THIS WEEK'S LESSON ACTIVITIES

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1 THIS WEEK'S LESSON ACTIVITIES INSTRUCTOR DATE CLASS LEVEL ABE Level E Topic: The 1765 Stamp Act Guiding Question: Were the colonists actions toward Britain justified? Lesson Objectives: The students will: 1) Develop and write an informative essay based on more than one text. 2) Compare and contrast multiple documents. 3) Site specific textual evidence to support a claim. CCR Standards Aligned to this Lesson: W/WHST W/WHST W/WHST RST RST Reading: The instructor reads A Summary of the 1965 Stamp Act (above) aloud to the class. Students then read the text with a partner, alternating paragraphs. Students read paragraph 1 independently. Students read with a pencil (model this if you haven t used the strategy before): underline any unfamiliar words or phrases, circle any powerful words or phrases, jot summary notes in the margins (no complete sentences). Ask students to think-pair-share to assess what they have gleaned from the text. Model a think-aloud, if necessary. Lead a class discussion using the text-dependent questions below. Allow time for students to think-pair-share and sufficient wait-time when posing questions to the entire class. Distribute or post Accountable Language Stems (directly below) and encourage students to use the stems to guide their discussion/comments. Encourage and guide students to use context clues to define any unfamiliar words. Follow the same strategies for the second and third paragraphs. For summarization practice, students transfer their most important paragraph notes related to the entire text using the Cornell Notes graphic organizer. If students are unfamiliar with the Cornell Notes strategy, ask groups of 3-4 students to share their completed Cornell Notes. Have each group select the 1

2 best from the group and present it to the class. Based on the student examples, lead a brief discussion on the components of good note-taking. Using the Quote It! Graphic organizer, students select three quotes to support the guiding question, Why were colonists upset about the Stamp Act? Students locate and cite three quotes from the text. Below the quotations, students summarize or infer the meaning in their own words. Distribute Stamp Act visuals (below) or display on the overhead. How do these images inform the Summary of the Stamp Act text? What does each image portray? Who may have created the images? For what purpose? What mood are the artists creating? AdaptedfromInstituteforLearning,2003 Accountable+Language+Stems+ Agreement+ Iagreewith because. Ilikewhat saidbecause. Iagreewith ;butontheotherhand,. Disagreement+ Idisagreewith because. I mnotsureiagreewithwhat saidbecause. Icanseethat ;however,idisagreewith(orcan tsee). Clarifications+ Couldyoupleaserepeatthatforme? Paraphrasewhatyouheardandask, Couldyouexplainabitmore,please? I mnotsureiunderstoodyouwhenyousaid.couldyousaymoreaboutthat? What syourevidence? Howdoesthatsupportourwork/missionat? Confirmation+ Ithink. Ibelieve. Confusion+ 2

3 Idon tunderstand. Iamconfusedabout. Extension+ Iwasthinkingaboutwhat said,andiwaswonderingwhatif. Thismakesmethink. Iwanttoknowmoreabout. NowIamwondering. Canyoutellmemoreabout? Review+ Iwanttogobacktowhat said. + **When asking text-based questions, ask students to cite the line (or point to the text) where they find the evidence.** Text-Based Questions Possible Answers Paragraph 1 What are the key ideas in this text? British taxation Who passed the Stamp Act? British Parliament Who was being taxed? The American colonists What items were taxed? Ship s papers, legal documents etc. (line 2-3) What key details help support the need for the British to The British needed $ to help pay for defending and collect taxes from the colonists? protecting the American frontier (line 5), paying for 10,000 troops (line 5) Why do you think it was called the Stamp Act? (not in paragraph 1, but have students infer). Students may suggest it had something to do with paper goods. They may even suggest some type of stamp on the paper. (It was called the Stamp Act because the colonies were supposed to buy paper from Britain that had an official stamp on it that showed they had paid the tax.) What is the main idea of this paragraph? The British imposed a tax on the colonists to pay for protecting them. 3

4 What does imposed mean? Do words impose and require suggest that the colonists had a choice in the matter? Why? How might the colonists react to the imposed taxes? What kind of text is this? Paragraph 2 If the cost of the act was small, why were the colonists so offended? What was the standard it seemed to set (line 8)? How did this tax differ from taxation in the past? What does the term regulate mean? And how could a tax regulate commerce? (line 9) Why do you think England passed the Stamp Act without colonial approval? The colonists reasoned that, with the passing of the Act, the door would be open for more troublesome taxation in the future. What does this mean? How does the Stamp Act open the door? to lay on or set as something to be borne, endured, obeyed, fulfilled, paid, etc (dictionary.com) Impose and require sound like someone is telling the colonists what to do. Upset. Rebellious. Informative. Wiki-like. The standard it set (line 8). (line 9-10) a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. Taxes were used to regulate commerce, not raise money. to control or direct by a rule, principle, method, etc.: to regulate household expenses. to adjust to some standard or requirement, as amount, degree, etc.: to regulate the temperature. to adjust so as to ensure accuracy of operation: to regulate a watch. to put in good order: to regulate the digestion. (dictionary.com) Regulate commerce refers to government restrictions on commerce, such as trade bans, price regulation, and prohibitory tariffs. Many answers will be appropriate here. The British may have feared that the colonists wouldn t pass the Stamp Act because they will be taxed to raise money for British troops. Increased taxes for anything the British deemed taxable. If the colonists don t resist the first tax act, they may not be able to resist future ones. They need to set a precedent with the first. 4

5 How do you think the colonists are going to react? Is there something in the text that suggests how they will react? Paragraph 3 How did the majority of colonists feel after the Stamp Act? Why did the author choose the term grumble? (line 12) The word Burgess means an elected or appointed official of a municipality, or the representative of a borough in the English House of Commons. The House of Burgess was the first legislative assembly of elected representatives in North America. Why did the colonists feel more hopeful after the Virginia House of Burgesses adopted Patrick Henry s Stamp Act Resolves? What were Patrick Henry s Stamp Act Resolves? and how did they change the course of the Stamp Act? Who could be considered an enemy of the colony? (line 16) What was the problem and the solution in this text? What might have happened if the colonists didn t resist the Stamp Act? How did the author organize the ideas in the entire text? What is the author s point of view? What in the text makes you say that? They are going to be upset and do something about it. The word, if the law were to pass without resistance. The word if suggests that the might resist. Helpless. They grumbled. Grumble: to murmur or mutter in discontent; complain sullenly. The term implies passivity. The colonists complained under their breath because they felt they couldn t do anything. The author would have chosen a different term if the colonists were more aggressive about their disposition. The House of Burgess represented the people ; they were the voice of the colonists. If the House adopted the Resolves, the people felt they could also demonstrate resistance to the Stamp Act. (line 13-14) Declared that Americans had the same rights as the English. The could only be taxed by their own representatives (those in Virginia). The resolves set in motion America s independence from Britain. (line 15) anyone supporting the right of Parliament to tax Virginians. The British wanted to tax the colonists, the colonists resisted by passing the Stamp Act Resolves. The British may have imposed additional taxes and the colonists set a precedence of acceptance. Introduced the Stamp Act, the reasons for the Act, the colonists reasons for rejecting the act, and the resolution. Neutral in terms of reporting the facts. The author is probably American because he/she may have added more 5

6 If the British were writing this text, what might they have written? Explain the cause and effect relationships in the text. What facts would you select to support the colonists actions? from the British perspective. Many answer options. Perhaps they may have written that the colonists paid a small percentage that the British paid in taxes and that the colonists, still under British rule, should pay more for their services. The British may even suggest that the colonists wanted support and protection without paying for it maybe they were petulant children rebelling against their parents. British acted without colonial input/support, the colonists rebelled, and the Act was repealed. How I will scaffold my lessons to reach all of my students' levels: Vary the reading tasks from read-aloud, pair reading and independent reading. Distributing a list of text-based questions to the class. Allowing sufficient wait-time after a question is asked. Providing Accountable Talk stems. More Accountable Talk information and stems found here: Providing the Cornell Notes graphic organizer for note-taking. Instructions for use: Support students with a think-aloud; model your thought process as you read the text or answer a text-dependent question. Provide Quote It! graphic organizer. Including multiple texts including graphics/visuals. How I will assess my students' mastery of the lessons: Listen for use of Accountable Talk components. Assess student comprehension during pair work and group textdependent question discussions. Check for comprehension on multiple graphic organizers. Evaluate student informative essay, looking for textual evidence and synthesis from multiple text sources. My reflections of the lessons (what worked, what didn't, what I might change for next time): 6

7 Resources: Accountable Language Stems. Institute for Learning, dlanguagestems.pdf A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Linder, Roz.Quote It! In the Classroom with Roz Linder, September 21, Multi-Day Plan Day 1: See Reading section above. Day 2: Introduce additional supporting documents. Discuss the Virginia Timeline (located below). Include text-dependent questions to check for understanding. Questions can include: Why do the Americans and British introduce so many Acts in this time period? How do the events lead up to the Declaration of Independence? What is the major theme of the timeline? How do the chronological events build on each other? If the class is advanced, discuss Letter from Thomas Cushing to Roger Sherman, 21 January 1772 (below). Sample questions from the above website: What seems to be the primary purpose of Cushing s letter to Roger Sherman? In what group or body does Cushing rest his hopes for colonial union? How does he believe this group can act to revive the union of the Colonies? Why would Bostonians choose to initiate a public lecture series on 5 March? What event took place on that date? Who is Thomas Cushing? What is his role in Massachusetts politics in 1772? Cushing refers to Duty Articles that colonists are to refrain from using. What specific items is he talking about? Introduce additional documents that present alternative perspectives found at: %20Plan.pdf Ask additional text-dependent questions. How do these selections connect to the theme of American independence? Identify similarities and differences between the texts. Compare perspectives between the texts. What mood does the author create in the different texts? Day 3: Introduce the final document: Massachusetts Circular Letter to the Colonial Legislatures; February 11, 1768 Circular letter Continue with text dependent questioning asking students to locate the evidence. Distribute a rubric with the essay assignment (suggest using the GED ELA extended response rubric). Students create an outline for their text-based informative essay, Were the colonists actions toward Britain justified? 7

8 Day 4-6: Students continue working on the essay (and writing process). Provide feedback on rough drafts. Include peer reviewed editing A Summary of the 1765 Stamp Act The Stamp Act was passed by the British Parliament on March 22, The new tax was imposed on all American colonists and required them to pay a tax on every piece of printed paper they used. Ship's papers, legal documents, licenses, newspapers, other publications, and even playing cards were taxed. The money collected by the Stamp Act was to be used to help pay the costs of defending and protecting the American frontier near the Appalachian Mountains (10,000 troops were to be stationed on the American frontier for this purpose). The actual cost of the Stamp Act was relatively small. What made the law so offensive to the colonists was not so much its immediate cost but the standard it seemed to set. In the past, taxes and duties on colonial trade had always been viewed as measures to regulate commerce, not to raise money. The Stamp Act, however, was viewed as a direct attempt by England to raise money in the colonies without the approval of the colonial legislatures. If this new tax were allowed to pass without resistance, the colonists reasoned, the door would be open for far more troublesome taxation in the future. Few colonists believed that they could do anything more than grumble and buy the stamps until the Virginia House of Burgesses adopted Patrick Henry's Stamp Act Resolves. These resolves declared that Americans possessed the same rights as the English, especially the right to be taxed only by their own representatives; that Virginians should pay no taxes except those voted by the Virginia House of Burgesses; and that anyone supporting the right of Parliament to tax Virginians should be considered an enemy of the colony. The House of Burgesses defeated the most extreme of Henry's resolutions, but four of the resolutions were adopted. Virginia Governor Fauquier did not approve of the resolutions, and he dissolved the House of Burgesses in response to their passage. 8

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10 Virginia Time Line, King George II of England dies. He is succeeded by his grandson George III. The Treaty of Paris ends the French and Indian War between Great Britain and France. Great Britain is not engaged in war with any country for the first time in more than fifty years. Parliament turns its attention to regulating the empire, especially its colonies in North America. Parliament issues the Proclamation of 1763 prohibiting settlement in the American colonies west of the Appalachian Mountains. The proclamation is greatly resented in Virginia. Parliament imposes the Stamp Act for taxing the American colonies. Patrick Henry introduces the Stamp Act Resolves in the Virginia House of Burgesses. These resolves challenge Great Britain's right to impose the tax. Governor Fauquier dissolves the General Assembly. At the Stamp Act Congress in New York, delegates draw up a Declaration of Rights and Grievances. On the day before the stamp tax was to go into effect, George Mercer, the collector, arrives in Williamsburg, Virginia, with the stamps. Governor Fauquier has to intervene to protect Mercer from a mob of angry people. Virginians intimidate stamp distributor George Mercer into resigning his position. Parliament repeals the Stamp Act but passes the Declaratory Act, which asserts Great Britain's right to pass any laws governing the American colonies. 10

11 Parliament imposes the Townshend Duties taxing imports of tea, glass, paper, lead, and paint in the American colonies. At a public protest meeting in Boston, a Nonimportation Agreement is drawn up. The New York Assembly is suspended for failing to support the quartering of British troops. The Massachusetts Assembly is dissolved for refusing to assist with the collection of taxes. Boston citizens refuse to quarter British troops. The Virginia House of Burgesses is dissolved after protesting against England's plan to transport colonists accused of treason to England for trial. Crispus Attucks (a free black) is killed when British troops fire into a crowd of demonstrators in Boston in an event that becomes known as the Boston Massacre. Parliament repeals the Townshend Duties, except for the tax on tea. The Boston Assembly demands the rights of the colonies and threatens secession from Great Britain. Samuel Adams forms the Committee of Correspondence in Massachusetts for action against Great Britain. A slave brought into England from a British colony claims he is a free man. The court rules in his favor in the Somerset Case. Parliament passes the Tea Act. The Virginia House of Burgesses establishes a Committee of Correspondence to communicate with other colonial legislatures. The Boston Tea Party takes place in Boston, Massachusetts. A party of nearly 50 men disguised as Indians, led by Samuel Adams, boards ships, breaks open 343 chests of tea, and empties them into Boston Harbor. 11

12 The Coercive Acts (widely known in America as the Intolerable Acts ) are enacted against Massachusetts. These acts include closing the port of Boston. The Virginia legislature expresses sympathy for the citizens of Boston by calling for a day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer. Virginia Governor Dunmore dissolves the House of Burgesses. Some 89 former burgesses meet at the Raleigh Tavern to continue their discussions. They form an association to boycott tea and other British imports and issue a call for a Continental congress. Thomas Jefferson writes A Summary View of the Rights of British-America, which is published by Williamsburg, Virginia, printer Clementina Rind. The First Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia, attended by representatives of all of the colonies except Georgia. Peyton Randolph of Virginia is elected president of the congress. A nonimportation agreement is written to stop trade with Great Britain. The first Virginia Convention meets in Williamsburg. The convention adopts the Williamsburg Resolutions boycotting trade with Great Britain. Members of the Yorktown, Virginia, Committee of Safety board a ship owned by British merchant John Norton. They open two half chests of tea and dump the tea into the York River. The tea had been shipped by London merchants to John Prentis and Company of Williamsburg. Patrick Henry makes his Give me liberty or give me death speech in Richmond. Paul Revere makes his famous ride to Lexington, Massachusetts. The first battles of the American Revolution take place in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts. The Americans are defeated at Bunker Hill. Virginia Governor Dunmore orders British marines to remove gunpowder from the Magazine in Williamsburg. The second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia. Peyton Randolph is reelected president of the congress. George Washington is named commander-in-chief of the American forces. King George III declares the American colonies in rebellion. Governor Dunmore's family returns to Great Britain. Governor Dunmore takes up quarters aboard a warship in the York River and orders military raids on the cities of Hampton and Norfolk. Governor Dunmore issues an emancipation proclamation that imposes martial law in Virginia and offers freedom to indentured servants and slaves willing to fight for the king. Great Britain hires 29,000 German (Hessian) soldiers for the war in North America. Slaves rise up in an insurrection in the western part of Virginia. 12

13 1776 Thomas Paine publishes Common Sense. Governor Dunmore sails for England, thus ending British authority in Virginia. The Virginia Convention instructs its delegates to Congress to propose independence from Great Britain. The Second Continental Congress passes the American Declaration of Independence. The Virginia Convention chooses Patrick Henry to be the first governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. 13

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