Lesson Plan: Overview
Wake Up King George!
Grade Level: 4th |
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Academic Standards |
Standard 4-3:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflict between the American colonies and England.
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4-3.1 Explain the political and economic factors leading to the American Revolution, including the French and Indian War; British colonial policies such as the Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the so-called Intolerable Acts; and the American colonists’ early resistance through boycotts, congresses, and petitions. |
4-3.2 Summarize the roles of principal American, British, and European leaders involved in the conflict, including King George III, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Patrick Henry, and the Marquis de Lafayette. |
Standard 4-4:
The student will demonstrate an understanding of the beginnings of America as a nation and the establishment of the new government. |
4-4.5 Provide examples of how American constitutional democracy places important responsibilities on citizens to take an active role in the civil process |
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Social Studies Literacy Elements |
Historical Analysis and
Interpretation: Consider multiple perspectives. |
Process
Standard 2 |
Historical Issues: Analysis
and Decision-making Formulate
a position or course of action on an
issue. |
Process Standard
3 |
Communicate in Social Studies: Writing
and orally Communicate in written
and oral forms using appropriate standards. |
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Historical
Background Notes |
At the end of the French
and Indian War in 1763, Americans were
loyal to the British Crown. Yet, in
less than 15 years, loyal British subjects
transformed into patriotic American
revolutionaries, fighting for their
independence from Britain. Why? What
happened between 1763 and 1775 to make
colonists want to fight for independence?
Actually, America's fight for independence
grew out of a long tradition of de-facto
American independence. In other words,
long before the French and Indian
War, American colonies had already
grown quite independent from Britain.
By 1763, "certain fundamental American
beliefs had become clear. From Massachusetts
to Georgia, colonists aggressively
defended the powers of the provincial
assemblies. They drew on a rich legislative
history of their own. Over the course
of the century, the American assemblies
had steadily expanded their authority
over taxation and expenditure. Since
no one in Britain bothered to clip
their legislative wings, these provincial
bodies assumed a major role in policymaking
and routine administration. In other
words, by mid-century the assemblies
looked like American copies of Parliament"
(The American Story). Actually, colonial
independence served the cause of British
Empire well as the assemblies in the
various colonies took care of local
concerns. However, a growing controversy
over sovereignty created an ever-widening
rift between Britons and Americans.
Who was ultimately sovereign in governing
the colonies-was it Parliament or
the colonial assemblies? Before 1763
the sovereignty debate didn't really
matter for practical purposes. Again,
Parliament was all too happy to let
the assemblies govern themselves,
and minister to local matters. Moreover,
during the first half of the sixteenth
century, Parliament did not strictly
enforce revenue collections. After
1763, however, British Parliament
began to assert its sovereignty. Simply
put, the French and Indian War cost
big bucks, and Parliament proclaimed
its sovereignty in governing the colonies.
Essentially, Parliament asserted its
sovereign right to tax American colonists
in order to help pay a national debt
"so huge that more than half the annual
national budget went to pay the interest
on it" (The American Story). The British
passed a series of taxes and regulatory
acts aimed at raising revenue and
flexing parliamentary muscle. British
acts included the Sugar Act, the Stamp
Act, the Quartering Act, the Declaratory
Act, Townshend Acts, the Tea Act,
the Coercive or Intolerable Acts,
and the Prohibitory Act. Click on
Parliament Acts and Colonial Responses
for a summary of events leading up
to the American Revolution.
Of particular interest is Parliament's
Stamp Act, and ensuing colonial response.
On March 22, 1765, Parliament passed
the Stamp Act, aimed at generating
revenue from the colonies. The Stamp
Act stipulated that all official printed
documents must be recorded on "special
stamped paper" purchased from British
stamp distributors. Deeds to property,
marriage licenses, playing cards,
newspapers, all such documents must
be printed on stamped paper (The American
Story). Earlier, when Parliament enacted
the Sugar Act only wealthy colonists
were affected. The Stamp Act on the
other hand impacted most every facet
of colonial life, affecting all classes
of colonial Americans. All those years
prior to the French and Indian War
Americans had governed themselves
and taxed themselves without interference
from Parliament. Now things were changing,
and the colonists didn't like it.
In response, representatives from
nine of 13 colonies convened in New
York for the Stamp Act Congress, and
drafted resolutions to be shared with
the King and parliament. On return
from the Stamp Act Congress, the South
Carolina House of Commons met, and
approved resolutions stating South
Carolina's response to the Stamp Act.
At the heart of South Carolina's response
to the Stamp Act was an adamant commitment
to "no taxation without representation."
The idea that Parliament could enact
taxes without colonial Representation
was abhorrent to Americans.
The Stamp Act Congress was particularly
important for several reasons. Significantly,
the Stamp Act Congress demonstrated
growing colonial unity. The Stamp
Act Congress was also important in
its appeal to all Americans, not just
wealthy colonials. Perhaps most important,
the Stamp Act and the colonial response
agitated the sovereignty issue. If
Parliament was in fact sovereign to
rule the empire as it saw fit, then
it could tax American colonists with
or without direct representation.
The colonial response to the Stamp
Act emphasized the American view of
parliamentary sovereignty-namely,
Parliament was not sovereign to enact
colonial taxes without direct colonial
representation. For Americans, the
Stamp Act was unconstitutional because
Parliament taxed British subjects
who never had the opportunity to vote
on the matter. |
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Lesson
Plans |
Wake
Up King George! examines
the Stamp Act and other various acts
of British Parliament following the
French and Indian War, addressing the
acts and ensuing colonial responses.
Wake Up King George! comprises three
lessons, taking three class periods
(55 minutes each) to complete. Parliament
Acts examines the British Taxes, which
incited colonials. Colonial Response looks at South Carolina's response to
the Stamp Act, giving students the opportunity
to respond as well. Debate Over Sovereignty pits loyalists against revolutionaries
in a verbal throw-down, which addresses
parliamentary sovereignty. |
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Teacher
Reflections |
This
lesson went fairly well. The students
seemed to really get into it after
they got over feeling like it was
too hard. The summary sheet really
helped them make more concise points
and understand the main points of
the primary documents.
The thing that I would change about
this lesson is that I would try to
find actual letters that may have
been written to King George from South
Carolina colonists. I think that this
would give the students a deeper understanding
of what the colonists were thinking
and feeling, and it would also give
them an example of what to write or
how to approach the topic.
I would also try to find some accounts
of speeches given by members of Parliament
about the colonists’ actions,
even if I could not find actual speeches.
Again, I feel that this would give
the students an idea of where to start
from if they chose that topic, and
I think that it would give them a
better understanding of Britain's
point of view because most books and
other sources of information focus
on the wrong done to the colonists.
Overall, the lesson went well. |
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Student
Assessments |
Assessment
for Wake Up King George! is performance-based.
Teachers can rate student letters
and speeches and the class debate
according to a standards-based rubric.
Student performance can be rated as
Unacceptable, Needs Work, Good, or
Excellent. Teacher comments may include
rationale for marks and suggestions
for improvement.
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Credit |
Melissa
Simms
Greenville, South Carolina |
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