Introduction
When you think of a party, you think of food, decorations, a big cake, party hats and gifts. The Boston Tea Party is anything but a party. It did take place in Boston and it did involve tea but it is not a typical party. The Boston Tea Party was a pivotal revolt that took place prior to the American Revolution.
Task
Since the Boston Tea Party took place so long ago in 1773, there are many misconceptions about what happened that day. It is important to learn the facts of the Boston Tea Party. Did the protesters really dress up like Indians? How much tea did they really destroy by dumping it into the harbor? Were entire crates of tea dumped into the harbor? Was this protest always called the “Boston Tea Party?”
Your job is to take on the role of a news reporter and research the events of the Boston Tea Party. You will write a news story about the Boston Tea Party providing only the facts that you have proven as you’ve researched about this event from multiple sources. It is your job to determine what is really true and what is a misconception. As a news reporter, you are to tell only the facts in the article you will write.
Process
With your assigned group, you are tasked with finding and reporting only the facts of this important day in history. First you will need to review the format of and information included in a news article. Then, you will research information about the Boston Tea Party. You will need to use multiple sources and compare the information you compile in order to determine which information is truthful. Only the truth should be written in your article. As you work through the steps of this process, record what you’ve accomplished each day in a log. The log should include the date, time the group met, responsibilities of each group member, and tasks completed each day.
- Complete a daily log.
The log will explain what was accomplished that day, any problems that arose, and next steps in the process.
- Review how to write a news article.
We have written news articles before but take a little time to review how to write a news article. What types of information do all news articles include? What is the format for a news article? What other information should you include in the article? You will also need to consider what information you should not include in the article.
- Research the facts about the Boston Tea Party.
There is a lot of information in print and on the Internet about the Boston Tea Party. Is all of it true? It is important for you to find as much information you can about this event and determine what information is true and what information is misconception. You will need to read multiple sources and compare the information you obtain.
- State the true information about the Boston Tea Party.
Prior to writing your news article, organize the information that you have found to be truthful and decide what information is important to include in your news article.
- Write your news article.
Use the information that you included in your organizer from the previous step into a news article.
Evaluation
1 – Completed daily log with required information.
2 – List of information required in a news article.
3 – Specific facts about the Boston Tea Party.
4 – Organizer that lists information to be included in article.
5 – Well written news article about the Boston Tea Party.
Conclusion
Great writing! You had a challenge ahead of you to determine the factual information about the Boston Tea Party. There are many misconceptions and embellishments that have been written about this historical protest. You sifted through all the information to determine what was truthful. In addition, you learned about writing a news article. You had to determine the parts of a news article and how it is written. Then, you wrote a news article about the Boston Tea Party including only the facts. Way to go! If you enjoyed learning about this time period, you might be interested in learning about these other events during the time of the American Revolution.
7 Events that Enraged Colonists and Led to the American Revolution
Battles of Lexington and Concord
Credits
Use the links below as you review how to write a news article.
News Article Links:
How to Write Newspaper Articles for Kids
Be sure to use each one of these webpages as you research the true information about the Boston Tea Party.
Boston Tea Party Links:
History 7 Surprising Facts About the Boston Tea Party
Britannica Kids – Boston Tea Party
History – 10 Things You May Not Know About the Boston Tea Party