November - Master Level

1.  Watch a video representation of Patrick Henry's Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death speech, found below.  I recommend printing it out and making notes of your impressions on the printout.  You can find the written document HERE. 

This speech is so stirring!  Do a journal entry about the things it makes you think about.  Some questions to get you started...To what extent would you go to preserve liberty for yourself and your family?  What duties does Patrick Henry imply we have to preserve liberty?  Are there any areas you feel driven to stand up for liberty in our society?  If so, what first (or next) steps can you take?  How can what you have learned about the American Revolution help you to be a better person?  Take time to do some real pondering and be prepared to discuss this in class.

2.  Just and Holy Principles:

Read the section by Dallin H. Oaks, pages 138-156 (18 pages).

Specifically look for the following and we'll discuss in class:

1. Why a central government was necessary (page 139)
2. The 3 qualities the delegates had that make the Constitutional Convention a success (page 141)
3. See what Elder Oaks has to say about D&C 101:78-80 and Mosiah 29:23-26 (page 145)
4. What will strengthen a nation more than force?  How can we as citizens strengthen our country?  (page 148)

3.  Choose to study about one of the following so we can talk about it and how it relates to each of us:

*Becoming Statesmen/women*

*The impact of mothers on society*

*The impact of fathers on society*

You can gather information from whatever sources you choose.  Just take the topic and run with it.  Ask people you trust if they know of good books, blogs, scientific studies, church talks, etc. that can help you.  Dig deep.  

The purpose of this activity is to help you see how YOUR ROLE in society MATTERS.  You have the power to do so much good while you're here on earth, for current, future and even past generations!  Take time on this inspirement because it may just help you more clearly define your life mission. 

November-- Geography!

Journeyman
Read through this timeline to get an idea of the sequence of events in the Revolution.

Pick 3 major battles and label them on this map.
Also, label the original 13 Colonies.
Label Yorktown, Philadelphia, Boston, Trenton, and Princeton.

Masters
Research one of those battles-- where did it take place? What's the terrain like there? Who fought in it? Who won? What happened to the losers? etc...
Prepare to present what you've learned to us-- either in a report, or in a prezi, or something else.

November (Journeyman) - The American Revolution!!!

The American Revolution is so interesting and fun to study! Here are some inspirements to get you started on your journey of discovery:

Do ALL of these: 

Watch THIS VIDEO about the American Revolution (5:20)

 

The 5,000 Year Leap

INSP: Read Principles #13-16 in The 5,000 Year Leap.  (pages 164-202)

Read Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

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Select one or more of the following to study and teach the class about.  I'm excited to hear about what you discover and why you chose the one you did!

Minutemen - Study minutemen.  What were they responsible for?  Why were they called minutemen?  How did they join?  What ages were they?  What qualifications did they need?  Find some examples of times when they were called to action and learn about their impact. Would you want to be a minuteman? 

Don't Tread On Me flag.  Study the history of the Don't Tread On Me flag.  What did it mean when it was created?  What does it mean now?  What is the snake symbolic of? 

Join or Die snake comic.  Learn about the 'Join or Die' snake.  Find out who created it, what its intent was, what the parts represent, how it was distributed to the people, etc.  

 

Cipher Codes.  Learn about cipher codes and how they were used in the American Revolution.  Learn about a cipher code and maybe even create your own code!

Weaponry.  Study the kinds of weapons that were used in the American Revolution, both American and English.  What were their limitations and how did they impact battles?  How long did it take to load a musket or cannon?  What kind of training did they have in using the weapons?  You could learn about battle strategies.

Boat Design, Engineering and Function.  Study the kinds of boats that were in operation during the American Revolution.  War ships as well as cargo ships.  How were they engineered?  Why were they designed the way they were?  It would be awesome if you created a ship diagram or two and taught the class about what the various compartments were for, what made the ship good for its purpose and what ways they could have been improved.  You could study the crew positions and official names for the boat's components.

Betsy Ross and the evolution of the American flag.  You could create an artistic rendering of all the flags, the dates they began to be used, and what they represent.

 

Study Casualties of American Revolutionary War.  Search for the number of troops in various battles, the numbers killed, wounded or captured.  How were casualties buried?  How were injured cared for?  What was done with captured soldiers?  

 

Learn about the economic impact of the war.  How did the war affect the citizens of the colonies during the war?  How much debt was the country left with and who were their debtors?  How did they manage to pay off the debt they owed?  What lessons could Americans today learn from their example?  In your opinion, do you think they made good decisions?  

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JUST FOR FUN (This is not an inspirement, just something fun):

• Watch THIS AWESOME MOVIE TRAILER for A Hero Rises.  The movie hasn't been made yet, but the script is released to the public and they are trying to raise funds for the production of the movie.  I can't wait to see it based on this trailer!