This document outlines a lesson plan for teaching fourth grade students about events leading up to the American Revolution. The lesson plan will utilize various methods including cooperative group projects, visual aids, digital stories, student blogs, and podcasts. Students will work in groups to research colonial taxes and create podcasts describing the taxes from the perspectives of both colonists and England. They will then present their podcasts to the class and write a journal entry explaining why colonists would want independence or remain loyal to England. The teacher will evaluate students by checking their group work and presentations, as well as reading their journal entries.

1. Katie Napier
CI 350
Harold Blanco
17 October 2013
Day Two: Events Leading to the American Revolution
I.
Analyze Learners: There are twenty-two students in my fourth grade class (three of
whom are African American). Overall, thirteen of my students are girls, and the
other nine are boys. In addition, all of my students are between the ages of eight
and nine. In order to accommodate for the learning styles of each of my students, I
will incorporate a variety of teaching methods (such as: cooperative group projects,
visual aids, songs, role play, etc.).
II.
State Objectives: My fourth grade students will list and describe events that
contributed to the rise of the American Revolution and will contrast England’s
perspective with the viewpoint of the coloniststhrough the utilization of digital
stories, articles, visual aids,student blogs (journaling), research, and podcasts by the
end of the day with 95% accuracy.
III.
Selecting Methods, Material, and Media:Due to the fact that my class features a
variety of learning styles, I will utilize the following methods, media, and materials
throughout this lesson:
Smart Board:I will utilize the smartboard throughout this lesson to display
videos, images, and other visual aids.
Computer Lab: The students will be utilizing computers to research a
particular tax.
Colonial Newspaper Articles: In order to describe colonial behavior and
compare England’s viewpoint with the perspective of the colonists, I will be

2. utilizing a primary source document that describes the colonists’ reaction to
a particular tax.
Visual Aids: I will utilize the poster that I created in order to describe the Tea
Act and colonial resistance (Boston Tea Party).
Class Blog: Throughout this unit, the children will compose a series of brief
journal entries on the class blog which they will write from the perspective of
a colonist.
Digital Stories: In order to introduce the topic that we will be discussing, I will
begin by displaying the digital story that I have prepared. This will ultimately
function to provide the students with essential background information.
Podcasts: The students will work in cooperative learning groups to create a
podcast that describes their assigned colonial tax.
Audacity: The students will utilize audacity to create their podcasts on the
class iPads
IV.
Utilizing Methods and Materials:Before class, I will preview all materials and
websites to verify that they are age and grade appropriate. In addition, I will make
sure that all electronic devices are working properly (such as the class computer and
smart board). Also, I will keep the desks arranged in pods which will allow the
students to work in cooperative learning groups, and I will place all iPads in a bin
that will be easily accessible to each group. Finally, I will reserve the computer lab so
that the students can easily research their group topics.

3. V.
Requiring Learner Participation: To introduce the lesson, I will display the digital
story that I created. This video introduces some of the key legislation that caused an
increase in tension throughout the colonies (such as the Stamp Act, Quartering Act,
Tea Act, etc.). Upon watching this digital story and discussing the various acts that
functioned to anger the colonists, the class will then have the opportunity to read a
colonial newspaper article which describes colonial protest against “British
oppression.”
Once the class has thoroughly discussed the events described in the article, I will
then ask the students if they believe the colonists should have protested in this
manner. (Could the colonists have voiced their displeasure in another way? What
was England’s perspective?) At this point, I will display the poster that I created
which describes the Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party so that the students can
visualize this information as we discuss colonial behavior. Finally, I will divide the
students into groups of three, and I will assign each group a specific piece of
legislation implemented by England prior to the American Revolution. The students
will then be informed that their groups will create apodcast that effectively answers
the following questions regarding their assigned topic: When was this law
implemented? What were the effects of this law? How did the colonists respond?
What was England’s perspective? At this point, I will inform the students that we will
be relocating to the school computer lab so that they can research their assigned
taxes. Once the students have gathered adequate information, I will inform the
students to begin working on their group podcasts. Once these projects have been

4. completed, I will allow the groups to present their findings to the class. For the
remainder of the class period, I will instruct the children to begin writing in their
colonial journals (on our class blog). In this journal entry, the students will write a
paragraph that explains why they (as colonists) would either desire independence or
wish to remain loyal to England. This paragraph will contain a minimum of three
well-founded reasons for their decisions (based on facts discussed in class).
VI.
Evaluate and Revise:In order to assess learner comprehension and achievement, I
will:
Circulate around the room to check that all students are actively involved in
their cooperative learning groups and engage students in class discussion.
Check that all podcasts contain the information required (including a
minimum of 4-5 facts regarding each group’s assigned law).
Require that all students within a group actively participate during group
presentations.
Check that all journal entries/blogs describe why the children believe
America should either remain loyal to England or fight for independence.