PROJECT DESIGN: OVERVIEW

Name of Project: The Perspectives of the American Revolution Duration: 6 Classes (50 minutes each)

Subject/Course: US History Teacher(s): Eli and Ian Grade Level: 8

Other subject areas to be included, if any: N/A

Key Knowledge and 8.2.3: Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence,
Understanding with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases
(CCSS, NGSS or other such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain
standards) unalienable rights”).

8.2.4: Identify the political and economic causes and consequences of the American
Revolution and the major battles, leaders, and events that led to a final peace (e.g., free press,
taxation without representation).

Success Skills (to be taught ● Constructing arguments using claims and evidence from multiple sources, while
and assessed) acknowledging the strengths and limitations of the arguments.

● Reading and analyzing primary sources

● Providing and acting on peer feedback

Project Summary (include Students will create a story book which begins with the Signing of the Declaration of
student role, issue, problem or Independence, moves to why some Native Americans and free and enslaved Africans sided
challenge, action taken, and with the British and others sided with the Colonists, and ends with how the Patriots defeated
purpose/beneficiary) the British and won the American Revolution.

Project Driving Question Was the American Revolution justified?

Entry Event Hamilton’s “King George” You’ll be Back music video will be played .
(PBL launch)

Final Product(s) Pairs: A story book which Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
illustrates understanding of what
caused the American Revolution, ● Does the book explain why the colonists were
and which groups (Patriots, revolting
Loyalists, British, Free Africans, ● Does the book reference primary sources
Enslaved Africans, and different ● Does the book explain the different perspective
Native American nations) sided of Patriots, Native Americans, and Africans
with or against the revolting ● Does the book explain how the Revolutionary
Colonists. The story book also War ended
tells a summarized tale of how
the Patriots defeated the British
and secured the United States
creation.

Team: The class will share their Specific content and competencies to be assessed:
story books with other students. ● Students ability to share what they have
researched and explain it to a group of students

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 A CES class is visiting on the last who have not learned about the American
day. Revolution

Community Engagement Students teach younger students about the American Revolution through their storybook.

Making Product(s) Public Students share their finished storybook with younger students and have their final product
(include how the products will kept in the school library for future classes and students.
be made public and who
students will engage with
during/at end of project)

Resources Needed On-site people, classroom: Mentor teacher computer (on the last day of teaching, the
CES students visiting our classroom)

Equipment/Technology:
Mentor teachers projector and computer.
Ian and Eli’s laptop.
Students individual Tablets
Printer/Book Binding

Materials: Research Worksheets, Primary Sources, Stickers, Folders, Pens/Markers

Community Resources:
Younger class that wants to visit and learn about the American Revolution

Reflection Methods At the start of every class students complete a do now that is partially connected to
(how individual, team, and/or yesterday’s subject to remind them of what we learned about. Then, after researching
whole class will reflect different groups and events in the American Revolution, students write a draft page of their
during/at end of project) book. Lastly students will give feedback to each other part way through the project and then
will have a chance to edit their pages into a final copy.

At the end of the project (Day 6), students will have a questionnaire form that will ask them
not only the encapsulating question of “Was The American Revolution justified?”, but also
questions regarding what they have learned, if it was effective, what could have been done
better and what went well.

Notes:

PROJECT DESIGN: STUDENT LEARNING GUIDE

Project: A story book reflecting the reasons for the American Revolution and why certain groups were pro or against the
revolution.
Driving Question: When is revolt justified?

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Final Product(s) Learning Checkpoints/Formative Instructional Strategies for All
Presentations, Outcomes/Targets Assessments Learners
Performances, knowledge, understanding & to check for learning and ensure provided by teacher, other staff, experts;
Products and/or success skills needed students are on track includes scaffolds, materials, lessons
Services by students to successfully aligned to learning outcomes and
complete products formative assessments

Storybook that - Understand that the - Provide specific primary sources

explains how the American Revolution - Do nows day 2, 3, 4 that’ll allow exploration of the
colonists, enslaved impacted different American Revolution
Africans, and groups of people - And provide sufficient
Native Americans differently. background for these
were impacted by sources
and participated in - Utilize primary sources - Class discussion on - Student directed class
the American to justify an argument primary source research discussions on the primary
Revolution. (and their written source research so the students
answers to the guiding learn and teach one another
research questions)
- Talk about who the - Draft pages after Day 2, - Modeling (showing examples of
freedom fought for in 3, and 4 good work in these areas)
the American - Final Draft after day 5 - Format of a storybook
Revolution - How to give useful
encompassed and who feedback
was left out.
- Come up with a project - End of day “assessment” / draft
and rubric for the pages that have the students
project collectively as a connect all that they have learned
class that day into a single paragraph.

Key:
Eli: Purple
Ian: Yellow

PBL Day 1

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Students come up with their project idea and a first-draft rubric

Students are introduced to the American Revolution and learn about the
British perspective and why the British do not want the colonists to leave

Learning Objective(s) Students will come up with a method to share their knowledge about the
American Revolution to others.

Students will analyze the British argument against the American Revolution by
reading King George’s “You’ll be back”

1:45pm Welcome + Students coming Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going around
into the classroom and completing the do now. tables, ensuring students are completing

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 starting the do now the do now

Do now:
What do people revolt?
How do people revolt?

Day 1 Do Now + Exit

Ticket

Day 1 Presentation

1:50 pm Class Discussion about the Students share their examples Facilitating a class discussion
Do Now
Looking for:
Reasons for revolt
● Injustices
● Lack of representation
● Fear
● Taxes
How people revolt
● Fight
○ Military
● Steal
● Stop listening to the government
Teacher then shifts the Discussion to the
American Revolution, and asks “Who
was involved in the American
Revolution?”

1:52 pm Class Discussion about the Students share their examples Facilitating a class discussion
Do Now
Looking for:

Teaches us where some of our current

government’s ideals originate.

By learning about who the leaders of the

revolution were we can see what group
(wealthy white men) influenced early
American politics and who did not have
influence. As well as to see what groups
of people were “left behind”.

1:55 Class Discussion about how Students discuss who and how they Who can we teach it to?
we as 8th grade Stuart can spread information about the ● Grownups may have already
Hobson social studies American Revolution. learned it
students can help other ● Students who have not learned
people learn about the about the Revolution
American Revolution ○ Younger (6th) grade
students!
1. Who was involved in ● What do we need to teach
the American younger students?
Revolution? ○ We need to know why it
happened.

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 (Who was in the colonies ○ How it happened.
during this time?) ○ Who it impacted…
● How do younger kids learn?
Do you think everyone ○ Book!
had the same opinion ○ Electronic?
about the Revolution ■ Does everyone
and why or why not? have a
phone/computer
2. Why is it important to they can always
learn about the use?
different people in
the American Transition to King George song -
Revolution? “Has anyone ever listened to the musical
Hamilton?.... It’s a musical that includes
3. Who can we teach songs about the American Revolution.
about the American This one we are going to listen to is
Revolution “You’ll be Back” and is from the point of
view of King George talking the revolting
What should we do to Patriots.”
teach them?

-story book
What does a storybook
need?

2:05pm King George “You’ll be Back” Watching the Youtube Video Click Play
Attention Grabber

2:10 pm Students receive the King Answering King George Pass out worksheet, move table to table
George Worksheet (they have Worksheets asking questions to help the students
10 minutes to work on it). answer the questions

You’ll Be back Worksheet

2:20 pm Discuss the worksheet as a Discussing the worksheet Facilitate a student-led discussion on
class King George and if his point of view was
truthful; *Lead students to the idea of
bias*

How did King George justify his point of

view that the colonists should not revolt?

Do you agree with his points and why or

why not?

Would everyone have agreed with King

George?

2:30 pm Exit Ticket Students complete the exit ticket Sample answer
worksheet and hand it into teacher #1
1. What reasons did “He will fight to keep the colonies under
King George give for his control.”
why the colonists
should not revolt? “The colonists will want to come back

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 after they experience life without him”
2. Who would have
agreed and disagreed “He will kill their families”
with King George?
#2
Agreed: Loyalists, British,

Disagreed: Patriots,

Can put Native Americans in either (or

neither),

2:35 pm Handing in their exit tickets! Students are finalizing exit tickets Teachers are making sure that students
are finishing up their exit tickets

PBL Day 2

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Students will analyze the Declaration of Independence and then write
their first page of their story.

This page will talk about who wrote the Declaration of Independence,
who the Declaration of Independence was promising equality and rights
to, and the justifications the writers used for their freedom from Britain.

Learning Objective(s) Students analyze the Declaration of Independence and describe who
wrote it and its purpose

Students write a rough draft of the first page of their storybook describing
the Declaration of Independence.

TIME ACTIVITY What are the students doing? What are teachers doing?

1:45pm Class Slides Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going
completing the do now around tables, ensuring students
Welcome + Students coming into the are completing the do now
classroom and starting the do now:
- Why was King George upset
with the colonists?
- What were some reasons
the colonists were upset
with King George?
Do Now

1:50 Class Discussion about the Do Now Students share their answers to do Answers for do now:

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pm now #1
● Wanted to leave England
and his rule
● Wouldn’t pay his taxes +
protested against them
through destruction of
goods (Boston Tea Party)
#2
● Taxation without
representation
● Quartering Act (forcing
them to house soldiers)
● Limited their self
governing powers

1:55 Presenting the Rubric Students are paying attention to the Presenting the rubric and making
pm Rubric presentation about the rubric sure the students participate in
the presentation (Have students
repeat or read the parts of the
rubric)

2:00 Present Storybook template Emphasize

pm In Slides -Title page (includes author and
title of work)
-what makes up each page (title of
page, picture and then text)

2:05pm Colonist Perspective Primary Source: Students research the colonists Walking around the classroom
Declaration of independence perspective of the Revolution using helping the students research
(15 minutes, presenting a timer on the primary sources (also ensuring that they are using
screen). technology appropriately).
1. Look at “key to
● Declaration of Independence worksheet” for what the
Primary Source + Worksheet wanted answers to the
questions are.

2:20pm Class Discussion on the worksheet Students are participating in the Key To Worksheet
class discussion of their worksheet. Has expected answers, and what
the students should get out of the
research.

2:25pm Exit Ticket: Completing the exit ticket! Ensuring that students are
Finish your first page draft completing the exit ticket before
(Last page of Declaration of they leave the class and collecting
Independence Worksheet linked above) the exit tickets.

A rough draft page, but the final

draft page will be graded on how
well the page answers the four
guiding questions at the top of it.
(Look at “Key to Worksheet”)

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 PBL Day 3

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Students create a rough draft of the second and third page of their story
book that explains how different Native American peoples and Enslaved
and Freed Africans participated in the American Revolution

Learning Objective(s) Students will research the role of Native Americans and Africans in the
American Revolution through primary sources.

Students will create a rough draft of the second and third page of their
storybook.

TIME ACTIVITY What are the students doing? What are teachers doing?

1:45pm Welcome + Students coming into the Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going
classroom and starting the do now: completing the do now around tables, ensuring students
- During the American are completing the do now
Revolution, what other
groups of people were
living in or near the
Thirteen Colonies apart
from the European
colonists and the
British? How could the
Revolution impact
them?
Do Now & Slides

1:50 pm Class Discussion about the Do Now Students share their answers to do Facilitating discussion and
now leading towards the third group:

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 enslaved africans

KEY with expected answers for

do now

1:55pm Students research African American Students research in pairs using Walking around the classroom
roles in the American Revolution given primary sources about the roles ensuring that students are
of African Americans and Native understanding the material and
Worksheet Americans in the American helping them read the content if
Revolution. needed
Students research Native American
roles in the American Revolution At the end of their research they draft Key African Americans Role
page 2 and page 3 of their story books
Worksheet that explain the impact and story of Key: Native Americans Role
African Americans and Native
Americans on and in the American
Revolution.

2:10pm Sharing findings with the class Students participate in a class Facilitating class discussion, first
discussion about the primary source Table 1, then table 2, then table 3
(Eli and Ian) they have read and about the new and table 4.
perspective they have learned about

2:25pm Exit Ticket: Completing the exit ticket Ensuring students are
Pairs read their page(s) allowed to submitting the exit ticket
the class

2:35pm Goodbye!

PBL Day 4

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Students draft page 4 of their story books explaining how the patriots
defeated the British and secured freedom for the United States of America.

Students learn about and potentially begin the feedback process on their
drafted pages.

Learning Objective(s) Students will learn how the Colonists defeated the British in the American
Revolution

Students will draft the fourth page of their storybook explaining the end of
the American Revolution

TIME ACTIVITY What are the students doing? What are teachers doing?

1:45pm Welcome + Students coming into the Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going
classroom and starting the do now: completing the do now around tables, ensuring students
- What is one reason why are completing the do now
enslaved Africans joined

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 the British during the
American Revolution?
- Why did some Native
American groups join the
British while others
helped the colonists?
Do Now + Exit Ticket
Class Slides

1:50 pm Class Discussion about the Do Now Students share their answers to do Teachers facilitates discussion,
now moving from student to student

1:55 pm Short Lecture about the ending of The Students will receive a document to
American Revolution (Battle of take notes in about the content
Yorktown and Treaty of Paris).

2:05pm “Page 4” question activity Students are working on answering

questions that will end up being the
last page of their storybook.

2:15pm “What is good feedback?” Students are completing the Guiding (facilitating) the classroom
feedback activity, they have a in the feedback activity
printed copy (we do a couple of
examples with them, they do the
rest by themselves!)

2:35pm Finalizing the “good feedback” Students are finalizing the “what is Ensuring that students are
worksheet good feedback” worksheet completing the exit ticket

PBL Day 5

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Students receive feedback on their first draft of page 1-4

Students type up the final draft of their storybook (page 1-4, and title page)

Learning Objective(s) Students will provide and receive feedback on their pages 1-4.

Students will act on the feedback and in pairs type up their final draft of
pages 1-4 and a title page.

TIME ACTIVITY What are the students doing? What are teachers doing?

1:45pm Welcome + Students Coming into the Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going
classroom and answering the “Do Now” completing the do now around tables, ensuring students are
- What is an example of completing the do now
good feedback?
Do Now

Class slides

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1:50pm Providing Feedback to their classmates Students switch book pages with Teacher makes sure every group has
other group and provide a few a partner group and is providing
sentences of feedback to their feedback to them
partner group

2:00pm Transcribe story books with pairs while Students read the feedback and Teacher walks around classroom
incorporating the feedback they reflect on how they can incorporate helping students who have
received it into their work (edit current pages questions or are struggling to work
and change how they will do future
pages)

2:30pm Finalizing the story book Students add the final touches and Walking around classroom to ensure
feel confident in the work they have the story book is finished
created!

2:35pm Exiting classroom for the weekend!

PBL Day 6

Project Driving Question When is revolt justified?

Daily Goal towards Project Share story books with with CES class

Learning Objective(s) Student pairs will share their story books with the incoming students

Students will fill out a reflection survey on how the week went :)
Thank you!

TIME ACTIVITY What are the students doing? What are teachers doing?

1:45pm Welcome + Students Coming into the Trickling into the classroom and Welcoming Students + Going around
classroom. completing the do now tables, ensuring students are
completing the do now

1:50pm Students begin presenting their Students share their books with Teacher listens to student pairs
books to each other their partner group. sharing their book, provides feedback

Day 6 Presentation

2:00pm Students share their story books to Students share their books with Teacher watches and helps groups if
their younger classmates! the visiting classmates. needed

2:20 pm Exit Ticket (Reflection Students write down answer to Teacher ensures that students are
questionnaire): Reflection on the final exit ticket completing the exit ticket
project, this week, and what you
learned

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2:35pm Exiting the classroom Completing the exit ticket Teacher thanks students for all their
hard work and participation, says
goodbyes :( and collects exit tickets

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