Third Trimester CBA
American Revolution
Essential Question:
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Should the colonies declare independence from Great Britain?
Directions to Students:
After researching the essential question, you will write a letter trying to persuade someone to support your
position.
1) From the list of possible viewpoints, choose at least 3 to research.
2) Use the graphic organizer to collect information on the viewpoints you selected and list your sources.
3) Before writing use the rubric to make sure your graphic organizer is complete.
4) Write a rough draft of your persuasive letter. Use the graphic organizer and rubric to guide the writing
process.
5) Use the student response packet to write the final copy of your persuasive letter and attach your
bibliography at the end.
Possible Viewpoints:
In favor of independence
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Patriots
Sons of Liberty
Loyalty to Great Britain
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King
Parliament
Loyalists
Hessians
British Soldiers
Other (discuss with your teacher)
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Native Americans
Slaves
Population of Great Britain
Women
Settlers west of the Appalachians
Key individuals
REVISED July 2010
BURLINGTON-EDISON
Possible Keywords:
Do you need additional information? Use these words and phrases to search Proquest Magazine Index, ELibrary, OPAC, print encyclopedias, the World Wide Web, or an e-library:
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American Revolution
Revolutionary War
War of Independence
Thirteen Colonies
Boston Tea Party
Slaves and the Revolution
Stamp Act
Townshend Act
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Battle of Lexington
Battle of Concord
George Washington, Paul Revere, or names of other important
people of the time
Declaration of Independence
Parliament and the Revolution
Hessians and the Revolution
Loyalists & Patriots
Native Americans and the revolution
Dewey Numbers:
If you want to browse the shelves in the library to locate information about the American Revolution, look for
these numbers:
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973.3 - American Revolution and Confederation 1775 -1789
974 - Northeastern United States
921 - Individual Biography
Non-Fiction:
1. Anderson, Dale. Causes of the American Revolution. 2006. Presents the causes of the American
Revolution using quotes and biographical focus boxes.
2. Beller, Susan Provost. Yankee Doodle and the Redcoats: Soldiering in the Revolutionary War. 2003.
Using excerpts from diaries, letters, newspaper articles, and other primary sources, tells of the
everyday lives of the soldiers who fought the Revolutionary War, for both the British and for the
colonies.
3. Bober, Natalie. Countdown to Independence: a Revolution of Ideas in England and her American
Colonies, 1760-1776. 2001. Examines the people and events both in the American colonies and in
Great Britain between 1760 and 1776 that led to the American Revolution.
4. Erdosh, George. Food and recipes of the Revolutionary War. 1997. Describes the kinds of foods
commonly consumed by colonists, including soldiers, during the time of the American Revolutionary
War. Includes recipes. Lexile: 780
5. Fradin, Dennis B. Let it begin here!: Lexington & Concord: First Battles of the American Revolution.
2005. Presents a short history of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and describes how the rebel
leaders were warned of the approaching British and the standoff between seventy Lexington
militiamen and two hundred fifty British regulars.
6. Fritz, Jean. Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? 1977. A biography of George the Third,
King of Great Britain at the time of the American Revolution. Lexile: 800
7. Fritz, Jean. Traitor, The Case of Benedict Arnold. 1997. A study of the life and character of the
brilliant Revolutionary War general who deserted to the British for money. Lexile: 1020
8. George, Lynn. A Tme line of the American Revolution. 2003. A discussion of the American Revolution
which takes a chronological approach, focusing on the development and use of a time line.
9. Kroll, Steven. The Boston Tea Party. 1998. Describes the events proceeding, during, and following
the event which helped precipitate the American Revolutionary War. Lexile: 810
10. Moore, Kim. If You Lived At The Time of the American Revolution. Discusses the different aspects of
the American Revolution; includes information about what started the Revolution, who fought in it,
what a Loyalist was, and other related topics. Lexile: 860
11. Penner, Lucille. Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began. 2002. Originally published as: The
Liberty Tree: the beginning of the American Revolution, 1998; Includes index. Color illustrations fill
this history of the events leading to the Revolutionary War, which describes such aspects as the
Stamp Act, the Boston Massacre, and the "shot heard 'round the world." Lexile 780
REVISED July 2010
BURLINGTON-EDISON
12. Stein, R. Conrad. The Boston Tea Party. 1996. Describes the events proceeding, during, and
following this noted event, which helped precipitate the American Revolutionary War. Lexile: 910
Fiction:
1. Avi. The Fighting Ground. 1984. Thirteen-year-old Jonathan goes off to fight in the Revolutionary
War and discovers the real war is being fought within himself. Lexile: 580
2. Borden, Louise. Sleds on Boston Common: a Story from the American Revolution. Henry complains
to the royal governor, General Gage, after his plan to sled down the steep hill at Boston Common is
thwarted by the masses of British troops camped there. Lexile: 640
3. Denenberg, Barry. The Journal of William Thomas Emerson A Revolutionary War Patriot. 1998.
William, a twelve-year-old orphan, writes of his experiences in pre-Revolutionary War Boston where
he joins the cause of the patriots who are opposed to the British rule. Lexile: 950
4. Forbes, Esther. Johnny Tremain: A novel for Old & Young. 1943. After injuring his hand, a
silversmith's apprentice in Boston becomes a messenger for the Sons of Liberty in the days before
the American Revolution. Lexile: 840
5. Gregory, Kristiana. Five Smooth Stones. 2001. In her diary, a young girl writes about her life and
the events surrounding the beginning of the American Revolution in Philadelphia in 1776. Lexile: 640
6. Gregory, Kristiana. The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart.
1996. Eleven-year-old Abigail presents a diary account of life in Valley Forge from December 1777 to
July 1778 as General Washington prepares his troops to fight the British. Lexile: 870
7. O'Dell, Scott. Sarah Bishop. 1980. Left alone after the deaths of her father and brother who took
opposite sides in the War for Independence, and fleeing from the British who seek to arrest her,
Sarah struggles to shape a new life for herself in the wilderness. Lexile: 760
8. Reit, Seymour. Guns for General Washington: a story of the American Revolution. 2001. In the bitter
winter of 1775-76, Colonel Henry Knox and his younger brother Will, both of the Continental Army,
become frustrated with the British blockade of Boston and decide to attempt to move 183 cannons
from Fort Ticonderoga, over 300 miles of mountainous wilderness, to defend the besieged city.
Lexile: 900
9. Roop, Peter. An Eye For An Eye. 2000. At the dawn of the Revolutionary War, Samantha Byrd must
decide whether or not to seek revenge and join the troops in fighting.
Design and information modeled from Trish Henry Mead School District
REVISED July 2010
BURLINGTON-EDISON