Galen Catholic College Revolutions Course, Unit 3, 2015 Learning Focus Presentations on the Northern War (Monday) Administration Mark the roll Key Teaching Focus 1. Endings need to be sharper and before the bell. 2. Better reasons given for undertaking each activity; better bridging between activities. 3. Focus again on equal contributions from each student and not permitting a student to dominate the answers. 4. Focus again on not giving students the answer; allow them to maximise the thinking time. 5. Stop off task discussions with students. Duration 1 lesson Essential Question What hardships and difficulties did the Continental army face in the early years of the war, and how were they able to sustain the war effort in spite of those challenges? Exam Drills Key Issue #4 Signposting – finding the information that is needed 20 mins Key Reminder: Focus again on not giving students the answer; allow them to maximise the thinking time. Instructions: 1. Show ppt of exam questions used last week. 2. Ask students to refer back to their work from last week where they identified the key issues & method in each question, as well as the introductions that they wrote. 3. Demonstrate for Q1 some signposting, and how to use it in each paragraph. Get student contributions for this – get them to brainstorm individually what they key signposts would be. 4. Ask students to complete the 2nd and 3rd question on their own. Swap with a partner and edit. Discuss as a group. Background 5 mins Key Reminder: Better reasons given for undertaking each activity; better bridging between activities. The first years of the Revolutionary War were not happy ones for Britain's rebellious colonies. Lacking any organized army before 1775 (aside from local colonial militias), the Continental Congress had to assemble a more or less improvised fighting force that would be expected to take on the army of the world's largest empire. In George Washington Congress found an able leader, but his record on the 1 Galen Catholic College Revolutions Course, Unit 3, 2015 battlefield in the early years of the conflict was not heartening. His most impressive accomplishment was keeping the army together after a string of defeats, and making enough of a showing in battle that eventually France would be tempted to enter the conflict. This lesson will trace events in the North from 1775 to 1778. By looking at documents of the time, and using an interactive map, students will see how an army was created and understand the challenges that Washington and his men faced during this critical early stage of the war. When the first fighting broke out in Massachusetts in 1775 the rebellious colonies of North America each had their own militia, but lacked anything that could properly be termed a national army. By orders of the Continental Congress in Philadelphia a fighting force was hastily assembled and placed under the command of George Washington, who had commanded colonial forces from Virginia in the French and Indian War. Although Americans succeeded in driving the British from Boston in March 1776 there would be very little good news for the colonies in the months ahead. While the Congress debated independence in Philadelphia, an attempted invasion of Canada failed disastrously. Moreover, a massive British army arrived in New York in 1776 in what would stand until 1944 as the largest amphibious invasion in history. Washington and his Continental Army were forced back into northeastern Pennsylvania to regroup and wait for another opportunity to strike. The opportunity came near the end of the year, when Washington launched a surprise attack at Trenton, New Jersey, on Christmas night. But while this momentarily helped to restore American morale, it soon faced another crushing blow at the Battle of Brandywine. Not only did the British inflict heavy losses on the Continental Army, but the redcoats were also able to occupy Philadelphia, forcing Congress to flee for their lives. Within a few weeks, however, there was another revival of American fortunes. Moving from their positions in New York, the British launched a three-pronged offensive aimed at taking the Hudson River Valley and therefore cutting off New England from the rest of the states. But this drive was stopped in the Battle of Saratoga, a victory which had the additional benefit of drawing France into the war against the British. After the disaster at Brandywine, Washington sought to avoid another large-scale engagement in the North, and he and his army spent the miserable winter of 1777–1778 in Valley Forge while the British enjoyed the comforts of nearby Philadelphia. However, at this point the alliance with France began to bear fruit. The British, fearing an attack from the French Navy, evacuated Philadelphia in June 1778, and when Washington learned that they were retreating to New York he decided to risk another battle. The two armies met at Monmouth 2 Galen Catholic College Revolutions Course, Unit 3, 2015 Court House, in southern New Jersey, but neither side was able to achieve a convincing victory. Thus far British strategy in the North had accomplished little, so the British commander, Lord William Howe, decided to shift their priorities farther south, to the Carolinas. Nevertheless, they continued to occupy New York. Washington and his army may not have been able to inflict a decisive defeat on the British, but by keeping his army together under desperate circumstances he made it possible to achieve victory in the South in the years to come. Activity 1 Presentations Approx. 15 mins? Key Reminder: Better reasons given for undertaking each activity; better bridging between activities. Students to give 2 min presentation on their battle. When students are not presenting they are to be listening to the information and complete the template (Battle – 5W’s) provided on the handout. Overview of being a good audience member. Show map on projector. http://teachingamericanhistory.org/static/neh/interactives/americanrev olution/ Extra Activity If needed, refer textbook: Read pp.132 “Deathly Winter at Valley Forge” and complete Activity 9 – why is Valle Forge such a celebrated event in the history of the US? Wrap up Key reminder: Endings need to be sharper and before the bell. 5 mins Next lesson moving on to the key battles of the southern war, and towards the peace settlement. 3 Galen Catholic College Revolutions Course, Unit 3, 2015 Resources For more detailed information on the course of the war in the North, teachers are encouraged to consult "The American Revolution: Lighting Freedom's Flame" (accessible via the EDSITEment-reviewed site of the National Park Service, Links to the Past). Of particular note at this site are a brief history of the war and a timeline of events. http://www.doublegv.com/ggv/battles/Contl.html http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/valleyforge.htm http://thehistoricpresent.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/what-happenedat-valley-forge/ http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars16011800/p/valleyforge htm http://www.ushistory.org/march/phila/valleyforge.htm http://www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/history/rock.html http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/valleyforge.html http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312848/valleyforge.htm http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web02/segment2.html Extension Work Homework Assessment Absent 4