American Revolution: A 5 th Grade Literacy Focus Unit By: Kristi Brown FEATURED SELECTION: My name is America: The journal of William Thomas Emerson by Barry Denenberg. Scholastic Inc, 1998. Reading Level: 5 th grade William is a 12 year old orphan boy who has found work with tavern proprietor. William is befriended by this proprietor, Mr. Wilson, who secretly works with a group of rebels against the British. This book includes journal entries written by William in an effort to describe the practical and moral difficulties that citizens of that city encountered on the eve of the Revolution. The journals include writings of food shortages, patriots, traitors, and deserters, the daily life, public punishment, and medical treatments. This book introduces everyday life in a troubling time from a first person point of view. Although the book is mostly journals, the book summarizes the lives of the characters introduced, the historical reproductions, and a brief account of events that followed in the year of the journal. RELATED MATERIALS: * April morning by Howard Fast. Bantam, 1983 The book tells a story of a teenage boy and his involvement in one of the battles. Particularly, this book shows the emotions throughout the war with family, friends, and loved ones. * Betsy Zane, the rose of For Henry by Lynda Durrant. Clarion Books, 2000 Reading Level: 5 th grade (ages 9-12) A trying time during the war, Betsy, an 18 th century girl, uses brave actions to save a fort during the final battle. This story shows the actions of a young girl wanting to move back to her home but then finds that everything is different.
* Drums by James Boyd. Atheneum, 1995. Providing another look into the American Revolution, this novel provides a viewpoint from a North Carolina Tory gentleman s adolescent son. The novel s outlook draws into colonial unrest and the emotional battle fought throughout the Revolution. * The fighting ground by Avi. HarperCollins, 1994. This compelling story is of a young boy s first encounter with the war. This book especially tells the story through a young boy s eyes about the glamour of the Revolutionary War with the battling, capturing, and the desire to get back home. * Toliver s Secret by Esther Brady. Yearling, 1993 Reading Level: 5 th grade (ages 9-12) A fine historical novel introduces a 10 year old girl who needs to deliver a message to help the Patriots. This book is a great tool for multiple perspectives because it shows the willingness of a young, courageous girl to help the Patriots. GOALS: Students will gain an understanding of the American Revolution and how it evolved. Students will analyze the causes of the American Revolution. Students will identify characters and identify the emotions during the war. Students will be able to use sequencing to make a timeline of the events. SKILLS: Students will be able to connect the reading material to the Revolutionary War. Students will develop a strong sense of word recognition, along with vocabulary and concept development. Students will know how to reflect by writing cause and effect entries. Students will develop the knowledge of event sequencing and using timelines. INDIANA ACADEMIC STANDARDS: Social Studies/ History 5.1.9. The American Revolution: 1763 to 1783. Analyze the causes of the American Revolution as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. 5.1.10 The American Revolution: 1763 to 1783. Identify major British and American leaders and describe their roles in key events of the war for independence. English/Language Arts: 5.1.1. Decoding and Word Recognition.
5.1.2. Vocabulary and Concept Development 5.5.3. Research Application: Organizes information by categorizing and sequencing. 5.5.7. Write summaries that contain the main ideas of the reading selection and the most signicant details. UNIT PLAN: Pre-reading Activity: Teacher will show pictures from the American Revolution which are shown in the link below. http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=american+revolution+war+pictures&um=1&ie =UTF- 8&ei=7R35SZKoKpKktwfvh6WwDw&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title Activity: Teacher will introduce key words of the American Revolution and discuss conflicts between the British and the colonist that led up to the war. The pictures will be shown to the whole class along with a grand discussion about the conflicts that led up to the war. o Grouping: Whole o Monitor: The teacher will observe to make sure the students are focused and paying attention to the pictures and listening to the key words being introduced. o Assessment: Students will be assessed based on if they share any information during the discussion about prior knowledge of the American Revolution. Reading Activity: Teacher will read aloud and then have the students read on their own a certain amount of pages. They will continue to read assigned pages and stopping periodically to examine the finer points. Activity: Throughout the reading, students will character map: they will note the emotions of the characters, and how the war played a factor in their daily life. o Grouping: Individual and small groups o Monitor: The teacher will observe the student as they read, answering any questions that might arise when they character map. o Assessment: Students will be assessed based on participation (if they follow along and read independently). Also, the students will be assessed on their character - (do they follow along the book and point out vivid and key elements). Responding Activity: Students will write a journal in their reading logs reflecting on two important events that happen and at least 3 reflecting on their thoughts and ideas. They would also write cause and effect entries reflecting on their events they chose (why event was important, what caused it, and what the result of it was). Activity: As students reflect on the important events in the book- they will write at two-voice poem by choosing two of the main characters and having a conversation amongst themselves in a poem format. o Grouping: Individual o Monitor: The teacher will observe the student as they write, seeing that they write about the main events and reflect with thoughts and ideas.
o Assessment: Students will be assessed based on writing and reflecting about two important events that happen in the book. They will also write 3 reflecting journals. The poem that they write will be assessed based on if they picked two characters and used the poetry formatting. Exploring Activity: Students will work on a story board by sequencing the events that take place in the book. Activity: Students will collect descriptive words from the text or internet that are related to the American Revolution and create a revolting alphabet. (The students will write one descriptive word for each letter, therefore, creating an American Revolution alphabet). o Grouping: Small groups o Monitor: The teacher will observe the students sequencing the events answering any questions about the events and orders. o Assessment will be based on if the students sequenced the events in order and found a descriptive word about the war for each letter of the alphabet. Applying Activity: Students will be in small groups to design/write a newspaper- replicating a newspaper in the revolutionary war time period. Each group will prepare a layout of the articles, illustrations, advertisements, etc Activity: Working individually, students will choose 10 events that led up, followed, or were during the Revolutionary War. The students will sequence these events on a timeline and write a small description about the event. o Grouping: Small groups o Monitoring: The teacher will walk around to each group periodically checking on if they are staying on task and completing all 5 sections. o Assessment: Students will be assessed based on group work. (Do the students work cooperatively with one another- putting in equal time in the project). Assessment includes a complete newspaper including 5 sections. Students will be assessed based on individual work which includes choosing all 10 events, putting them in sequential order and writing a description about the event. TIME SCHEDULE: Day 1 - introduction of key words of American Revolution - show pictures of American Revolution Day 2 -Pages 1-30 Day 3 -Pages 31-61 Day 4 -Poems Day 5 -Pages 62-92 Day 6 -Pages 93-123 Day 7 -Finishing Poems Day 8 -Pages 124-end Day 9 -Story Board Day 10 -Story Board continued -Collecting descriptive words for revolting alphabet
Day 11 -Group projects Day 12 -Group Projects Day 13 -Finishing up group projects/ starting on individual project Day 14 -Individual project Day 15 -Work dayfinishing up any reflection journals, poems, projects, story board, etc. ASSIGNMENT CHECKLIST: My Name is America- Literacy Focus Unit Name: Read My Name is America: The of William Thomas Emerson Character map Reflection # 1 Poems Reflection # 2 Story Board Reflection # 3 Revolting Alphabet Group Project (5 sections of newspaper) Individual Project (10 events: before, during, after Revolutionary War) Ideas for Focus Unit taken from: http://www.proteacher.org/c/417_american_revolution.html http://www.geocities.com/enchantedforest/tower/1217/teacher.html#d