Title: Where in the World is... Abigail Adams?

Goal: To learn about the events and people that made up the American Revolution in New England, and to know where those events were located.

Grade level: This lesson is designed for the eighth grade.

Time: Introduction: 10 minutes
Presentations: 90 minutes
Total class time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Standards: History:
Thinking: 2G, 2F, 3A, 3B, 4B; Era 3: 1A, 1C, 2C
Geography:
(Grades 5-8) 1C, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3C, 13B, 17C, 17D

Objectives: The students will research the different events and people of the Revolution in New England and present their research to the class.
The students will locate and label the various events and people on a blank map of New England to 100% accuracy.

Procedure:
1. At the end of a class period, the teacher should walk around the room and give each student a different event and person (see attached cards) from the American Revolution in New England. Each student should receive one event and one person. The teacher should also pass out a blank map of New England to each student at this time.
2. The teacher should announce that the students should research the people and events, and present the information they find at a time specified by the teacher. (The date for the presentations is at the teacher's discretion; however, it is recommended that two days be given. Research should be done as homework). Information on all of the people and events can be found in books, encyclopedias, and on the Internet.
3. The students should be told not to mark on the notecards or the maps they have been given. However, they should specifically be told that they will need to know where in New England the event took place, or person lived. The students should be told that they need to have blue and red pens at their disposal on the day the reports are given.
4. The research need not be too extensive. For people, the students should find out where they lived, when they were born and died, and what the people did to contribute to the Revolution. For events, the students should find out when the events took place, where, and the basics of what happened. The reports should each be 3-5 minutes long.
5. On the day of the reports, the teacher should have a large blank map of New England posted somewhere in the room for the students to label. There should also be tape available.
6. The students need to have their blank maps of New England and their notecards available.
7. The teacher should have a list of the different events and people, and go down the list. The student should go to the front of the class and report on the person or event. When the student is completed, he/she should put tape on the back of his/her notecard and stick it to the blank map of New England at the exact location the event took place or the person lived.
8. When the student has placed his/her notecard correctly, the students should label their own individual maps with that person/location. Red pens should be used for British victories or people, blue pens should be used for American (or French) victories or people.
9. The students should also take notes on the different people and events so that they know the information on each of them.
10. If there is any information about the people or events that the students did not report that the teacher feels is important, the teacher should mention that information.

Assessment: The students should be assessed on their reports to the class, and if they knew where the event/person should be located on the map. Additionally, the students should be assessed on their participation; i.e., they marked their own maps during the presentations.

Extensions: Student may want to mention some of these events and people in the diaries they are writing with the "Dear Diary" lesson.

If feasible, a field trip to some of the various sites would be highly recommended. Some of the different locations with visitors' centers include Concord & Lexington, Boston, Portsmouth, Bennington, and Newport.

1. Boston Massacre, 1770
2. Boston Tea Party, 1773
3. Burning of the Gaspee, 1774
4. Battle of Fort William and Mary, 1774
5. Paul Revere, William Dawes' Rides, 1775
6. Capture of the Margaretta, 1775
7. Battle of Lexington, 1775
8. Battle of Concord, 1775
9. Burning of Falmouth (Portland), 1775
10. Arnold's Trek through Maine, 1775
11. Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775
12. Fort Ticonderoga (1775, 1777)
13. Knox's Artillery Train and Dorchester Heights, 1775-1776
14. Occupation/Battle of Newport, 1776-1778
15. Battle of Valcour Island, 1776
16. Penobscot Expedition, 1779
17. Battle of Hubbardton, 1777
18. Battle of Bennington, 1777
19. Battle of Saratoga, 1777
20. Burning of New London, 1781

21. Paul Revere
22. John Hancock
23. Samuel Adams
24. John Adams
25. Abigail Adams
26. Esek Hopkins
27. John Paul Jones
28. Benedict Arnold
29. Nathan Hale
30. John Stark
31. Sybil Ludington
32. Ethan Allen
33. John Sullivan
34. Thomas Gage
35. William Howe
36. John Burgoyne
37. Deborah Samson
38. Molly Stark
39. Thomas Hutchinson
40. Roger Sherman

Back to Portfolio Main Page