CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTIONLTEC 4100 Computers in the Classroom

February 20, 2010Susanne Shanahan

University of North Texas

Social Studies – Grade 5 TEKS 113.7 (b) Knowledge & Skills.

◦ (2) The student understands how conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain led to American independence. (B) analyze the causes and effects of events prior to and during the

American Revolution such as the Boston Tea Party;◦ (25) Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking

skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. (B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying

cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions.

o (26) Social studies skills. The student communicate in written, oral and visual forms.• (C) express ideas orally based on research and experiences.

Causes of The American Revolution

Visual learners: By organizing the events chronologically, visual learners can see things visually.

Auditory learners: By discussing the events as a whole class, as well as breaking down into smaller group, students can engage in discussions.

Kinesthetic learners: Students physically engage in placing the events in the chronological order in which they occurred.

Learners to Address in this Lesson

Students will be able to:◦ Identify the major causes of the American

Revolution, and the order in which they occurred.◦ Evaluate the significance of each event and the

role it played in the cause of the American Revolution.

Learning Objectives

This lesson should take 2 to 4 hours depending on internet access.

Materials Needed:◦ Colored Construction Paper◦ White Construction Paper◦ Scissors◦ Markers◦ Glue◦ White Board or Overhead Projector

The lesson should begin with a classroom discussion of some cause and effect events in history. Explain how one thing can develop into something else, and how it can continue to grow.

Explain to the class that the American Revolution is one such event in history.

Teaching the Causes of the American Revolution

Have the students discuss any knowledge they have on the American Revolution. After this brief discussion, divide the class into six groups.

Assign each group two of the following events and have them research the topics for 30 minutes to 1 hour using the Internet, text books and other books throughout the classroom:◦ French & Indian War◦ Stamp Act Passed◦ Sons of Liberty Formed◦ The Quartering Act◦ Townshend Acts Imposed◦ Boston Massacre◦ Boston Tea Party◦ First Continental Congress◦ Intolerable Acts Passed◦ Second Continental Congress◦ The Shots Heard Round the World-battles fought at Lexington & Concord◦ War Declared: Britain declares war on America.

Lesson Plan

Explain to the group they are to find the significance of the events on the cause of the American Revolution.

Have each group come up with a short explanation of each event assigned to them.

Bring the class back together and have the groups present their research to the class (having them do this is the order that the events occurred, which is on the previous slide.

Engage in discussion with the students after each group’s presentation, pointing out interesting facts that were discovered.

Lesson Plan Continued

After each group has given their presentation, hand out a sheet of colored paper and a white sheet of paper. Have them cut the colored sheet of paper into 12 strips.

Display the 12 events researched and discussed in class on a whiteboard or overhead projector, but not in the correct order

Have the students write the date of 1754 on the left hand bottom of the paper, and the ending date of 1775 on the right side bottom of the paper.

Have each child write down one event on each individual strip of paper.

The student will then place the colored strips in the correct order of how the events occurred, and glue them down on the white piece of paper.

Lesson Plan Continued

Upon completion, ask the students which event came first. Ask them to explain how they came up with this and the significance this event played in the cause of the American Revolution. Then have them reveal the second event and how they figured it out and it’s significance. As they reveal the correct sequence of events, reveal the correct answer on the whiteboard or overhead projector. Have them continue this until all 12 events are revealed.

Evaluation of Effectiveness of the Lesson

After all of the events have been revealed, the School House Rock American Rock Video clips should be played to enforce what the students have learned and to lead into the next lesson plan on the American Revolution. The following web addresses contain the appropriate video clips:

No More Kings - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofYmhlclqr4 The Fireworks - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--VMlvbkJbw The Shot Heard ‘Round The World - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VQA5NDNkUM

Classroom Discussion: Discuss: Could this chain of events have been stopped from developing at any point? Discuss: Significance of Events which lead to the Revolution. Discuss: Was the Revolution inevitable?

Have the children play Liberty The American Revolution after this lesson and throughout the other lessons on The American Revolution

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/road.html

Evaluation Continued

http://www.sites4teachers.com/links/redirect.php?url=http://www.col-ed.org/cur/social.html#sst1

http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/lessonplans/the-american-revolution-a-chain-reaction

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/road.html

References: