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!