Direct instruction

Teacher(s): Halle Harker

Subject: American History

Standard(s): Common Core, Arizona Career and College Ready Standards, ISTE Standards apply
to this lesson

Common Core

A.
B.
C.
D.
E.

Concept 4- Revolution and New Nation

PO 3. Describe the significance of major events in the Revolutionary War
Lexington and Concord
Bunker Hill
Saratoga
Writing and ratification of the Declaration of Independence
Yorktown

ISTE Standards
A. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and
resources to promote student learning and creativity
B. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital
tools and resources to support student success and innovation
C. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness

Objectives (Explicit): Use Blooms verbiage and formula

PO. 3

Students will be able to interpret that they have an understanding of the 5

major events in the Revolutionary War by accurately using a Venn Diagram to
make distinctions of the following events A. Lexington & Concord B. Bunker
Hill C. Saratoga D. Writing & the ratification of the Declaration of
Independence E. Yorktown

Students will compile information using their class notes to design an IMovie
that shows the who, what, when, where, why, and significance of one of the
major events in the Revolutionary War. For extra credit students are allowed to
do two of the significant events in an IMovie.

Evidence of Mastery (Measurable): An actual product /Include an explanation of how you are
going to grade/grading tool? (rubric, checklist, etc.

Students will follow this rubric exactly to prove to me that have understood the
information presented in class through their instructional and guided practices.
I will use this rubric for their work in independent practice of groups of 4

Sub-objectives, SWBAT (Sequenced from basic to complex): Content and Language objectives
action verbs such as write, list, highlight, etc.)

Key vocabulary:

Patriots
Loyalists
Lexington and Concord

Materials/Technology
Resources to be Used:

Prezi
IMovie/ Animoto/
Zooburst/ Smilebox

Bunker Hill
Saratoga
Yorktown

Cornell Note Sheet

Mini White Board
White Board Markers
White Board Shirt for
Eraser

Opening (state objectives, connect to previous learning, and make RELEVENT to real life)
ENGAGE/ hook the students
Role Playing with The American Revolution

The students have never been introduced to what the reasoning was behind the start of the
American Revolution, so this 5-10 minute class activity will give them a brief idea of what life
was like during this time.
Step 1: The first 3 students in class will be given the nametags titled Tax Collector Parliament
Member, and then one will be named as The King.
The Kings Role tell the colonists (students in class) that he/she is there to collect all of
the taxes they feel as necessary. Read the tax cards to the class, and sit in front of the classroom
in a decorated chair as if they were royalty.
The Tax Collectors Role- After the king reads certain tax card aloud they must go around
to the colonists and collect the taxes (candy pieces) with what is necessary to be taken.
Step 2: Each Student will have a cup full of ten pieces of candy on their desk that they will be
informed to not touch whatsoever.
Step 3: Read 3-5 tax cards depending on time. Example: If you have socks on you will be taxed 3
gummy bears, If your hair is longer than shoulder length you owe 1 gummy, If you have brown
eyes you owe 5 gummy bears. Etc.

Students will see the Kings pile of candy begin to build to an abundant amount, as
well as see theirs decrease.

Step 4: Once the taxes have all been collected the King will then disperse his candy giving 10%
to the two tax collectors and then the king will get the rest. The students should be going crazy by
now screaming things like, That is SO UNFAIR!! Which is exactly the point.
Step 5: It will then be my job to calm them down and bring them in for a discussion about the
activity and how it applied to the colonists/how they reacted to being taxed was even more severe
than how they reacted.
-The groups will be split to discuss different questions:
1. Why were the taxes so unfair with the candy?
2. How could it have been handled more fairly?
3. What did you learn from this experience?

Instructional Input

Teacher Will: Be specific

Student Will: Be specific

Provide a short PowerPoint that shows brief

informational facts about the 5 key battles or events
during the American Revolution. Inside the short
slide PowerPoint there will be a cheesy Brain Pop
video. Throughout the PowerPoint I will make sure
and ask key questions to make sure the class is on
track to begin their guided practice worksheet.

Students will be actively

listening and engaged to
the information being
presented. Alerted and
ready to be called upon for
critical thinking questions.
They will be taking notes
on each slide in Cornell
format, and they will use
their notes as assistance
when doing their guided
reading.

High Order Questions to Check for Understanding:

1. Having learned about the Declaration of

the Independence how does it apply to you
today?
2. Summarize the event that took place at
Bunker Hill in your own words.
3. What was the Shot heard around the
world?
4. Do you agree with the actions of the
Patriots? Can you defend their actions?
Formative Assessment: Teacher will ask higher level as
well as lower level questions to ensure that students
comprehend the information. Teacher will have students
write their answers on mini whiteboards for a quick
check during the Prezi. I will move on and know they are
ready when 25/30 students show me they have an
accurate idea of the historical content. If only a handful
of students are sure of what is happening then we will
have to take the time to regroup and relearn what was
taught. I will go in a different direction asking the
students direct questions as to what it is they are
misunderstanding.

Formative Assessment:
Students will participate in a
quick mini white board
assessment to show that they
are retaining the knowledge.
The questions will be higher
level as well as lower level
so they can have an idea of
what they are learning or
what they are not learning.

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation How will your instruction look different for those
students who need differentiation or accommodations during your instructional
input/teaching?

If students struggle with learning visually, the reasoning behind the auditory video
is to help boost the students who do not learn well visually. In order to differentiate
the students who learn well kinesthetically will be allowed to participate in an
online interactive instructional assignment with all the same information just

integrated differently.

Teacher Will: Be specific

Student Will: Be specific

I will provide instructions on what it looks like to

complete a Venn Diagram of the battles and events.
The students will get to choose the two that they want
to compare and contrast. What are similar? What
makes them different?

Students will work silently

using their notes from the
PowerPoint and Brain Pop
to create a simple Venn
Diagram. After 10 minutes
of working alone students
will be allowed to discuss
with their shoulder
partners the similarities
and differences. Students
will be allowed to
collaborate on what one
student has versus the
other.

Guided Practice

Questions for Small Group Discussions to engage in

with students while walking around:

1. If you could pick which event was the most

catastrophic, which would it be and why?
2. Do you think that there were advantages to
being on the Patriots? Loyalists?
3. What exactly does a revolution mean?

Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation/Check for Understandinghow are you going to

know if EACH student is ready to move onto independent practice? And how are you
going to differentiate if they do not understand?

Independent Practice

I will walk around the classroom to ensure the levels of comprehension among the
different students. I will correct any mistakes that I see as well as discuss to them
why it is a mistake making sure they are not going to make the same one twice. I
will also randomly walk up to a student and ask them what they are writing and
why to make sure they can communicate what they are doing.
Teacher Will: Be specific

Student Will: Be specific

Show an example from a previous class of an IMovie,

and how it is supposed to look. Throughout the
demonstration I will make sure and let them know
that there is a checklist of things that have to be done
in order to achieve what grade. (Rubric). This way the
students have no questions of what type of
information that needs to be incorporated into the
video. Teacher will have a sheet of paper that will be
passed out to the students of exactly what needs to be
presented in the IMovie. Teacher will answer any
questions that the students are struggling with

Students will pick groups

of 4 to create their own
IMovie. The student will
get themselves into groups
of 4. They will be creating
an IMovie (they will have
time in class, but whatever
they do not finish will be
homework). The students
will be creating a script of
what they want
incorporated into the
movie based off of the
checklist. Who? What?
When? Where? Why?
Students will ask any last
minute questions that are
confusing them or will set
them back in anyway from

success with the

assignment.
Co-Teaching Strategy/Differentiation How will your instruction look different for those
students who need differentiation or accommodations?
Students who are in groups that do not have access to IMovie may have the option
of using a different type of software. I will suggest that students use the IMovie, but
if they are not willing to do so they may use 3 different types of software. 1. Animoto
2. Zooburst 3. Smilebox. All three of these other options will still gain the students
the same amount of points as on the rubric.

Closing/Student Reflection/Real-life connections: What connections will students make to their

real lives? What essential questions will they reflect on in their closure of the lesson?

Group Discussion of why these students need to know about the American
Revolution:
So why do we continue to discuss something in our history that happened in 1776?
Do we think America would be a United nation today considering the American Revolution is
where the Declaration of Independence was created?