Lesson Plan - The Road to Revolution

Build Background Knowledge

Before reading the article, have students take the five-question Prereading Quiz at junior.scholastic.com. The interactive quiz is self-scoring and will provide an explanation after students answer each question.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the online Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms boycott, tax, and tyranny. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud or have students read it independently or in pairs. As students read, direct them to circle or highlight any unfamiliar words.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• Who was Christopher Seider? How did his death help spark the American Revolution? (Key Details)
Seider was an 11-year-old boy who lived in Boston, Massachusetts. On February 22, 1770, he took part in a protest outside a store that was selling products from Great Britain. He died after Ebenezer Richardson fired into the crowd. News of his death “spread across Boston like wildfire,” and thousands of people attended his funeral. Anger about his death helped fuel the events of the Boston Massacre that would follow shortly after.

• What was the difference between loyalists and patriots? Why were patriots outraged about British rule? (Domain-Specific Vocabulary)
Loyalists were colonists like Richardson who were loyal to King George III of Great Britain. Patriots were colonists like Seider who rejected British rule of the 13 Colonies. Many patriots were outraged that the British had started taxing products like sugar, glass, tea, and paper to raise money to repay debts from a war against France. Colonists had no say in the taxes because they didn’t have any representatives in the British government.

• What happened during the Boston Massacre? How was it “a key turning point”? (Text Evidence)
On the night of March 5, 1770, a teenager started yelling at a British soldier, who then hit the boy with his musket. An angry group of colonists gathered and threw snow and rocks at the soldier. More soldiers came to the scene, and one of them fired into the crowd. More shots followed, and five colonists died. It was a key turning point because many patriots saw no way to make peace with Britain after the deaths. Five years later, the first shots of the American Revolution were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.

• How does the map “The Thirteen Colonies” support the article? (Text Features)
The map shows where the Boston Massacre took place. Readers can see how close it was to the first two battles of the American Revolution. The map shows all 13 Colonies and the amount of land they controlled at the time. It also reveals that Great Britain controlled territories, such as Canada and East Florida, that were not part of the Colonies.

Watch a Video

Ask students to think about these questions as they watch “What You Need to Know About the American Revolution”: How does the video help you understand what happened after the Boston Massacre? How did the United States ultimately gain independence? Use Think-Pair-Share to discuss students’ responses.

Read a Map

Assign the Skill Builder Map Reading: The Thirteen Colonies to have students answer 10 questions about a map of the original Colonies. You might challenge fast finishers to write two additional questions and swap with a classmate. Review responses and correct any misconceptions. For more map reading practice, check out our Map Skills Boot Camp with 13 lessons at junior.scholastic.com/mapskills.

Assess Comprehension

Assign the 10-question Know the News quiz, available in PDF and interactive forms. You can also use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.