Lesson Plan - Fighting for Freedom

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• militia 
• boycotted

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify the events that led to the American Revolution.

1. What is meant by the saying “taxation without representation”?
The saying “taxation without representation” means being forced to pay taxes to a government in which one does not get to vote. The article explains, “[The colonists] had been forced to pay a series of taxes, or extra fees, on items like sugar, glass, paper, and tea. But they had no voice in the British government.”
^{R.4 Determine Meaning}

2. Being coercive means using force or threats to make someone do something. Based on the article, why do you think the laws passed by the British following the Boston Tea Party were known as the Coercive Acts?
You can guess that the laws passed by the British after the Boston Tea Party were known as the Coercive Acts because they were designed to force the colonists to pay taxes without complaint and stop engaging in rebellious acts like the Boston Tea Party.
^{R.1 Inference}

3. Based on the article, why were the battles of Lexington and Concord important events in U.S. history?
The battles of Lexington and Concord were important events in U.S. history because they were the first battles in the American Revolution. The colonists’ victories showed the British that the colonists were willing and able to stand up to them. In addition, the article notes that “the courage and determination [the colonists] showed that day united the Colonies like never before.”
^{R.5 Cause and Effect}

Featured Skill: Paired Text
Tell students that Paul Revere’s ride to warn residents of the impending British attack is the subject of a well-known poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Use the skill builder “Revere’s Famous Ride” to read and analyze an excerpt from the poem.
^{R.9 Paired Texts}