Chris Corwall, Julie Whittemore, Kristen Helland
Teaching Strategies Lesson Plan
Lesson Topic: The American Revolution
Length of lesson: 50 minutes
Grade level: 4-8
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Content Standard(s): United States History
Strand: I. U.S. History
Sub-Strand: D. Political Unrest and the American revolution 1763- mid-1791
Standard: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and
course of the American Revolution.
Understanding (s)/goals
Students will understand:
- The different styles in warfare can
affect how the war is fought.
- The progression of styles of
warfare from the Revolutionary
War to today.
Essential Question(s):

Why did the people of the new
world go to war?

Why does war make people so
inventive?
Student objectives (outcomes):
Students will be able to:
- Recognize the different styles of warfare between the British and the Americans.
- Explain how different styles in warfare determined the outcome of the American
Revolution.
- Apply their knowledge of war strategy by British soldiers and American
Revolutionaries by simulating the battles of the Revolutionary War.
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Task(s):
Other Evidence:
Students will write a one page paper

Students compile lists of their ideas
comparing and contrasting the different
behind the weapons, tactics, and
styles of warfare between the
rules of the Revolutionary War.
Revolutionary War and the war of today.

Students will share their group’s
ideas with the class.

Students complete a written
reflection of the battle.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
Materials: Student Journals, Pencils, Extra or Recycled Paper
Lesson:
Introduction: (5 Minutes)
- Teacher starts out class by reminding the students what has been recently
discussed: events in the new world leading up to the American Revolution, the
people being tired of being taxed from an ocean away by Britain, the
Proclamation of 1763, etc.
- Teacher declares war!
Chris Corwall, Julie Whittemore, Kristen Helland
Teaching Strategies Lesson Plan
Simulation: (20 Minutes)
- Go Over Rules: (Important to go over first before students get too excited in
their groups) (2 Minutes)
- Students must face each other in perfectly straight lines.
- Students may only fire when the command is given.
- The teacher is the one to yell out commands every 20-30 seconds.
- Students may shoot only one bullet at a time.
- Students may NOT take cover (have to take the hit if it is coming).
- Students may advance only when commanded and must advance together,
maintaining their ranks.
- Students must throw with their OPPOSITE arms (to simulate the inaccuracy of
the musket).
- When students are hit ANYWHERE, they are out and go to a pre-designated
“land of the dead”, where they watch the other team and make sure they “die”
when they are supposed to.
- Set Up: (3 Minutes)
- Students make 3 “bullets” by crumpling up 3 pieces of recycled/old paper.
- Designate the “land of the dead”.
- Teacher splits the class into 2 equal teams based on throwing strength (mostly
just have to guess).
- Students push desks to the edge of the classroom out of the way to make a
clearing for the “battlefield”.
- Line up each team into two perfectly straight lines. (Can put each side in two
ranks, one standing and one kneeling; based on number of students and room
size)
- The Battle: (15 Minutes)
- Teacher barks out orders (and possibly insults) to laggards in the style of a drill
sergeant (probably avoid profanity though).
- Every 20-30 seconds yell out commands (Fire, Advance) to each team (to
simulate the time it takes to load the musket).
- When people are hit, make sure they go to the “land of the dead”.
- Continue battle until all bullets are gone.
- Note the winners.
- Clean up the “battlefield”.
- Make sure every student gets 3 bullets back to start new battle.
- Repeat the Battle for best 2 out of 3 so students can adapt to their strategy.
Discussion: (23 Minutes)
- Preparation: (3 Minutes)
- Have students double check the “battlefield” for lost weaponry.
- Put desks back into order and have students take out a piece of
paper/notebook/journal.
- Write questions on the board/overhead so students can look back to refer to
them instead of memorizing.
- Phase 1: (5 Minutes)
- Students first think and reflect individually to discussion questions and write
down their responses and thoughts.
- What do you know about weapons that were used in the Revolutionary War
Chris Corwall, Julie Whittemore, Kristen Helland
Teaching Strategies Lesson Plan
-
-
based on how you had to “shoot”?
- What kinds of tactics/strategies were used in the Revolutionary War based on
the set-up of our battle?
- What were the rules like in the Revolutionary War? Why?
Phase 2: (5 Minutes)
- Students are put into groups of 2 or 3 to discuss and share their thoughts and
reflections.
- When dividing into groups, make sure that people from different teams are put
together.
Phase 3: (10 Minutes)
- The class comes back together to discuss what the groups talked about.
- The teacher asks input from all groups and writes down the ideas for each
question on the board for everyone to see and add new ideas to their own lists.
- One representative from each group will share their thoughts and ideas.
- Teacher may add in information the students may not have thought of.
Weapons: inaccuracy of muskets, loading procedure, limited range
Tactics: “gentlemanly” form of war, importance of putting a lot of musket
balls in the air at the same time, cowardliness of hiding, why colonials hid
sometimes and British usually didn’t, what works in this type of war and what
doesn’t
Rules: clear-cut rules of war, how strange that it seems to us today
Conclusion: (2 Minutes)
- Teacher asks students to think of what they learned about the Revolutionary War
from the battle that was simulated.
- Teacher asks the students to think of how war is conducted today.
- Teacher brings in a new topic and asks students to consider what this land would
be like today if there wasn’t a revolution. (Something for students to think
about.)
- Teacher assigns homework. Students write a one page paper discussing how
the Revolutionary War battles are similar and different from the war that is
happening today.
Chris Corwall, Julie Whittemore, Kristen Helland
Teaching Strategies Lesson Plan
Outline Notes for Simulation
1. The Purpose of the Strategy
The purpose of simulation is to experience a situation or concept in its “real”
form and then gain an understanding of the situation. A simulation is supposed to get
students to think critically about the scenario that they are put into. Students are active
in the activity and since it feels real to be in the situation, more engaged learning takes
place.
2. Why We Chose This Strategy to Teach this Particular Lesson
The lesson on the Revolutionary War works well in a Simulation because
students get to experience what it is like during a battle. Students will be able to
understand key features about how the battles work because they actually got to be in
one (without actually being hurt of course).
3. Key Features of the Strategy that Teachers Should Keep in Mind
When implementing a simulation, teachers need to remember that students will
get more out of it when it is a situation where students can learn how a situation really
happened (or works).
A simulation can easily get out of hand if the students aren’t doing what is
supposed to be done. Make sure that all students understand what is supposed to be
done. It isn’t fun when the simulation has to stop to give better direction. Also, think of
questions that may arise. The reality of the simulation can be maintained when answers
are readily available.
Have a goal or goals in mind. In some circumstances students may need to
know what is expected for them to learn from the simulation. In addition, assessment
can be difficult. Having a rubric may be a helpful guide for the simulation.
4. Other Strategies that a Teacher Could Employ in Place of this Strategy and why they
would also be effective.
Teacher could have students watch a movie such as “The Patriot.” This would be
effective because it would grab the students’ attention through an exciting and dramatic
re-enactment of the American Revolution.
American Revolution jeopardy could also be played. This strategy involves
playing jeopardy with American Revolution facts. This would be effective by engaging
students through competition and active listening.