I will begin this unit with the questions, what does the word
revolution
mean, and what do you know about the Revolutionary War? I will pass out a KWL graphic organizer and have a big piece of chart paper posted in the classroom to keep track of the students' responses. My students will generate responses about the war, and the people participating in the war. Students will discuss the idea of revolution and how it applies to this unit that I am teaching.
As we move forward in this unit, the students will add to their KWL chart in their journal, as we will facilitate discussions on the purpose for a revolution and why America needed a revolution to change the perspectives of those participating in the war. This conversation will serve as a springboard for the next couple of weeks discussing the events of the Revolutionary War.
The main textbook,
Our United States
, will provide the necessary background of the Revolutionary War for my students, but if teachers do not have access to the textbook, then they can use the following websites: http://www.americanhistory.about.com, http://www.historytoday.com and http://www.theamericanrevolution.org. All of these websites have a plethora of articles for teachers to read through in order to get enough background information needed to supply students with for their notes.