Overview
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. 

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

• 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).

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

• Create a cause and effect chart.

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.
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.
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