The Revolutionary Era
U.S. History I – 9-12
The effects of the French and Indian War would be long-lasting. The debt of the British Empire led to a series of laws aimed at
enforcing mercantilist policy while simultaneously collecting money from colonial holdings in order to pay a small portion of the
burden The argument, that the colonies ought to provide for the military protection in North America and contribute to the costs of
the war to defend and expand the empire, fell on deaf ears in many parts of the American colonies. Diverse groups of colonists
organized resistance to British policies, and British reactions to resistance only served to strengthen the resolve of the colonists and
to increase the conflict between Britain and her colonies. The conflict would soon turn violent, and organized resistance evolved into
armed resistance. The colonies and Britain fought a war that would end in a treaty recognizing the independence of the North
American Colonies and formation of a new nation: The United States of America.
The American Revolution is a vital story in United States History, and the focus of this unit is on the telling of that story. Students
have been introduced to colonial economies and society, and will continue to improve on the skills acquired and developed in the
prior unit, including developing a sense of empathy for historical figures, examining bias in primary and secondary sources, and
assessing the value of change in society.
Stage 1 Desired Results
ESTABLISHED GOALS
Transfer
Students will be able to independently use their learning to…
USI.1,4 Explain the political and economic  Apply knowledge of political and social systems to participate actively as an informed
factors that contributed to the American
citizen of a democracy.
Revolution, including resistance to British
Meaning
policies through 1775
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
U1 – Specific individuals can have a profound Q1 – What compels people to pursue change?
USI.2-3 Explain the historical and
impact on history
intellectual influences on the American
Q2 – How do we determine what really
Revolution, the Declaration of
U2 – History is a story, and who tells that
happened at an historical event?
Independence, and the formation and
story affects how it is presented
framework of the American government.
Q3 – Should personal liberty be sacrificed for
U3 – There is an ongoing debate over the
the common good?
RH 9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or balance between security and liberty
information of a primary or secondary
Q4 – What is a revolution?
source; provide an accurate summary of
U4 – Revolutions are caused by social,
how key events or ideas develop over the economic, and political inequalities and have
course of the text
outcomes that affect local and global
communities
RH 9-10.4 Determine the meaning of
words and phrases as they used in a text,
Acquisition
including vocabulary describing political,
Students will know…
Students will be skilled at…
social or economic aspects of
Content Vocabulary:
Analyzing primary and secondary documents
history/social studies
-The Enlightenment, Social Contract, Natural
for purpose, main idea and significance.
Rights, Minutemen, Revolution, Loyalist,
W 9-10.1 Write arguments to support
Patriot, Continental Army, Sons and
Evaluating passive and aggressive behaviors
claims in an analysis of substantive topics Daughters of Liberty, Whig, Tory
or texts, using valid reasoning and
Writing persuasively
relevant and sufficient evidence.
Academic Vocabulary:
-Bias, act, primary and secondary sources,
Tracing change over time
SL 9-10.4 Present information, findings,
and supporting evidence clearly,
concisely, and logically such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and the
organization, development, substance,
and style are appropriate to purpose,
audience, and task.
perspective, justify, assess, repeal, declare,
siege, victor, treaty, symbolism
Democratic ideals were based on previous
Enlightenment thinkers.
Political and economic factors that
contributed to the American Revolution
Recognize, define and use key vocabulary in
context
Identify main idea and details
Determining cause and effect
Identifying sources as credible evidence
The major causes of the American Revolution,
including: The Sugar Act, Stamp Act,
Identifying and analyzing opposing points of
Townshend Acts, Quartering Acts, Tea Act,
view
Intolerable Acts, Writs of Assistance, the
Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party
Colonial responses to each act and tax,
including the Continental Congresses and the
Declaration of Independence
Key people and groups of people involved in
the American Revolution, including: Thomas
Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams,
Benjamin Franklin, George Washington,
Thomas Paine, Nathaniel Greene, Thomas
Gage, Charles Cornwallis, Marquis de
Lafayette, Native Americans, Women,
The role of Massachusetts in the American
Revolution
The major battles of the American
Revolution, including: Lexington and Concord,
Bunker Hill, Saratoga, Trenton, Yorktown
The effects of the American Revolution and
how the war changed American politics and
geography
Evaluative Criteria
Explanation
Interpretation
Stage 2 - Evidence
Assessment Evidence
CURRICULUM EMBEDED PERFOMANCE ASSESSMENT (PERFORMANCE TASKS)
PT
Goal
Your goal is to tell the story of the Revolutionary War using images in a creative comic
strip, from the road to revolution through the effects of the war (1763-1783).
Application
Perspective
Empathy
Self-Knowledge
Social studies specific, technology
Role
You are an artist who has been commissioned to explain the story of the American
Revolution. You have decided to show the most important events and people of the story
of the Revolution through a comic strip.
Audience
Your audience is composed of other historians completing the same commission. You will
examine each other’s work and give constructive feedback based on your own work and
knowledge, and you improve on your own performance through listening to other
historians critique your work.
Situation
As historians we must determine what happened in the past. We do this by examining
primary and secondary sources, filtering out bias, and determining the best possible way to
explain our history. History can be told in many forms, and art is one important way our
history is told. Through the comic strip medium you will tell the story of the American
Revolution
Product/Performance
You will be responsible for choosing at least nine historically significant events and, using
images as well as words, create a comic strip panel for each event. Ask yourself, does the
comic accurately and effectively explain the events both leading up to and immediately
following the war? The final copy must be in color.
Standards and Criteria for Success
See rubric
OTHER EVIDENCE:
OE
 Quiz on key terms
 Road to Revolution wikipage lessons
 Primary source analysis about the Boston Massacre – make a claim writing piece
 Loyalist vs. Patriot dialogue
 Letter to the editor of the Boston gazette defending or opposing the Declaration of
Independence
 Document based question – how would historians in other countries outside of the
United States write about the Revolutionary War? Whose story do they tell and
how do they tell it?
 Revolutionary Era test
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction
Lessons to include:
Lesson 1: Introduction to Revolution and Geography of the Colonies
Lesson 2: The Road to Revolution: Acts, Protests, and Escalating Violence
Lesson 3: The First Continental Congress and the First Battles
Lesson 4: The Declaration of Independence
Lesson 5: Beginning of the War
Lesson 6: American Victory and how the Revolution Changed America
Lesson 7: Comic Strip that tells the story of the American Revolutionary War
Lesson 1 – Introduction
 Identify and explain the rights and responsibilities of students and governments
 Debate the appropriate expression of dissent among citizens
Lesson 2 – The Road to Revolution: Acts, Protests, and Escalating Violence
 Activate prior knowledge of the situation in British North America after the French and Indian War
 Identify and analyze British Acts of the late 18th Century and Colonial Responses, including the use of a timeline, primary and
secondary sources, and resources found at http://theroadtorevolution.wikispaces.com/home
 Connect British Colonial policies to current government policies (for example, “fake quiz” in which students must pay for paper)
 Analyze and identify bias in primary and secondary sources describing the Boston Massacre (for example, JIGSAW primary source
analysis)
 Assess conflicting points of view of the Boston Massacre and determine the “true” story of the Massacre
Lesson 3 – The Continental Congress and the First Battles
 Analyze the causes and effects of the First Continental Congress
 Examine the events in Massachusetts leading up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord
 Interpret the causes and effects of the Battles of Lexington and Concord
 Identify the causes of the Second Continental Congress and analyze the members’ contradictory points of view
 Assess the outcomes of the Second Continental Congress, including the creation of the Continental Army and the siege of Boston
 Think Aloud for marking up the battle of Bunker Hill secondary source reading
Lesson 4 – The Declaration of Independence
 Activate prior knowledge of the Enlightenment
 Examine John Locke’s theories of natural rights and the social contract
 Define the term Grievance using a vocabulary building graphic organizer
 Examine the preamble to the Declaration of Independence using a close text reading
 Identify Enlightenment ideals in the Declaration of Independence
 Evaluate the strengths and weakness of the Declaration of Independence
 Examine the reactions to the Declaration of Independence from Patriots and Loyalists

Write persuasively from the perspective of a Patriot and/or Loyalist
Lesson 5 – The War for American Independence
 Compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of the British and the Continental Armies at the beginning of the war
 Examine the conditions of Washington’s army and predict whether conditions will improve or worsen as the war continues
 Analyze the role of various groups of people involved in the war
 Evaluate the significance of major battles in the American Revolution
Lesson 6 – American Victory and How the War Changed America
 Review the terms of the Treaty of Paris
 Assess the positive and negative outcomes of the war on America
 Analyze symbolism associated with an Independent America, including the National Seal
Lesson 7 – CEPA – Comic Strip
 Examine rubric and anchor papers, and discuss expectations for final product
 Complete unit CEPA