Ryan Leverton

SOM 203
Professor Heddy
12/10/15
Big 3 Project Template
*As you complete each section, be sure to re-read the corresponding
section of the C3 Framework
Step 1: Grade: 5th
Your compelling question/big idea:
Did the original 13 colonies have good reasons for separating from England and
declaring their independence?
Supporting questions (2-3)
1. What caused the tensions between the colonists and the British?
2. What consequences could come from rebelling against England?
3. How did the colonists decide whom to support?

Why did you choose this question? How does it reflect your students
interests and needs?
When we were discussing the Kwakiutl Indians in class for our unit, one of our
lessons was on the first Thanksgiving. This was very interesting to the
students and they asked many questions related to the topic. One question
that seemed to really spark an interest in all of the class was a question
about what happened to those Pilgrims who celebrated the first Thanksgiving.
I thought it would be tough to figure out what exactly happened to that group
of Pilgrims, so I bunched them together to say that they continued to live
here and have a family. These family members were the ones who were alive
for the American Revolution. This got them excited about the American
Revolution and they wanted to learn more about the topic, so I decided to go
with something related to the American Revolution that would spark their
interests.

Describe your plan for the inquiry: (How, when and where will the
inquiry take place? What activities will students engage in? Describe
in a brief paragraph.)
This inquiry would take place by doing some research on the topic using
outside sources, such as primary documents from the time period so the
students get a better understanding of peoples opinions when this event was

taking place. I think by allowing the students to conduct their own research,
they will all find different things that interest them, which they can share with
the class who may not have seen this in their research. The final piece of
their inquiry will be to write a letter to King George explaining their
frustration with the Intolerable Acts. This will allow the students to showcase
their knowledge on the subject and practice writing persuasive pieces, which
will be needed later on in their educational process.

Step 2: Apply disciplinary concepts and tools

A. Indicate how you look at your questions through the lens of the
four disciplines- cite one C3 indicator after each and explain (in 13 sentences) how you will examine them:
Civics: D2.Civ.14.3-5. Illustrate historical and contemporary means of
changing society
Change is not an easy thing to accomplish and what the American
Revolution did was change the way society functioned. By examining the
Intolerable Acts in greater detail, the students will begin to see how and
why the colonists wanted to change their society. When the students look
at the sanctions that were bestowed upon the colonists by King George,
they will be able to see how it impacted their lives and their freedom to
live. By allowing the students to see how much their lives were being
controlled by the British government, they will understand how tough
times can gather support for radical change.
Economics: D2.Eco.14.3-5. Explain how trade leads to increasing
economic interdependence among nations.
The British would provide the goods for colonists, but in return they
wanted them to pay tax on these products to help lessen the burden of
expenses that needed to be paid from the previous war. Since the British
knew the colonist needed these products, the British could increase the
tax for certain goods that were traded. By having the students examine
the ways in which the British taxed the colonists, they will be able to
understand how the colonist relied on these goods from the British, and
because of this the British assumed they could raise high taxes that the
colonist would have to pay in order to receive these goods. This caused
tensions between the two sides and would become a pivotal point for the
start of the American Revolution.

Geography: D2.Geo.1.3-5. Construct maps and other graphic

representations of both familiar and unfamiliar places.
When discussing historical events it is important to know the location of
what is being discussed. By having the students construct a map of both
important areas in New Jersey where battles occurred and a map of
Britain, the students will be able to have a broader sense of where these
locations are when they are refererenced during a lesson or a reading. By
having the knowledge of these locations, the student will have an easier
time following where each army is located during the entirety of the war.

History: D2.His.4.3-5. Explain why individuals and groups during the

same historical period differed in their perspectives.
There are always two sides to a story and when teaching about history, it
is important to take in multiple perspectives on a topic. By allowing the
students to examine different primary sources with conflicting information,
it will allow for the students to practice critical thinking skills. These
critical think skills will be important to use when drawing a conclusion
about the big question. There is no right or wrong answer to the question,
but having the students be able to view different sources and draw
conclusions about them, will allow them to generate an answer as to why
these two sources have different opinions on the matter.
B. Identify three of the most important Common Core standards that
your inquiry will address:
a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting
important similarities and differences in the point of view they
represent.
b. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order
to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
c. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts,
including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the
high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.

Step 3: Evaluating Sources and Using Evidence

a. Create a list of high quality, interesting sources (at least four) that you
would use to study your question. Refer to specific sources- a document,

photo, map, etc.- not an entire website or book. Explain why you chose
the source and how you would use it to examine your compelling
question.
a. https://www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/America-ColonialGrievances-Letter-to-King-George-III - This source is a primary
document from the year 1774. This is a letter that was written by
the colonists to King George voicing their frustrations to him and
England. This is only the first page of the letter, but students can
look at the first page to get a sense of what some of the colonists
were truly feeling at the time.
b. http://www.revolutionary-war.net/intolerable-acts.html - On this
website, they have a cartoon that was made in Britain that
portrayed how some of the citizens of Britain sympathized with the
colonists. The cartoon does a good job of highlighting how the
British government would force new rules and laws in the faces of
the colonists with little they could do to stop it. This cartoon would
also give the students multiple perspectives of the issue, seeing as
the cartoonist was from Britain.
c. https://history.state.gov/milestones/1750-1775/parliamentarytaxation - On this website, they have listed the milestones that were
important during the years of 1770-1775. These are important dates
when studying the American Revolution as it shows the chaotic years
before the war began. By using this source in the classroom, the
students can get a better sense of what caused these tensions and
how they played out over many years. The website is a well respected
one, and is full of accurate information that will help the students learn
more about the American Revolution.
d. https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/revolutionimages/images/washington-and-committee.gif - This image is one of
General Washington during the winter of 1777-1778. This image is
important to use because it gives a good sense of how Washington was
portrayed. When examining the photo, he is directly at the center, as
almost like a God-like figure. This is further shown when examining the
faces of the men he is meeting with. This picture gives a good sense
of how General Washington was regarded by his men and it also shows
what the landscape looked like during these winter months, which is
another valuable tool to gain more insight to the lives of these
colonists.
b. B. What issue(s) of social justice will you be examining? How will an
examination of this issue be woven into your inquiry?

An issue of social justice that will be examined will be the unjust laws and
taxes that were imposed on the colonists in order to help the motherland
(Britain), which they intended to separate from by coming to America.
The taxes were what finally broke the camels back, for the colonists.
They viewed these taxes as unfair and unjust. This is what led to the
escalated tension between both parties. I think it would be easy to be
woven into the inquiry because it ties almost directly into what they would
be focusing on, the Intolerable Acts. By discussing the Intolerable Acts in
more detail, the students will understand how these taxes were levied on
the colonists in order to benefit Britain without benefitting anyone else.

C. Identify three of the C3 indicators that would apply to your study of the
sources
a. D2.His.4.3-5. Explain why individuals and groups during the same
historical period differed in their perspectives.
b. D2.Civ.12.3-5. Explain how rules and laws change society and how
people change rules and laws.
c. D2.His.6.3-5. Describe how peoples perspectives shaped the
historical sources they created.

D. Identify three Common Core standards that would apply to your study of
the sources
a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important
similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
b. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9
Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to
write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
c. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts,
including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the
high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.

Step 4: Communicating Conclusions and Taking Informed Actions

A. Explain how you will have your students communicate their conclusions
(1-3 sent.)
The students will communicate their conclusions by giving a
presentation on their findings to the class. This will be important
because it will allow the students to practice public speaking, which
is an important tool they will need later on in life.
B. Explain how you will have your students take informed action (1-3 sent.)
(You may combine communicating conclusions and taking action if they
overlap).
The students may have trouble taking action since this event has
already taken place, but I would use this to draw the attention of
the students of examples of this in present day. Another way to
change this would be to have an assignment where the students go
back in time and address the issue and find a solution that they
may think could resolve the issues between the British and the
colonists.

C. Identify one C3 indicator that applies to either the students

communicating their conclusions or taking action:
a. D2.Civ.11.3-5. Compare procedures for making decisions in a variety
of settings, including classroom, school, government, and/or society.

D. Identify one Common Core standard that applies to either the students
communicating their conclusions or taking action
a. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas
logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an
understandable pace.