The American Revolution is one of the world's most famous events with lasting impacts felt around the globe. This course seeks to explore the foundations of such a revolution and what is means not only for those involved, but for those of us living in the world today. Rather than simply looking at military strategy, we will be exploring how and why the revolution began, who were the essesntial players, and why the study of this revolution is still relevant today. In order to aid us in our investigation and inquiry, we will practice and use source analysis, cause and effect, and analytical writing skills.
This course includes:
- 7 sections
- 30 video lessons
- 30 explanation videos
- 30 learning activities with answer keys and/or rubrics
- Extension activities included in some lessons meant to help students apply concepts to their everyday lives.
- Comprehension quizzes available at the end of each section
- Additional reading as well as blank notes sheets available in the Resources section
Course Goals:
Students will be able to:
- understand cause and effect
- analyze various types of sources
- write in an academic format
- understand and discuss how and why particular events in history are applicable today
- understand, analyze, and discuss what revolution is and why it is valuable to study
Target Audience:
This course is intended for 8th Grade students.
Course Topics:
Section One: Introduction
- Why do we study history?
- Analyzing Sources
- How to write for history
- What is revolution?
Section Two: The Colonies
- Geography and Background
- The Seven Years War (1)
- The Seven Years War (2)
- Growth of Discontent
Section Three: Seeds of Revolutionary Thought
- The Great Awakening
- The Enlightenment
- Women of the Enlightenment
- Who were the colonists?
Section Four: Taxes and Laws
- Sugar and Stamp Acts
- Townshend Acts
- The Boston Massacre
- The Boston Tea Party
- The Coercive Acts
Section Five: Battles
- Lexington and Concord
- Battle at Bunker Hill
- Battle at Saratoga
- Valley Forge
- Yorktown
Section Six: War of Words
- The First Continental Congress
- Common Sense
- The Declaration of Independence
- Treaty of Paris 1783
Section Seven: Putting It All Together
- Social, Political, and Economic Impacts
- Those that were Forgotten
- Ideological Influence
- Putting it all Together
Completion of this couse will meet the following Common Core Standards for Grades 6-8 in Social Studies:
Key Ideas and Details:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Craft and Structure:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.