John Nistler

Lesson Plan

Standards Assessed

• Global Connections

B. explain conditions and motivations that contribute to conflict, cooperation, and interdependence among groups, societies and nations.

Results

• Students will learn about the various perspectives surrounding the revolutionary war. The perspective from the Americans that support independence, Americans that support staying with England, and the English. And how different events affected the perspectives of each group.
• Students will practice working together in groups and develop a speech that involves all members.
• Students will develop a speech arguing their point of view and try to convince their fellow classmates to join their side, i.e., Independence is better, etc.
• Students will develop research skills to gain evidence to support their arguments.
• Students will develop public speaking skills.

Evaluation

            Students will be graded on these things:

1.      Is the information historically accurate? And include these things:

·        Virtual Representation

·        Sugar Act

·        Stamp Act

·        Boston Massacre

·        Tea Act

·        Boston Tea Party

·        Battle of Lexington/Concord

·        Bunkers Hill

·        Battle of Trenton

·        Battle of Yorktown

2.      Is the information well presented?

3.      Do all group members talk for an equal amount of time?

4.      Does the group have a visual aid?

5.      Does the group have a bibliography with at least 3 sources?

Curriculum

            This lesson plan would fit in a high school American history class; in the section where the revolutionary war is taught. It would have to take place after the students have learned about the main figures, battles, acts, and taxes of the revolutionary war. It would be a great way to see how the students understand what happened. It would get students involved and have them realize that there was more then one perspective with the revolutionary war.

Instruction

Day 1

1. Teach students the appropriate information that they will need to know in order to give the speech.
• Virtual Representation: people are elected for the good of society, they look out for everyone. In the case of the colonists they did not have a representative in parliament. So they were virtually represented.
• American Revenue Act (Sugar Act): The British were in massive debt from the French and Indian war, so they passed the sugar act. It was the first tax to raise revenue. It was put on a number of goods, it also prevented the colonists from buying French molasses (which was used for alcohol), it also required custom officers to receive customs and they were free to search and seize ships. This angered the colonists because this was the first time parliament passed a tax on the colonists. Usually they requested money from the colonial governments and they tried their best to comply.
• Stamp Act: it was the first internal tax to raise revenue from Britain. Any printed material mush have purchased stamp. Unlike the sugar act which taxed imports and exports, the stamp act taxed any printed material. So marriage licenses, papers, brochures, property papers, death papers, etc must have had the stamp. This was the start of the famous phrase “no taxation without representation.” The Americans felt like since they did not have any representation in parliament that parliament was not allowed to tax the colonies.
• Boston Massacre: A mob formed around British soldiers, taunting and teasing them, throwing snowballs, rocks, sticks, etc. During the incident a musket accidentally fired and the British troops started to fire on the colonists. When it was all said and done, five colonists died.
• Tea Act: eventually parliament repealed all taxes on the Americans except tea. Parliament sends the East India Company to America to sell tea without the tax, making it the cheapest tea around. The Americans realize what the English government is trying to do.
• Boston Tea Party: 5,000 people attend a meeting at which Samuel Adams spoke. He said something along the lines of no longer can we protect our liberties. Suddenly 60 white men dressed as Indians board the ship “Dartmouth” and proceed to break and throw overboard 342 chests of tea.
• Lexington/Concord: British troops are sent to Lexington to confiscate a stockpile of weapons the colonists have collected. Paul Revere makes his midnight ride to warn the minutemen. The British attack and win at Lexington (Shot heard round the world), Concord was the second battle of the war and the colonists win by shooting and killing British soldiers from behind trees as they are retreating to Boston.
• Bunkers Hill: 2,200 British soldiers charge a hill that the Americans have possession of. The British charged three times before the Americans retreated due to lack of ammunition.
• Battle of Trenton: It was Christmas eve, George Washington leads the continental army across the Delaware and launch a sneak attack and capture the entire Hessian army (highly trained mercenaries from Hessia, Germany fighting for the British)
• Battle of Yorktown: Americans siege Yorktown while the French navy defeats the British navy off the coast, General Cornwallis surrenders

After reviewing the information that the students will need to know in order to do their speeches pass out the speech assignment and explain to students what they will be doing over the next few days.

Assign students to a group and give each group a topic. If there is time left, let the group discuss how they want to approach the assignment as you walk around the class observing.

Day 2

This would be a day for students to work on their speeches; we would work in the library so students could utilize computers, books and an area to split off with their group members.

The teacher would sit and work on grading so students could come to you for questions, and/or walk around making sure everyone is on task. In order to make sure everyone is on task make sure that they have 3 sources and a speech outline by the end of the class period.

Day 3

            When students come into class have a list on the overhead of the order of who is presenting first. Have students sit down and explain to them that if anyone is distracting during someone else’s speech, they will have points marked off of their grade.

            Sit in the back of the classroom and grade students as they give their speeches on the aforementioned criteria.

Discussion Questions

How does virtual representation apply today?

What reasons did Americans want independence?

How did the Americans supporting independence look at the sugar and stamp act?

How did the Americans supporting staying with England look at it?

How did the English look at it?

How did all of them look at the various events that led up to the war: Boston Massacre, Tea party, Bunkers Hill, etc.?

How does looking at different perspectives change things? Does it even?

Is it important to look at other perspectives?

How can looking at different perspectives change your outlook on history?