The Boston Massacre/
Different View Points Lesson Plan
by Rita Askew 5th Grade Teacher/ New York Mills Elementary
Subject/Grade level: The Revolutionary War /Boston Massacre / 5th Grade
Minnesota Graduation Standards:: Strand- U.S. History /Sub-strand-D/ Political Unrest and the American Revolution (1763-mid-1791) The students will demonstrate an understanding of the causes and course of the American Revolution. Students will understand issues and events that led to the American Revolution, and analyze how these events affected the move toward independence from Britain
Time frame: 2 weeks
Overview: We will be reading two versions of the of the Boston Massacre in the books, Give Me Liberty ( The Story of the Declaration of Independence) by Russell Freedman and The Declaration of Independence by MichaelBurgen. We will discuss and analyze how they are alike and how they are different .I want them to see how history can be told in one way and yet in a similar, but different way .We will also be comparing Paul Revere’s engraving and Alonzo Chapel’s painting. We will see how they are similar and how they are different . Before we get to this, I want the students to practice on another historical event The Battle at Lexington. I also will have them practice their observation and listening skills with the activities listed below.
Materials: These books, The Declaration of Independence by Michael Burgan, The Boston Tea Party from the” We The People Series”, Give Me Liberty by Russell Freedman, John Adams Series HBO ,and What Really Happened in the Boston Massacre ?”article given in class. Paper, pencils, color crayons and markers.
Purpose/Objectives: I want the students to discover and know how history can be interpreted and portrayed in different ways, even though people are talking about the same thing. I would like the students to see how drawings and paintings influence people differently. I would like the students to become critical observers and listeners.
Activities-
Day 1- I will show the students two pictures of the Battle at Lexington from (page 40) in The Boston Tea Party by Michael Burgan. I will also show them a picture of the same battle from a book by the same author, only the title is the Declaration of Independence The students will list on a piece of paper five items how they are alike and five items how they are different. We will then discuss there results. I will also have them sketch their own version of this battle from the pictures they saw. We will discuss these drawings together.
Day 2-Today I will read two different versions of the Battle of Lexington from the same books. The students will now compare the written version of this event on a piece of paper. I want them to come up with at least two similarities and two differences. We will discuss these observations together. We will also talk about how people looking or listening to the same thing can see it differently. We will talk about how we use our five senses as history learners...
Day 3-Today I will have them fill out a KWL chart for the Boston Massacre. I will then read from the Give Me Liberty book about the Boston Massacre and events leading up to it. I will have the students take notes while I read it. I will then read from the Boston Tea Party Book. The students will take notes on what I read to them. I will also have a copy for the students to read themselves. We will share results in small groups. They will tell the members of their group what they thought happened. We will then have a class discussion on how the two versions were alike and how they are different. Their homework tonight is to read the two versions to their parents or another person. They are to ask them how they think they are alike and how they think they are different .
Day 4 – We will discuss our home work. I will ask them to think of a time when you read or saw the same thing as some one else, but you saw it differently. Also a time you agreed with someone on something you saw. Do you and your parent’s see or hear things differently at times? The students will discuss this in their groups. I will next show them Paul Revere’s engraving and Alonzo Chappel’s painting. The students will write a five sentence description of Paul Revere’s engraving. Then they will do the same for Alonzo Chappel’s painting. I will have them hand them in and we will read them tomorrow.
Day 5 –We will start the lesson by reading the descriptions out-loud in class. Each student will now compare and contrast the two pictures writing five ways they are alike and five ways they are different they will discuss this in their groups. We will then talk about it as a class together. I will make a list on the board of all their ideas. I will then read a witness’s description of what happened from “What Really Happened at The Boston Massacre? The Trial of Captain Preston.” .I will probably read more than one. We will discuss what they think about the witness’s versions of the event. Their home work is to write their own version of what happened that day of the Boston Massacre.
Day 6 - The students will read their versions out-loud. Today the students will be assigned a role for the massacre. They will be a member of the crowd, a British soldier, a young man throwing snow etc. They have to now write their own story as that person. They will have time in class to write this. They can use the facts or make it up.
Day 7-8 The students will make an illustration to go with their story. If they really disliked their role they can switch today. I will show the first part of John Adams,( The HBO series) the part with the Boston Massacre and the trial. We will then discuss it as a class .The students will now pick their own person to be and write as accurate as they can their version of the story. Due tomorrow.
Day 9- The students will read their stories. This will be part of their final assessment.
Day 10-We will do the re-enactment of the Boston Massacre in class. I will assign roles. We will discuss how everyone felt afterwards. I will also give them a short essay to answer. Why was this an important event in American History and the American Revolution? What have you learned from the past week or two of class that you might use when studying other topics in history
Individual differences- Enrichment students can pick a character to research, make a poster from the Massacre, read more books on the Revolutionary War, create their own re-enactment and debate the issues. I will reduce the work for my special needs students. They will participate in everything, maybe not do as much writing as the others.
Paul Revere Engraving of the Boston Massacre (1773)
Alonzo Chappelle, “The Boston Massacre”, ca. 1868
Topic
Name ___________________________________________Date ______________________
KWL Chart
Before you begin your research, list details in the first two columns. Fill in the last column after completing your research.
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What I Know |
What I Want to Know |
What I Learned |