LESSON 1: Days 1 & 2: WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF SHAYS’ REBELLION?
DAY 1
Standards: SS 1.3, SS 1.4, SS 4.1, ELA 1.1, ELA 1.2
Materials:
-Shays’ Rebellion reading passage
-History frames for class (and my answer frame)
-SAMPLE: Boston Tea Party “Letter to the Editor”
-Articles organizer
Objectives: TSWBAT…
- identify the causes and sequencing of events of Shays’ Rebellion through a secondary source reading and by filling in a history frame
-explain what happened during Shays’ Rebellion and conclude why it was important by completing their “Letter to the Editor” from the perspective of one of the rebels
Introduction:
-Question on the Board: What were the Articles of Confederation?
-Call on students to answer: the document that created the first central government for the United States. State Governments were powerful than the federal government.
Teaching Strategies and Accommodation:
- Direct Instruction: The Articles of Confederation. Pass out Articles Organizer.
- Go over the definitions (they should know them already)
- Fill in brackets of the organizer, relating the weaknesses to the vocabulary just defined
- 6 weaknesses: (1) most power held by states, (2) one branch of government, (3) legislative branch has few powers, (4) no executive branch, (5) no judicial system, (6) no system of checks and balances
The weak Articles and Revolution resulted in many economic problems
-foreign trade: closed trade with British and the West Indies
-British tariffs (taxes on imports or exports) -> higher prices and people paying more for things
-farmers can no longer export goods to old markets, like the West Indies
-The weak Confederate Congress could not regulate interstate commerce (trade between two or more states), so states made trade laws beneficial to only themselves
- War debts – states had problems paying and struggled to collect taxes
-deal in two ways:
1) Print off more money – inflation (when prices for goods and services rise and therefore reduce the value of money
2) Repossession of property and foreclosure (bank takes property because debts have not been paid) – stuck farmers especially hard
-these economic problems resulted in a depression (a period of low economic activity combined with a rise in unemployment)
- High taxes, losing property, and unfair circumstances; what does that sound like? Were people better off after the Revolution than they were before? What happened last time they were in this position?
- Individual Activity: Reading about Shays’ Rebellion, an uprising resulting from these problems and the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
-have students read through the text and fill in their history frame

Conclusion:
- Go over the history frame, making sure that all important information has been filled in using their responses and my frame
- Assign Homework: Using your history frame, outline your “letter to the editor.” Be sure to include when it happened, what happened, and the reasons you joined the rebellion
- Pass out the Sample “Letter to the Editor” about the Boston Tea Party to give students guidance as they outline and write their letter
Assessment:
-I will use student responses to in-class questions and their replies to questions about topics on the history frame to assess whether they have understood the content (formative)
-I will use the writing assignment “letter to the editor” to assess students’ grasp what happened during Shays’ Rebellion and why it happened (summative)
Self-Reflection:
DAY 2: Typing out “Letters to the Editor”
Standards: SS 1.3, SS 1.4, SS 4.1, ELA 1.1, ELA 1.2
Materials:
- Shays’ Rebellion reading passage
-History frames for class (and my answer frame)
-SAMPLE: Boston Tea Party “Letter to the Editor”
-Laptop cart
-index cards with names of important delegates at the Constitutional Convention
Objectives: TSWBAT…
-explain what happened during Shays’ Rebellion and conclude why it was important by completing their “Letter to the Editor” from the perspective of one of the rebels
Introduction:
- Inform students of the task at hand: “Letter to the editor – Each student will write a letter to the editor from the perspective of a participant in Shays’ Rebellion. The letter must describe what happened and clearly state their reasons for joining the rebellion.”
-recommend they consult the sample for guidance
Teaching Strategies and Accommodation:
- I will go around the room checking on the progress of students’ projects, providing guidance and help when needed.
-If students finish early, have them proofread their writing or team up in groups of two and team proofread
-If students complete their activity and proofreading, then allow them to chose and index card and commence research for their “biographical spotlight” of the selected delegate.
Conclusion:
- We have covered the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the resulting economic problems, and the rebellion that happened as a result. As readings stated, the fear that further rebellions would happen caused many to believe that a stronger central government was

needed. Next, we will examine the men who worked to create a new constitution that would address these problems.
Assessment:
-I will use the writing assignment “letter to the editor” to assess students’ grasp of what happened during Shays’ Rebellion and why it happened
Self-Reflection: