Students explore the contributions of significant individuals in the American Revolution by conducting individual research. They craft and support claims about significant contributions and consider how research shapes their understanding of historical events.
Students read an introduction explaining that they will research one figure from the American Revolution and write evidence-based claims about that person’s impact. They view portraits of George Washington and King George III, then contribute to a word cloud by naming the person they see as the most important individual involved in the American Revolution.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and emphasize that the experience will focus on how individual actions shaped the Revolution. After students submit to the word cloud, prompt them to explain why they chose their person and to describe a specific contribution and its influence on the conflict. Highlight similarities and differences among the figures mentioned to foreground the idea that multiple individuals and perspectives mattered, setting up the research work in later scenes.
Students explore Snapshots of Significant Individuals of the Revolution to learn about 12 different people who played important roles in the conflict. They select two individuals they are most interested in researching and post their choices and reasons on a discussion wall. Afterward, they brainstorm and add potential research questions to a shared class table, focusing on what they need to know to understand an individual’s contributions and perspective during the Revolution.
Teacher MovesReview students’ preferred choices on the discussion wall and assign each student one individual to research, aiming for a balanced distribution of figures and perspectives. As students generate research questions, push them beyond basic biographical facts toward questions about roles, motivations, background, and how others viewed the person. Group similar questions, guide a discussion about which are most effective for investigating contributions and perspectives, and help the class narrow the list to four or five strong questions that will guide source analysis in the next scene.
Students independently research their assigned individual, locating three sources that include at least one primary source. For each source, they use a graphic organizer to record the title, author, and URL; determine whether it is a primary or secondary source and explain how they know; and answer two different class research questions using evidence from the source. They repeat this process across organizers to analyze multiple sources connected to their individual’s role in the Revolution.
Teacher MovesCirculate as students research to monitor how they search for and select sources. Coach students to refine search terms so results focus on the individual’s role in the American Revolution and on potential primary sources such as letters, images, diaries, newspapers, or speeches. If needed, direct students toward reliable collections (e.g., major archives and libraries) while still encouraging independent searching. Support students in distinguishing primary from secondary sources by asking who created the source, when, and for what purpose. Remind students to prioritize sources that help answer the agreed-upon research questions and to move on from sources that do not provide relevant evidence.
Using evidence gathered from their research, students synthesize their findings to explain their individual’s role in the Revolution. On a discussion wall, each student writes a clear claim about their person’s most significant contribution to the American Revolution and supports it with evidence from one primary source and one secondary source.
Teacher MovesEmphasize that this scene is essential for turning research into argument. Model how to write a focused, arguable claim that directly answers the question about most significant contribution. Coach students to structure their responses as claims supported by evidence, and demonstrate how to introduce and connect evidence from multiple sources. Provide sentence frames such as “One piece of evidence that shows this is…” or “According to…” to help students smoothly integrate primary and secondary source evidence into their claims.
Students first share, orally or in class discussion, the most significant contribution made by the individual they researched, drawing on their written claims. They then reflect on their learning by answering three self-assessment questions about how confident they feel in researching and finding relevant evidence, writing claims supported by evidence, and identifying and using primary and secondary sources.
Teacher MovesInvite several students to briefly share the key contribution of their researched individual so the class hears a range of perspectives on the Revolution. Lead a discussion about how each individual might have viewed their own actions, prompting students to reference specific evidence from their research. Before students complete the reflection questions, reassure them that their responses are private and encourage honest self-assessment. Use their reflections to gauge strengths and challenges with research, source analysis, and evidence-based writing to inform future instruction.
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