Teachers Name: Lindsay Sherwin

Date:
Grade & Subject: fifth grade social studies
Lesson Plan Title: To Declare Independence or Not: Loyalists versus Patriots
Objectives:
Students will be able to distinguish notable historical figures including: John Boucher,
Thomas Hutchinson, Lord Dunmore,Mercy Otis warren, Samuel Adams, and Benjamin
Franklin as loyalists or patriots from chapter 11 of History Alive!
Students will be able to express ideas about independence of loyalists and patriots in order
to persuade undecided Americans in a debate form.
Standards (Common Core for Literacy, GLCEs for Social Studies):

5 U3.1.6 Identify the role that key individuals played in leading the colonists to revolution,
including
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams,
John
Adams, and Thomas Paine.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1
Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or
concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text
Materials Needed for Teacher and Students:

post it notes with names on the front with facts of the back of historical people from
chapter 11 of History Alive!

A blackboard or large paper to write student ideas

A T chart to classify individuals as loyalist, patriot, or neutral

A prepared worksheet including roles of each student as adapted from TCI (see
attached as worksheet A)

A debate outline (attached as worksheet B)

pencils for students

Procedures:
Introduction (What exactly will you say or do to get your students ready for the
lesson/concept?):
Teacher will introduce lesson objectives Today we will be examining the reasons behind
why and how people chose sides on whether to support the loyalists or patriots. As you
recall from chapter 11, there were many influential people that helped to shape both sides of
the debate. Can you tell me what a patriot is?....... (allow students to answer) And a
loyalist?...... What makes them different?....... Today, we will examine their roles to help us
decide whether we would want independence or not if we were participants in this time
period.

Methods/Procedures (How will you group students? What are the sequential activities for
the lesson? How will you be facilitating? What exact questions/prompts/explanations will
you use? Include time allotments for each sequential activity):
Students will already be in a a small group of four for this lesson so we will be ready to
begin.
Teacher prompt student to begin thinking about how the government plays a role in their
everyday life.
The teacher will say, When deciding whether or not to support Britain or the patriots
looking for independence, they had to think about how the government of Britain affected
their lives. Some people thought that the government of Britain helped in their lives and
named themselves loyalists while others thought they did more harm than good and named
themselves patriot. The government today plays a role in our daily lives. While driving here
this morning, the government played a role by having driving laws. This is one way the
government plays a role in my life. There are a lot of other ways as well, some are simple
like driving laws and others are much more complex. Can you think of anyways the

government plays a role in your life?

Students will participate in a discussion of all the ways that the government plays a role in
their lives. (Five minutes)
Teacher will prompt, In the colonies, the government played a key in their lives as well.
The British government had supporters in the colonies but there were some that wanted to
break free from their rule. In your book, there were several examples of both patriots and
loyalists and the reasons why they took sides. Can you think of some of the traits that
described loyalists..... and patriots.
Students will answer prompts and teacher will write down their responses on the
appropriate side of the T chart designated loyalists and patriots. (5 minutes)
Teacher will prompt, I have made some post it notes with the historical figures from the
text and I want you as groups to identify them as either loyalist or patriot and way they fall
into that group. The people I have included are: Mercy Otis Warren, Benjamin Franklin,
Samuel Adams, Lord Dunmore, John Boucher, and Thomas Hutchinson. If you get
stumped, there are some facts on the back that might help you out. Once you know which
side they belong on, be sure to write it on the blank on the front. I also want you to get our
your text book so we can have some specifics about the historical figures. Once you classify
someone, please be ready to cite a specific example from your text and tell us how it lead
you to believe that they were either loyalist or patriot.
Students will have post its of different people from the text and use their knowledge and
resources to identify them as patriot or loyalist and place them on the T chart.
Teacher will review each post it and ask the reasons how they knew they identified with the
particular party. Students will share their specific citations from the text to quote accurately
from a historical text as well as explain the quotes. (10 minutes)
Teacher will prompt and hand out work sheet A. I want each of your groups to break in
half, so you will be working with a partner. Each partnership will choose one actor and one
writer. You will then choose one of the people we have discussed from our T chart. On the
worksheet, there will be questions about your person that will help us create a debate. Be
sure that in your group of four, a loyalist and patriot are chosen
Teacher will check that each side will be represented. If students, choose the same character
or side, they can settle the debate amongst themselves. If intervention is needed, the teacher
will have students repick their character by aksing a trivia question such as who thought
taxes were too high in America and the student who responds accurately can choose first.
If the problem is still persistent, the teacher can assign roles.
Students will choose a person to explore from the chart and fill in the worksheet. (7-10

minutes)
Teachers will help students with the worksheet A
Teacher will pass out worksheet B and prompt students by saying, We will use the answers
we have from the first worksheet to fill out this debate outline. The writer will help the
actor prepare for their role. From our writers, we have to choose a moderator and an
undecided. Your goal of the debate is to sway the moderator to side with you.
Students will fill out debate prompt worksheet B (5 minutes)
Teacher will prompt, Now that we have our worksheets filled out, we are ready to start our
debate.
Students will present their debates to the class (5 minutes per debate)
Conclusion (How exactly will you end the lesson in a way that sums up what students
have learned and prepares them for the next learning experience?):
After presenting lesson, we will participate in a grand discussion about what some of the
ideas that we have learned through the debate.
In order to guide the discussion, the teacher will ask What are some of the characteristics
that were found among all loyalists?.... and patriots?.... Do you think you would have been a
loyalist or patriot and why?....?

Extension
We will create a flip book of the debates that we have presented and leave in class for future
reference as well as short biographies about the figures we have learned about from the
lesson and text.

Assessment (What will you do to determine what students learned during the lesson, after
the lesson, or at both times? This can be formal or informal.):
Teacher will conduct an informal assessment during the lesson. The teacher will be looking
to see if students can: quote accurately from the text, explain traits about loyalists and
patriots, and can classify Hutchinson, Dunmore, Boucher Franklin, Adams, and Warren as
either loyalist or patriot. The teacher will also be assessing whether students understand the
role of a debate and the form.

Rationale for the Instructional Strategies Used (for the use of the instructional strategy in this
particular subject area and for the specific choices you made in use of the strategy such as using
groups or not using groups, listing things on a chart, and etceterawhy is this lesson
developmentally appropriate for your learners and a good match for the content?):
Fifth grade students are exploring beyond the walls of the classroom, so I think it is important for
them to explain how the government plays a role in our lives and the lives of others in the past. At
this stage, students are able to express their ideas and be respectful of others in a debate. By
having predetermined sides, students are beginning to see how debates work which will lead to
further understanding. By using a chart, it makes it very easy to see the key figures and where
their allegiances are.

StudentHandout A
Teachers Curriculum Institute to declare Independence or not 1
Preparing for the Panel Debate
Your group will bring to life a historical figure. This figure will debate whether the
American colonies should declare independence from Great Britain. Follow the steps
below to prepare your historical figure for the debate. Check each step as you work.
First split your group of 4 in half. You will be working with a partner on either the
loyalist side of the debate or the patriot side of the debate.
______ Step 1: Pick your role.
Actor: You will lead the debate. Then you will bring the historical figure
to life during the panel debate.
Writer: You will fill out the worksheets and help your actor prepare for his or her
role..
______ Step 2: Learn about your historical figure. Take turns reading aloud the
information about your historical figure in this lesson of your book. When you finish
reading, have the writer record your answers to the following questions.
1. What occupation(s) did your historical figure hold during the American
Revolution?

2. What are three important details to remember about your historical figures
personal life?

3. How would your historical figure answer when asked, Should the American

colonies
declare independence?

4. What actions did your historical figure take for or against independence?

Work sheet B
Debate
From your group, please have your actors prepared to present this debate. Choose
one moderator from the other 2 members of the group. The last person will be the
undecided. Your job as the actors supporting either side of the debate will be to
persuade the undecided to support your position. Be sure to fill out the blanks with
the actor's character names. Work as partners to fill out the arguments in this
outline, your chosen actor will present your ideas. Your answers from worksheet A
will help.
Moderator:Good day Gentlemen. We are here today to discuss the pressing matter that has been on
the minds of all us colonists. It is time to discuss the Kings taxes and other acts against us that many
do not agree with. There have been petitioners in the streets, planning boycotts of British goods
claiming these taxes are unjust. This in turn has caused our merchants and businessmen to lose
profit. There is much tension here in our colonies and we must decide how to resolve this issue. Please
introduce yourselves.
Actor 1: Hello, my name is....
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
(Include occupation and your three important facts about your personal life)
Moderator: Thank you. Please introduce yourself sir/madam.
Actor 2: Hello, my name is....
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
Moderator: Today, we have a few undecided viewers with us. __________(actor one's name), should
we fight for independence or remain loyal to Great Britain?
Actor 1:
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
(include your political relation and specific events or causes that have influenced your political ties to
either being patriotic or a loyalist)
Moderator: __________ (actor 2's name), you have the opposite opinion, what is your response to
_______ (actor 1) opinion?

Actor 2:

(Include your rebuttal to actor one as well as your position on the issue)
Moderator: We have heard some very differing opinions here today. What exactly are you doing to
change how the government affects your life? _______ (actor 2), do you care to start this idea?
Actor 2: Certainly,
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
(Use your resources to cite specific events or actions your character has taken to side with either the
loyalists and patriots)
Moderator: Thank you. _________ (actor 1), do you have a response to this?
Actor 1:

Moderator: Thank you both for coming here today. I would like to close this debate with some of your
ideas. _________(actor 1), would you like to start?
Actor 1: (This is you closing argument. Try to persuade people to take your side)

Moderator: Thank you. _________ (actor 2)?

Actor 2: (This is you closing argument. Try to persuade people to take your side)

Moderator: Thank you both for coming today. You both made very good arguments.

Student Name:
Always
Student uses
accurate facts from
book
Student actively
participates in
lesson
Student follows the
debate outline
Student uses
proper debate
etiquette
Student uses
appropriate
language and
grammar
Student is able to
follow directions

Sometimes

Never