Malcom Bridge Middle School

Curriculum Map

Course Title Here

Unit Title / From Royal Colony to Independence
Time Required / 20 days
Standard(s) & Elements / Enduring Understandings;
SS8H2 c; SS8H3 a, b; SS8H4 a, b; SS8CG1 a
Enduring Understandings / Change and Conflict; Movement and Migrations; Distribution of Power; Technological Innovations; Location; Rule of Law; Production, Distribution and Consumption; Individuals, Groups and Institutions
Essential Questions / What type of government did Colonial Georgia experience under the Royal governors?
How did the easing of restrictions to promote economic gain impact the colonists’ desire for more independence?
What was the impact of the French and Indian War on the colonies and specifically Georgia (geographically and economically)?
Skills/Benchmarks/ Be Able to Do /
  • Explain the development of Georgia as a royal colony with regard to land ownership,slavery, government, and the impact of the royal governors.
  • Explain the immediate and long-term causes of the American Revolution and their impact on Georgia; include the French and Indian War (i.e., Seven Years War),Proclamation of 1763, Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, and the Declaration ofIndependence.
  • Analyze the significance of people and events in Georgia on the Revolutionary War;include Loyalists, patriots, Elijah Clarke, Austin Dabney, Nancy Hart, ButtonGwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton, Battle of Kettle Creek, and siege of Savannah.
  • Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both the Georgia Constitution of 1777 andthe Articles of Confederation and explain how weaknesses in the Articles ofConfederation led to a need to revise the Articles.
  • Describe the role of Georgia at the Constitutional Convention of 1787; include the roleof Abraham Baldwin and William Few, and reasons why Georgia ratified the newconstitution.
  • Describe the role of citizens under Georgia’s constitution in 1777.

Key Vocabulary / Militia, Apprentice, Puritans, Proprietary Colony, Royal Colony, Parish, French and Indian War, Palisades, Cracker, Independence, Tories, Patriots, Boycott, Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Liberty Boys, Townshend Acts, Quartering Act, Second Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, Ratify, Articles of Confederation, Siege, Treaty of Paris (1783), Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett, George Walton, Noble Wimberly Jones, John Treutlan, Elijah Clarke, Austin Dabney, Battle of Kettle Creek, Nancy Hart, Seige of Savannah, Yorktown
Balanced Assessments / (All assessments are to be keyed to the standards and elements)
Diagnostic/Pre Assessment – Chapter 5 pre-test addresses SS8H2c and SS8H3a & b, and assesses students’ prior knowledge of the information; Given a blank map of the 13 original colonies, students have to locate Georgia and the other 12 colonies from memory. Students will explain the importance of the location of the original colonies.
Formative Assessments – quizzes are used to check for understanding throughout the unit; teacher-led discussions are used to check for student understanding.
Summative Assessments– Chapter tests (objective component); Students assume roles in a mock-trial in the case of the King vs. the colonists. They will each argue points from the perspectives of both King George and the colonists related to the specific events that led to the Revolutionary War.
Instructional Activities /
  • Map activity and compare/contrast the colonial regions in terms of economy, geography, education, and religion.
  • Complete chart of Royal Governors’ impact on colonial Georgia—land ownership, slavery, government
  • Students should analyze and interpret a packet of political cartoons from the American Revolution period. Their analysis should include such ideas as the immediate events leading up to the drawing of the cartoon, the political feelings of the person who developed the cartoon, and the message the cartoon is trying to impart.
  • Writing assignment: Working with a partner, students should read and examine the Declaration of Independence. They should make a list of complaints found in the Declaration against the king. Then the partners should decide which three complaints they feel are the most damaging to the colonists’ relationship to the king. They should then rewrite these three complaints in their own words. They need to explain why this action by the king was so grievous to the colonists.
  • Complete a Venn Diagram of Georgia’s Constitution of 1777 and the Articles of Confederation—analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both. Then, extend the comparison to include the U.S. Constitution and Georgia’s Constitution of 1789.
Differentiated Activities for this unit:
  • On map activity—have students identify the different colonial regions using symbols/color-coding to match the key.
Complete a timeline of the events leading up to the American Revolution—including the French and Indian War, Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts, and the Declaration of Independence.
Miscellaneous Notations / At the end of this unit, students will start a PowerPoint presentation addressing the entire SS8H3, SS8H4, SS8CG1, and SS8E2 standards and strands. Students will incorporate information and pictures to demonstrate their understanding of this standard. This assignment is the beginning of a year-long performance task incorporating all of the Georgia Performance Standards covered this year.
Technology Integration /
  • Georgia Stories video segments—gives students a visual of Georgia’s geography, and historical events.
  • PowerPoint—used in presentation on information for students as well as students’ own use to create PowerPoint slideshow to review GPS
  • CPS Clickers—used in assessments/benchmarks and in review game format
  • Interwrite/Mobi/wireless mouse & keyboard—used for students to participate in key items/activitiesdisplayed on the projector.