Students learn about the First Great Awakening, its impact on colonial society, and it role as a long-term cause of the American Revolution. They are introduced to Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Phillis Wheatley.
Students learn about the First Great Awakening, its impact on colonial society, and it role as a long-term cause of the American Revolution. They are introduced to Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and Phillis Wheatley.
Students are introduced to the First Great Awakening and its role in colonial society and the American Revolution. They view an image of George Whitefield and respond to a word cloud prompt by completing the sentence “When I think of the word ‘awakening,’ I think of…” with a brief word or phrase.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objective for the experience. As students share word cloud responses, highlight any connections to “revival.” If no one mentions “revival,” introduce the term and ask students what it might mean in the context of religious evangelism.
Students watch the video The Great Awakening and read background text on the First Great Awakening to learn about its causes and broad impact on colonial life. As they work, they complete a concept-map graphic organizer, recording key ideas such as major leaders, groups affected, and social and political effects of the movement.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to capture specific details and examples from the video and reading in their concept maps. Use student entries to surface key points about the Great Awakening’s religious, social, and political significance and to check for understanding.
Students read an excerpt from Jonathan Edwards’s sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and an excerpt from Phillis Wheatley’s elegiac poem honoring George Whitefield. Using evidence from both primary sources, they post a response explaining why colonists were receptive to the preaching of evangelical ministers like Edwards and Whitefield.
Teacher MovesGuide students in close reading of the sermon and poem, drawing attention to language about salvation, equality, and appeals to different social and racial groups. Use student responses to emphasize how evangelical preaching cut across social classes and contributed to more democratic, egalitarian religious practices.
Students read Significance of the Great Awakening: Roots of Revolution to explore how the movement influenced colonial ideas about authority, government, and identity. They then post a response explaining how the Great Awakening helped prepare the way for the American Revolution, considering social, economic, and political conditions in the eighteenth-century colonies.
Teacher MovesReinforce that the Great Awakening encouraged colonists to challenge traditional religious authority, shaping ideas about government as a contract with the people and helping forge a shared colonial identity. Use these points to connect student responses to the emerging desire for independence from Britain.
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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