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Jessica Ready
EDUC 505
Dr. Ulubabova
March 11, 2010
Mid Term
Events that Led to the American Revolution
Gazette Lesson
2
Events that led to the American Revolution Gazette Lesson Plan
Topic: Events that led to the American Revolution
Grade Level: 7-8
Target Population: Intermediate ESL learners of any background, or Phase III, Limited
English Proficient
Subjects: English as a Second Language, Social Studies
Aim: To make students from non American heritages comprehend the places, people and
events that led to the American Revolution so that they can apply their knowledge to
create a comprehensive American history gazette and to incorporate their knowledge in
further American history course work
English as a Second Language Standards:
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak in English for information and
understanding
Standard 3: Students will read, write, listen, and speak in English for critical analysis and
evaluation
Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak in English for classroom and social
interaction
Social Studies Standards:
Standard 1: History of the United States and New York Students will use a variety of
intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes,
developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.
Standard 5: Civics, Citizenship, and Government Students will use a variety of intellectual
skills to demonstrate their understanding of the necessity for establishing governments; the
3
governmental system of the United States and other nations; the United States Constitution;
the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and
responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
Expand English vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, thinking and social interaction
skills by working together in a cooperative group setting
Analyze written, visual and audio data to summarize the events of the Boston Tea Party
and the Boston Massacre
Gather data by polling class members and interpreting data to create a graph
Create a word match puzzle by examining word definitions and producing an ordered
document for self evaluation purposes
Illustrate the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre by analyzing written, visual and
audio data to compose political cartoons
Describe and list the sequence of events that led to the American Revolution
Interpret and evaluate data from a graphic organizer to form opinions
Recognize bias and propaganda as well as incorporate it into their work
Identify the important individuals associated with the Revolution
Discover facts from aurally relayed data
Discuss views of the events which started the Revolution
Plan and construct a visually accurate gazette
Define vocabulary words related to the Revolution
Learning Styles Addressed: Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic, Linguistic, Interpersonal, Logical
Duration: 2 weeks, (10) 45 minute class sessions
4
Teacher Preparation: For this lesson to be successful, the teacher must prepare many
materials. First, the teacher must refresh their knowledge of the content material by
reading the Teacher Background guide. Second, the teacher must obtain the AV
equipment and video of Schoolhouse Rock to be watched on the first day of class. Third,
the teacher must prepare tea and sugar to give the students motivation to start the lesson.
Fourth, the teacher, by using previous student assessment materials must organize the
class into 5 groups of 5 by mastery of English and learning style to create an array of
English skills in each group, with students of similar learning styles in each group. After
creating groups, the teacher will assign the projects which adhere to that groups learning
style to them. Fifth, the teacher must record biographies of important people onto the
computer and load them to two iPods to complete the listening assignment. Six, the
teacher must create and make copies of all handouts.
Introduction to lesson: The teacher will play the Schoolhouse Rock video of “The Shot
Heard „Round the World.” The teacher will ask opinion questions for example, why the
students think the colonies, to which they should have already learned about in a previous
lesson, began fighting. The names of the 13 colonies should be recited by the students to
activate their prior knowledge and ensure that they can recall this information.
Motivation: Students will be given a cup of tea and a lump of sugar. After they have put
the sugar in their tea and started drinking, the students will be asked to pay their taxes.
Upon hearing the student‟s reasons for why the teacher is being unfair, it will lead into
the lesson.
Materials:
Social Studies textbook for American History
5
Teacher Background Guide
Paper, pen, pencil, crayons, ruler
Smart Board (if no smart board available, the same outcome can be achieved with
scissors, tape and magnets)
Computer equipment
Television, vcr/dvd player
iPods with recordings of biographies of 10 important people from the times
(sample script and list of individuals on pages 19-20)
Schoolhouse Rock video of “The Shot Heard „Round the World”
Colonial Acts of Resistance Graphic Organizer (handout 1)
American Revolution Vocabulary List (handout 2)
Directions for Creating a Vocabulary Matching Quiz (handout 3)
Sample Political Cartoon from Revolutionary Times (handout 4)
What to Include in Your Political Cartoon (handout 5)
Important People of the Revolutionary Times Fact Sheet (handout 6)
Data Gathering Sheet for Polling Class Members (handout 7)
Outline for Writing Articles (handout 8)
Timeline Homework Assignment (handout 9)
Student Oral Language Observation Matrix
Group Work Scoring Sheet
Pair Work Scoring Sheet
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle_philadelphia1776.html (article sample)
6
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/conwell/revolution/openingpage.htm (provides
information on people, places and events)
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives_military.html (compares uniforms)
http://www.libertyskids.com/ (provides information on people, places and events
as well as interactive materials for learning)
Procedure:
1. Have the students take turns reading a paragraph of the textbook aloud to provide
a basic understanding of what the lesson is going to cover
2. Split the groups up into 5 groups of 4 as previously determined
3. Explain to the students what a gazette is and that the goal of their work is to create
one
4. Assign each group their part of the gazette and explain the instructions to each
group individually for Part A of the assignment
5. All assignments with the exception of the Cartoon will be done initially by hand,
but must be typed and submitted as a print out and electronically
o Group 1 – Create a newspaper article about the Boston Massacre
o Give students „Outline for Articles‟ handout, read instructions to them, ask
them to repeat what is required of them and answer any questions
o Have the students write the categories that are bolded on the handout on a
piece of paper and tell them to record their findings
o Model how information can be obtained from the websites by finding the
date of the Massacre on one of the websites and write it down in
someone‟s notebook under the first sentence category
7
o Group 2 – Create a newspaper article about the Boston Tea Party
o Give students „Outline for Articles‟ handout, read instructions to them, ask
them to repeat what is required of them and answer any questions
o Have the students write the categories that are bolded on the handout on a
piece of paper and tell them to record their findings
o Model how information can be obtained from the websites by finding the
date of the incident on one of the websites and write it down in someone‟s
notebook under the first sentence category
o Group 3 – Create a political cartoon of the Boston Tea Party
o Give students „Sample Political Cartoon‟ and „What to Include in Your
Political Cartoon‟ handouts
o Explain to the students what a political cartoon is by relating the „Things
to Include‟ handout to the elements of the cartoon example
o Read instructions of assignment to them, then ask the students to repeat
what is required of them and answer any questions
o Model how information can be obtained from the textbook and relayed
into a drawing by using the example of the British as being called
Redcoats, so therefore their coats should be red
o Group 4 – Conduct a poll, create a bar graph and write 2 sentences about
the results
o Explain to the students the definition of a poll
o Give them the „Data Gathering Sheet for Polling Class Members‟ and the
„Graphic Organizer for Five Acts‟ to distribute to their fellow students
8
o Read instructions of assignment to them, then ask the students to repeat
what is required of them and answer any questions
o Conduct a quick poll amongst the four students and the teacher to see who
likes chocolate of vanilla ice cream better and record on a sheet for them
as a modeling example
o Students will hand out graphic organizer to fellow students after they have
read it thoroughly so that they can help fellow class members who may be
confused and read it aloud to those who need further assistance
o After everyone understands the data from the „Five Acts Graphic
Organizer‟, the students from group 4 will fill out the „Data Gathering
Sheet‟, then create a bar graph
o Group 5 – Create a vocabulary matching quiz
o Give students „American Revolution Vocabulary List‟ and „Directions for
Creating a Vocabulary Matching Quiz‟ handouts
o Read instructions of assignment to them, then ask the students to repeat
what is required of them and answer any questions
o Model what is required of them by answering the example on the
„Directions for Creating a Vocabulary Matching Quiz‟ handout
o Tell the students they are also responsible for distributing the vocabulary
list and answering any questions from fellow students
6. During completion of the assignments, teacher will provide support to groups and
individuals who are in need
9
7. The groups must be closely monitored and the Student Oral Language
Observation Matrix will be filled out for each student
8. After each assignment is completed the teacher will review for accuracy and offer
suggestions for corrections, or if assignments are completed satisfactorily, give
students part B of the assignment
9. Timeline homework assignment is given to the students
o Part B – Completing the „Important People in Revolutionary Times Fact
Sheet‟
o Students will work in pairs with a student of their choosing
o Read instructions of assignment to them, then ask the students to repeat
what is required of them and answer any questions
o The students will be given an iPod with a teacher recording of the
biography of an important person
o The students will fill in the answers to the fact sheet
10. Timeline homework assignment should be collected and the answers reviewed
with the class after they have been graded
11. Once all of the components are complete, the class will reconvene as a whole to
organize the Gazette
12. Using the smart board, or paper and magnets, the students will direct the teacher
as to how they want their Gazette organized
13. After a consensus of the organization is complete, the teacher will add headings to
the Gazette and print it out in a newspaper fashion to distribute to the class the
following day
10
Extensions: Timeline homework assignment will fill in the gaps of events that were not
as emphasized during completion of the lesson components.
Modifications: Instruction can be modified a few ways to aid students who are more
advanced, less advanced, or who have disabilities. For more advanced students, they can
create the headings of the gazette. They can also add other sections such as additional
articles on the Continental Congress or Committees of Correspondence, ads to make the
magazine look realistic, additional puzzles or write letters as concerned colonists. For
students not as advanced in their command of English, the handouts and information can
be read to them by the teacher and by fellow students who can give verbal and visual
clues as well as translate a word here or there for the student to ensure understanding is
achieved. For students having trouble with iPod listening assignment, they can use
Kurzweil to highlight the words as they are read so they can recognize the words while
they are being read. Students who understand better through listening than reading can
also use Kurzweil to copy and paste information into the program and have it read back
to them. The websites also provide a great deal of visuals for visual learners. If students
do not have the internet at home, flash cards with pictures of the vocabulary words can be
created by the more advanced students and given to other students to take home and
practice with.
Assessment and Evaluation: Students will be assessed with the following:
To Assess English as a Second Language Growth:
Student Oral Language Observation Matrix
To Assess Content Knowledge:
11
Group work scoring sheet
Pair work scoring sheet
Accuracy of timeline
After evaluating the results of the group work, pair work and timeline homework, which
tests content knowledge, the teacher will decide if the outcomes of the lesson were
achieved and if not, will reexamine the material with the students.
Follow-up activities: Each student will read the final gazette in its entirety and perform
the vocabulary quiz. The students who created the quiz will grade it. The students will
also take a short internet quiz, “The Road to Revolution” at this PBS website,
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/road.html, after they have gone through the next lesson
which will reinforce the knowledge learned in this lesson.
Summary: If the students score well on the group work, pair work, and timeline and the
overall product of the Gazette is accurate and organized nicely, the lesson has been
successful. If students seem to have retained the knowledge when moving on to the
events of the Revolutionary War, and are able to complete similar assignments with less
guidance, then the lesson objectives have been met. If students have not stored the
information for further use, or they are unable to complete similar tasks, then the lesson
objectives must be met via a different lesson delivery system. Through cooperative
group work, the students should have spoken in intelligible English to one another and
helped on another learn and meet the lesson objectives. Overall, it seems like a
demanding lesson plan, but the fun of working together, the aim of the gazette project,
and tailoring assignments to different learning styles should culminate is a positive and
highly successful learning opportunity.
12
Tea A
ct
Stam
p A
ct
Quarterin
g
Act
Curren
cy
Act
Sugar A
ct
Nam
e of
the A
ct:
Am
erican co
lonists co
uld
buy n
o
tea unless it cam
e from
the E
ast
India T
radin
g C
om
pan
y th
at the
British
ow
ned
.
Anyth
ing p
rinted
on p
aper
need
ed a stam
p th
at was b
ought
from
the E
nglish
. The stam
ps
cost m
oney
and it w
as Englan
d
who g
ot th
e money
.
The B
ritish req
uired
the co
lonies
to p
rovid
e shelter, fo
od, su
pplies
and tran
sportatio
n to
the B
ritish
troops in
exch
ange fo
r
pro
tecting th
em fro
m th
e Fren
ch.
The act w
ould
not allo
w th
e
issue o
f any n
ew p
aper b
ills or
the reissu
e of ex
isting cu
rrency
by th
e colo
nies.
The B
ritish p
laced a tax
on
sugar, w
ine, an
d o
ther im
portan
t
thin
gs.
Wh
at w
as it?
The E
ast India C
om
pan
y w
asn‟t
doin
g so
well, an
d th
e British
wan
ted to
giv
e it som
e more
busin
ess.
The A
ct was created
to h
elp co
ver
the co
st of m
aintain
ing tro
ops in
the co
lonies.
To k
eep a B
ritish m
ilitary
presen
ce in th
e tow
ns to
prev
ent
gath
erings an
d u
prisin
g ag
ainst th
e
British
.
Becau
se the co
lonies w
ere prin
ting
their o
wn m
oney
, with
out an
y
gold
or silv
er to act as b
ack u
p fo
r
the m
oney
, the B
ritish h
ad to
stop
peo
ple u
sing
money
that h
ad little
valu
e and th
at dev
alued
their o
wn
British
money
.
It was an
attempt to
force th
e
Am
erican co
lonists to
buy th
e
more ex
pen
sive su
gar fro
m th
e
British
West In
dies an
d m
ake
more m
oney
for th
e British
to p
ay
to ru
n th
e colo
nies.
Wh
y w
as it im
posed
?
Am
erican co
lonists saw
this law
as yet
anoth
er mean
s of “tax
ation w
ithout
represen
tation
” becau
se it mean
t that
they
could
n‟t b
uy tea fro
m an
yone else
(inclu
din
g o
ther co
lonists) w
ithout
spen
din
g a lo
t more m
oney
. Their
response w
as to refu
se to u
nlo
ad th
e tea
from
the sh
ips.
The A
merican
colo
nists o
pposed
the
Act b
ecause th
ey co
uld
not p
ay th
e tax,
and b
ecause it v
iolated
the n
ew
prin
ciple o
f “No tax
ation
with
out
represen
tation.” T
hey
also started
a mob
to co
mplain
about th
e act to th
e British
auth
orities, an
d refu
sed to
buy stam
ps.
The co
lonists d
id n
ot co
nsid
er the
Fren
ch a th
reat and d
id n
ot lik
e the id
ea
of p
ayin
g fo
r the B
ritish p
rotectio
n.
The co
lonists w
ere very
unhap
py. W
ith
very
little money
, they
could
not b
uy
goods
The co
lonists w
ere upset. If th
ey o
nly
traded
with
Britain
, they
would
not b
e
able to
sell their g
oods fo
r as much
.
Som
e peo
ple b
oyco
tted an
d d
id n
ot b
uy
the item
s.
How
did
the co
lon
ies react?
Han
do
ut 1 C
olo
nia
l Acts o
f Resista
nce
13
American Revolution Vocabulary List
An Act – A law imposed by the British Parliament
Authority – To have power over
Blockade – Block hostile ships or troops from coming in or going out of the harbor
Boycott – To stop buying or using something for political reasons
Bias – To present information from a favored point of view
Colonist – Someone who lived in the colonies
Delegate – A member of an elected assembly
Import – To use ships to bring goods
Inalienable – Something that cannot be denied
Liberty – Freedom from the British
Loyalist – People who supported the British government during the American Revolution
Massacre – The killing of a large number of people
Militia – A group of volunteers who fought in times of emergency during the colonial
period and the American Revolution.
Minutemen – Well-trained volunteer soldiers who defended the American colonies
against the British at a minute‟s notice.
Parliament – Group of people that make the laws in Great Britain
Patriot – Person who lived in the colonies and fought against British rule
Propaganda – Information, ideas, or rumors spread to do harm
Protest – Objected or fought against something
Rebel – To oppose those in charge, even to the point of fighting them with weapons,
because of different ideas about what is right.
Handout 2
14
Redcoat – British soldier (because he wore a red uniform)
Repeal – To withdraw or cancel.
Resistance – To be against something
Sons of liberty – A group of men who came together because they did not agree with how
England was treating the colonists.
Strategy – Plan
Taxation without representation – A popular saying by the colonists that meant they did
not think they should have to pay taxes unless they had the chance to be represented in
Tyranny – An evil ruling power
15
Directions for Creating a Vocabulary Matching Quiz
Use the American Revolution vocabulary list to create a vocabulary matching quiz. Put
the vocabulary word in vocabulary word column and the definition in the definition
column. Mix up the vocabulary words and the definition so that they are not across from
one another. Give each word a number, and each definition a letter. Create an answer
key by answering the quiz.
Example:
Vocabulary Word Definition
1) Strategy_______ A) Freedom from the British
2) Liberty _______ B) Law imposed by the British Government
3) An Act _______ C) Plan
Handout 3
16
Stamp Act Political Cartoon Example
Handout 4
17
What to Include in Your Political Cartoon
Directions: Draw a cartoon, like the one above, about the Boston Tea Party, which
includes the information below. Use the following websites and your textbook to find
information for the cartoon.
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle_philadelphia1776.html
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/conwell/revolution/openingpage.htm
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/perspectives_military.html
http://www.libertyskids.com/
1) Who was present at the event and what did they look like?
2) What happened at the event?
3) Where did the event take place?
4) When did the event take place?
5) How did the event take place?
6) Label important items.
7) Tell the readers why the event is happening from the point of view of the
Colonists by adding captions. Captions are circles with thoughts written in them.
8) Who is the strongest group? How can you draw something to make it look
stronger
Handout 5
18
Important People of the Revolutionary Times Fact Sheet
Directions: Listen to the recording and answer the following
Name:
Date of birth:
Place of birth:
Who they married:
Event in America‟s Revolution that they are most famous for:
Famous Quote:
Date of death:
Place of death:
Handout 6
19
Sample Script
Biography of Important People of the Revolutionary Times:
Paul Revere
Born in Boston on January 1, 1735, this hero was the son of a silversmith. Like his father,
Revere learned how to make all kinds of things. Besides working as a silversmith, Revere
was a soldier for a short time during the French and Indian War.
In August 1757 he married Sarah Orne with whom he had eight children. Shortly after
her death in 1773 he married Rachel Walker, and together they had another eight
children.
In the 1770s, Revere became a strong supporter of American independence. He was a
member of the „Sons of Liberty‟, a group of patriots in who took their name from a
debate on the Stamp Act in Parliament in 1765. He joined with 50 other revolutionaries in
the Boston Tea Party, an event in 1773 when American colonists destroyed many crates
of tea on ships in Boston Harbor. This event was a protest against the English tax on tea
in the colonies. The colonists didn‟t have any say about the new taxes. And they didn‟t
have anyone in the English government to support their cause. This was called “taxation
without representation.” The incident has been seen as helping to spark the American
Revolution.
On the night of April 18, 1775, Paul Revere took one of the most famous rides in history.
His mission was to get the word out about the movements of British troops near Boston.
When he got the sign from the Old North Church which was two lanterns lit in the
steeple, he took action. Setting out at around 11pm, Revere rode across the countryside
through the night to let his fellow patriots know that the British were on the way by
screaming this famous quote, “The British are coming!”
Revere became a regular messenger to help the revolutionary cause. He rode to Concord,
Massachusetts, on April 16, 1775, to tell patriots to move their weapons. Two days later
he took that historic ride to Lexington to inform the people that British troops would soon
be there. The next day the Revolutionary War began. And because of Revere, the patriots
were ready. During the war, he made supplies to help in the fighting. Revere also served
as a lieutenant colonel. He died on May 10, 1818, in Boston. He has since become a
national folk hero.
20
List of Important People of the Revolutionary Times
for Creating Recorded Biographies
Abigail Adams
John Adams
Samuel Adams
Benjamin Franklin
John Hancock
Thomas Jefferson
King George III
Paul Revere
Benjamin Rush
George Washington
21
Data Gathering Sheet for Polling Class Members
Poll each member of the class to get their opinion of whether or not they think the Acts
imposed from the British government on the colonies were fair or unfair. Circle a check
mark for every answer you get. Then count the circled checkmarks to get the totals. You
will use these totals to create a bar graph. You are also required to write a short
paragraph about the results of the graph.
Name of the Act Fair Unfair
Sugar Act
Total _______
Total _______
Currency Act
Total _______
Total _______
Quartering Act
Total _______
Total _______
Stamp Act
Total _______
Total _______
Tea Act
Total _______
Total _______
Handout 7
22
Outline for Writing Articles
Directions: You are two create a newspaper article about the Boston Massacre or the
Boston Tea Party. The article should include all of the points listed below. Remember to
include who, what, where, when, why and how. Information for the article should come
from the textbook and from the videos, articles and samples on the following websites:
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/chronicle_philadelphia1776.html
http://www.usfca.edu/fac-staff/conwell/revolution/openingpage.htm
http://www.libertyskids.com/
Headline (title): It should be exciting and grab the attention of the reader
Example: Colonists Boycott British Stamps, The Stamp Act is Repealed
Authors: By John Smith, Julio Sosa, Takasha Soto, Pierre Vaughn
Opening Sentence: Should include When, Where, Who, What.
Example: On March 11, 2010, in room 127, the students of Mrs. Ready‟s class
When Where Who
began their Gazette project.
What
First Paragraph: How
Example: By reading books, examining information from the internet, watching
videos and listening to information the students learned the events of the
American Revolution
Second Paragraph: Why
Example: They worked for two weeks, learning as much as they could to create a
Gazette for fellow students to read
Conclusion:
Example: The project was a success as everyone loved the assignment, got A‟s in
the class and learned all the material for their test.
Handout 8
23
Timeline Homework Assignment
Directions: Create a timeline using the following events. A timeline is a straight line that
has vertical lines coming from it with the events in the order that they happened.
Example:
April 30, 1789 November 4, 2009
George Washington is elected as president Barack Obama is elected as president
1700 2012
November 6, 1860
Abraham Lincoln is elected as president
Sugar Act This act raised revenue by increasing duties on sugar imported from the West Indies.
Currency Act Parliament argued that colonial currency had caused a devaluation harmful to British
trade. They banned American assemblies from issuing paper bills or bills of credit.
Committees of Correspondence Organized by Samuel Adams, these helped spread propaganda and information through
letters.
Quartering Act Britain ordered that colonists were to house and feed British soldiers if necessary.
Stamp Act This required tax stamps on many items and documents including playing cards,
newspapers, and marriage licenses. Prime Minister George Grenville stated that this
direct tax was intended for the colonies to pay for defense. Previous taxes imposed by
Britain had been indirect, or hidden.
Sons of Liberty Colonists tried to fight back by imposing non-importation agreements. The Sons of
Liberty often took the law into their own hands enforcing these 'agreements' by methods
such as tar and feathering.
Boston Massacre The colonists and British soldiers openly clashed in Boston. This event was used as an
example of British cruelty despite questions about how it actually occurred.
Handout 9
24
Tea Act To assist the failing British East India Company, the Company was given a monopoly to
trade tea in America.
Boston Tea Party A group of colonists disguised as Indians dumped tea overboard from three ships in
Boston Harbor.
First Continental Congress In response to the Intolerable Acts, 12 of the 13 colonies met in Philadelphia from
September-October, 1774. One of the main results of this was the creation of The
Association calling for a boycott of British goods.
Lexington and Concord In April, British troops were ordered to Lexington and Concord to seize stores of colonial
gunpowder and to capture Samuel Adams and John Hancock. At Lexington, open conflict
occurred and eight Americans were killed. At Concord, the British troops were forced to
retreat with the loss of 70 men. This was the first instance of open warfare.
Second Continental Congress All 13 colonies were represented at this meeting in Philadelphia beginning May. The
colonists still hoped that their grievances would be met by King George III. George
Washington was named head of the Continental Army.
25
TEACHER BACKGROUND GUIDE
COLONIAL AMERICA AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve
neither liberty nor safety.” -Benjamin Franklin
The Dutch of New Netherland, the Swedes and Finns of New Sweden, the
Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Puritans of New England, the English settlers of
Jamestown, and others came to the New World for different reasons and created colonies
with distinct social, religious, political and economic structures.
Initially, the Thirteen Colonies had a peaceful, if distant, relationship with
England. Differing viewpoints about colonial rights versus Great Britain‟s rights caused
little trouble before the 1750s. England grew rich from colonial trade, while the colonists
followed their own interests and developed new ways of life. However, the French and
Indian War changed that.
The French wanted complete control of the frontier lands west of the Appalachian
Mountains. By 1754, the British and French became engaged in what was known in
America as the French and Indian War and in Europe as the Seven Years‟ War. When
France and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris in 1763, France lost most of its land to
Great Britain.
Great Britain began to take firmer control of its colonies since British leaders
needed to settle war debts and wanted to protect newly won lands. Though few members
of Parliament understood colonial issues and ideas, amassing an empire left Great Britain
with huge debts and many in England thought the colonists should help pay those debts.
This led Parliament to impose the Sugar, Stamp and Quartering Acts on the colonists.
Great Britain‟s actions stunned many colonists. They could not believe that Parliament
wanted to govern them without their consent. Colonists began to speak about British
tyranny and to question the authority of Parliament in colonial affairs. The Sons of
Liberty insisted Parliament repeal the Stamp Act. Merchants signed non-importation
agreements. Threats of being “tarred and feathered” by the Sons of Liberty convinced
colonial merchants to cooperate in the boycotts. Even colonial women stopped buying
British cloth, and wove their own. Violence soon erupted.
When news of the protests in the colonies reached Parliament the Stamp Act was
repealed. Shortly after Parliament rethought their actions and passed the Declaratory Act,
which stated that Parliament had the power to make laws to control the colonists.
The Townshend Acts, passed in 1767, imposed duties on certain goods the colonies
imported from Great Britain. Knowing that the duties would have to be enforced,
Parliament made an example of New York, the headquarters for British troops. Because
New York refused to obey the Quartering Act, their assembly was not allowed to pass
any more laws until the colony complied with the act. The colonists were shocked by
Great Britain‟s open challenge to their right to self-govern. Sons of Liberty in New York
26
and New England vowed to protect this right and once again colonists raised the cry of
“no taxation without representation.”
Colonial boycott of British goods caused Britain‟s colonial trade to drop and hurt
them financially. By imposing taxes on British imports such as glass and paint,
Parliament inadvertently encouraged the colonists to develop their own industries.
Because the taxes backfired, British merchants urged Parliament to repeal the Townshend
Acts and Britain agreed, dropping all the Townshend duties except the tax on tea. For a
time, the colonists and the British seemed willing to put aside disagreements and British
goods flowed once more into colonial ports.
Parliament passed the Tea Act in May 1773, which allowed the East India
Company to sell tea directly to the colonists instead of going through the colonial
merchants, but the import tax on tea still had to be paid. Even with the import tax, the
East India Company could lower their tea prices below what was charged by colonial
merchants and smugglers. Britain thought they were helping both the company and the
colonies. However, the colonists felt that the unfair price advantage given to the company
would drive colonial tea merchants out of business. Their resentment of the Tea Act
astonished Parliament. Soon the colonists refused to buy tea and sometimes shipped it
back to Britain. On the evening of December 16, 1773 a group of colonists calling
themselves “Sons of Liberty” disguised themselves as Native Americans and threw 342
chests of tea into Boston harbor! This event became known as the Boston Tea Party.
The colonists did not have to wait long for British reaction to the Boston Tea
Party. British leaders felt it was time to bring the American colonies under control. In
March 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws, called the Coercive Acts. The colonists
thought these acts were unbearable. They called them the “Intolerable Acts.”
That same year, delegates from 12 colonies met in Philadelphia at the First
Continental Congress. Some delegates wanted to move cautiously, while others expressed
a desire for bold actions. Some delegates were also still loyal to the British Empire and
respected the British government. The congress urged people to arm themselves and
ready their militia. They sent a letter to King George III asking him to stop punishing
Boston and restore peace between the colonies and Britain. The delegates also agreed to
stop colonial trade with Great Britain until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.
By the time the delegates returned home, most of them not only questioned
Parliament‟s right to tax them, but also its right to rule them. This was a revolutionary
point of view. While the delegates avoided declaring independence, they hoped the king
would listen. Tensions mounted when Parliament refused to repeal the Intolerable Acts.
In the colonies, minutemen organized in towns and villages, women continued to boycott
British goods and the Second Continental Congress formed the Continental Army, with
George Washington as commander.
The delegates encouraged the colonial governments to draw up new constitutions
so that if war came, the colonies would have governments in place. They wrote the Olive
27
Branch petition asking King George III to repeal the Intolerable Acts. King George
refused and declared the colonies in rebellion. Parliament ordered a blockade of all
colonial ports and sent 30,000. German mercenaries (Hessians) to help control the
colonists. These actions only strengthened the colonial will to fight for their freedom.
While the Second Continental Congress met and debated issues in Philadelphia,
American soldiers streamed into Boston. They wanted to strike back at the British for the
attacks at Lexington and Concord. Though battles had taken place, the colonists still had
not committed themselves to a war in the early months of 1776. Thomas Paine published
Common Sense, which sold more than 120,000 copies in two months. The pamphlet said
that the time had come for the colonies to part with the British king, persuading many to
give up their loyalty to the king in favor of American independence.
By early July 1776, after delegates to the Second Continental Congress endured
long disagreements and debates, they voted for independence. The Declaration of
Independence was drafted thereby completely severing ties of the American colonies to
Great Britain. Americans were fighting for a different form of government, a republic, in
which citizens elect representatives to manage the government on their behalf. However,
the Continental Army had too few soldiers, low morale, a lack of money, gunpowder and
supplies. It was General Washington who held them together by insisting upon
organization and discipline.
The war for independence lasted more than five years with Americans enduring
great hardships. The American victory at the Battle of Saratoga was a turning point of the
war. France began to openly send desperately needed money and supplies to the colonies.
Spain and the Netherlands allied with France against the British and they too sent aid.
On September 28, 1781 the French and American troops surrounded Yorktown. The
British could not retreat by sea and they surrendered on October 19th. While the British
still controlled New York City and did not leave Charles Town until 1782, except for a
few minor skirmishes, the Revolutionary War was over. Americans had won the right to
form their own government.
28
Student Oral Language Observation Matrix: SOLOM Student Name:
_________________________________________________________________
Rater Name:
__________________________________________________________________
Language of Student:
____________________________________________________________
Grade: _____________ School: ________________________________
Date: ____________ Total Score: _______________
1 2 3 4 5 Score
Comprehension Cannot
understand even
simple
conversation.
Has great
difficulty
following
everyday social
conversation,
even when words
are spoken slowly
and repeated
frequently.
Understands most
of what is said at
slower than
normal speed with
some repetitions.
Understands
nearly everything
at normal speed,
although
occasional
repetition may be
necessary.
Understands
everyday
conversation and
normal classroom
discussion without
difficulty.
Fluency Speech is so
halting and
fragmentary that
conversation is
virtually
impossible.
Usually hesitant,
often forced into
silence because of
language
limitations.
Everyday
conversation and
classroom
discussion
frequently
disrupted by
student‟s search
for correct manner
of expression.
Everyday
conversation and
classroom
discussion
generally fluent,
with occasional
lapses while
student searches
for the correct
manner of
expression.
Everyday
conversation and
classroom
discussion fluent
and effortless;
approximately
those of a native
speaker.
Vocabulary Vocabulary
limitations so
severe that
conversation is
virtually
impossible.
Difficult to
understand
because of misuse
of words and very
limited
vocabulary.
Frequent use of
wrong words;
conversation
somewhat limited
because of
inadequate
vocabulary.
Occasional use of
inappropriate
terms and/or
rephrasing of the
ideas because of
limited
vocabulary.
Vocabulary and
idioms
approximately
those of a native
speaker.
Pronunciation Pronunciation
problems so
severe that
speech is
virtually
unintelligible.
Difficult to
understand
because of
pronunciation
problems; must
frequently repeat
in order to be
understood.
Concentration
required of
listener;
occasional
misunderstanding
s caused by
pronunciation
problems.
Always
intelligible,
although listener
conscious of a
definite accent
and occasional
inappropriate
intonation pattern.
Pronunciation and
intonation
approximately
those of a native
speaker.
Grammar Errors in
grammar and
word order so
severe that
speech is
virtually
unintelligible.
Difficult to
understand
because of errors
in grammar and
word order; must
often rephrase or
restrict speech to
basic patterns.
Frequent errors in
grammar and
word order;
meaning
occasionally
obscured.
Occasional errors
in grammar or
word order;
meaning not
obscured.
Grammar and
word order
approximately
those of a native
speaker.
29
Group Work Scoring Sheet
Name:
Date:
Group #:
Assignment Name:
Accuracy of Facts 1 2 3 4 5
Organization 1 2 3 4 5
Grammar & Spelling 1 2 3 4 5
Presentation 1 2 3 4 5
Elements of Assignment 1 2 3 4 5
Addressed
Sum of 5 components ______ x 4 =
Overall Score ______
Key
1 = poor
2 = fair
3 = average
4 = good
5 = excellent
30
Pair Work Scoring Sheet
Name:
Date:
Historical Figure:
If the following are factually correct, score 1 pt.
Name:
Date of birth:
Place of birth:
Who they married:
Date of death:
Place of death:
If the following are factually correct, score 2 pts.
Event in America‟s Revolution that they are most famous for:
Famous Quote:
Notes for future use:
How well did the student interpret the listening selection_________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
