a coin.
Development:
After sharing the flyers with the class divide
the class in half, have the students create a Pro and Con chart of their point of view for their debate as either a British
or a Colonist (hand out the graphic organizer for guidance). The chart
should include reasons for wanting independence or for remaining loyal to Britain based on the information from
the flyers. Allow each group to meet to compare information and to also do more
research to strengthen their point of view.
Then discuss the format for the debate:
Resolved: The British should impose taxes on the American Colonies.
Group
1: This is the “pro” group members are British and are for taxation.
Group 2: The “con” group members are
colonist and do not agree with taxation.
1. Each group will have seven
uninterrupted minutes to present its case. Speakers should have a clear organized presentation. Three people from each group
will do the presenting.
2.
After each group has spoken, groups have five minutes to get together and prepare a response to the first presentations
(this is their chance to defend themselves).
3. Two students from each group (different from the original presenters) now have five minutes to give the response for
the group.
4. After these responses, each
group has three minutes to get together and prepare questions for the other side.
5. Finally, 10 minutes will be allotted for open questions, during which time anyone
from any side may ask or respond to questions. After 10 minutes the debate will
come to an end.
6. The teacher will award "telling points"
for information presented correctly. The side with the most telling points wins.
Assessments:
Diagnostic assessment will be conducted through
oral questioning. Then the assessment for this second lesson plan will be based
on the debate and the T-chart on the pros and cons of taxation. The students will work in two different groups so students
will have to present as a group. The “telling points” will indicate
whether there is a tie or a winning team. Attached is a set of instructions for
the debate as well as the graphic organizer that the students will use and will turn in for a grade. A traditional assessment may also be used at the end of the entire unit.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Name_______________
DEBATE QUESTION: __________________________________________________________________
Name_________________________
Preparing for a classroom debate
Read
the instructions bellow to familiarize with the classroom debate. Meet with your
group and begin organizing your team ideas using the graphic organizer. Then
during the debate you will be able to add as you hear the opponents’ comments.
Good Luck!
Format
for the debate:
Topic
for Debate: The British should impose taxes on the American Colonies.
Group 1: This is the “pro”
group members are British and are for taxation.
Group
2: The “con” group members are colonist and do not agree with taxation.
1.
Each group will have seven uninterrupted minutes to present its case. Speakers should have a clear organized presentation.
Three people from each group will do the presenting.
2.
After each group has spoken, groups have five minutes to get together and prepare a response to the first presentations
(this is their chance to defend themselves).
3. Two students from each group
(different from the original presenters) now have five minutes to give the response for the group.
4.
After these responses, each group has three minutes to get together and prepare questions for the other side.
5. Finally, 10 minutes will
be prearranged for open questions, during which time anyone from any side may ask or respond to questions. After 10 minutes, the debate will come to an end.
6.
The teacher will award "telling points" for information presented correctly. The side wirh the most telling points wins.
