Through this project CMS students will gain an appreciation of the Revolutionary War as an account of people and their experiences, rather than just facts to be memorized. Students should begin to see history as a living thing, involved in all areas of their education.
As teachers prepare for this project, they will find concepts within "The Revolutionary War" that relate to their own subject area.
Teachers are asked to strengthen their instructional strategies by using Constructivism in this project to build a curriculum unit that extends beyond the level of "recall" to teach concept-based thinking skills. Teacher lesson plans should include some questions and discussions that are supported in the curriculum, but require the student to "construct" their own answers. The right questions, supported by the right resources, can start the student on a powerful independent learning experience that can set up a skilled teacher for an effective high-level thinking class discussion.
Colonial America resources from the Library of Congress.
All classes participating in this project will support the following Oklahoma PASS Standards for 8th Grade American History:
- Standard 3: The student will examine and explain the causes of the American Revolution and the ideas and interests involved in forging the revolutionary movement.
- Standard 4: The student will evaluate and describe the factors which affected the course of the American Revolution and contributed to the American victory.
- Standard 5: The student will examine the significance of and describe the institutions and practices of government created during the American Revolution and how they were revised between 1787 and 1815 to create the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights.