Instructional Design
Enlightenment to Revolution
By: Jamie Fletcher
Rationale
Making Social Studies meaningful for students is one of the hardest tasks to
accomplish but is also one of the most important tasks to accomplish. The biggest
problem that I see in social studies classrooms is the disconnect between social
studies teachings and how that relates to the experiences in their everyday lives. In
order to help with this problem, I have created 3 rules to follow for how the content
is to be taught in a social studies class. First, it must relate to their lives. Secondly,
the lessons must somehow promote critical thinkers. Lastly, the lessons must also allow
the students to see the content from multiple perspectives. Therefore, the lessons in this
instructional design all relate to those 3 rules. Not only will these rules promote active
learners, but they will also promote the students to become active citizens in their
communities.
The lessons within this sub-unit are constructed using the TCI Approach
(Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2010), the Basic Lesson Planning Model and the 5-E
Learning Cycle Model (Chiarelott, 2006). I believe that by using this blended approach, it
encompasses a design that meets the needs of the students the best. The instructional
design is also one that incorporates the ideas of contextualized teaching and learning.
According to Chiarelott, in a CTL design “content is made meaningful through its
usefulness for and relevance to addressing both the individual needs of the learner and the
problems faced by society…”. In the sub-unit lesson plans, students are given the
opportunity to connect the problems of the past and to today’s problems. In each lessons,
this connection between past and present is stressed. For example, students will use the
ideas from the Enlightenment and connect them to the ideas of the 21st Century
Enlightenment. Next, students are asked to name problems of today that can be solved
using those 21st Century Enlightenment ideas.
In a CTL design that focuses on personal relevance, there should be opportunities
for the learner to make choices regarding their learning and then to take responsibility for
those choices. This choice is made possible in the sub-unit lessons as students are given
the opportunity to create either a skit, editorial, or PowerPoint to express their knowledge
of the content. The gallery walk also places the responsibility of learning onto the
students as the teacher is providing the content in a direct instruction manner. This is
because based on the 5-E learning model; the teacher’s role is strictly one as a facilitator.
I incorporated this idea into the instructional design in order to create very student
centered lessons (Chiarelott, 2006). The student-centered lessons, such as the student
creation of a skit, PowerPoint, or editorial allows for students to develop their critical
thinking skills.
In the TCI approach, students need to become active learners in order to use their
critical thinking skills (Teachers’ Curriculum Institute, 2010). In order to develop critical
thinking skills using active learner strategies, this sub-unit includes the following
activities; gallery walk, Think-Pair-Share, creation of a political cartoon, analysis of
popular songs, exit slip, creation of a PowerPoint, skit, or newspaper editorial, and group
discussion.
The mini-project of the PowerPoint, skit, or editorial , allows students to view
events from multiples perspectives as they are choosing to defend a position from one
side while respecting that others may choose to defend their position from a different
side. Students are also asked to create a political cartoon and do a TPS that also allows
them to view events from multiple perspectives.
The sub-unit lessons are very student-centered lessons that allows for the
cooperation among students and requires the use of critical thinking skills to complete
tasks in the classroom. This active learner approach makes the content of social studies
more meaningful for students because they can begin to make the connection between the
content and skills learned in a social studies classroom to their everyday lives. The skills
they learn such as critical thinking skills and being able to view events from multiples
perspectives, are skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. This instructional
design forces students to develop the skills necessary for them to succeed in their future
and to make connections that makes learning meaningful to them.
Sub-Unit Intended Learning Outcomes
Sub-Unit: The American Revolution
Students will be able to:
Knowledge

Identify Enlightenment ideas

Describe their support or refutation to the American Revolution
Comprehension

Summarize the 21st Century Enlightenment

Defend their Loyalists or Patriot ideas using Enlightenment ideas
Application

Apply Enlightenment ideas to today’s problems

Draw a picture that reflects their point of view
Analysis

Compare and contrast the Enlightenment with the 21st century Enlightenment

Analyze how different events led to the American Revolution

Prioritize their arguments for or against the American Revolution from most
important to least important
Synthesis

Create a skit/PowerPoint/editorial about the beliefs of the patriots and loyalists
Evaluation

Compare their own beliefs to the other group of people (ex: a loyalists compares
their ideas to what a patriot believes

Evaluate songs to determine the enlightenment ideas within them
Creating a New Nation: Pre-Assessment
Name: ___________________
Date: ___________________
KWL
The Enlightenment &
The American Revolution
Directions: Fill in the know column of this KWL chart with any information that you
ALREADY know about the Enlightenment and the American Revolution. This can
include important names, the time period, dates, terms, documents, countries
involved, etc. You must make an effort.
Know
Lesson Plan 1
Want To Know
Learned
Title of Today’s Lesson: Enlightenment Ideas
Your Name: Jamie Fletcher
Grade Level: 8th grade
Subject/Course: American History
# of students: 20-30
Unit Topic: The American Revolution
Class Duration: 45
minutes
Day 1 of 3
Date: 10/16/15
Unit Essential Question/Central Focus
Would the American Revolution have happened if the Enlightenment did not?
Standards
Theme
Topic (Content)
5. The ideas of the Enlightenment and
dissatisfaction with colonial rule led English
colonists to write the Declaration of
Independence and launch the American
Revolution.
History
Theme
Content Statement
Topic (Skill)
Civic Participation and
Skills
Lesson Objectives (KUDos)
Know (Academic Language)
John Locke
Voltaire
Rousseau
Rights of the citizen
Natural Law
Reason
Popular government
Rationality
Progress
Freedom of thought
Humanitarianism
Content Statement
1. Primary and secondary sources are used to
examine events from multiple perspectives
and to present and defend a position.
Understand
 How Enlightenment
ideas paved the way
for the American
Revolution
 How the first
Enlightenment is
connected to the 21st
Century
Enlightenment
Be able to do
 Identify
Enlightenment ideas
(knowledge)
 Summarize the 21st
Century
Enlightenment
(comprehension)
 Apply
Enlightenment ideas
to today’s problems
(application)
 Compare and
contrast the
Enlightenment with
the 21st century
Enlightenment

(analysis)
Evaluate songs to
determine the
enlightenment ideas
within them
(evaluation)
Planned Assessments
PreN/A
Formative
 Evaluation of Songs
worksheet (formal)
 Twitter exit Slip
(formal)
 Discussion during
debrief (informal)
Summative
N/A
Materials/Reference List
 Moral Continuum handout
 Song Lyrics Handout & Worksheet
 Computer
 White board
 Projector
 Sound System
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo - 21st Century Enlightenment video
(11 minutes)
 Twitter exit slip
Procedures
Lesson
Element
Hook
Allotted
Time
5-10
minutes
1. The teacher will inform students that they are to either stand on one
side of the classroom or the other side based on the beliefs/thoughts to
the questions. After each question, students express why they chose to
stand where they did in the classroom.
2. Refer to the moral continuum handout for a list of questions/scenarios
to read aloud to the students. Students will repeat this process until all
prompts have been gone through.
3. After the activity is complete, students will return to their regularly
assigned seats.
4. The teacher will then ask students how the ideas and problems in the
moral continuum relate to the Enlightenment. The teacher will help
guide students to that connection through questions, if necessary.
Transition: Now that we have been discussing Enlightenment ideas for the last
couple days, I want you to think about why those Enlightenment ideas even
matter, especially today. To do this, we are going to complete an activity in
groups.”
Development 25
minutes
(exploration,
explanation,
extension)
1) The teacher will explain to students how we can see the thoughts
and ideas from the Enlightenment even in today’s popular
culture.
2) Next, the teacher will explain that students will evaluate different
popular songs to determine Enlightenment ideas.
3) The teacher will pass out an answer sheet to the Enlightenment
lyrics activity to each group containing 3-4 students (groups are
already predetermined by the teacher)
4) Students will look up lyrics online to these songs.
5) The teacher will model on the white board an example of how the
lyrics include ideas from the Enlightenment.
6) The teacher will then instruct students to work through the next 4
songs with their group.
7) As the students are working together in their groups, the teacher
will be walking around the room assisting students and making
sure they are on task.
8) The students will have about 5 minutes per song to find the
Enlightenment ideas.
9) After about 20 minutes, the teacher will debrief with the students
and have them share a couple of the songs and the Enlightenment
ideas that they found.
10) After spending time debriefing, students will turn in their
worksheets to be graded on completion. This will be used as a
formative assessment to determine if students are grasping the
ideas of the Enlightenment.
11) Next, the teacher will briefly inform students that there is what
some people call the 21st Enlightenment (2-3 minutes).
12) The teacher will then play a YouTube video on the 21st Century
Enlightenment.
13) During the video, the teacher will stop the video periodically to
interact and engage with the students to ensure that they
understand it and are on task.
14) Once the video finishes, the teacher will instruct students that
there will be an exit ticket.
Transition Statement- “Now that you have a good idea about what the
21st Century Enlightenment is, you are going to complete an exit
ticket.”
Sinker/Closi
ng
5
minutes
1) Complete the exit slip (tweet style) before you leave and place it
in the basket on your way out the door.
2) The exit slip should include 2 ways we can use Enlightenment
ideas to solve today’s problems.
Transition Statement- “Tomorrow we will begin looking at how the
Enlightenment ideas influenced the American Revolution.”
Moral Continuum: Hook
Directions: Have the students move to different locations of the room based on their
feelings to certain topics. (ex: "stand on the right side of the room if you agree, stand on
the left side of the room if you disagree, stand in the middle if you are unsure, need more
information or are somewhere in between”)
1. Do you think that the Government should have the right to tax its citizens? What
about if you are a citizen of one country living in another country?
2. If there was a change in school policy do you think that you, as students, should
have a voice in that policy change?
3. If a group of you found a new school to go to and there were no principals/teacher
there, would you let your old principal control what you do at your new school?
4. How many of you agree that every person has the right to question their leader or
“stick it to the man” as Jack Black would say?
5. Everyone has the right to think for themselves, differences in opinion are okay.
The Enlightenment in Popular Songs
Directions: Choose 4 songs from the list below and look up the lyrics to the songs.
Determine the Enlightenment ideas embedded within the songs. Adapted from the
source at http://worldhistory.mrdonn.org/enlightenment.html.
RESPECT - Aretha Franklin
Freedom
“
“
Born Free – Andy Williams
Bad to the Bone – ZZ Top
I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar) – Helen Reddy
Imagine – John Lennon
Mother Nature’s Son – Beatles
Revolution – Beatles
Easy to Be Cruel – Three Dog Night
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – Rolling Stones
We Don’t Need No Education – Pink Floyd
Money – Pink Floyd
Name: ______________________
Enlightenment Activity Sheet
Song # 1
Name of Song:
Enlightenment Ideas:
Philosopher:
Song #2
Name of Song:
Enlightenment Ideas:
Philosopher:
Song #3
Name of Song:
Enlightenment Ideas:
Philosopher:
Song #4
Name of Song:
Enlightenment Ideas:
Philosopher:
Twitter Style Exit Ticket
Lesson Plan 2
Title of Today’s Lesson: The pathway to the American Revolution
Your Name: Jamie Fletcher
Grade Level: 8th
Subject/Course: Early American History
# of students: 20-30
Unit Topic: Enlightenment to Revolution
Class Duration: 45
minutes
Day 2 of 3
Date: 2/24/15
Unit Essential Question/Central Focus
Would the American Revolution have happened if the Enlightenment did not?
Standards
Theme
Topic (Content)
Content Statement
5. The ideas of the Enlightenment and
dissatisfaction with colonial rule led English
colonists to write the Declaration of Independence
and launch the American Revolution.
Theme
Topic (Skill)
Content Statement
Lesson Objectives (KUDos)
Know (Academic Language)
Proclamation of 1763
Sugar Act
Stamp Act
Townshed Acts
Tea Act
Coercive Act
Quartering Act
Quebec Act
Understand
 The colonists used
Enlightenment ideas
in their fight against
Great Britain
Be able to do
 Draw a picture that
reflects their point of
view (application)
 Analyze how
different events led
to the American
Revolution
Formative
 Formal formative
assessment of wks to
go along with gallery
walk.
Summative
N/A
Planned Assessments
PreN/A


Informal formative
assessment- group
discussion after the
gallery walk
Formal formative
assessment
Drawing/political
cartoon
Materials/Reference List
 Overhead projector
 Whiteboard
 Pencil/pen
 Markers
 Colored pencils
 Crayons
 White computer paper
 Gallery Walk wks. Questions
 Textbook (for teacher use)
 Video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUiSBXQHCw
 Primary/Secondary worksheets
 Video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2p21-soVuA
This lesson plan is part of the Constitution series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization
dedicated to advancing civic education. For more resources, please visit
www.icivics.org/teachers, where you can access the state standards aligned to this lesson
plan. Provide feedback to feedback@icivics.org.
Procedures
Lesson
Element
Hook
Allotted
Time
5
minutes
1) Students will complete a Think Pair Share related
to the American Revolution and the divide between
patriots and loyalists. Instruct students to
independently think about the: who, what, when,
where, and why in regards to these two groups.
2) After giving time for students to think about the
answers to these questions, tell the students to pair up
and discuss the answers with someone sitting next to
them. This is the pair part of the TPS.
3) After giving time for students to discuss answers
with the person next to them, ask each group one of
the following; who, what, when, where or why?
4) The TPS should get the students thinking about the
differences in thoughts between the loyalists and
patriots.
5) Students will then watch a Youtube video that
demonstrates the differences between the loyalists
and patriots.
6) The teacher will then “cold call” on students to check
for understanding.
Transition Statement- “Now that we reviewed what we did
yesterday, today you will completing a gallery walk to see
how when Enlightenment ideas are paired with upset
colonists, the state of a revolution occurs.”
Development
30
minutes
1) Instruct students to meet with their partner/group
(groups are predetermined by the teacher).
2) After students are in groups, directions will be given
by the teacher on how complete a gallery walk.
Students will be move between 5 different stations to
complete the gallery walk. Each station will have
information about the different topics.
3) Students will be given a worksheet that has questions
for the each gallery that they go to. Students are
instructed to complete the questions by working
together with their group members.
4) Give the students 5 minutes at each station before
rotating to the next station.
5) After the students have been to all 5 stations, they
will be asked to return to their desks, which are set
up into a circle.
6) Review with students the different key points from
each station so students are all on the same page. (510 minutes)
7) After all key information has been gone over,
students will turn in their worksheets from the
gallery walk to be graded as a formal formative
assessment.
Transition Statement- “Now that you have a better idea of
the different events that took place leading up to the
American Revolution, you all will complete a drawing to
help visualize the thoughts and feelings of the colonists
during that time period.
1) Students will be asked to draw a picture or political
Sinker/closing 10
cartoon that represents the feelings of the patriots or
minutes
loyalists leading up to the American Revolution. This
drawing will be a 10 points completion grade and
will be used to get the students thinking about the
activity for the next day.
Transition: If you don’t finish the drawing, it’s for
homework to be turned in tomorrow when you walk into
class. Tomorrow you will be again working in groups
(determined by the teacher) to complete a mini project
about the American Revolution.
Station 2
Station 3/4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUiSBXQHCw Video
Station 1
Station 5
Name: ________________________
Date:________________________
Gallery Walk
Enlightenment to Revolution
1. Complete the crossword puzzle that goes along with your reading that is at
station 1.
2. Complete the following chart for station 2 of the gallery walk.
3. Watch this YouTube clip for stations 3 & 4. List 5 facts from the movies
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlUiSBXQHCw Video
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
4. Summarize the main point for each of the four section headings.




This lesson plan is part of the Constitution series by iCivics, Inc. a nonprofit organization
dedicated to advancing civic education. For more resources, please visit
www.icivics.org/teachers, where you can access the state standards aligned to this lesson
plan. Provide feedback to feedback@icivics.org.
Lesson Plan 3
Title of Today’s Lesson: Loyalists vs. Patriots
Your Name: Jamie Fletcher
Grade Level: 8th
Subject/Course: Early American History
Unit Topic: Enlightenment to Revolution
# of students: 18
Class Duration: 45
minutes
Day 3,4,5 of 5
Date: 10/18/15
Unit Essential Question/Central Focus
Would the American Revolution have happened if the Enlightenment did not?
Standards
Theme
History
Topic (Content)
Theme
Topic (Skill)
Content Statement
5. The ideas of the Enlightenment and dissatisfaction
with colonial rule led English colonists to write the
Declaration of Independence and launch the American
Revolution.
Content Statement
1. Primary and secondary sources are used to
examine events from multiple perspectives and to
present and defend a position.
Lesson Objectives (KUDos)
Know (Academic Language)
Loyalists
Patriots
Understand
Be able to do
 The way that the
 Create a
loyalists and patriots
skit/PowerPoint/edit
had two different
orial about the
perspectives in regards
beliefs of the
to the American
patriots and loyalists
Revolution
(synthesis)
 Defend their
Loyalists or Patriot
ideas using
Enlightenment ideas
(comprehension)
 Describe their
support or refutation
to the American


Revolution
(knowledge)
Compare their own
beliefs to the other
group of people (ex:
a loyalists compares
their ideas to what a
patriot believes
Prioritize their
arguments for or
against the
American
Revolution from
most important to
least important
(analysis)
Planned Assessments
PreN/A
Formative
 Formal formative:
skit/PowerPoint/Edito
rial
 Informal formative:
evaluation of student
responses to the
political cartoon
Summative
N/A
Materials/Reference List
 Rubric that is used for the skit/PowerPoint/Editorial
 Computers or send students to the computer lab/library if computers are not available in
the classroom
 Paper
 Pencils
 Textbooks
 Handouts/worksheets from previous days
Procedures
Lesson
Element
Hook
Allotted
Time
5
minutes
1) Class will begin with a review from the previous
day.
2) The teacher will ask students to volunteer to share 1
thing that they learned yesterday (not from the
station work) and share it with the class. If no student
volunteers, choose someone.
3) After you have asked multiple students, be sure that
they have hit all the key points of the lesson, probing
questions will be useful.
4) Write these things on the white board for students to
visually see.
Transition Statement: “Now that we have reviewed some
of the thoughts and ideas behind those involved in the
American Revolution, you are going to put yourself in their
shoes to complete your next assignment.”
Development
35
1) Handout the assignment sheet for the writing activity
and review it with the students so they know what
information they should include in their mini-project.
2) Students will be given the choice to complete the
activity that they want to. Once students are spit up
into the three different activities, the teacher will
assign groups using flexible grouping.
3) Students will be given the rest of the period to work
on the mini-project with their group members.
4) The teacher will be walking around the room
assisting students in helping to develop their
thoughts and ideas.
5) Students may use past worksheets, the internet, and
textbook to assist them in completing the project.
Transition Statement- “Tomorrow you will finish working
on your projects and then the next day will begin
presenting them to your peers.”
6) The following day students will continue working on
their projects in groups.
7) The teacher will walk around the room checking on
the students and making sure they are on task.
8) At the end of the class, students will finalize their
presentations for the following day.
9) The next day, the groups will present their projects.
10) Each presentation shouldn’t take more than 5-7
minutes.
11) Presentations will be graded based on the shared
rubric.
Sinker/closing 5
minutes
1) The teacher will call on a couple students who
volunteered to tell what they had learned that day or
what they thought the “take home message” is.
2) This sinker is used to reinforce the main ideas of the
previous lesson which they should be using in their
mini-projects.
Name: __________________________________
Date:__________________________________
Mini-Project : Assignment Sheet & Rubric
Directions: You will complete 1 of the following three projects with a group to
demonstrate your knowledge on the impact of the Enlightenment and beliefs of the
loyalists and patriots. You are to choose 1 of the following three projects and then I
will put you into groups to complete the project. The same rubric will be used for all
three mini-projects because there are the same requirements for whichever one you
choose. Below is what your mini-project should cover. Below are the 3 options for
the mini-project.
1) Create a PowerPoint that addresses the following things (be create, use colors,
and pictures):
2) Skit: Create a short skit 3-5 minutes that address the following things:
3) Editorial: Write a newspaper editorial that addresses the following things:
Rubric
_________ (5 points) First you will choose a clear side, either a loyalist or
patriot.
_________ (10 points) You will express why you are patriot or loyalist
__________(10 points) You will include 2 enlightenment ideas in your miniproject
__________(15 Points) You will express your thoughts and feelings about the
British and at least 2 different acts and why you are either support or don’t
support them
________ Total Points (40 possible)
Creating a New Nation: Post-Assessment
Name: ___________________
Date: ___________________
KWL
The Enlightenment &
The American Revolution
Directions: Fill in the know column of this KWL chart with any information that you
HAVE LEARNED about the Enlightenment and the American Revolution. This can
include important names, the time period, dates, terms, documents, countries
involved, etc. You must make an effort.
Know
Want To Know
Learned
References
21st Century Enlightenment [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC7ANGMy0yo
Chiarelott, L. (2006). Curriculum in Context: Designing Curriculum for Teaching and
Learning in Context. Wadsworth: Belmont, CA
iCivics.org (2013). Teacher’s Guide: Hey, King: Get off our Backs! Retrieved from
https://cdn.icivics.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Get%20Off%20Our%20B
acks_2.pdf
Loyalists and Patriots [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2p21-soVuA
Newmann, F.M., & Wehlage, G.G. (1993). Five standards of authentic instruction.
Educational Leadership, 50 (7), 8-12.
Teachers' Curriculum Institute. (2010). Bring learning alive! Methods to Transform
Middle and High School Social Studies. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers Curriculum
Institute.
The Enlightenment (Age of Reason)
http://worldhistory.mrdonn.org/enlightenment.html