Lesson Plan�Unit 3�A New Nation Begins (1750-1791)

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					                Lesson Plan—Unit 3—A New Nation Begins (1750-1791)
Linda Lipps
Coeburn Middle School
Coeburn, Virginia

Time needed for completion of each section: part one—3-5 class periods (half hour
periods), part two—minimum of 5 half hour class periods, and part three minimum of 5-7
half hour class periods.

     Students will trace the birth of our nation from 1750 to 1791.
     Students will research and list the sources of dissatisfaction that led to the
        American Revolution and place them on a timeline.
     Students will research, list, and tell the contributions of key individuals in
        the American Revolution.
     Students will, using a timeline, list and tell the significance of the key events
        and major battles of the American Revolution.
     Students will list and explain the events that had a direct impact on the
        writing of the United States Constitution and the ratification process of this
     Students will present written and oral reports on their research findings.

Part 1
When did the birth of our nation really begin? Students will probably say it began when
we gained our independence from England. If they say this, it is understandable, but in
truth, the birth of our nation began long before the actual revolution took place. In this
first activity, students will trace the events that led to our new nation and place them on a
simple timeline. This activity is for 5th grade Social Studies and will cover Virginia
SOLs 5.3 (e,f, and g), 5.4, 5.5, and 5.10.

Materials Needed:
Student Activity Sheet
Textbook or selected material for study
Social Studies notebook or folder for taking notes
Internet access
TimeLiner installed

A. Using the textbook or materials being used in class, list the events that preceded the
American Revolution and led to the birth of our nation. Write the date of the event and
write a brief description of the event and tell how it related to our nation’s first steps
toward independence. Make a chart similar to the one shown below.
Date              Event                             Impact on U.S. History
1754              The Albany Plan was               This plan, proposed by Benjamin
                  proposed                          Franklin, was the first attempt to unite
                                                    the colonies
1755              Braddock’s defeat at Fort         The British saw this defeat as a sign the
                  Duquesne                          colonists were weak and needed the
                                                    protection of England. This battle
                                                    would provide valuable information for
                                                    the colonists when their war with
                                                    England broke out.

Students are to continue this chart, listing events as they read the assigned sections.

B. Students will choose one of the events from the timeline and do a presentation to the
   class. Each student will research their topic and present their findings as a play,
   report with posters and graphics, or any manner they choose (this may also be done in
   small groups).

C. Students will look at their timeline and answer the following question by writing their
   response as a well developed paragraph:
“Which event or events do you think would be considered the main reason the colonists
were ready to fight?”—Remember to support your answer.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their oral and written reports and also on their
observed participation in the making of the class outline. Students will also be assessed
orally in individual or small group discussions with the teacher. The final assessment
will be the students’ written responses to the questions posed by the teacher and answered
in their Social Studies journal or notebook.

Reflections: The next time I do this project, I want to make certain that every child is
working on something if they are doing this as a group. With special needs children, I
noticed there were times when they were left out of any preparations.

Unit 3—Part 2

War was inevitable between England and her American colonies. Tempers were rising
throughout the land and the cry “taxation without representation is tyranny” could be
heard in every city and town. Our country was growing and becoming more independent.
They simply did not want to be ruled by England any longer. They were ready to go to
any extent, even war, to obtain their freedom. In this activity, you will trace the events of
the Revolutionary War from “the shot heard round the world” to the signing of the peace
treaty when the “world turned upside down”.

   A. Students are to read the material and sections assigned by the teacher. In journals
      or notebooks, students are to list each date and event as it appears in their text.
       Beside the date, they are to write a question about the event that could be used on
       a test. Using TimeLiner, they are to list the events and the dates, then go to the
       Internet and download pictures of the events. After they have found their
       pictures, they are to copy them to their timeline. (Note: They may not find
       pictures of every event.)

   B. When the students have completed their timelines, have them get with the other
      members of their class or group and separate their questions into categories
      similar to those you would see on Jeopardy. Have them write their answers on
      index cards along with the point values for each question, and place them in
      envelopes with the categories written on the outside of the envelope. Take these
      up when the groups finish. Now you’ll be ready to challenge your class to a game
      of “Revolutionary Jeopardy”.

Internet Sites to Use:


Unit 3—Part 3

Now that the war is over and the treaty is signed, the colonists must now decide how they
are going to govern their nation. In this section, you will learn what out Constitution is
and how it came to be our governing document.

A. Using their text, have the students answer the following questions and place the data
   on a timeline.
       a. What happened in 1777?
       b. What plan was approved in 1781?
       c. What ordinance was passed in 1785?
       d. In 1787, what did Congress use to decide how the Northwest Territory would
           be divided?
       e. What did Spain do in 1784?
       f. What rebellion took place in 1787?
       g. What convention was to meet was to meet in May 1787?
       h. What document was signed on September 17, 1787?
       i. New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify this document in June 1788.
           What document is it?
       j. In 1789, the first amendments to the Constitution were put forward by James
           Madison. The first two were rejected. What name was given to the 10
           remaining amendments that were approved?
B. Now, as a small group, have them research each state that ratified and signed the
   Constitution. On their group timeline, have them include the state and the date they
   ratified the Constitution. Include an outline map of each state on this timeline.

C. With their group, have them discuss and list the things they would like to see on a
Class Constitution or a constitution for their imaginary country. After this has been
completed, have each group select a spokesman to present their thoughts and concerns to
the class. Following the speeches from all group representatives, the class will select the
items from those presented to be written into a Class Constitution. After this constitution
has been written, a vote will be taken and the groups will ratify it.

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