Curriculum / ELA / 4th Grade / Alternate Unit 5: Examining Our History: American Revolution / Lesson 2

Examining Our History: American Revolution

Lesson 2

ELA

Alternate Unit 5

4th Grade

Lesson 2 of 24

Lesson Overview

Objective

Defend if the colonies really were a land of liberty and equality.

Readings and Materials

Book: A Young People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, Adapted by Rebecca Stefoff pp. 43–55

Lesson Notes

There was an error generating your document. Please refresh the page and try again.

Generating your document. This may take a few seconds.
Download Page with Annotations

Share with my team(s)

Post as a note "From the Fishtank Team"

Are You Sure?

Are you sure you want to delete this note? This action cannot be undone.

Lesson Map

Lesson

Defend if the actions of the French and Indian War support the idea that America was the land of liberty.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 1–5

Standards

RI.4.3

Lesson

Defend if the colonies really were a land of liberty and equality.

Materials

A Young People's History of the United States pp. 43–55

Standards

RI.4.3RI.4.6

Lesson

Describe the relationship between the colonists and the British after the French and Indian War.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 6–11

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3

Lesson

Summarize what happened during the Boston Massacre.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 12–15
Black Heroes of... pp. 26–35

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3RI.4.6

Lesson

Writing

Summarize what happened during the Boston Massacre. Use subordinating conjunctions to write more interesting and complex sentences in summaries.

Standards

RI.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.9

Lesson

Analyze and explain the unrest felt by colonists in the lead up to the Revolutionary War.

Materials

A Young People's History of the United States pp. 57–66

Standards

RI.4.3

Lesson

Summarize what happened during the Boston Tea Party.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 16–21

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3

Lesson

Discussion & Writing

Discuss and analyze unit-essential questions by preparing for and participating in a class discussion using evidence from the text.

Materials

Liberty!
A Young People's History of the United States

Standards

SL.4.1

Lesson

Writing

Use subordinating conjunctions to write more interesting and complex sentences.

Standards

L.4.1.fL.4.2.cW.4.9

Lesson

Describe what happened at the First Continental Congress.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 22–25

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3

Lesson

Discussion & Writing

Defend whether one should side with the Loyalists or the Patriots.

Standards

SL.4.1SL.4.3W.4.1

Lesson

Summarize the events in the days leading up to the start of the American Revolutionary War.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 26–29

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3

Lesson

Summarize how the Battle of Bunker Hill showed both sides how terrible war would be.

Materials

Liberty! pp. 30–33

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3

Lesson

Analyze why the Declaration of Independence was written and who it represented.

Materials

A Young People's History of the United States pp. 67–70
Liberty! pp. 34–37

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.1

Lesson

Describe the role poor people, Indigenous people and Black people played in the Revolution.

Materials

A Young People's History of the United States pp. 71–79

Standards

RI.4.3

Lesson

Explain the role of Indigenous people in the colonies once the European colonists arrived.

Materials

“Native Americans in Colonial America”

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.3SL.4.4

Lesson

Analyze the role women played in the American Revolution and why they were referred to as everyday heroines.

Materials

Great Women of...
“Just Say No: The Daughters of Liberty”

Standards

RI.4.3SL.4.1SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9

Lesson

Analyze the role of a few individual heroines in the American Revolution and why they were referred to as heroines.

Materials

Great Women of...

Standards

RI.4.3SL.4.1SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9

Lesson

Analyze the role of Black people during the American Revolution.

Materials

Black Heroes of... — pages vii-viii and 1-2
“Betwixt & Between: Growing up African American in Revolutionary Times” — CommonLit

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9

Lesson

Analyze the role of Black heroes in the American Revolution and why they were important.

Materials

Black Heroes of...

Standards

RI.4.2RI.4.3SL.4.3SL.4.4W.4.9

Lesson

Discussion & Writing

Discuss and analyze unit-essential questions by preparing for and participating in a class discussion using evidence from the text.

Standards

SL.4.1

Lesson

Informative Writing

4 days

Write an informational report about a person that participated in the American Revolution, describing their cause, action, obstacle, and outcome.

Materials

American Revolution Research Note-Taker

Standards

SL.4.4W.4.2W.4.2.aW.4.2.bW.4.2.dW.4.5W.4.6W.4.7W.4.8

Lesson

Assessment

Gauge student understanding of unit content and skills with one of Fishtank's unit assessments.

Lesson

Opinion Writing

4 days

Write an essay defending if the colonists were or were not justified in declaring independence and fighting the Revolutionary War.

Standards

L.4.1.fL.4.2.aW.4.1W.4.1.aW.4.1.bW.4.8W.4.9

Bring Fishtank
to Your School

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free