Students examine how the causes and effects of the French and Indian War and how the war’s outcomes changed colonial attitudes toward Britain.
Students examine how the causes and effects of the French and Indian War and how the war’s outcomes changed colonial attitudes toward Britain.
Students read an introduction explaining that the relationship between England/Britain and its North American colonies was beginning to change. Using maps of European colonies in 1750 and 1763, they complete a See–Think–Wonder chart to record observations, inferences, and questions about shifting territorial control. They then review the lesson objectives about the causes and effects of the French and Indian War and how it changed Britain’s relationship with the colonies.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the overall purpose of the experience and the key vocabulary. Highlight the historical shift from “English” to “British” colonies and connect this to the growth of the British Empire and emerging American colonial identity. Guide students through the See–Think–Wonder activity, prompting careful observation of the maps and encouraging questions about why control of land changed. Explicitly review the objectives so students understand that they will be examining causes, effects, and changing perspectives throughout the unit.
Students consider why Britain and France came into conflict in North America by predicting likely causes in a word cloud using one or two words. They then read What Caused the French and Indian War? to learn about events that increased tension between Britain and France, including competition for land and alliances with Indigenous nations. Using a graphic organizer, they identify and record multiple causes that led to the outbreak of the French and Indian War.
Teacher MovesActivate prior knowledge about European colonization by prompting students to recall motivations such as land, trade, and power. Support students as they generate predictions in the word cloud, connecting their ideas to earlier learning about colonial rivalries. After students complete the graphic organizer, review their responses to ensure they have captured several distinct causes and understand that the war resulted from a series of escalating actions, not a single event. Facilitate partner or whole-class discussion in which students explain which cause they think most strongly led to war and why, using evidence from the reading.
Students read The French and Indian War to learn how the war unfolded, who was involved, and how it ended. They answer embedded multiple-choice questions about Indigenous neutrality, the Treaty of Paris, and territorial changes to check their understanding of the war’s outcomes. Next, they read Britain and the Colonies After the French and Indian War and complete a two-column graphic organizer, describing Britain’s postwar actions in one column and colonists’ reactions and shifting perspectives in the other.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene as an opportunity to connect the war’s outcomes to long-term changes in power and relationships in North America. Monitor and review student responses to the multiple-choice questions, clarifying misunderstandings about Indigenous roles, the peace agreement, and territorial losses. If time allows, show the French and Indian War Summary video to reinforce key ideas and ask brief check-for-understanding questions. After students complete the Britain/colonies organizer, lead a discussion comparing British and colonial perspectives, emphasizing how concerns about debt, governance, and security contrasted with colonists’ expectations for land, freedom, and self-determination, and how these differences increased tension.
Students examine Benjamin Franklin’s political cartoon “Join, or Die.” They first describe what they notice in the image on a shared wall, focusing on objects, symbols, and text, and then respond to a second prompt about how the elements are arranged and what the separate parts might represent. They answer a multiple-choice question summarizing the cartoon’s message about colonial unity. Students then watch Passage Minute: Join or Die to learn why Franklin created the cartoon and how its meaning changed over time, and answer a question about the different reasons it was published. Finally, they post a response explaining what this kind of message suggests about the future of relations between Britain and its colonies.
Teacher MovesExplain that the scene is an optional extension focused on interpreting political imagery. Coach students to treat the cartoon as historical evidence by guiding them to observe details before interpreting meaning. After students post to the walls, facilitate discussion that connects the snake, its segments, and the caption to ideas about colonial unity and British authority, asking probing questions about Franklin’s choices. Review student answers to the interpretation questions, emphasizing how the cartoon’s message evolved from supporting British efforts in the French and Indian War to later expressing colonial resistance. Highlight how such imagery reflects changing colonial perspectives and growing willingness to challenge British rule.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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