Students explore the Boston Massacre. They watch a video and read two short descriptions for background information, then answer questions about the event. Next, they analyze a lithograph by Paul Revere and compare it to the facts they learned. Finally, students consider the reasons for Revere's depiction and reflect on the accuracy of historic images.
Students are introduced to the Boston Massacre and its significance, then examine two paintings of the event (“The Boston Massacre” by William L. Champney and “The Boston Massacre” by Alonzo Chappel). They respond to a discussion prompt on whether the artistic depictions tell the same story, citing visual details from the images. Students then read a brief overview of the lesson focus and objectives.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and frame the experience as an investigation into responsibility for the Boston Massacre using multiple perspectives. During the discussion, highlight how students use visual evidence to support their thinking and guide them with questions about what soldiers, colonists, the crowd, and setting details reveal. Emphasize that artistic depictions reflect particular perspectives and shape understanding of events. Arrange students into small groups for upcoming scenes before unlocking the next scene.
In small groups, students closely analyze Paul Revere’s engraving of the Boston Massacre using a drawing tool. They star details that suggest who is responsible for the event and circle details that reveal the artist’s perspective or side in the conflict, then discuss their choices within their groups.
Teacher MovesExplain that the purpose is to explore how images represent historical events from particular perspectives and can be used to persuade. As students share their marked details, ask them to justify why they starred or circled specific elements and press them to ground their reasoning in what they see. If needed, point out features such as the soldiers firing in unison, the colonists’ apparent defenselessness, the daylight setting, or symbolic details like the dog. Reveal that the engraving was created by Paul Revere, a Patriot aiming to rally colonists, and prompt students to reconsider their analysis in light of this authorship. Explicitly introduce or reinforce the concept of bias and discuss how Revere’s choices show a one-sided view of the event.
Working in small groups, students analyze two firsthand accounts of the Boston Massacre: Adapted Account of Boston Massacre in Boston Gazette and Country Journal, March 12, 1770 and Adapted Excerpt from the Account of Captain Thomas Preston, March 1770. For each account, they read an excerpt and answer questions identifying whose perspective is represented and which textual evidence best supports that conclusion. After comparing the two perspectives, students respond to a poll indicating who they think was responsible for the Boston Massacre based on the firsthand accounts.
Teacher MovesSupport students in examining how each writer describes the soldiers, colonists, and actions, and in noticing emotional language, emphasized details, and omissions. Consider pausing after the first account to ask guiding questions about how it shapes readers’ understanding, then repeat a similar process with the second account to facilitate comparison. After students complete the poll, review the class results and prompt them to explain their choices using evidence from the accounts, highlighting how each source’s perspective influences judgments about responsibility. If appropriate, briefly revisit the images from earlier scenes to model corroboration by asking which details are confirmed, challenged, or extended across sources.
Students explore a colonial perspective that differed from many Patriots by examining John Adams’s defense of the British soldiers. They read The Boston Massacre Trials and watch John Adams: The President Who Defended the Redcoats to understand Adams’s reasoning and what he hoped a fair trial would demonstrate about colonial justice. They answer questions about what Adams wanted to show the British, the results of the trials, and the consequences he faced for defending the soldiers. Then, students read a quote from Adams’s diary and respond to a discussion prompt explaining whether they agree or disagree with his statement, supporting their views with reasoning.
Teacher MovesIf you choose to use this optional extension, first clarify that the goal is to deepen understanding of fairness and justice in the colonial context. After students answer the questions, review correct responses to ensure they grasp that Adams believed a fair trial would show Britain the colonies could govern themselves responsibly, that only two soldiers were convicted of manslaughter, and that Adams and his family faced threats for his decision. Before students write about Adams’s diary quote, discuss key vocabulary and unpack his claim so all students understand his perspective. After students share their written responses, facilitate a discussion that connects their reasoning to what they have learned about differing perspectives on the Boston Massacre and how personal beliefs and roles shape viewpoints.
Students synthesize their learning by writing a claim about who was responsible for the Boston Massacre, using at least one piece of evidence from any of the sources studied in previous scenes. After posting their claim and supporting evidence, they read classmates’ claims and either ask a thoughtful question or add additional supporting evidence.
Teacher MovesCoach students to craft focused claims using clear structures (for example, “_____ was responsible for the Boston Massacre because _____”) and to select evidence while considering the bias and perspective of each source. Encourage stronger or early-finishing writers to incorporate multiple sources to deepen their arguments. As students share, highlight exemplar responses that clearly connect claims to well-chosen evidence, and reinforce how analyzing multiple perspectives and corroborating sources leads to a more nuanced understanding of complex historical events.
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