District 11 Educational Support Services
Social Studies


Grade 5, Quarter 3:  Revolutionary War

Overview

View the Video Introduction. During this unit, learning is focused on the events leading up to the Revolutionary War. Students will learn about the causes, events and effects of the War; the British/Colonists’ roles before, during and after the War; and the role the Second Continental Congress, the Continental army, and American allies in the outcome of the War.
For Teachers
Quarter 1  2
Quarter 3  4 
Prior Grade
Next Grade
Yearly Overview

Daily Lessons 1 - 7 8 - 14 15 - 21
2nd Semester Assessment Item Bank


Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

  • Chronology organizes people and events and helps explain historical relationships.
  • Societies are diverse and change over time.
  • Technology has changed societies throughout history.
  • Beliefs of individuals and groups have powerful effects on societies.
  • Maps, globes and other geographic tools show places events occur
  • Physical and human characteristics of places define regions.
  • People migrate and settle in different places for a variety of reasons.
  • Human activity changes and is changed by the physical environment.
  • Decisions must be made about the use of scarce resources.
  • Resources are used to produce and distribute goods and services.
  • The exchange of goods and services leads to trade and interdependence.
  • Individuals and groups make, enforce and apply rules and laws (government). 
  • Government involves people acquiring and using power and authority.
  • Rules, laws and governments develop and change over time.
  • People and nations interact politically.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

  • How can events leading up to the Revolutionary War be organized chronologically?
  • What were some of the causes and effects of the laws and taxes imposed on the Colonists?
  • How did Britain and the colonies interact before, during, and after the Revolution?
  • How did the outcome of the Second Continental Congress affect our lives today?
  • What were the key factors that enabled the colonists to defeat the British?
District 11 curriculum is designed to prepare and equip students to be successful in the 21st Century. Curriculum resources and lessons included here have been aligned to the Colorado Standards for each content area. In addition, the entire program has been aligned with the knowledge, skills, and learner attributes the Partnership for 21st Century Skills promotes as necessary for success in the 21st Century. You will see the highlighted core values embedded in these lessons and activities.
 
A Academic Preparedness: the foundation required for either higher education, or high-wage, high skills jobs
C Cultural Competence: the ability to understand and interpret political and cultural events from multiple perspectives in a global society, a core competency in 21st Century Skills
H High-Functioning Team Member Skills: collaboration is a core competency in 21st Century Skills
I Innovative Thinking and Problem Solving Skills: a core competency for 21st Century Skills
E Effective Use of Information Technology: a core competency for 21st Century Skills
V Vital Participation in Civic Responsibility: "share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society" Standards for the 21st-Century Learner from American Library Assoc.
E Effective Communication Skills: a core competency for 21st Century Skills

Standards and Benchmarks
 History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
History 3:  Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.
History 5:  Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.
Civics 3:  Students know the political relationship of the United States and its citizens to other nations and to world affairs.
Civics 4: Students understand how citizens exercise the roles, rights, and responsibilities of participation in civic life at all levels.
Benchmark C:  Students understand the principles of the United States Constitutional Government. 
Standard Civics 2: Students know how to use structure and function of local, state , and nationally government and how citizen involvement shapes public policy.
Benchmark D: Students know how public policy is developed at the local, state, and national levels.

Unit Vocabulary

Use the Visual Thesaurus and use the approved login and password to the right:   User name - es35@d11.org and the password is d112009
Vocabulary
Constitution
Declaration of Independence
Loyalists
Neutralists
Patriots

Research confirms that students must have at least 6 opportunities through varied means to experience the same vocabulary before it can be applied. Here are 6 sample methods for teaching the vocabulary for this unit: These examples are endorsed by the Mid-Continental Research in Education Laboratory (McREL) Six Step Strategy to Improving Vocabulary. Read more about Research on Teaching Vocabulary.
Step 1: Teacher Defines Word 
Step 2: Student Defines Word with Examples
Step 3: Student Identifies or Designs a Visual Representation
Step 4: Practice With Games
Step 5: Practice Application
Step 6: Apply in Written and Oral Communication

Step 1-3:
 Frayer Model for Vocabulary

Step 4: Vocabulary Bingo

Step 4 - 5:  

Step 3-4: PowerPoint Partners Game Vocabulary Review

Steps 1, 2, 4: Quizlet

Step 6: Writing Assignment

Sample Units

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:  

Lessons 1 - 7: The Road to Independence Part 1 - Revolutionary War
 Duration: @ 7 class periods
    
History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
District Indicator:  Organize events and people in history chronologically (time lines, lists, sequencing).
Enduring Understanding: Chronology organizes people and events and helps explain historical relationships.
Essential Questions: How can events leading up to the Revolutionary War be organized chronologically?
Assessment:  History Alive!  Assessment 10 and/or time line of events leading up to the Revolutionary War.

Activities

  1. List and explain the major events that led up to the War (French and Indian War, Proclamation of 1763, Quartering Act, Stamp Act, taxation without representation, colonial protests, Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, Intolerable Acts).

  2. Continue adding important events and people to the time line.

  3. Create a cause and effect chart.

  4. Explore the American Revolution Webquest developed by Shelly Knight.

  5. Read the audio book: The American Revolution Begins!

Resources: History Alive!  Chapter 10:  Growing Tensions Between the Colonies and Britain.
Independence Simulation from Interact.  History Alive!  Chapter 11: To Declare Independence or Not. 
 Smithsonian Institute Resources

Differentiation
Support: Choose one event that led up to the war and discuss the problem, impact and the effect it had on the Revolution's beginning. Read and listen to the audio book, The American Revolution Begins!
Extension: Make a second cause/effect chart to include the British point of view.

Lessons 8 - 14 Title: Loyalists, Patriots and Neutralists
 Duration: @  7 class periods 
 
Civics 4:  Students understand how citizens exercise the roles, rights, and responsibilities of participation in civic life at all levels.
District Indicator: Describe ways that people and nations interact. Explain the rights, roles, and responsibilities of students and citizens in the classroom, school, community, state, and nation.
Enduring Understandings: People and nations interact politically. Citizens have rights, roles and responsibilities.
Essential Questions: What were some of the causes and effects of the laws and taxes imposed on the colonists?
How did Britain and the colonies interact before, during, and after the Revolution?
Assessment: History Alive!  Assessment 11 and/or prompt: Write 1 paragraph from the point-of-view of a Loyalist, Patriot or Neutralist explaining why this person would be for/against/ neutral in the debate on laws and taxes.

Activities

  1. Compare and contrast the attitudes of the colonists toward the war (Loyalists, Patriots, and Neutralists).

  2. Research differing points of view and report out using various types of media (newspaper articles, speeches, plays, create video, etc.

  3. Describe the relationship between England and the colonies before, during and after the war.

  4. Role play a panel debate between the Loyalists and the Patriots.

Resources: History Alive!  Chapter 11:  To Declare Independence or Not. Patriots Simulation from Interact. "The King's M&M's" Activity.

Differentiation
Support: Work cooperatively with classmates to act out why King George should make laws for the colonists, or why not.
Read and listen to the audio book, The Battle of Bunker Hill.
Read and listen to the audio book, The Battle of Saratoga.
Extension: Pretend you are King George. Write a letter to the colonists explaining the reasoning behind the taxes, the colonist's behavior and how you, as King, will react to future outcomes if the colonists do not cooperate.

Lessons 15 - 21: Second Continental Congress and Defeating the British
Duration: @ 7 class periods

Enduring Understanding: Historians use primary and secondary sources to ask and answer questions about the past and present (historical inquiry) Rules, laws, and governments develop and change over time.
Essential Questions: What was the outcome of the Second Continental Congress? What were the key factors that enabled the colonists to defeat the British?
Assessment: History Alive! Assessment 12 including question 12 which uses a primary source.

Activities

  1. List and explain the importance of the documents Common Sense and Declaration of Independence.

  2. Compare and contrast British and American forces before and after the war.

  3. Use History Alive!   "Tug-of-War"

  4. What is the meaning of the words to our National Anthem? Listen to the Star Spangled Banner (3:15) audio file to find out.

Resources: History Alive!  Chapter 12:  The Declaration of Independence.  History Alive!  Chapter 13 :  The Revolutionary War.  We the People Chapter 5:  Biographies

Differentiation
Support: Complete the History Alive!  reading notes for Chapter 12.3 and 12.5 only.  For History Alive!  Chapter 13 complete 13.2, 13.3 and 13.6.
Read and listen to the audio book, The Constitutional Convention
Extension: Choose one or more excerpts from the Declaration of Independence and paraphrase it in your own words to tell what it means.

Parent Resources

 

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