Before Activity
1.) Begin the lesson by reading the following quote to the students from Dr. Joseph Warren:
Charles Hobby, a Boston laborer- "Between the hours of nine and ten o’clock, being in my master’s house, was alarmed with the cry of fire, I ran down as far as the town-house, and then heard that the soldiers and the inhabitants were fighting in the alley… I then left them and went to King Street. I then saw a party of soldiers loading their muskets about the Custom-house door, after which they all shouldered. I heard some of the inhabitants cry out, 'heave no snowballs,' others cried 'they dare not fire.'"
After you have read the quote, tell the students to do think-pair-share to discuss why the colonies wanted independence from Britain. What did the British government do that angered the colonists? How will snowballs be used in the Boston Massacre? Do you think many people will die during the massacre?
Transition
Now that we have learned about the French and Indian War, the Stamp Act, and the Intolerable Acts, today we are going to talk about the Boston Massacre in the 1770s. All of these events led to the American Revolution.
2.) The teacher will review a timeline of the events with the students that led to the Boston Massacre using a slideshow presentation.
Optional: The PowerPoint presentation can include the following vocabulary words:
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Colony- a distant territory belonging to or under the control of a nation.
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Freedom- ability to move or act freely; political independence.
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Liberty- the condition of those who are free and independent from government control.
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Monarchy- a state ruled by one person, such as a king, or headed by a monarch.
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Representative- a person is chosen by popular vote to represent.
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Tax- to require a person, a group, and a business to pay money on an item to support the government.
This website has the timeline of the Boston Massacre: http://www.john-adams-heritage.com/category/boston-massacre/
3.) The teacher will provide quotes from witnesses of the Boston Massacre. Also, the teacher will provide information to the students about King George III and how he helped contribute to the Boston Massacre.
To find the quotes and information about King George III, use these two websites:
http://alphahistory.com/americanrevolution/eyewitness-accounts-boston-massacre-1770/
http://www.bostonmassacre.net/academic/essay4.htm
During Activity
4.) After the discussion on the Boston Massacre, the lesson will continue by using a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the terms "Liberty" versus "Monarchy" with the students. The teacher should complete the Venn Diagram together with the students.
A sample of a completed Venn Diagram can be found here.
5.) As soon as the Venn Diagram modeled by the teacher is completed, the students will be expected to complete a Venn Diagram on their own. The students will complete a Venn Diagram on the Boston Massacre. The students will compare and contrast the two sides of the American colonists in the 1770’s, “Colonists Should Fight the British for Independence” versus “Colonists Should Not Fight the British for Independence.” The teacher will model this comparison by completing a Venn Diagram on the differences between “Liberty” versus “Monarchy.”
After Activity
6.) At the end of the lesson, the students will create a web video using the technology tool, WeVideo. The students will have the choice to choose one event that led to the American Revolution (such as the French and Indian War, the Stamp Act, the Intolerable Acts, and the Boston Tea Party). The video should include pictures and facts and be about 2-3 minutes each. The students will each create an account on WeVideo. The students will publish their video on their account.
Students can use these search engines to find pictures and facts:
