Students review and discover important figures from the American Revolution. Then, they choose one person to explore further. They research essential facts about that person. Finally, they use what they have learned to complete one of two possible writing projects: a eulogy of that person or a scene from a movie or play about that person's life.
Students read an introduction explaining that they will research one individual from the American Revolution and use evidence to write 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 figure 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, ask 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 students name to keep attention on the importance of individual actions and to set up the research work that follows.
Students are introduced to the idea that many different people, on both the Patriot and British sides, shaped the American Revolution. They explore Snapshots of Significant Individuals of the Revolution to learn about 12 key figures, then post on a discussion wall which two individuals they would most like to research and why. Next, they brainstorm and add research questions to a shared class table, focusing on what they need to know about their assigned person’s contributions and perspective during the Revolution.
Teacher MovesUse student preferences from the discussion wall to assign individuals so that a range of figures is represented across the class. As students generate research questions, prompt them to move beyond basic biographical facts toward questions about roles, motivations, background, and how others viewed the person’s actions. Group similar questions, guide a discussion about which are most effective for investigating contributions and perspectives, and work with the class to narrow the list to four or five strong questions that will guide source analysis in the next scene.
Students independently research their assigned individual by locating three sources, including 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 research questions from the class list using evidence from the source. They complete this organizer for multiple sources to build a base of evidence about their individual’s contributions and perspective.
Teacher MovesCirculate as students research to monitor how they search for and select sources. Coach them to refine search terms so results connect directly to the individual’s role in the American Revolution, and remind them that primary sources can include letters, diaries, images, newspapers, and speeches from the period. If needed, direct students to trusted collections such as the Library of Congress, National Archives, or similar institutions. Check how students are labeling sources as primary or secondary, prompting them to consider who created the source, when, and for what purpose. Encourage students to discard sources that do not help answer the agreed-upon research questions and to focus on those that provide strong evidence about contributions and perspectives. Provide a short list of reliable links for students who need additional support with independent research.
Using the evidence gathered from their primary and secondary sources, students synthesize their research to explain their individual’s role in the Revolution. On a discussion wall, they write a clear claim about their person’s most significant contribution to the American Revolution and support it with at least one piece of evidence from a primary source and one from a secondary source.
Teacher MovesEmphasize that this scene is essential for moving from information-gathering to argument-building. Support students in turning their ideas into focused, arguable claims by modeling how a claim states an answer and a reason that can be supported with evidence. Demonstrate how to introduce and connect evidence from multiple sources to a claim, and offer 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 writing.
Students first share, orally or in class discussion, the most significant contribution made by the individual they researched, drawing on their earlier written claims. They then read a brief prompt about reflecting on their work and complete three self-reflection questions, indicating how confident they feel about 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 the person they studied so the class can hear 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 answer the reflection questions, remind them that their responses are private and encourage honest self-assessment so you can better understand their strengths and challenges with research, source analysis, and evidence-based writing.
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