Subject:  U.S. History
Topic:  Revolutionary War
Grade Level:  5
Student Lesson name and URL:

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To see the California State History Standards go to:
         http://www.cde.ca.gov/board/pdf/history.pdf

5.4 Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic institution that evolved in the colonial era.

1. Understand how the British colonial period created the basis  for the development of political self-government and a free-market economic system.

5.5 Students explain the causes of the American Revolution.

1. Understand how political, religious, and economic ideas and interests brought about the Revolution.
2. Know the significance of the first and second Continental Congresses and of the Committees of Correspondence.
3. Understand the people and events associated with the drafting and signing of the Declaration of Independence and the document's significance, including the key political concepts it embodies, the origins of those concepts, and its role in severing ties with Great Britain.
4. Describe the views, lives, and impacts of key individuals during this period.

To see the California State Language Arts Standards go to:

           http://www.cde.ca.gov/cdpress/lang_arts.pdf

Reading 

• 2.0 Reading comprehension

Writing

• 1.0 Writing Strategies
• 2.0 Writing Applications

Written and Oral English-Language Conventions

• Written and Oral English-Language Conventions

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The Students will be able to:

• Explain why before the Seven Years' War the colonists lacked a sense of American identity and be able to evaluate the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain.
• Describe the Seven Years' War and Evaluate the effects off the war on the relationship between the colonists and Great Britain.
• Analyze the change in British policy after the Seven Years' War and summarize how colonists began to act together to protect their interests.
• Describe the colonial reaction to the British attempts to tax them.
• Identify and explain the reasons that led American Colonists to support or to oppose  the Revolutionary War.

Enabling Activity(ies)
1.  In small groups, students will research the relationship between the colonies and Great Britain prior to the Seven Years'  War and how and why  this relationship changed after the Seven Years' War.  Students will present their findings to the class in a Power Point presentation.

2.  Working in small groups students will research the following events:

• The Stamp Act.
• Quartering Act.
• Boston Massacre.
• Intolerable Acts.

Students will be asked to create a chart of their own design that explains how the colonists reacted to each of the above listed events and the eventual outcomes.  Students will also be required to create a time line illustrating the above events.

3.  Students will research the events surrounding the Boston Tea Party and write two newspaper articles from two different points of view.  One article will be told from the British point of view, the other from the colonists' point of view.  

Culminating Activity
Students will research the reasons that led American colonists to support or oppose the Revolutionary War.  Students will be asked to prepare a presentation, in the form of a persuasive speech, from the perspective of either a Patriot or a loyalist.  Students will be asked to identify the goals and values involved in their decision.

To visit the student page Click Here .

Other interesting sites:

               http://www.state.de.us/facts/ushist/revfacts.htm
             
               http://www.multied.com/revolt/causes.html
            

Lincrest Elementary School
Yuba City,  CA 
Elisabeth Gianella Davit
davico@succeed.net
Last Revised: 05/16/2001