Intolerable Acts Simulation in American Revolution

1. Bath Middle School 8th Grade Social Studies

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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).

6. Lesson Plan • Opener: Review, new rule and candy • Activities • Desk Tax • Repeal • Worksheet Tax • Pencil Tax • Pencil smuggler • Debriefing and Discussion

7. SNOW DAY/ Part 2

8. 2nd Hour- The First Attempt • No review • No jail • Implement new rule/ candy distribution • Desk tax- open seats • Repeal

9. 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

10. 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?

11. 2nd Hour Student Take Away • 19 students in total • 2- understood • 10- Kind of Understood • 7- no idea

12. 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

13. 4th Hour- Take Two • Review and new rule • Jail-problems • Desk tax-most of class • Repeal-more complaints • Worksheet tax- • Enforced participation

14. 4th Hour-simulation cont • Pencil tax • Students write review • Want jolly ranchers • Got smuggled pencils • No sharing rule enforced

15. 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?

16. 4th Hour Student Take Away • 24 Students in total • 10-understood • 10- kind of understood • 4- had no idea

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. Changes • We reviewed 2nd time • Asked more direct questions • Implemented punishment • Gave more instruction • Use resources • Implicitly say jolly ranchers are money

21. 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