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Here are the teacher pack items for The Boston Massacre:
Overview In this experience, students evaluate who was responsible for the Boston Massacre by analyzing sources with different perspectives. First, they examine artistic depictions of the event and discuss whether the details give the same account of the event. Next, students explore Paul Revere’s engraving to evaluate which details are accurate and which are exaggerated. Then, students analyze firsthand accounts from both colonists and British witnesses to compare how each side described the event. In the Elaborate scene, students are invited to examine John Adams' defense of the soldiers and evaluate how his argument connected to the colonists’ ideas about justice and fairness. Finally, in the Evaluate scene, students develop a claim about who was responsible for the Boston Massacre and support their claims with evidence they evaluated during the experience. Estimated Duration: 55-70 minutes Vocabulary Words and Definitions: Objectives:
As you have learned, the Boston Massacre was a fight between British soldiers and colonists in Boston in 1770. But there’s more to the story than just a street conflict. Why did it happen? Who was involved? Who was responsible? And how did this one event become such an important part of the growing tension between the colonies and Great Britain?
Evaluate the two paintings below that depict the Boston Massacre. Think about what they reveal about the Boston Massacre. Then, answer the discussion question.
“The Boston Massacre” by Alonzo Chappel (1878)
Do these artistic depictions of the Boston Massacre tell the same story? What details from the images support your answer?
When reviewing the discussion, highlight how students used visual evidence to support their thinking. Prompt them to notice how the two images emphasize different actions, emotions, or outcomes. Use the following questions to guide discussion:
In this lesson, you will investigate how conflicting accounts of the Boston Massacre reveal differing perspectives in order to evaluate who was responsible.
Objectives:
