Primary Sources of the American Revolution Lesson Plan
Rationale:
Students will examine various primary sources that touch upon the institutions, values, and beliefs of people living on the East coast of America in the 1770s. By using the Library of Congress Primary Source handout, it will aid in their historical inquiry and interpretation. They will be required to use prior knowledge along with inference in an attempt to figure out what each source is. The American Revolution will have played a part in the importance of each source, demonstrating how important events shape the world.
Curriculum Frameworks:
MA Standards: USI.4 Analyze how Americans resisted British policies before 1775 and analyze the reasons for the American victory and the British defeat during the Revolutionary war. (H)
NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Through the study of the past and its legacy, learners examine the institutions, values, and beliefs of people in the past, acquire skills in historical inquiry and interpretation, and gain an understanding of how important historical events and developments have shaped the modern world.
Learning Objectives:
Students will know how to analyze various types of primary documents using their prior knowledge and abilities to make inferences. Students will know how to use sources aside from textbooks to gain information about the American Revolution.
Teaching Methods:
Primary sources will be the main best practice method in use. Collaborative group work will also be involved in this lesson, as students will view each primary source as a small group. They will work with each other to observe, question, and discuss their ideas.
Procedure:
Assessment:
Each student will be responsible for completing his or her Library of Congress handouts.
Materials:
Library of Congress primary source templates; Primary sources including a lottery ticket from 1776, A handbill, drawing of “A New England Kitchen. A Hundred Years Ago.”, Images and text on how to remedy a drowning during war (medicinal context), Text from medicinal handouts on how to prevent disease/illness; John Trumbull's painting "Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776"; Smart board projector.
Students will examine various primary sources that touch upon the institutions, values, and beliefs of people living on the East coast of America in the 1770s. By using the Library of Congress Primary Source handout, it will aid in their historical inquiry and interpretation. They will be required to use prior knowledge along with inference in an attempt to figure out what each source is. The American Revolution will have played a part in the importance of each source, demonstrating how important events shape the world.
Curriculum Frameworks:
MA Standards: USI.4 Analyze how Americans resisted British policies before 1775 and analyze the reasons for the American victory and the British defeat during the Revolutionary war. (H)
NCSS: Time, Continuity, and Change: Through the study of the past and its legacy, learners examine the institutions, values, and beliefs of people in the past, acquire skills in historical inquiry and interpretation, and gain an understanding of how important historical events and developments have shaped the modern world.
Learning Objectives:
Students will know how to analyze various types of primary documents using their prior knowledge and abilities to make inferences. Students will know how to use sources aside from textbooks to gain information about the American Revolution.
Teaching Methods:
Primary sources will be the main best practice method in use. Collaborative group work will also be involved in this lesson, as students will view each primary source as a small group. They will work with each other to observe, question, and discuss their ideas.
Procedure:
- Show the Youtube video “Too late to apologize: Declaration” to quickly grasp the student’s attention. It will be projected through the smart board to the front of the room.
- Conduct a fishbowl exercise to model what the students will be doing later in the lesson. Project John Trumbull's painting "Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776" onto the board. Use the Library of Congress Primary source analysis tool and demonstrate to students how to effectively use the analysis tool.
- Students will be broken up into small groups of 4-5 students. There will be 4 stations set up around the room. Each station will have a different type of primary source. Each group will spend roughly 10 minutes at each station. They will use their Library of Congress primary source templates as a guide to analyze each source. During this time, they will work as a group to discuss their ideas, inferences, and observations. Ultimately they will make an educated guess as to what each primary source actually is and what its importance is.
- Students will continue to travel around to each station until they have analyzed each document.
- During this time, walk around the room listening to students discuss their ideas, making sure that all students are contributing & staying on task, and answering any questions the students may have.
- After students have examined all of the primary sources, the class will come back together as a whole. Lead a discussion for the class about each primary source. The class will discuss their observations and what they think each source was.
Assessment:
Each student will be responsible for completing his or her Library of Congress handouts.
Materials:
Library of Congress primary source templates; Primary sources including a lottery ticket from 1776, A handbill, drawing of “A New England Kitchen. A Hundred Years Ago.”, Images and text on how to remedy a drowning during war (medicinal context), Text from medicinal handouts on how to prevent disease/illness; John Trumbull's painting "Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776"; Smart board projector.