United States History

8th Grade Unit Plan

Nicoli Domico
Spring 2020
Teacher Name: Nicoli Domico Date: January14, 2020
Grade Level: 8th Grade. Class Title/Period: Social Studies
Time Frame: 5-7 Days.
Topic(s) of Lesson: The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence.
CCSS Complete Academic Standards
8.1: Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their
significance to the development of American constitutional democracy.
1. Describe the relationship between the moral and political ideas of the Great Awakening and the
development of revolutionary fervor.
2. Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an
emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as “all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”).
3. Analyze how the American Revolution affected other nations, especially France.
4. Describe the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English
parliamentary traditions.

Essential Questions:
1. What where the primary causes of the American Revolution?
2. What where the philosophical and political messages of the Declaration of Independence, as well
as our Founding Fathers?
3. Did the American Revolution have global implications?
4. What are the original thirteen states that formed our initial union, as well as their geographical,
cultural and economic significance?
Major Emphasis Aligned to the CCSS
Learning Targets or Objectives:
1. Examine the primary causes of the American Revolution.
2. Articulate the philosophical and political tenets of our nations founding documents, as well as the
beliefs of the men who created them.
3. Compare and contrast the economic, cultural and geographical characteristics of the original
thirteen states that formed our union.
4. Map key geographic, economic and historical aspects of the United States.
Key Vocabulary:
Compare/Contrast Bicameral Articles of Confederation Congregation
Delegate Congress Manifest Destiny Negotiate
Taxation House of Representatives Industrial Bill of Rights
Representation Senate Agricultural Constitution
Congress Veto Compromise Amendment
Assessments to be Administered:
- Daily Exit Tickets - Socratic Seminars - Project Based Assessment: Map Creation.
Essential Skills to be Developed:
1. Students will be able to explain the various events that took place leading the colonist to rebel
against England.
2. Students will be able to articulate the political and philosophical tenets that our nation was
founded upon, as well as articulate their own points of view in writing and academic discourse.
3. Students will learn how to create a map of the initial states that form our union, which will
include key economic, geographic and historical details.
Academic Learning Goals:
1. Explain the causes of the American Revolution.
2. Engage students in academic discourse in regards to the philosophical and political beliefs of the
Founding Fathers.
3. Explore the geographical, economic and historical aspects of the initial states that formed our
union.
4. Evaluate the outcomes of the American Revolution, and the events overall effects on other
countries.
Lesson Plan Summaries
Day 1:

Before: Compile a list of the various causes of revolutions that have occurred around the world, then
organize this information to be presented via a power point. Every Power Point presentation will have a
map of the original thirteen states of the United States for students to observe, there will be several similar
maps displayed throughout the room as well. In order to assess my students background knowledge of the
American Revolution, students will have to work together to try and distinguish the causes of the
American Revolution, from that of the various other causes of revolutions throughout human history.
During: We will begin with a brief opening lecture on our overall goal for the unit, which is to explore
the causes of the American Revolution, as well as evaluate important geographic, economic and cultural
aspects of the original states that formed our union. We will then begin our primary activity for the day, in
which students will be put into small groups of 3-4 and have to choose the causes of the American
Revolution from a general list of the various causes of revolutions throughout history. Each group will
then have to choose a representative, and that delegate will then have to walk up to the board and circle
one event or circumstance that caused the American Revolution. Each group will have to circle one
causes until all the causes of the revolution have been identified on the board. We will then have students
practice their literacy skills and create an exit ticket responding to the following prompt: What where the
causes of the American Revolution? With the knowledge you currently have, which cause of the
American Revolution do you think was the primary cause of the conflict? Why?
After: Students will be given a physical copy of The Declaration of Independence to be read for
homework. Students will have to read and annotate this document tomorrow during class as well.

Day 2:

Before: Organize basic information on each of the Founding Fathers, which will include an image and
brief biography of each individual to be presented via Power Point. Every Power Point presentation will
have a map of the original thirteen states of the United States for students to observe, there will be several
similar maps displayed throughout the room as well. I will also have to print up extra copies of the
Declaration of Independence to have on hand for students who were absent, or are in need of the
document.
During: We will begin class with a brief review of the causes of the American Revolution. We will then
move on to a brief presentation of the leaders of this revolution, the Founding Fathers. Students will need
to explore the fact that it was the beliefs and philosophies of the Founding Fathers that would have a
profound effect on the American Revolution, as well as all the foundational documents of the United
States. Students will then have to read an annotate The Declaration of Independence by themselves. We
will then come together as a class and read and annotate the document together. The overall goal is to
have students gain a brief understanding of the Founding Fathers, as well as read the document they
created multiple times to ensure understand of the documents basic tenants. Todays exit ticket will be in
the form of academic discourse within a Socratic Seminar. Students will be asked to highlight key quotes
from the Declaration of Independence, and articulate why that quote resonated with them.
After: For homework, each student will be given a blank map of the original thirteen states, and students
will have to identify the states, as well as which state or country each Founding Father was from utilizing
their textbooks and/or personal research.

Day 3:

Before: Organize geographic, cultural and economic information on the original thirteen states to be
presented to the class via Power Point. As stated before, each presentation will typically start with an
analysis of a map of the United States in 1776.
During: We will begin this class with a lecture utilizing our student’s books, and physical maps of the
United States in 1776. The overall goal of todays lesson is to compare and contrast the geographic,
cultural and economic characteristics of the northern, middle and southern states of the initial states that
formed our union. Students will expand their overall understanding of how different each state was from
one another, and the fact that each one of these states had different interests, thus they will have a better
understanding of the political discourse and compromise necessary to form the United States in the first
place. Students will also expand their knowledge of the wide spread mistrust of a strong federal
government, thus early Americans were far more in favor of state and local governments. We will then
put students into three large groups, each group will have to research a particular region, either New
England, the middle states, or the South. Students will then have to research the economies, geography
and culture of those regions citing examples from the text. Each group will then pick two delegates to
present their group’s findings to the class.
After: Homework will be the exit ticket of the day if we do not have enough time to complete the exit
ticket in class. Students will respond to this prompt: Why was there a wide spread mistrust of a strong
federal government within all regions of the newly formed United States? Use at least one quote from
your text book.

Day 4:

Before: We will begin class with a brief instructional lecture on mapping. Various maps of the United
States in 1776 will be displayed throughout the room. As a class, we will visit each and every one of these
maps and observe the details that they portray. Some of these maps will focus on geographic detail, while
others will be more focused on cities, revolutionary battles and the economies of particular areas. The
overall goal is to get students to observe multiple examples in regards to what their map can resemble. I
will then model what is expected of the students using the same map temples our students will be using,
being sure to check for understanding while modeling the project. After checking for understanding, the
students will be free to get with their groups and get started. I will already have the students grouped prior
to class based on ability level.
During: The main portion of class time will be dedicated to student interaction, engagement and
cooperation as they work together to achieve the overall objective. The project’s instructions will always
be displayed on the board, and various maps of the United States in 1776 will be displayed throughout the
classroom. The main role of the teacher is to be the facilitator. The goal is to facilitate student
understanding, discourse and cooperation, as well as make sure that they are on the right track for success.
The project itself allows for a considerable amount of student agency, thus students can somewhat take
charge of their projects and effectively teach themselves, as well as each other as they work together to
personalize their maps with a wide range of geographic, historic and economic information.
After: Students will need more then one day to complete this project, so towards the end of class, each
group will have to temporarily turn their maps into the teacher. During this process, a sort of debriefing
will occur between each group and their teacher. Students will need to articulate to the teacher what
progress they have made in regards to research and mapping. The teacher will then provide feedback, and
the next 2-3 class sessions will be dedicated to the student’s completion of their project based assessment.