Bath Middle School

Bath Middle School8th Grade Social Studies

Part 1: Lesson Objectives Learning Goal for Students: Students will

participate in a simulation of the Intolerable Acts to encourage greater understanding of why the intolerable acts contributed to the American Revolution

Lesson Objectives Learning Objective of Lesson Plan: The

students will show their understanding through a discussion of the textbook and how it connects to the simulation and through a worksheet compare the simulation with the Intolerable Acts.

State Standards Social Studies Standard

F1.2 Using the Declaration of Independence, including the grievances at the end, describe the role the document played in expressing the colonists view of government and their reasons for separating from Britain

Rationale for Lesson Tyranny of Coverage:

students do not learn from solely reading the textbook

Simulations: “Simulations allow students to experience simulated phenomena, and then debrief their reactions” (pg. 190).

Lesson Plan Opener: Review, new

rule and candy Activities

Desk Tax Repeal

Worksheet Tax Pencil Tax

Pencil smuggler Debriefing and

Discussion

SNOW DAY/ Part 2

2nd Hour- The First Attempt No review No jail Implement new

rule/ candy distribution

Desk tax- open seats Repeal

2nd Hour continued Worksheet tax

Pencil for worksheet No enforcement No review and

confusion Pencil Tax

Sharing is not caring Jolly ranchers Illegal smuggling Order confusion

2nd hour debriefing Debriefing

occurred throughout

Emphasized boycott

Went through worksheet

Questions: How did you feel? Who did we

represent? Why were they

taxed? Why do we have

authority?

2nd Hour Student Take Away 19 students in

total 2- understood 10- Kind of

Understood 7- no idea

3rd Hour Prep Slow down Do the review-

Townshend Act, Sugar Act, French Indian War

Emphasize beyond boycotts

Give punishment if don’t participate

“Treat students like their morons”

Alex messed up

4th Hour- Take Two Review and new rule Jail-problems Desk tax-most of

class Repeal-more

complaints Worksheet tax-

Enforced participation

4th Hour-simulation cont Pencil tax

Students write review

Want jolly ranchers

Got smuggled pencils

No sharing rule enforced

4th Hour debriefing Alex improved Emphasized more

than boycott-Boston massacre

Worksheet after discussion

Repeated important points

Questions: Did you feel bad

breaking the law? Did you have a

justified reason? What would you

do if you were the colonists?

4th Hour Student Take Away 24 Students in

total 10-understood 10- kind of

understood 4- had no idea

Observations Students refused to do the assignment rather than

pay jolly ranchers Students wouldn’t share information about

smuggled pencils Jail became a popular location- wanted to get out of

homework During debriefing only the same people would

speak People with more than one pencil would try to share

Part 3-What We Learned Students need

very specific instructions

Teachers need to be in control of the room so students get the most out of the lesson

How to write a lesson plan Need to be flexible Need to be very

specific about what you want to happen

Students will not take away what you want

Have more than one objective

Changes We reviewed 2nd

time Asked more direct

questions Implemented

punishment Gave more

instruction

Use resources Implicitly say jolly

ranchers are money

Take Aways Last thing you ask

should be what your goal was

Reviews are important

Importance of exit activity

Reiteration of instructions

Fun is possible in a lesson