Introduction
The American Revolution is often discussed as a battle for freedom and independence. The truth is that not everyone felt the same way about it. When the colonists finally got free from Britain some people like the enslaved people, women and Native Americans did not get to enjoy the freedom.
In this WebQuest students are going to explore what caused the American Revolution, what happened during that time and how it affected groups of people. By the time they finish students will understand what led to the American Revolution think about how it changed things and come up with their opinion, on whether the American Revolution was really a revolutionary event.
Task
Students will work in groups to create a presentation. They will use Google Slides or PowerPoint. Add narration to it. The presentation must answer this question:
Was the American Revolution really that revolutionary?
Here is what students will do:
* They will explain why the Revolution happened. They must give least three reasons.
* They will look at two events.
* They will see how the Revolution affected groups of people. These groups could be women, enslaved people, Loyalists or Native Americans.
* They will make an argument and use evidence to support it.
Process
Step 1: Give People Jobs
The Cause Analyst will look into why things happened and explain it using facts.
The Event Analyst will study events and tell us what they mean.
The Impact Analyst will see how different groups were affected.
The Project Manager and Presenter will put the slides in order make sure everything is right and talk about it.
Step 2: Do Research
We will. Look at the main sources of information from:
https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-…
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/road-to-revolution
https://www.loc.gov/classroom-materials/united-states-history-primary-s…
We should write down what we find out about why things happened, what happened and how it affected people.
Step 3: Think About What We Found
We will talk about and answer these questions:
What made the American Revolution happen because of politics and money?
How did big events make things worse?
Who was better off after we became independent and who was not?
Step 4: Make A Presentation
We will make slides with:
A title
Why it happened
events
How it affected different groups
Our final thoughts, on the main question
Step 5: Show And Tell
Each of us has to explain our part clearly and use facts to back it up.
Evaluation
| Criteria | 4 - Excellent | 3 - Good | 2 - Basic | 1 - Needs Work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Content & Accuracy | Accurate, detailed, clearly aligned to standards | Mostly accurate | Some errors | Many errors |
| Analysis | Strong argument with deep reasoning | Clear argument | Limited reasoning | No clear argument |
| Evidence | Uses multiple specific examples | Some evidence | Few examples | No evidence |
| Collaboration | All members contributed equally | Most contributed | Uneven effort | Little teamwork |
| Presentation | Organized, clear, engaging | Mostly clear | Some confusion | Hard to follow |
Conclusion
The American Revolution was a deal because it helped America become independent.. The American Revolution did not affect everyone in the same way. The American Revolution taught people things about being free and how the government works. However the American Revolution did not make everyone equal.
Students should know that things that happen in the past can change the way people live and still have issues that are not fixed. The American Revolution is an example of this.
Enrichment Activity
https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution
Write a short paragraph that compares the American Revolution to the French Revolution. Think about what caused these revolutions or what happened after they ended. Try to find some similarities or differences, between the American Revolution and the French Revolution.
Credits
Information was gathered from History.com, Khan Academy, Liberty of Congress, and CPALMS.