Alicia Buchert
ED 421
Spring 2011
Important People in History
Grade Level: 5
Content Area: Social Studies
Title of Unit: Important historical figures during the American Revolution
Goal: Students will learn about people who played important roles during the American
Revolution by researching, presenting and working together to share their knowledge.
Students will be able to:
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Create a 3 minute speech about their character using a power point presentation.
o Give general knowledge about their historical figure.
o List 2-3 important roles they played or things they did during the American
Revolution.
o Give their opinion on how important of a role their character played in the
American Revolution.
Create a 30 second script and movie about their character.
Create a poster about their character.
Technology Standards:
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Standard #1: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop
innovative products and processes using technology.
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Standard #2: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work
collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the
learning of others.
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Standard #3: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
Standard #4: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects,
solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
Technologies Used:
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Internet for research
Power point for speeches
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Video Cameras for student videos
Drawing program for posters
Camera to take pictures of students while doing their movies to post on class website or
to put in newsletter.
Resources:
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List of Important figures of the American Revolution provided
o "The American Revolution - (Important People)." The American Revolution - (Home).
Web. 05 June 2011. <http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx>.
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History Textbook (History Alive!)
Encyclopedias
Teacher made video or a video found on youtube for examples for student videos
Script examples from any play
*this unit idea was adapted from one taught by Kristen Erickson*
Unit Outline:
(Days not consecutive)
Day One: (45 minute period)
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Present Unit information to students, discuss what all students will be doing throughout
the unit and take questions.
Give student’s their historical figures (they may choose from the list of important people
the teacher has provided)
Give students time on the computers or in the library to research their historical figure if
time left in the period.
Have students take at least a ½ page of notes and the teacher will check off that they
were on task and did the assignment of the day.
Day Two: (45 minute period)
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Continue with research in textbooks, internet, encyclopedias, etc.
Day Three: (30-45 minute period)
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Wrap up researching on the internet (anything further is homework)
Start mapping out speech
Start creating power point
Day Four: (30-45 minute period)
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Work on power point and speech in computer lab
Day Five: (20 minute period)
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Wrap up power point presentation prep
Teacher: Show example scripts and videos to students
Start brainstorming script and video ideas
Give brainstorming as homework
Day Six: (1 hour period)
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Give speeches
Day Seven: (45 minute period)
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Finish speeches if not all students have presented yet
Make posters in computer lab using drawing program
o Must include: at least one picture of historical figure, birth/death, one important
fact pertaining to the American Revolution.
Day Eight: (30 minute period)
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Finish Posters, if not finished students will need to come in on their breaks to complete
it.
Day Nine: (30-45 minutes)
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Write script for video of most important act during the American Revolution
Finish script as homework, as well as figure out who you would like in your video
Day Ten: (1 - 1 ½ hour period)
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Videotape movies, students who aren’t making their video will be cast members in
other student videos
Teacher: take pictures of students making vidoes
Day Eleven: (45 minutes)
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Finish videotaping, if not finished, it will need to be done during breaks.
Teacher: take pictures of students making videos
Day Twelve:
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Present Videos! Post videos and/or pictures to class website or newsletter.
Adams, John - Second President of the United States
Adams, Samuel - American Revolutionary
Adams, John Quincy - Sixth President of the United States
Adams, Abigail Smith - Wife of John Adams, second president of the United States
Allen, William - Loyalist - former mayor of Philadelphia
Allen, Ethan - American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician.
Arnold, Benedict - American General who defected from the American to the British side
Askin, John - Loyalist fur trader, merchant and official in Upper Canada.
Bowles, William Augustus - Loyalist and Maryland-born English adventurer
Brant, Joseph - Mohawk leader and Loyalist during the American Revolution
Brown, Thomas Burnfoot - British Loyalist during the American Revolution
Cooper, Myles - Loyalist and President of King's College (Columbia University
Dickinson, John - American Statesman and member of the Pennsylvania Assembly
Draper, Mary - Woman who helped soldiers during The American Revolution
Franklin, Benjamin - American Statesman
Franklin, William - Loyalist, Govenor of New Jersey, Son of Ben Franklin
Frederick, George William - King of Great Britain and King of Ireland during the American Revolution
Galloway, Joseph - Loyalist and politician
Girty, Simon - Loyalist and Liaison between Native Americans and Britain
Greene, Nathanael - American General during the American Revolutionary War
Hancock, John - American Politician, Entrepreneur, and Soldier
Henry, Patrick - Founding father of American Revolutionary War and governor of Virginia
Howe, John - Loyalist printer during the American Revolution
Hutchinson, Thomas - Last British royal governor of colonial Massachusetts
Jay, John - The First Chief Justice of the United States
Jefferson, Thomas - Third US President and Co-Author of the Declaration of Independence
Jones, John Paul - Captain of the American Navy - "I have not yet begun to fight"
Knox, Henry - First United States Secretary of War
Lee, Richard Henry - American Statesman
Lee, Francis Lightfoot - Active in Virginia politics and signer of the Declaration of Independence
Madison, James - Fourth President of the United States
Monroe, James - Fifth President of the United States
Paine, Thomas - Author of "Common Sense" and Revolutionary
Prescott, William - American colonel in the Revolutionary War
Revere, Paul - American Activist and Artisan
Rush, Benjamin - Signatory of the Declaration of Independence
Warren, Joseph - Doctor, Soldier and Statesman of the American Revolution
Washington, George - First President of the United States
Wheatley, Phillis - First published African author in America
Wilson, James - Signer of the Declaration of Independence
"The American Revolution - (Important People)." The American Revolution - (Home). Web. 05 June 2011.
<http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx>.