FRAME THE LESSON
TEACHER:
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: October 12-13
M T W TH F
Taking Up Arms
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
Resources/Materials:
1A: identify the major eras and events in U.S. history through 1877, including colonization, revolution, drafting of the Declaration of Independence, creation and ratification
of the Constitution, religious revivals such as the Second Great Awakening, early republic, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion, reform movements, sectionalism, Civil
War, and Reconstruction, and describe their causes and effects
4A: analyze causes of the American Revolution, including the Proclamation of 1763, the Intolerable Acts, the Stamp Act, mercantilism, lack of representation in Parliament,
and British economic policies following the French and Indian War
4B: explain the roles played by significant individuals during the American Revolution, including Abigail Adams, John Adams, Wentworth Cheswell, Samuel Adams, Mercy
Otis Warren, James Armistead, Benjamin Franklin, Bernardo de Gálvez, Crispus Attucks, King George III, Haym Salomon, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de
Lafayette, Thomas Paine, and George Washington
4C: explain the issues surrounding important events of the American Revolution, including declaring independence; writing the Articles of Confederation; fighting the battles
of Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown; enduring the winter at Valley Forge; and signing the Treaty of Paris of 1783
10A: locate places and regions of importance in the United States during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries
10C: analyze the effects of physical and human geographic factors on major historical and contemporary events in the United States
U.S. History Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction pp. (157168).
Interactive Chart:
Advantages and
Disadvantages of the
British and Colonists
(p. 165)
Digital Activity: From
Protests to War (p.
166)
Digital Lesson Quiz:
(p. 166)
20C: analyze reasons for and the impact of selected examples of civil disobedience in U.S. history such as the Boston Tea Party and Henry David Thoreau's refusal to pay a
tax
Objective/Key Understanding:




Explain how a dispute over tea lead to further tension between the colonists and Great
Britain.
Describe ways that the British Parliament punished the colonists for the Boston Tea Party.
Explain how fighting broke out in Massachusetts, including battles in Lexington and
Concord and Bunker Hill.
Explain actions the First and Second Continental Congress enacted to address the crisis with
Britain.
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 157)
Olive Branch Petition
Green Mountain Boys
Continental Army
Loyalist
Battle of Bunker Hill
mercenary
Thomas Jefferson
militia
Civil disobediences
Quebec Act
Battles of Lexington and Concord
First Continental Congress
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 168)
 Why did the colonists decide to throw British tea in Boston Harbor?
 What would forming militias allow the colonists to do?
 Infer why Ralph Waldo Emerson called the first shot fired in Lexington “the shot heard around the world.”
 Why do you think approximately one third of the colonists were Loyalists during the war?
 Summarize the importance of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
Patriot
blockade
Tea Act
minutemen
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions






Why were many colonists dissatisfied with the Tea Act?
How did other colonies respond to the Intolerable Acts?
How were the minutemen able to beat the British at Concord?
Why was Fort Ticonderoga important to the colonists?
What positions did the colonists take in regards to the war as it began?
How did the colonists use the physical geography of the region to their advantage?
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Critical Writing Prompt:
The Boston Tea Party (p. 157-160)
 Colonists opposed taxes on tea because they did not think Britain had the right to tax them. They launched a protest in Boston Harbor known as the Boston Tea Party.
 Call students’ attention to the image of the Boston Tea Party in the text. Have students explain in their own words how this incident was an example of civil
disobedience by the colonists.
 What were the reasons for the civil disobedience of the Boston Tea Party? What might be the impact of the Tea Party?
 What examples show that Samuel Adams played a significant role in instigating the Boston Tea Party?
 How did British economic policies following the French and Indian War, such as mercantilism, contribute to the Boston tea Party?
King George III Strikes Back at Boston (p. 160-162)
 What were the Intolerable Acts, and why were they a cause of the American Revolution?
 Cite evidence that Thomas Jefferson strongly opposed the Intolerable Acts.
 How did the physical geography of Boston lead the city to suffer as a result of the Intolerable Acts?
 Explain why the extension of Quebec strained relations between the colonists and Parliament.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord (p. 162-164)
 Call students’ attention to the map in the text showing the initial battles of the American Revolution. Have students locate Lexington and Concord and explain their
importance.
 Sequence events leading up to the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
 Discuss the issues surrounding the important early events of the American Revolution, including the Battles of Lexington and Concord.
 What can you infer about the minutemen based on the fighting at Lexington and Concord?
 Ask students to find the term militia in the text. Explain that in colonial America, the militia defended the colonists against hostile Native Americans when British
soldiers were occupied elsewhere. Later volunteer militias in individual states would become the National Guard.
 How did the physical geography of New England affect the Battles of Lexington and Concord? Why did the colonists have an advantage in this location
The Fighting Continues (p. 164-165)
 Explain that George Washington played an important role by leading the Continental Army. Washington was appointed by the Second Continental Congress, which
formed to address the growing crisis.
 What do you think the appointment of Washington as commander of the Continental Army signaled to Britain?
 What did King George III think about the colonists’ desire for independence? How do you know?
 Why was Vermont so important in the early battles of the war?
 Do you agree with John Adams and Samuel Adams that war could not be avoided?
Opposing Sides at War (p. 165-167)
 Not all colonists wanted independence. Patriots favored war. Loyalists supported Britain. Other colonists did not take sides.
 What factors caused Patriots to fight for independence?
The War Comes to Boston (p. 167-168)
 How did the physical geography of Boston impact the Battle of Bunker Hill?
 How did Washington serve to unite the colonists following the Battle of Bunker Hill?
 Make a prediction about how colonists will respond to King George III’s blockade.
Online Resources, Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity
Analyzing Maps (p. 163)
Why were colonial minutemen so prepared for the arrival of the redcoats near Concord?
Interactive Chart: Advantages and Disadvantages of the British and Colonists (p. 165)
Project the Interactive Chart: Advantages and Disadvantages of the British and Colonists (p. 165) and read through the possible answers. Ask students which side they
think had the greatest advantages going into the war, using the chart to support their reasoning.
 What factors caused Patriots to fight for independence?
Interactive Chart (p. 166)
The Revolutionary War was largely a fight between the colonists and the British.
 Why was it also a fight between the colonists themselves?
Digital Activity: From Protests to War (p. 166)
Project Digital Activity: From Protests to War (p. 166). Have students create a timeline of dates, people, and events from the lesson using the sample timeline to get started.
Have students choose one event on their timeline and write down its significance. Discuss with the class different events selected by students.
 What were the major causes of the American Revolution? Have students consider the political, economic, and social reasons the colonist went to war.
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 166)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions to the class: In Taking up Arms, you read about the causes of the American Revolution, the location and importance
of major early battles, and the roles of significant individuals as fighting broke out.
 Why do you think King George III and Parliament passed increasingly strict measures against the colonists?
 Name one British political or economic policy and explain why it caused the colonists to “dissolve the political bands” that tied them to Britain.
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.157). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the
lesson (p. 157).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 157. Before the war began, many colonists held peaceful boycotts and protests against the British. Explain that civil disobedience
means the nonviolent refusal to obey laws that are considered unjust.
Explore
Explain
Tell students that in this lesson they will learn about the causes of the American Revolution, the outbreak of war at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the roles
of significant individuals who advanced the American cause.
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class.
The Boston Tea Party (p. 157-160)
King George III Strikes Back at Boston (p. 160-162)
The Battles of Lexington and Concord (p. 162-164)
The Fighting Continues (p. 164-165)
Opposing Sides at War (p. 165-167)
The War Comes to Boston (p. 167-168)
Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.
~ Tell students that in this lesson they will learn how physical and human geographic factors affected the French and Indian War.
The Boston Tea Party (p. 157-160)
 Since the 1720s, Parliament had given the British East India Company exclusive rights to sell tea to the American colonies. Parliament protected this by
mandating that tea sold to the colonists had to be shipped to England first so taxes could be paid. Then the tea was shipped to colonial tea merchants for sale in
the American colonies. Colonists opposed taxes on tea because they did not think Britain had the right to tax them. They launched a protest in Boston Harbor
known as the Boston Tea Party.
King George III Strikes Back at Boston (p. 160-162)
 Colonists had mixed reactions to the Boston Tea Party. Some cheered it as a firm protest against unfair British laws. Others worried that it would encourage
lawlessness in the colonies. Even those who condemned the Boston Tea Party, though, were shocked at Britain’s harsh response to it. The unrest in Boston and
the British reaction to the Tea Party would be yet another cause of the Revolution.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord (p. 162-164)
 In Massachusetts, colonists were already preparing to resist. Newspapers called on citizens to prevent what they called the “Massacre of American Liberty.”
The Fighting Continues (p. 164-165)
 Just a few weeks after the battles at Lexington and Concord, on May 10, 1775, colonial delegates met at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia. The
delegates represented the 13 British colonies from New Hampshire to Georgia. Most of the delegates still hoped to avoid a final break with Britain. However,
while they were meeting, the fighting spread.
Opposing Sides at War (p. 165-167)
 The colonists who favored war against Britain called themselves Patriots. They thought British rule was harsh and unjust. About one third of the colonists were
Patriots, one third sided with the British, and one third did not take sides.
The War Comes to Boston (p. 167-168)
 During the first year of conflict, much of the fighting centered around Boston. About 6,000 British troops were stationed there. Colonial militia surrounded the
city and prevented the British from marching out.
Elaborate
Evaluate
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity (p. 163, 165 & 166)
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 168). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on
paper:
 Why did the colonists decide to throw British tea in Boston Harbor?
 What would forming militias allow the colonists to do?
 Infer why Ralph Waldo Emerson called the first shot fired in Lexington “the shot heard around the world.”
 Why do you think approximately one third of the colonists were Loyalists during the war?
 Summarize the importance of the Battle of Bunker Hill.
FRAME THE LESSON
TEACHER:
CLASS: 8th Grade
DATE: October 14-16
M T W TH F
The French and Indian War
Declaring Independence
Resources/Materials:
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline
Verb=Italicize
1A: identify the major eras and events in U.S. history through 1877, including colonization, revolution, drafting of the Declaration of Independence, creation
and ratification of the Constitution, religious revivals such as the Second Great Awakening, early republic, the Age of Jackson, westward expansion, reform
movements, sectionalism, Civil War, and Reconstruction, and describe their causes and effects
1C: explain the significance of the following dates: 1607, founding of Jamestown; 1620, arrival of the Pilgrims and signing of the Mayflower Compact;
1776, adoption of the Declaration of Independence; 1787, writing of the U.S. Constitution; 1803, Louisiana Purchase; and 1861-1865, Civil War.
4B: explain the roles played by significant individuals during the American Revolution, including Abigail Adams, John Adams, Wentworth Cheswell,
Samuel Adams, Mercy Otis Warren, James Armistead, Benjamin Franklin, Bernardo de Gálvez, Crispus Attucks, King George III, Haym Salomon, Patrick
Henry, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Paine, and George Washington
4C: explain the issues surrounding important events of the American Revolution, including declaring independence; writing the Articles of Confederation;
fighting the battles of Lexington, Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown; enduring the winter at Valley Forge; and signing the Treaty of Paris of 1783
15C: identify colonial grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence and explain how those grievances were addressed in the U.S. Constitution and
the Bill of Rights
19A: define and give examples of unalienable rights



Describe the impact of Thomas Paine’s pamphlet, Common Sense.
Explain the steps Congress took to declare independence.
Summarize the main ideas of the Declaration of independence.
Interactive Chart:
Crisis on the Frontier
(p. 149)
Interactive Gallery:
Important People of
the American
Revolution (p. 153)
Digital Activity:
Causes of the
American Revolution
(p. 155)
Digital Lesson Quiz:
(p. 155)
20B: evaluate the contributions of the Founding Fathers as models of civic virtue.
Objective/Key Understanding:
U.S. History Textbook
Colonization through
Reconstruction pp.
(169-173).
Introduce Vocabulary Activity (p. 138)
traitor
preamble
unalienable rights
Robert Livingston
Common Sense
Benjamin Franklin
Richard Henry Lee
Thomas Paine
Declaration of Independence
natural rights
Roger Sherman
Stop & Check for Understanding—High Level Questions
 What was the central idea of Common Sense?
 What were the potential consequences for the delegates who chose to declare independence?
 What are some of the grievances included in the declaration?
Informal Assessment Questions 1-5 (p. 173)
 What was the main point of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and how did he support his idea?
 How do you think the Loyalists reacted when the Declaration of Independence was first distributed throughout the colonies?
 Why, to this day, do many people refer to their signatures as their “John Hancocks?”
 Cite evidence that the Second Continental Congress was acting like a governmental body.
 What justifications for separation were included in the Declaration of Independence?
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (p. 169)
 Have students read the quote from Common Sense in the lesson and restate it in their own words.
 Have students use the Make Headlines strategy to write a headline that captures the most important aspect of Paine’s Common Sense that should be remembered.
Have students share with a partner to review.
Critical Writing Prompt:
Choosing Independence (p. 170-171)
 Why was the adoption of the Declaration of Independence an important event in the American Revolution and a necessary step in the process of achieving
independence?
 How do you think Loyalists and those who did not take sides in the war felt about the decision to declare independence?
The Declaration of Independence (p. 171-173)
 Why was it so radical for the Declaration of Independence to assert that government requires the “consent of the governed”?
 Define unalienable rights, give an example of one, and explain what makes it unalienable.
 Have students use the Walking Tour Strategy to consider the issues surrounding the Declaration of Independence. Divide students into three groups and assign each
group a section from the text: Unalienable Rights, Colonial Grievances, and Independence. Have groups post passages from their section around the room. Have
students tour the room and discuss each passage, then summarize what they learned.
Online Resources
Interactive Gallery: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (p. 169)
Project the Interactive Chart: Thomas Paine’s Common Sense and click through the images. Ask students to explain Paine’s vision of government. Discuss why it seemed
radical at the time.
 Have students read the quote from Common Sense in the lesson and restate it in their own words.
Interactive Gallery: Interactive Declaration of Independence (p. 171)
Project the gallery and click through the images.
 Why was it so radical for the Declaration of Independence to assert that government requires the “consent of the governed?’
 Define unalienable rights, give an example of one, and explain what makes it unalienable.
Digital Activity: Reasons for Going to War (p. 172)
Project the Digital Activity. Have students work alone or in groups to list the grievances American leaders used to justify declaring independence. Ask students to explain
which grievance they think most justified going to war. Have students write their answers or discuss them with the class. Students will answer/respond to the following:
 How did significant individuals advance the causes of freedom during the American Revolution?
 What central ideas did the significant individuals impart?
Digital Lesson Quiz: (p. 172)
Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz. Pose these questions to the class: In Declaring Independence, you read about the issues surrounding the Declaration of Independence, the
significant individuals who shaped the document, and the main idea it imparts.
 What was the purpose for writing the Declaration of Independence?
 What ideas about government and rights were expressed in the Declaration of Independence?
Engage
~Have students preview the lesson objectives and the list of key terms (p.169). Use the Editable Presentation found on the digital course to present the main ideas of the
lesson (p. 169).
Complete the Start Up Activity on p 169. Levi Preston fought in the Revolution. When asked why the Patriots had fought, he said. “…we always had governed
ourselves, and we always meant to.”
Tell students that in this lesson they will be learning about the roles significant individuals played during the American Revolution, the contributions of the Founders,
and the drafting of the Declaration of independence.
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
~Divide the class into groups. Each group is to read a section and be prepared to discuss and share findings with the class.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (p. 169)
Choosing Independence (p. 170-171)
The Declaration of Independence (p. 171-173)
Students are to read assigned sections and use the Note Taking Study Guide to help them take notes and understand the text as they read.
Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (p. 169)
 Thomas Paine was a British writer and editor who moved to Philadelphia in 1174. After Lexington and Concord, Paine wrote the pamphlet, Common Sense, in
which he set out to change the colonists’ attitudes toward Britain and the king.
Choosing Independence (p. 170-171)
 Common Sense caused may colonists to move toward declaring independence from Britain. It also deeply impressed many members of the Continental
Congress. Richard Henry Lee of Virginia wrote to Washington, “I am now convinced…of the necessity for separation.”
The Declaration of Independence (p. 171-173)
 The Declaration of Independence consists of a preamble, or introduction, followed by three main parts.
~Guided Reading and Discussion Questions
 See Small Group Purposeful Talk Question Stems from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Analyzing Maps and Charts & Digital Activity (p. 169, 171 & 172)
 See Online Resources from the previous page for this portion of the lesson.
~Assign the Digital Lesson Quiz for this lesson (p. 156). Teachers can also opt to have students demonstrate mastery by responding to the following questions on
paper:
 What was the main point of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and how did he support his idea?
 How do you think the Loyalists reacted when the Declaration of Independence was first distributed throughout the colonies?
 Why, to this day, do many people refer to their signatures as their “John Hancocks?”
 Cite evidence that the Second Continental Congress was acting like a governmental body.
 What justifications for separation were included in the Declaration of Independence?