Teaching
American History
For All
A series of lessons incorporating literacy strategies for
Mt Diablo Unified School District
5th, 8th, and 11th grade teachers,
in partnership with
University Of California- Berkeley
History-Social Science Project
5th Grade Lesson: Causes of the American Revolution
“The Tea Act”
Kay Lunine, UCBH-SSP 5th Grade Teacher Leader
Lauren Weaver, MDUSD Grant Coordinator
Revised by Joe Martin, 5th Grade MDUSD Teacher, August 2012
Teaching American History for All
MDUSD/UCB H-SSP
5th Grade Lesson: Causes of the American Revolution “The Tea Act”
Developed by: Kay Lunine and Lauren Weaver
Revised by: Joe Martin
Teaching American History Grant Focus Question:
How did definitions of citizenship change from the 17th century to the 20th century?
5th Grade Yearlong Focus Question:
How did Americans change from being colonial subjects to American citizens?
Unit Focus Question:
How did British policies towards the thirteen colonies lead to the American War for Independence?
Unit Working Thesis:
Anger over the British policies led most of the colonists to demand representation in
Parliament and protest what they thought of as unfair laws and taxation, which ultimately led them to push for independence.
Lesson Focus Question/Writing Prompt:
What was the Tea Act and how did the colonists react to it?
Lesson Working Thesis:
Some colonists were so angry about the monopolization and unfair taxation of Tea Act that they protested by boycotting tea and destroying it.
Reading Strategy:
Sentence Deconstruction Using: “The Boston Tea Party,”Textbook – Harcourt, The
United States: Making a NewNation.Unit 4, The American Revolution, pg. 336.
Writing Activities: 1. Identifying subject nouns and verb phrases. 2. Completing comprehensions sentences. 3. Final writing prompt on the Tea Act and the reaction of the colonists.
Suggested Amount of Time:
45 minutes
Textbook:
The United States: Making a New Nation, Reflection Series, Harcourt School Publishers, 2007,
p336
Lesson Plan Procedure:
Introduction: Ask the students where they like to buy hamburgers. Ask them how they would feel if the government ordered all restaurants that sell hamburgers to be closed except for Burger King. So if they wanted a hamburger, they would have to get it from Burger King .Connect this scenario to the Boston Tea Party. Show primary source drawings included at the end of this lesson packet and discuss. Ask the students what they think is happening in the drawing of the men destroying the tea. Then ask them why they think that someone saved the bottle of tea that is in a museum from the original tea party event.
Brief review of British acts leading up to Boston Tea Party. (What have the British done so far that has caused conflicts with the colonies? Why, after 150 years, are the colonists becoming angry? THINK/PAIR/SHARE – have students write on back of reading page what acts/ policies they know.
Students share -teacher transcribes on transparency followed by a brief discussion to set the stage.
Reading Strategy: “The Boston Tea Party,”Textbook – Harcourt, The United States: Making a New Nation.Unit 4, The American Revolution, pg. 336.
- Read passage as a class. (Teacher will read the paragraph, and students will participate by saying the words out loud that the teacher leaves out as s/he is reading the paragraph.)
- Vocabulary: using the first paragraph, students will read passage silently and underline words they have questions about. Teacher will list and class will clarify vocabulary.
- Teacher will demonstrate putting two lines under subject nouns and underlining verb phrases for 2-3 sentences in 2nd copy of reading. Next 2 sentences will be shared practice and last 2 independent.
- Teacher will review the headers on sentence deconstruction sheet and then model how to complete 1-2 sentences with subjects left out. Note implied subjects. Students participate by doing 1-2 with teacher and by completing the remainder with a partner.
- Review the completed sentences, look at actors and who did what.
Revisit lesson focus question: What were the results of the Tea Act in the American Colonies? (partner pair/share as oral practice before writing)
Writing Activity: Using the sentence chart we completed, student will independently complete the sentence starters.
Class Discussion - Share answers with partner. Share out- present partner’s idea with the sentence starter:My partner (give partner’s name) shared with me that______.
Lesson Assessment: Have students write a paragraph independently to the prompt: What was the Tea Act and how did the colonists react to it?
History-Social Science Content Standards:
5.5 Students explain the causes of the American Revolution
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills:
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
- Students place key events and people of the historical era they are studying in a chronological sequence and within a spatial context; they interpret time lines.
Historical Interpretation
- Students summarize the key events of the era they are studying and explain the historical contexts of those events.
3. Students identify and interpret the multiple causes and effects of historical events.
Reading/Language Arts Common Core Standards:
RI.5.2. Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.4. Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
RF.5.3. Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
RF.5.4. Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
W.5.2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
L.5.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
L.5.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
Name: ______
Date: ______
Source:“The Boston Tea Party,”Harcourt, The United States: Making a New Nation. Unit 4, The American Revolution, page 336
Time: December 16, 1773
Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Directions: Draw two lines under the subject nouns and underline the verb phrases.
In 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which gave Britain’s East India Company a monopoly on tea. A monopoly is complete control of a good or service in an area, by either a person or a group. As a result of this monopoly, only the East India Company could legally sell tea to the colonies, and it could sell tea for less than colonial merchants could. This meant that colonial merchants could not make money in the tea trade. The British government believed the colonists would choose to buy the cheaper tea- and pay the tax on it. Instead, many colonists decided to boycott tea.
Name: ______
Date: ______
TEACHER KEY
Source:“The Boston Tea Party,”Harcourt, The United States: Making a New Nation. Unit 4, The American Revolution, page 336
Time: December 16, 1773
Place: Boston, Massachusetts
Directions: Draw two lines under the subject nouns and underline the verb phrases.
In 1773, Parliamentpassedthe Tea Act, which gaveBritain’s East India Company a monopoly on tea. A monopolyis complete control of a good or service in an area, by either a person or a group. As a result of this monopoly, only the East India Companycould legally sell tea to the colonies, and itcould sell tea for less than colonial merchants could. Thismeant that colonial merchants could not make money in the tea trade. The British governmentbelieved the colonists would choose to buy the cheaper tea- and pay the tax on it. Instead, many colonistsdecided to boycott tea.
NAME______
The Tea Act
Lesson question: What were the results in the colonies of the Tea Act?
Time marker/connector / Who (subject) / Action(verb phrase) / Who, What, Where / Questions or conclusions
In 1773, / passed / the Tea Act,
which / gave / Britain’s East India Company a
monopoly on tea.
is / complete control of a good or
service in an area by a person or a group.
As a result of this monopoly, / could legally sell / tea in the colonies
and / could sell tea / for less than colonial merchants could.
meant / that colonial merchants could not make money in the tea trade.
believed / The colonists would choose to buy the cheaper tea -
and / pay / the tax on it.
Instead / decided / to boycott tea. / Did the colonists react in a way different from what the British expected?
WRITING ACTIVITY
Directions: Students will complete the sentences using their chart as needed.
FOCUS QUESTION: What were the results in the colonies of the Tea Act?
When Parliament passed the Tea Act, it gave ______
______
An East India Company monopoly on tea meant that______
______
As a result, colonial merchants could not______
because______
In the end, the colonists______
______
TEACHER KEY
The Tea Act- Sentence Deconstruction Chart
What were the results in the colonies of the Tea Act?
Time marker/connector / Who (subject) / Action(verb phrase) / Who, What, Where / Questions or conclusions
In 1773, / Parliament / passed / the Tea Act, / Parliament is the British government.
which / (the Tea Act) / gave / Britain’s East India Company a
monopoly on tea. / Who controls the East India
Company?
A monopoly / is / complete control of a good or
service in an area by a person or a group. / What happens when only one company controls a good or service?
As a result of this monopoly, / only the East India Tea company / could legally sell / tea in the colonies / What does it mean that they could “legally” sell tea?
and / it
(East India Tea Company) / could sell tea / for less than colonial merchants could.
This (monopoly) / meant / that colonial merchants could not make money in the tea trade. / Why were colonial merchants against the monopoly?
The British
government / believed / The colonists would choose to buy the cheaper tea -
and / (colonists) / pay / the tax on it.
Instead / many colonists / decided / to boycott tea.
WRITING ACTIVITY
Directions: Students will complete the sentences using their chart as needed.
FOCUS QUESTION: What were the results of the Tea Act?
When Parliament passed the Tea Act, it gave the East India Company a monopoly on tea.
______
An East India Company monopoly on tea meant only it could legally sell tea
and it could sell tea for less that the colonial merchants. ______
As a result, colonial merchants could not make money selling tea______
because the East India Company could sell it for less.______
In the end, the colonistsdecided to boycott tea.______
Name:______
Date: ______
Lesson Assessment
Directions:On the lines below, write a paragraph independently to the prompt: What was the Tea Act and how did the colonists react to it?
______
______
Boston Tea Party, engraving by W. D. Cooper. From The History of North America (London, 1789): plate opposite page 58. Courtesy of the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress.
The bottle reads: Tea that was gathered up on the shore of Dorchester Neck in the morning after the destruction of the three cargos at Boston on December 17, 1773.
Source: Massachusetts Historical Society.