American Revolution Life At Home

Goals & Objectives

Students will recognize the different perspectives that citizens had about the American
Revolution.

California State Content Standards

10.1.3. Understand the unique character of the American Revolution, its spread to other parts
of the world, and its continuing significance to other nations.

Common Core Literacy Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6
Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or
similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their respective
accounts.
Driving Historical Question

What were the major differences in opinion of the people in the American Colonies leading
up to the revolution?

Lesson Introduction (Anticipatory Set/Hook/Accessing Prior Knowledge) Time:2

Discuss with the students about difference of perspective and how primary sources can
show different sides of the same conflict. Use real life example of siblings getting in fights
and telling on one another.

Vocabulary (Content Language Development) Time: 3

Cover the term Tory, Patriot, and Separatist.

Content Delivery (Method of Instruction) Time:25

Students will be placed in groups of 3 and each group will be given three primary sources.
The first is a British loyalist that decides to leave American because he does not want to
fight against his home country or the country in which he lives. The second is a Tory that
who publicly declares in from the seat of a public office that if the colonies go to war with
Great Britain, they will fail and be ruled much more harshly. The last source is a letter a
boy writes to his father telling him about his sense of duty to fight for the American Army.
These sources all give different perspectives, one of a patriot, loyalist and a
nonconfrontational loyalist. The students will read the sources and on their own piece of
paper write down the Who, What, When, Where, and Why for each document. This will
focus on who is writing it and why this may be an important document. They will then give
a short overview (2-3 sentences) of the source on their paper.

Student Engagement (Critical Thinking & Student Activities) Time:15

Students will discuss the different perspectives the writers of the primary sources have. The
teacher will prompt them by asking about how their view of the revolution differed from each
of the primary source writers. Have questions on the board that they need to discuss in their
group including:
Do you believe any of these views were uncommon among the colonists?
Were families split based on their political beliefs about the war?
Could you really be a loyalist if you believed that the colonist had the right to rebel?

These questions are meant to engage the students and have them think critically about the
sources, while also tying into the major societal issues that began to tear it apart from within.

Lesson Closure Time:5

Check for understanding by having students write a few sentences on the different views
that people had in the American colonies before the revolution. Give them an opportunity
to discuss what were the more common beliefs (patriot v. loyalist)

Assessments (Formative & Summative)

F: Compare and Constrast the different views of the three documents and elaborate on how
their views were slightly different from one another.
S :Short write at the end to show understanding of text and application of new critical
thinking skills

Accommodations for English Learners, Striving Readers and Students with Special Needs
For EL students, the primary source work could be small group oriented to assist with
language deficiencies. This will be especially helpful with some of the language usage in the
sources being tough for even native speakers. Students with special needs in my class will
be given reminder questions with the primary source to help them keep on task and guide
them through the questions instead of getting distracted.

Resources (Books, Websites, Handouts, Materials)

https://puu.sh/ya9o5/5ddf18ac91.png
http://puu.sh/ya9oK/3f4d6d179c.png
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/T-02325.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkhaneo25Mc
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hPe3fIFg4eFLNF7GHS0APx2LrCYF3E6mShpvjF
O93q0/edit#slide=id.p