Revolutionary War Unit

Essential Questions:
How did the Revolutionary War reflect ideas about political freedom and liberty in the 1700s?
How did economics play a role in support and opposition to independence?
Revolutionary War Introduction Lesson
Essential Question: How did the Revolutionary War result in differing outcomes for different
groups of people?
Standards:

6.1.8.A.3.a
6.1.8.D.3.b
6.1.8.D.3.e

Lesson Objectives
Collaboration: SWBAT work in pairs to achieve
lesson goals

Assessment
Successful completion of the detective activity

Communication: SWBAT share prior

knowledge and new ideas with the teacher
and other students

Completion of the opening activity and closing

discussion

Critical Thinking: SWBAT utilize multiple

resource types to challenge and change prior
knowledge

Completion of the Document analysis packet

questions

Creativity: SWBAT create new views on the

events of the Revolutionary War

Completion of the Document analysis packet

questions

Materials:

Document Analysis packet

o Worksheet for each document
o Instruction sheet
Three sets of the document sheets
o Painting of Black solider in the Revolutionary War
o Adams letters excerpts
o Excerpt from the Declaration of Independence
o Map of Native American territorial losses
Whiteboard
Dry erase markers

Pencils/Pens

Class Set-up: Desks set up in pairs facing a central, front desk. Pairs form a ring around the
room. The focus and the essential question are written on the board.
Prior Knowledge: Some students will possess a basic knowledge (concepts, results, what it was
about) of what the Revolutionary War was, what freedom means and what liberty means.
Focus: Written on board, Collect sheet of paper from the front table. Answer the question.
Question on sheet and board What do you already know about the Revolutionary War? What
was it about?
Modifications:

Large print used for documents

High-Low groups, high student to act as reader if necessary
Both written and oral directions
Resources brought to students with physical disabilities

Instructional Plan:
00

Students enter, told to pay attention to instructions on the board. Ask students take their
seats. Remind them to copy down homework and to take out their homework to be
checked.

01

Take roll as students pick up paper from the front table. Make note of any students who
have not yet done so and remind them to collect papers.

05

Ask students to read off their answers to the focus question. Write down volunteered
answers beneath the focus question on the board. Ensure ideas of liberty, freedom and
independence are brought up.

10

Transition to main activity. Explain to students that there are different views on liberty
and the legacy of the Revolutionary War. Explain term legacy as a lasting impact on the
future.

11

Split students into teacher selected heterogeneous pairs and inform pairs that they are
to be private detectives hired to investigate the legacy of the Revolutionary War. They
will use analysis packets to analyze each document for clues as to what the legacy is.
Explain the documents are scattered at different spots around the room.

13

Students begin investigation heading to one of the stations. Teacher to circulate and
ensure students are on task and addressing student questions and concerns.

20

Students are advised to move to the next station. Teacher continues to circulate.

27

Students are advised to move to the next station. Teacher continues to circulate.

34

Students are advised to move to the next station. Teacher continues to circulate.

41

Students are asked to head back to their desks and share ideas with their partner on the
evidence. Asked to address question of what was the Revolutionary War about as a pair.

48

Class discussion and sharing of ideas. Write down next to what appears on the board as
to what students knew going in to the lesson about the war with what they learned.
Compare the two sides and ask students to draw conclusions.

55

Closure. Answer questions from students as they appear.

60

Bell rings; students exit.

Closure: Students to answer the question on a new sheet of paper: How were one of the
groups of people we learned about today impacted by the Revolutionary war?.
Homework: Read and outline Section 1 of the chapter on the Revolutionary War. Complete
vocabulary for the section.