Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Unit 4: Examining Our History: American Revolution / Lesson 1
ELA
Unit 4
4th Grade
Lesson 1 of 24
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Defend if the actions of the French and Indian War support the idea that America was the land of liberty.
Book: Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began by Lucille Recht Penner pp. 1 – 5
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Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved.
On page 3, the author says, “America was the land of liberty.” Do the actions of the French and Indian War on pages 4 and 5 support this statement? Why or why not?
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Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Why did people leave England?
Explain the significance of the Liberty Tree. How does the illustration help a reader better understand the importance of the Liberty Tree?
Why did the author title the section "Help!"? Who needed help?
The author states, "Finally, the Indians struck back." Were their actions justifiable? Why or why not?
How did the English colonists get the help they needed? Why?
How did the colonists feel at the end of the French and Indian War? Why?
Assess student understanding and monitor progress toward this lesson's objective with an Exit Ticket.
Literary terms, text-based vocabulary, idioms and word parts to be taught with the text
allies
n.
(p. 4)
countries, groups, or people that support one another
possessions
the things that you own
liberty
(p. 3)
freedom
Suggestions for teachers to help them teach this lesson
Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began consistently refers to the colonies as "America" long before "America" was declared a nation by the Continental Congress in 1776. Explain this inconsistency to students. Tell students that they should refer to "the colonies" in discussion and written answers since the unit focuses on the events leading up to the war when America was not yet a nation.
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RI.4.3 — Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.4.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
RF.4.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.4.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RI.4.1 — Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.4.4 — Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
RI.4.10 — By the end of year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, in the grades 4—5 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
SL.4.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.4.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Next
Defend if the colonies really were a land of liberty and equality.
Standards
RI.4.3
RI.4.3RI.4.6
Describe the relationship between the colonists and the British after the French and Indian War.
RI.4.2RI.4.3
Summarize what happened during the Boston Massacre.
RI.4.2RI.4.3RI.4.6
Summarize what happened during the Boston Massacre. Use subordinating conjunctions to write more interesting and complex sentences in summaries.
RI.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.9
Analyze and explain the unrest felt by colonists in the lead up to the Revolutionary War.
Summarize what happened during the Boston Tea Party.
Discuss and analyze unit-essential questions by preparing for and participating in a class discussion using evidence from the text.
SL.4.1
Use subordinating conjunctions to write more interesting and complex sentences.
L.4.1.fL.4.2.cW.4.9
Describe what happened at the First Continental Congress.
Defend whether one should side with the Loyalists or the Patriots.
SL.4.1SL.4.3W.4.1
Summarize the events in the days leading up to the start of the American Revolutionary War.
Summarize how the Battle of Bunker Hill showed both sides how terrible war would be.
Analyze why the Declaration of Independence was written and who it represented.
RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.1
Describe the role poor people, Indigenous people and black people played in the Revolution.
Explain the role of Indigenous people in the colonies once the European colonists arrived.
RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.3SL.4.4
Analyze the role women played in the American Revolution and why they were referred to as everyday heroines.
RI.4.3SL.4.1SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9
Analyze the role of a few individual heroines in the American Revolution and why they were referred to as heroines.
Analyze the role of Black people during the American Revolution.
RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9
Analyze the role of Black heroes in the American Revolution and why they were important.
4 days
Write an informational report about a person that participated in the American Revolution, describing their cause, action, obstacle, and outcome.
SL.4.4W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.dW.4.5W.4.6W.4.7W.4.8
Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.
Write an essay defending if the colonists were or were not justified in declaring independence and fighting the Revolutionary War.
L.4.1.fL.4.2.aW.4.1W.4.1.aW.4.1.bW.4.8W.4.9
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