Students explore the French and Indian War—a conflict that set the stage for the American Revolution. They will explore a map of how French and English territories changed before and after the war, compare the French and English colonies, and learn details about the causes and consequences of the war.
Students read an introduction explaining how the French and Indian War led France to give up forts and land in Alabama, allowing Britain to take control and forcing Native American groups like the Creek and Choctaw to make new decisions about trade and land. They view an image of Fort Condé in modern Mobile, Alabama, then respond to a discussion wall about what might have changed for Native Americans when new groups took over their land and began making new rules and trade decisions.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and key vocabulary (fort, trade, Native Americans, control, settler). Use the overview to frame the experience as an exploration of how the French and Indian War changed power, land control, and trade in Alabama, including examples such as the abandonment of Fort Toulouse and Fort Condé becoming Fort Charlotte. Prompt students to connect personally to the idea of new groups making rules where they live, and use their wall responses to surface initial ideas about how these changes might have affected Native American communities.
Students read background text describing how the French and Indian War, though fought far from Alabama, changed who controlled land, forts, and trade in the region. They then read the article The French and Indian War and Alabama to learn specific changes, such as the abandonment or renaming of forts and shifts in land control and trade relationships. After reading, they respond to two discussion walls: on the first, they write 1–2 sentences explaining what happened to forts and land in Alabama after the war; on the second, they explain how Native American groups might have felt when new groups took over their land and trade, using an example from the article to support their thinking.
Teacher MovesUse the article and introductory text to highlight how control of space and power shifted in Alabama after the French lost the war. For Wall 1, guide students to identify concrete changes such as the abandonment of Fort Toulouse, Fort Condé becoming Fort Charlotte, and British control of land, emphasizing how control of land and forts changed hands. For Wall 2, prompt students to consider the effects of these changes on Native American communities, including feelings, choices, and challenges when trusted trade partners were lost or new leaders arrived. Support students with visuals such as maps or images of the forts, revisit key vocabulary like “abandoned,” “control,” and “trade,” and offer simple sentence frames (e.g., “One thing that changed was ___,” “I think Native American groups felt ___ because ___”) to help them use evidence from the article in their responses.
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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