Grade: 4
Unit: 3
Title: Revolutionaries from the Past
Essential Question
Key Content: The student will…
What life lessons can we learn
from revolutionaries in fiction and
nonfiction?
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Read and participate in group discussions about a variety of fiction and
nonfiction texts about revolutionaries from America’s past.
Describe the differences between firsthand and secondhand accounts in
informational text.
Compare and contrast first- and third-person narrations.
Describe the chronology of events from early American history.
Discuss and interpret the literal and figurative meaning of idioms.
Unit Focus
Highlight key information and details of past people and
events in order to understand the chronology of events,
compare and contrast first- and third-person narratives;
read and discuss poetry; read informational text about
the American Revolution and speeches by
revolutionaries, then write a speech outlining an opinion
on a current event, possibly taking a “revolutionary”
position; end unit with discussion and essay response to
the essential question.
Vocabulary and Terms to Emphasize
Code
audience
autobiography
biography
first-person narration
third-person narration
informational text
structure
 major character
 minor character
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point of view
writing style
speech
(review of) letter writing
Primary source
Secondary source
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Identify the reasons Patrick Henry and Sojourner Truth use to
support their positions in various speeches.
Write a variety of responses to stories and poems.
Recite poetry and/or plays (e.g., Reader’s Theater) for
classmates.
Write an opinion speech about the American Revolution or a
current event, supporting a point of view with reasons and
information.
Standard
Concept
RL.4.6
Compare/contrast the point of view from different stories, including the difference between first- and
third-person narrations.
Compare/Contrast
Narrative Point of
View
RI.4.5
Describe the structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events,
ideas, concepts, or information in a text.
Compare/contrast the firsthand and secondhand account of the same event or topic; describe the
differences in focus and information.
Write opinion piece by introducing topic/text clearly, stating opinion and organizational structure with
reasons and information (facts/details), grouping related ideas together to support purpose, link
opinion and reasons using words and phrases (for instance, in order to, in addition); provide
conclusion related to opinion.
Create and/or present a poem, narrative, play, art work, or literary review in response to a particular
author or theme studied in class.*
Structure of Texts
Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.
Determine the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4
reading, using multiple strategies (context, Greek and Latin affixes/roots, and reference materials).
Analysis
Vocabulary:
Multiple-Meaning
Words
Context
Affixes
RI.4.6
W.4.1
W.4.11
SL.4.3
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Dates of Instruction: _____________________
L.4.4
*Indicates standard specific to NY only.
Compare/Contrast
Facts/details
Opinion
Response to
Literature
Grade: 4
Unit: 3
Title: Revolutionaries from the Past
Dates of Instruction: _____________________
Suggested Activities/Investigations/Demos:
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LITERARY GRAPHIC ORGANIZER: Read a variety of literary stories and poems about the American Revolution. Keep a classroom GO Box
organizer for the historical fictional stories and poems read throughout this unit. Include the following information: title and author; text structure;
type of narration (first/third person); characters (major/minor); does the character remind anyone of other characters studied? Who/why? What
information was changed that shows this is historical fiction? What was learned from the major characters? Summary? As stories/poems are read,
have students keep track of their responses in their journals, and then share the information with the class.
DISCUSSION/LITERARY/POETRY/LITERATURE RESPONSE: Using a class Venn diagram, have students compare and contrast the points of
view from which the stories and poems read in this unit are narrated. Students should look for and determine which clues/key words provide
information about point of view and how the narratives are different, and then share this information as a class. Ask them to reference specific
lines or paragraphs in order to find explicit details from their reading. Have students choose a poem or story and change the point of view from
which it is written (e.g., if the story is in first person, rewrite it in third). Perhaps choose to have students rewrite a story in poetic form, or rewrite a
poem in story form, then share with the class. Discuss which form is preferred and why.
INFORMATIONAL TEXT GRAPHIC ORGANIZER/WORD STUDY: Read a variety of informational texts that are from firsthand and secondhand
accounts of people and events during the American Revolution. Keep a GO Box organizer of information learned about the events. Discuss
differences in point of view (firsthand and secondhand accounts), how the differences in point of view affect student understanding, and if the
overall structure of the text (chronology, cause/effect, etc.) affects the understanding of events as they are presented. Include the following
information on the graphic organizer: person/event; where and when it took place; historical significance; whose point of view is the account
written; memorable information; and notes about text structure (chronology, cause/effect, etc.). Have students keep track of their responses in
their journals, and then share their responses with the class. Following a class discussion of historical events, create a timeline (see Resources
for interactive version) of events that lists the chronology and cause/effect relationship between them. Update the timeline throughout the unit.
Students should continue to update their word bank with word cards of new words learned during this unit. Consult reference materials to
confirm pronunciations and meanings.
DISCUSSION/LANGUAGE: Explain that Ben Franklin coined a number of phrases still used today (found in Poor Richard's Almanac – see
Resources). Illustrate the literal and figurative meaning of two idioms that enhance understanding of the foundations of our country. What did Ben
Franklin hope people would learn from these phrases? Have students incorporate the phrases into daily writing and speech.
SPEECH APPRECIATION: Read Sojourner Truth’s speech “Ain’t I a Woman?” and discuss the message. Next, read Frances D. Gage’s
memories of listening to Sojourner Truth’s speech (see Resources for links to both). Using a Venn diagram, compare the text of the speech with
what Gage remembers. Pair the students and have them discuss the following questions, then answer them together as a class: What are the
similarities and differences? Do the points of views differ? How do Gage’s memories enhance your understanding of the speech? Next, read
Patrick Henry's speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” (see Resources). Discuss the message of his speech as a class within the context of
learning about the American Revolution. Ask, “Does knowing historical information change your understanding of the message? Why or why not?”
Have students explain their reactions to the messages in each of the speeches.
SPEECH WRITING: Applying what students have learned from the speeches discussed in this unit, give the students two options for writing a
speech. Option 1: Write a speech expressing an opinion from the point of view of a revolutionary character. Think about the audience as well as
the message and support the opinion with evidence. Option 2: Write an opinion speech with thoughts and ideas about a current event that they
believe everyone should understand. Students writing about either option should work with a partner to edit and strengthen their speech, then
present the speeches to the class, or make an audio recording and upload the podcast to a class webpage.
DRAMATIZATION: Review the structural elements (e.g., casts of characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage directions, etc.) that are
unique to drama (i.e., compared to prose); add these elements to a Reader’s Theater script of a historical story (see Resources). Have students
work in small groups and add two additional scenes: one before the script begins and one after the script ends, for a three-act play. Present it as a
Reader’s Theater to class.
DISCUSSION/REFLECTIVE ESSAY: Summarize the unit as it relates to the essential question, and then have students write an essay response
in their journal. Students may work with a partner to edit and strengthen their response.
Strategies
Graphic Organizer: GO Box
Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram
Graphic Organizer: GO Box
Timeline
Vocabulary Word Cards
Graphic Organizer: Venn Diagram
Reader’s Theater
Grade: 4
Unit: 3
Title: Revolutionaries from the Past
Dates of Instruction: _____________________
Cross-Curricular Connections
Resources
Religion/Values: Include American Saints in the unit: Isaac Jogues, Pierre Toussaint, Bishop Carroll. How have
they impacted history?
Science: Weather: Discuss how/if weather affected the outcome of the Revolutionary War (e.g., Washington at
Valley Forge) and how weather can play a part in history. Explain events in a scientific context, including what
happened and why based on information in the text. Resource: Studyzone.org (organizers).
Math: Word Problems: Interpret information presented visually. Discuss the importance of listing events in
chronological order. Resource: Mathplayground.com.
Social Studies: American Revolution in NY State: Have students identify different points of view between loyalists
and patriots. Is it wrong to disagree with government, law, & officials? Why/Why not? Resource: Studyzone.org.
ELA Resource: Point of View read aloud – Katie’s Trunk, by Ann Turner
Interactive Timeline link: Click on www.readwritethink.org, click on classroom
resources, then student interactives, click on “see all” in organizing and
summarizing box, then scroll to “timeline.”
Speeches:
Links to Sojourner Truth’s “Ain’t I a Woman” and Francis D. Gage’s memories of
speech:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth-woman.asp
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/sojtruth2.asp
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death: http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/henry.shtml
For additional historical documents – click on http://www.law.ou.edu – type
Chronology of US Historical Documents in search box, then scroll to document.
Ben Franklin Idioms: Click on http://en.wikiquote.org, type Poor Richard’s Almanac
in search box.
Reader’s Theater Play: Click on http://teachers.net – type #3726. The American
Revolution: A Play in search box.
Assessing Student Understanding
 Use a Venn diagram to list similarities and differences between an American Revolution
firsthand and a secondhand account (e.g., Sojourner Truth’s speech and Francis Gage’s
memories).
 Write an opinion speech using the speeches of Sojourner Truth and Patrick Henry as
guidelines. Support opinion with references to events during the American Revolution or
current events.
 Maintain and add to a set of vocabulary cards with accurate definitions, roots, affixes,
etc., defining relationships between words.
 Keep an updated journal, documenting information about the American Revolution and
personal opinions. Include an essay reflection based on the unit’s essential question.
 Accurately keep a timeline of events that took place during early American history.
Teacher Notes/Reflections