The American Revolution

Read alongside: If You Lived in Colonial Times by Ann McGovern; Colonial Times from A to Z by Bobbie Kalman.

1. 01

   A colonial family's day

   • ELA

     Listen to a read-aloud and retell three things a colonial child did (RL.1.2)

   • Math

     Count and sort chore picture cards into groups (K.CC.B.5, K.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Sunlight warms surfaces: compare a sunny and shady spot, as colonists did with no electric heat (K-PS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Compare life then and now: chores, school, light (D2.His.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Read together from an age-appropriate source and pause so the learner can retell, point to, or draw details the source provides.
   • Help the learner notice what the source shows and separate those details from guesses about daily life.
   • Keep the sunny-and-shady comparison adult-guided: choose safe surfaces, check conditions first, and do not touch a surface that may be hot.
   • Explain that colonial children and families did not all share one experience; daily life differed by community, place, and freedom or enslavement.
2. 02

   Colonial jobs

   • ELA

     Learn job words: blacksmith, cooper, printer, weaver (L.1.4)

   • Math

     Measure objects with hand spans, then a ruler (1.MD.A.2)

   • Science

     Sort materials (wood, iron, wool, clay) by properties like hard, soft, bendy (2-PS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why people trade goods and services (D2.Eco.1.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Use the job cards as examples, then talk about work familiar to your learner. Families and communities had different skills, resources, and opportunities.
   • Measure the same object both ways and let the learner’s own hand span be the unit; different hands naturally produce different counts.
   • Pictures are enough for the material sort. If you use samples, choose only light, safe household materials and supervise handling.
   • Keep the trade activity imaginary and focused on how goods or services can meet needs. No money, purchase, or special supplies are needed.
3. 03

   Colonial toys and games

   • ELA

     Follow and give oral steps to play a game (SL.1.1)

   • Math

     Find circles, squares, and triangles in colonial toys (K.G.A.2)

   • Science

     Pushes and pulls: roll a hoop with a stick and compare force (K-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     Games children played then and now (D2.His.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Choose an age-appropriate source or picture directions that show one toy or game detail. A library book, museum page, or family-selected image can work; no particular title or copied excerpt is required.
   • Set up the push-and-pull activity outdoors or in another open area with a lightweight hoop or ring. An adult should check the space, supervise every trial, and substitute a hand-held or paper ring if a stick or object is unsafe.
   • Use safe shape examples from toys or household objects, then compare one source-supported game or toy detail with a present-day example. Help the learner say what the source shows and what is an inference.
   • Accept oral, dictated, drawn, or written responses. Games, toys, access, and childhood experiences varied across communities and children, so do not present one activity as something every colonial child did.
4. 04

   Growing food on a colonial farm

   • ELA

     Draw and label a farm scene (W.K.2)

   • Math

     Add and subtract harvest story problems within 20 (1.OA.A.1)

   • Science

     Plant beans; observe that plants need sun and water (2-LS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     Farms, towns, and the 13 colonies on a simple map (D2.Geo.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Choose an age-appropriate Unit 1 reading or picture source and help the learner use only details it supports. A library, classroom, or family-selected source can work; no purchase or copied excerpt is required.
   • Use paper counters or drawn harvest items for adult-created stories within 20. The quantities are illustrative math practice, not verified historical harvest totals.
   • Set up the bean observation only with an adult supervising. Wash hands afterward, do not taste seeds or plants, avoid unknown materials, and use the picture-observation fallback when soil, water, or light setup is not practical.
   • Accept oral, dictated, drawn, or written responses. Farming, towns, food access, and childhood experiences varied across places, communities, families, and conditions; one farm should not stand for everyone.
   • Use a simple hand-drawn or source-provided map and ask the learner to distinguish what the map shows from what they infer about food moving between places.

Read alongside: A Picture Book of Paul Revere by David A. Adler; Sam the Minuteman by Nathaniel Benchley.

1. 01

   A king far away

   • ELA

     Ask and answer who, what, where questions about King George III (RI.1.1)

   • Math

     Measure the ocean trip: count 8 weeks on a calendar (1.MD.B.3 extension)

   • Science

     Ships and wind: build a paper-sail boat and test wind power (K-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     What a rule is and who makes rules (D2.Civ.3.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Before beginning, revisit the published Lesson 4 outcome: identify a farm, town, and colony or region on an age-appropriate source or map, describe a possible food movement, and distinguish map evidence from inference. This is a visible learning prerequisite, not a login or access lock.
   • Choose an age-appropriate source or picture about King George III and let the learner answer from what the source shows. A library, classroom, or family-selected source can work; no purchase or copied excerpt is required.
   • Use the eight-week calendar count as illustrative math practice only. It is not a verified travel average, and ocean journeys varied by route, conditions, vessel, and people’s circumstances.
   • Keep the paper-sail investigation adult-supervised. Use dry surfaces, gentle hand-made air, and safe paper only; avoid water and moving fan blades, and stop when the setup is not safe.
   • Use familiar rules to discuss who makes them and whose voice is heard. Rules, authority, and people’s experiences differed across colonial families, Native communities, enslaved people, and other groups; do not make one response to rules universal.
2. 02

   Taxes and fairness

   • ELA

     Opinion talk: is it fair to pay a tax you did not vote on? (SL.1.1)

   • Math

     Count coins to "pay the tax" on paper (2.MD.C.8)

   • Science

     Paper: how it is made and why it mattered; tear and wet-test paper types (2-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Fair and unfair rules; the idea of speaking up (D2.Civ.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Begin by revisiting the published Lesson 5 outcome: identify a rule, who makes it, who it affects, and whose voice is included. This is a visible learning prerequisite, not a login or access lock.
   • Use an adult-selected, age-appropriate explanation or picture source about taxes. Library, classroom, or family-created materials work; no purchase or copied excerpt is required, and all four response modes—oral, dictated, drawn, or written—are welcome.
   • Make the paper-coin amounts and exchange pretend math only. The small numbers are invented practice, not historical tax rates, prices, wages, or a representation of anyone’s labor; use paper or picture cards instead of real money and make no purchase.
   • An adult must supervise the paper tear and tiny water-drop observation. Use safe paper, a tray, and a dry picture-observation fallback; stop if water, tearing, or any material is not appropriate.
   • Explain that colonists, Native communities, free people, and enslaved people did not have the same authority, choices, or experience. Invite a fairness judgment without presenting taxation, rule-making, labor, or speaking up as universally fair, voluntary, or shared.
3. 03

   The Boston Tea Party

   • ELA

     Put story events in order with picture cards (RL.1.2)

   • Math

     Place value: 342 chests of tea as hundreds, tens, ones (2.NBT.A.1)

   • Science

     Tea in water: warm vs cold water and dissolving, reversible or not (2-PS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Protest: why the colonists dumped the tea (D2.His.3.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Before beginning, revisit the published Lesson 6 outcome: from an age-appropriate source, explain what a tax is, who decides it, who pays it, whose voice is heard, and give a reasoned fairness response. This is a visible learning prerequisite, not a login or access lock.
   • Choose an age-appropriate Unit 2 source or picture sequence for the Boston Tea Party. Ask which details come from the source and which ideas are inferences; oral, dictated, drawn, and written responses are all welcome.
   • Use 342 only as supplied place-value practice: 3 hundreds, 4 tens, and 2 ones. It is not a verified count of all tea or historical trade, and it does not represent every chest involved in the event.
   • Keep the warm-and-cool water activity adult-supervised. Use safe temperature checks, a tray, tiny amounts, no tasting, and the dry picture-observation alternative when needed. Children should observe rather than handle hot water.
   • Discuss why some colonists protested and how a protest could affect others without saying that every colonist agreed or that one source speaks for everyone. Notice that Native communities, enslaved people, free people, and colonists had differing experiences and access to power and voice.
4. 04

   Paul Revere's ride

   • ELA

     Retell the ride in sequence: first, next, last (W.1.3)

   • Math

     Tell time to the hour and half hour on a "midnight ride" clock (1.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Lantern signals: use light to send a message across a room (1-PS4-4)

   • Social Studies

     Messengers and how news traveled with no phones (D2.His.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Before beginning, revisit the published Lesson 7 outcome: use an age-appropriate source or scenario to explain why some colonists protested the tea, identify whose voice was heard, and consider how the protest affected other people. Separate source evidence from inference, and explain that colonists did not all share one perspective. This is a visible learning prerequisite, not a login or access lock.
   • Choose an age-appropriate source or picture sequence for Paul Revere’s ride and use only details it supports. Oral, dictated, drawn, or written responses are all welcome; do not invent or require a quotation.
   • Use an adult-drawn or paper clock for whole-hour and half-hour practice. The times are illustrative math practice, not a verified itinerary, and different sources may leave parts of the ride uncertain.
   • Keep the light experiment adult-supervised. Use only a cool LED or battery light in a clear room, never use a candle or flame, and do not reenact riding on roads, traveling in darkness, or carrying a message near traffic.
   • Explain that Revere’s story is one account within a wider network of messengers and news. People across colonist communities, Native communities, free communities, and enslaved communities did not have the same access to information or voice; a single account cannot represent everyone.

Read alongside: George Washington's Breakfast by Jean Fritz; Buttons for General Washington by Peter and Connie Roop; Revolutionary War on Wednesday by Mary Pope Osborne.

1. 01

   George Washington, leader

   • ELA

     Describe a real person using key details from a biography (RI.2.3)

   • Math

     Skip-count soldiers by 5s and 10s (2.NBT.A.2)

   • Science

     Weather watch: chart daily weather for a week, as armies had to (K-ESS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     What makes a good leader (D2.Civ.2.K-2)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   Learning goals

   After Lesson 8 · George Washington leads

   • Learners use an age-appropriate biography or source to identify one source-supported way George Washington led people during the American Revolution, then explain that leadership involved working with and listening to others.
   • Describe two or three details about George Washington that the selected biography or source supports, while labeling an inference as an inference.
   • Use classroom counters to make illustrative groups of 5 and 10 and explain what the skip-counting shows without calling the groups a historical soldier total.
   • Make a safe week-long weather record and discuss leadership choices with attention to whose voices and experiences a source includes or leaves out.

   Talk together

   Shared Discussion Starters

   Choose a starter to reason through together after the Lesson 8 sequence context.

   1. What could a leader do when people on a team have different ideas? How might listening help the group choose together?
   2. Which part of the lesson would you want to check in the biography or source again? What clue would help you decide whether an idea is evidence or an inference?
   3. Whose voice or experience is missing from this biography or lesson? What might hearing it add to our understanding?

   Optional conversation

   Family discussion prompts

   Choose one or two to discuss together after the lesson. These are separate from the learner activities and comprehension questions.

   • What did George Washington do in this lesson that makes you think he was leading? Which part comes from the source, and which part is your own inference?
   • How might listening to other people and cooperating help a leader and a team make a shared choice? Can you name an example from the lesson or the team activity?
   • Which detail about Washington or the Continental Army is evidence from the biography or source? What idea might be an inference?
   • Whose voice or experience might be missing from this biography or lesson? What might we want to learn about people in different roles, communities, or circumstances?

   For families

   Family answer guide

   Use these concise acceptable-answer notes to review the three comprehension questions. They are separate from the optional conversation prompts and the learner lesson.

   1. 1. Question: Who was George Washington, and what is one way he led people during the American Revolution?

      Acceptable answer: George Washington was a leader of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Accept one source-supported way he led people, such as working with or listening to others.

   2. 2. Question: What is one detail from your biography or source that shows how George Washington led or worked with others?

      Acceptable answer: Accept any detail the selected biography or source actually supports about how Washington led or worked with others. The learner should identify the source-supported detail without inventing a quotation.

   3. 3. Question: What makes a good leader? Name one way a leader can listen to or work with other people.

      Acceptable answer: Accept an evidence-based description that connects good leadership with listening, cooperation, taking turns, or sharing ideas. A source-supported example or clearly labeled possibility is acceptable; there is not one universal definition.

   Optional estimate · Estimated time after Lesson 8

   About 35–45 minutes total

   25–30 minutes for the saved lesson, plus about 10–15 minutes for the hands-on “Build a team plan: listen and lead” activity.

   Flexible planning guidance—not a required pace. Take more or less time based on your learner, conversation, and materials.

   Materials for the hands-on activity

   • A small set of blocks or paper pieces and child-safe tape.

   • Read an adult-selected, age-appropriate biography or source and ask the learner to describe George Washington with two or three key details it supports. Separate what the source says from an inference; do not invent or require a copied quotation.
   • Explain that Washington led the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, then ask how a leader might work with and listen to others. One biography is one account, not everyone’s story; ask whose voice or experience it leaves out.
   • Use counters to make groups of 5 and 10 and practice skip-counting. Label the groups as an illustrative math model, not a verified number of Washington’s soldiers or historical evidence.
   • Keep the seven-day weather observation local, safe, and adult-supervised. Record only what the learner observes; use pictures or a calendar instead of outdoor measurement or a thermometer when needed.
   • For the listening-and-cooperation build, use stable blocks or paper pieces and child-safe tape with an adult nearby. Take turns, pause to listen, and treat the model as classroom collaboration, not a reenactment or evidence of Washington’s actual practice.
   • Invite an oral, dictated, drawn, or written response. People in the period had different roles, power, and experiences, so discuss “good leadership” as an evidence-based question rather than a universal label.
2. 02

   The Declaration of Independence

   • ELA

     Write or draw an opinion: "I think freedom means..." (W.1.1)

   • Math

     Find July 4 on a calendar; count days until it (1.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Quill pens: test which tools make the best writing marks (2-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     The Declaration as America's "birthday"; July 4 traditions (D2.His.3.K-2)

3. 03

   Crossing the icy Delaware

   • ELA

     Retell a true adventure using pictures (RI.1.7)

   • Math

     Two-step subtraction story: boats and soldiers within 100 (2.OA.A.1)

   • Science

     Freeze and melt water; observe ice as a changed state (2-PS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Find the Delaware River on a map (D2.Geo.2.K-2)

4. 04

   Winter at Valley Forge

   • ELA

     Write a kind note to a soldier (W.1.2)

   • Math

     Graph which mitten or sock material keeps an ice cube longest (2.MD.D.10)

   • Science

     Test materials that keep hands warm (2-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Helping each other in hard times; kids and families at camp (D2.Civ.2.K-2)

Read alongside: Red, White, and Blue: The Story of the American Flag by John Herman; We the Kids by David Catrow; Phillis Sings Out Freedom by Ann Malaspina; Happy Birthday, America by Mary Pope Osborne.

1. 01

   Our flag

   • ELA

     Learn flag words: stripe, star, colony, symbol (L.1.4)

   • Math

     Count 13 stripes; odd and even patterns (2.OA.C.3)

   • Science

     Night sky: stars in patterns, like the flag's stars (1-ESS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Symbols of the nation: flag, eagle, Liberty Bell (D2.Civ.2.K-2)

2. 02

   Rules for everyone: the Constitution

   • ELA

     Read We the Kids and write a family "preamble" (W.1.2)

   • Math

     Vote on a family rule and tally results (1.MD.C.4)

   • Science

     Plan and build a simple "fair" balance scale (K-2-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why nations and families need rules (D2.Civ.3.K-2)

3. 03

   Heroes you might not know

   • ELA

     Listen to a poem and talk about Phillis Wheatley (RL.1.4)

   • Math

     Compare numbers: ages of young heroes (1.NBT.B.3)

   • Science

     Animal families: young look like parents, as children follow elders (1-LS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Many people helped: Phillis Wheatley, Deborah Sampson, James Armistead Lafayette (D2.His.3.K-2)

4. 04

   Family Liberty Day (unit celebration)

   • ELA

     Present a short "what I learned" talk (SL.1.4)

   • Math

     Bake or measure a colonial recipe with cups (1.MD.A.2)

   • Science

     Butter churning: shake cream and observe a change (2-PS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Celebrate freedom and citizenship; share a timeline picture book (D2.His.2.K-2)

Read alongside: If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore; Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta.

1. 01

   New England, Middle, and Southern colonies

   • ELA

     Find the main idea and details of each region's section (RI.3.2)

   • Math

     Bar graph of colonial populations by region (3.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Climate by region: compare temperature and rainfall data (3-ESS2-2)

   • Social Studies

     Label all 13 colonies and major cities on a map (D2.Geo.2.3-5)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Choose an age-appropriate reading from the 3–5 anchor list, such as If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution. An adult can select or prepare a short, source-identified section for each region; no book purchase or copied excerpt is required.
   • Use the population and climate values printed with the lesson as practice data only. They are illustrative classroom numbers, not verified historical counts or observed climate records; keep the stated scale, year basis, and units visible while working.
   • Prepare a simple outline map on paper or use an available atlas or classroom map. Learners can label the colony names and place the five city markers without needing a special map image.
   • Ask: “Which detail in the reading supports that main idea?”, “How does the graph help us compare?”, and “Would one city describe every place in its region?” Discuss whose experiences or places a simple regional chart leaves out.
2. 02

   Making a living: trade and goods

   • ELA

     Learn economic words: export, import, merchant, boycott (L.4.4)

   • Math

     Multi-step money problems with colonial goods (4.OA.A.3)

   • Science

     Natural resources: timber, fish, tobacco, rice and where they come from (4-ESS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Triangular trade and the enslaved people forced into it (D2.Eco.6.3-5)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Before starting, choose one short passage from the Unit 1 reading guide and the named Library of Congress or National Park Service source pages in the materials. An adult can read difficult sections aloud; no purchase or copied excerpt is required.
   • Use the practice-pence list only for arithmetic. The prices are illustrative, not verified colonial prices or currency conversions; do not use enslaved people in a money problem or price list.
   • For the map, follow one route the Library of Congress text describes and label it as an example. Say plainly that African people were captured and forced across the Atlantic and that people were never willing cargo.
   • Ask: “What clue in the source shows where this good came from?”, “What does boycott mean in this passage?”, and “Who made choices in this trade system, and who was forced into it?” Let learners answer aloud, by dictation, with a drawing, or in writing.
3. 03

   Benjamin Franklin, scientist

   • ELA

     Read a short biography and explain an invention step by step (RI.4.3)

   • Math

     Measure and record static-electricity balloon tests in a table (4.MD.A.2)

   • Science

     Electricity and energy transfer; how a lightning rod protects a building (4-PS3-2)

   • Social Studies

     How one colonist shaped science, printing, and politics (D2.His.3.3-5)

4. 04

   Many people in the colonies

   • ELA

     Compare two first-person accounts of colonial life (RI.4.6)

   • Math

     Fractions: about 1 in 5 colonists was enslaved; model with fraction bars (3.NF.A.1)

   • Science

     Habitats: how Native nations used local plants and animals (3-LS4-3)

   • Social Studies

     Perspectives of colonists, Native nations, and enslaved Africans (D2.His.4.3-5)

Read alongside: Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? and Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams? by Jean Fritz; George vs. George by Rosalyn Schanzer.

1. 01

   After the French and Indian War

   • ELA

     Explain cause and effect: war debt leads to taxes (RI.4.3)

   • Math

     Timeline with elapsed years, 1754 to 1776 (4.MD.A.2)

   • Science

     Map landforms: why the Appalachians made a natural boundary (4-ESS2-2)

   • Social Studies

     The Proclamation of 1763 and westward settlement (D2.His.14.3-5)

2. 02

   The Stamp Act and the Townshend Acts

   • ELA

     Opinion paragraph: was the tax fair? Use reasons (W.4.1)

   • Math

     Percent as parts of 100 using decimal money (4.NF.C.6)

   • Science

     Glass, lead, paint, paper: properties of the taxed materials (5-PS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     "No taxation without representation" (D2.Civ.8.3-5)

3. 03

   The Boston Massacre

   • ELA

     Compare two accounts of the same event (RI.5.6)

   • Math

     Coordinate plane: plot where people stood in Paul Revere's engraving (5.G.A.2)

   • Science

     Sound travels: how the crowd's noise and confusion spread (4-PS4-1)

   • Social Studies

     Propaganda: Revere's engraving as a primary source (D2.His.10.3-5)

4. 04

   The Boston Tea Party and the Coercive Acts

   • ELA

     Write a newspaper report on the Tea Party (W.4.2)

   • Math

     Multiply to estimate tea weight: 342 chests × about 270 lb (approx. 92,000 lb total) (5.NBT.B.5)

   • Science

     Dissolving and mixtures: does tea change the water permanently? (5-PS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Protest and consequences: Boston Harbor closed (D2.His.14.3-5)

Read alongside: And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? by Jean Fritz; Sybil Ludington's Midnight Ride by Marsha Amstel; The Hatmaker's Sign by Candace Fleming.

1. 01

   Lexington and Concord

   • ELA

     Narrative: retell the ride from a rider's view (W.4.3)

   • Math

     Calculate distance and ride time with a map scale (4.MD.A.2)

   • Science

     Lantern codes: design a light signal to send a message (4-PS4-3)

   • Social Studies

     The first shots of the war and the minutemen (D2.His.1.3-5)

2. 02

   Bunker Hill and the Continental Army

   • ELA

     Summarize a battle account in one paragraph (RI.5.2)

   • Math

     Compare army sizes with multi-digit subtraction (4.NBT.B.4)

   • Science

     Forces and slopes: why fighting uphill is harder (3-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     The Second Continental Congress picks Washington (D2.Civ.3.3-5)

3. 03

   Common Sense

   • ELA

     Identify an author's reasons and evidence (RI.4.8)

   • Math

     Estimate copies sold and round large numbers (4.NBT.A.3)

   • Science

     How a printing press moves force into print (3-5-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Thomas Paine's argument for independence (D2.His.4.3-5)

4. 04

   The Declaration of Independence

   • ELA

     Read and paraphrase the Declaration's preamble (RI.5.4)

   • Math

     Tally signers by colony; line plot (5.MD.B.2)

   • Science

     Ink making: mix berries or tea with vinegar and observe a new substance (5-PS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Rights named in the Declaration; who was left out (D2.Civ.8.3-5)

Read alongside: Crossing the Delaware by Louise Peacock; The Winter of Red Snow by Kristiana Gregory; Toliver's Secret by Esther Wood Brady; Phoebe the Spy by Judith Berry Griffin.

1. 01

   Trenton and Princeton

   • ELA

     Describe how a character changes over a story (RL.4.3)

   • Math

     Elapsed time for the night crossing (3.MD.A.1)

   • Science

     Weather hazards: design a way to cross an icy river safely (3-ESS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why the surprise attack mattered (D2.His.14.3-5)

2. 02

   Saratoga and the French alliance

   • ELA

     Integrate two texts on Saratoga to explain a turning point (RI.4.9)

   • Math

     Read a double bar graph of U.S. and British troop numbers (3.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Navigation: using stars and the sun for direction at sea (5-ESS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Allies: France, Spain, and Lafayette (D2.His.1.3-5)

3. 03

   Valley Forge

   • ELA

     Diary entry as a soldier at Valley Forge (W.4.3)

   • Math

     Ration math: divide food among soldiers, with remainders (4.NBT.B.6)

   • Science

     Heat transfer: test which clothing layers keep warmth best (4-PS3-2)

   • Social Studies

     Hardship, disease, and von Steuben's training (D2.His.2.3-5)

4. 04

   Spies, codes, and Yorktown

   • ELA

     Read a spy story and explain key clues (RL.5.1)

   • Math

     Cipher wheels and number patterns (4.OA.C.5)

   • Science

     Codes as patterns that send information (4-PS4-3)

   • Social Studies

     James Armistead Lafayette and the British surrender at Yorktown (D2.His.3.3-5)

Read alongside: Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz; A More Perfect Union by Betsy and Giulio Maestro; Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barb Rosenstock.

1. 01

   The Treaty of Paris

   • ELA

     Explain the treaty's key terms in own words (RI.4.3)

   • Math

     Compare land areas before and after 1783 using area models (4.MD.A.3)

   • Science

     Rivers as boundaries: the Mississippi and watersheds (5-ESS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     New borders of the United States (D2.Geo.2.3-5)

2. 02

   The Articles of Confederation

   • ELA

     Compare two ideas: weak and strong national governments (RI.5.3)

   • Math

     Voting math: 9 of 13 states needed as a fraction (4.NF.A.2)

   • Science

     Balanced forces: a bridge model that is too weak, then strengthened (3-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why the Articles did not work (D2.Civ.3.3-5)

3. 03

   The Constitution and three branches

   • ELA

     Short research report on one founder (W.5.7)

   • Math

     Classify and compare numbers of senators and representatives (5.OA.A.2)

   • Science

     Systems: how the parts of a system work together, like the branches (5-LS2-1 crosscutting)

   • Social Studies

     Three branches and checks and balances (D2.Civ.3.3-5)

4. 04

   The Bill of Rights (unit project)

   • ELA

     Oral presentation on one amendment (SL.5.4)

   • Math

     Collect and graph family survey on favorite rights (3.MD.B.3)

   • Science

     Engineering showcase: present a design from this theme (3-5-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Rights and responsibilities of citizens (D2.Civ.10.3-5)

Read alongside: Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (begin); excerpts of John Locke's Second Treatise of Government (adapted).

1. 01

   Colonial self-government

   • ELA

     Determine central ideas of the Mayflower Compact and House of Burgesses sources (RH.6-8.2)

   • Math

     Ratios: representatives per colonist in assemblies (6.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Resource distribution: why regions developed different economies (MS-ESS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Colonial assemblies, town meetings, and English rights traditions (D2.Civ.3.6-8)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Choose short, accessible excerpts or descriptions from the official source links on this page; no special book or purchase is needed.
   • Ask the learner to point to the words or details that support each source-based idea, and help separate evidence from a modern assumption.
   • Treat the representative counts as invented math practice examples only; they do not report historical assembly ratios.
   • Discuss how geography offered possibilities without determining an economy, and ask whose participation or perspective is absent from accounts of colonial self-government.
2. 02

   The Enlightenment

   • ELA

     Define natural rights, social contract, consent of the governed from context (L.7.4)

   • Math

     Data from a survey on "what makes government fair" (6.SP.B.5)

   • Science

     The scientific method as an Enlightenment idea; run a controlled experiment (MS-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     How Locke and Montesquieu shaped colonial thinking (D2.His.1.6-8)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Use short, adult-selected excerpts rather than requiring a book purchase: the materials name Locke’s Second Treatise, a National Archives Declaration transcription, and the National Constitution Center’s Montesquieu source entry. Help the learner distinguish what a document says from a modern paraphrase or interpretation.
   • The fairness survey is optional and anonymous. Ask no more than eight willing people, collect no names, and label any results as a small household or classroom convenience sample—not a representative poll or proof that a government is fair.
   • The paper-helicopter test needs only scrap paper and a clear indoor floor. An adult can prepare the paper, supervise cutting, and choose a reachable drop height; use the same height and method for each of three trials, and change blade length only.
   • The helicopter activity is a present-day classroom model for observing and testing one variable, not a documented event from the Enlightenment. Invite the learner to connect source evidence to an idea about rights or power while asking whose rights and voices were excluded in practice.
3. 03

   Colonial economy and mercantilism

   • ELA

     Explain how an author structures an economic argument (RH.6-8.5)

   • Math

     Percent: trade profits and balance of trade (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Shipbuilding and buoyancy: test hull shapes (MS-ETS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Mercantilism, the Navigation Acts, and smuggling (D2.Eco.1.6-8)

4. 04

   Slavery and Native nations in the colonies

   • ELA

     Compare two primary accounts of enslaved life (RH.6-8.9)

   • Math

     Analyze census data on enslaved population by colony (6.SP.B.5)

   • Science

     How introduced crops and livestock changed ecosystems (MS-LS2-4)

   • Social Studies

     Perspectives of Africans, Native nations, and colonists (D2.His.4.6-8)

Read alongside: Johnny Tremain (continue); King George: What Was His Problem? by Steve Sheinkin; The Boston Tea Party by Russell Freedman.

1. 01

   War debt and new taxes

   • ELA

     Cite evidence for why Parliament passed the Stamp Act (RH.6-8.1)

   • Math

     Percent tax on goods; compare to today's sales tax (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Paper and papermaking: fibers and properties (MS-PS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     British and colonial views of taxation (D2.His.4.6-8)

2. 02

   Boycotts and the Sons and Daughters of Liberty

   • ELA

     Analyze persuasive language in a boycott broadside (RH.6-8.6)

   • Math

     Proportional relationships: import drops during boycotts (7.RP.A.2)

   • Science

     Homespun cloth: plant fibers and spinning as a technology (MS-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Women's roles in boycotts; economic protest (D2.Eco.1.6-8)

3. 03

   The Boston Massacre

   • ELA

     Distinguish fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in trial testimony (RH.6-8.8)

   • Math

     Scale drawing of King Street from the engraving (7.G.A.1)

   • Science

     Sound and confusion: how sound waves carry in crowds (MS-PS4-1)

   • Social Studies

     John Adams defends the soldiers; rule of law (D2.His.10.6-8)

4. 04

   From Tea Party to First Continental Congress

   • ELA

     Argument: was the Tea Party justified? (W.8.1)

   • Math

     Rates: the monetary value of the tea in today's money (6.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Chemistry of tea: solutions and solubility (MS-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Coercive Acts and colonial unity (D2.His.14.6-8)

Read alongside: Johnny Tremain (finish); Patrick Henry's "Liberty or Death" speech; excerpts of Common Sense; the Declaration of Independence.

1. 01

   Lexington, Concord, and Bunker Hill

   • ELA

     Compare a novel's portrayal of Lexington with a historical account (RL.7.9)

   • Math

     Coordinate plane: map troop routes and compute distances (6.NS.C.8)

   • Science

     Projectile motion: how mass and speed affect energy (MS-PS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     How the war began; militia vs. regulars (D2.His.1.6-8)

2. 02

   The power of Common Sense

   • ELA

     Evaluate Paine's argument and evidence (RI.8.8)

   • Math

     Scientific notation: copies printed vs. population (8.EE.A.4)

   • Science

     The printing press as a technology that changed information flow (MS-PS4-3)

   • Social Studies

     Public opinion shifts toward independence (D2.His.5.6-8)

3. 03

   Writing the Declaration

   • ELA

     Analyze the Declaration's structure: preamble, grievances, conclusion (RH.6-8.5)

   • Math

     Categorize and graph the 27 grievances by type (6.SP.B.4)

   • Science

     Enlightenment science: Jefferson and Franklin as scientists (MS-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Natural rights and self-evident truths (D2.Civ.8.6-8)

4. 04

   Who was included?

   • ELA

     Read Abigail Adams's "Remember the Ladies" letter (Mar 31, 1776) and write a response (W.7.1)

   • Math

     Percent of population with voting rights in 1776 (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Primary source handling: paper aging and conservation (MS-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Women, enslaved people, and Native nations and the promise of equality (D2.His.4.6-8)

Read alongside: My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier; Washington at Valley Forge by Russell Freedman; Thomas Paine's The American Crisis No. 1.

1. 01

   New York and "the times that try men's souls"

   • ELA

     Analyze how Paine's word choice creates urgency (RI.8.4)

   • Math

     Probability: chance of success in a surprise attack (7.SP.C.7)

   • Science

     The Turtle submarine: buoyancy and density design challenge (MS-ETS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Retreat from New York; the loyalty question (D2.His.1.6-8)

2. 02

   Trenton, Princeton, and Saratoga

   • ELA

     Explain a turning point using two sources (RH.6-8.9)

   • Math

     Rate problems: miles marched per day (6.RP.A.3b)

   • Science

     Air masses and winter storms (MS-ESS2-5)

   • Social Studies

     Saratoga brings France into the war (D2.His.14.6-8)

3. 03

   Valley Forge and army medicine

   • ELA

     Narrative: a Valley Forge soldier's letter home (W.6.3)

   • Math

     Rates of disease vs. battle deaths; percents (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Body systems and the immune response; smallpox inoculation (MS-LS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Von Steuben and professionalizing the army (D2.His.3.6-8)

4. 04

   Loyalists and families divided

   • ELA

     Compare Patriot and Loyalist points of view (RH.6-8.6)

   • Math

     Analyze estimated Loyalist percentages by region (6.SP.B.5)

   • Science

     Heat transfer design: build an insulated shelter model (MS-PS3-3)

   • Social Studies

     Loyalists, neutrals, and civil war within colonies (D2.His.4.6-8)

Read alongside: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (or Forge); The Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin; Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen.

1. 01

   France, Spain, and the war at sea

   • ELA

     Short research on Lafayette or Bernardo de Gálvez (W.7.7)

   • Math

     Map scale: distances across the Atlantic (7.G.A.1)

   • Science

     Navigation: latitude, stars, and gravity's role in tides (MS-ESS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why other nations joined the war (D2.His.1.6-8)

2. 02

   The war in the South

   • ELA

     Integrate a map and text to explain a campaign (RH.6-8.7)

   • Math

     Linear model: supply wagons over time (8.F.B.4)

   • Science

     Climate and disease in the Southern campaign (MS-ESS2-6)

   • Social Studies

     Kings Mountain, Cowpens, Nathanael Greene (D2.His.14.6-8)

3. 03

   Spies and traitors

   • ELA

     Analyze a character's motives in a nonfiction narrative (RI.7.3)

   • Math

     Cipher math: substitution codes and number patterns (7.EE.B.4)

   • Science

     Invisible ink: a chemical reaction reveals hidden writing (MS-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     The Culper Ring and Benedict Arnold (D2.His.3.6-8)

4. 04

   Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris

   • ELA

     Summarize the treaty's terms objectively (RH.6-8.2)

   • Math

     Pythagorean theorem: siege trench distances (8.G.B.7)

   • Science

     Engineering siegeworks: forces and structures (MS-PS2-2)

   • Social Studies

     Victory, French naval role, and new borders (D2.His.16.6-8)

Read alongside: Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz (review); the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights; optional extension: Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.

1. 01

   The Articles and Shays' Rebellion

   • ELA

     Explain cause and effect in a secondary account (RH.6-8.3)

   • Math

     Debt and interest: simple interest on farm debts (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Structural failure: test a weak vs. reinforced model (MS-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Weaknesses of the Articles (D2.Civ.4.6-8)

2. 02

   The Constitutional Convention

   • ELA

     Collaborative debate on the Great Compromise (SL.8.1)

   • Math

     Ratios: seats by population; the three-fifths clause and its moral cost (6.RP.A.1)

   • Science

     Systems thinking: inputs and outputs of a system of government (MS-LS1-3 crosscutting)

   • Social Studies

     Compromises, federalism, and slavery in the Constitution (D2.Civ.3.6-8)

3. 03

   Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

   • ELA

     Argument essay: should the Constitution be ratified? (W.8.1)

   • Math

     Ratification data: votes by state as percentages (7.RP.A.3)

   • Science

     Evaluating competing design solutions (MS-ETS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     The ratification debate (D2.His.5.6-8)

4. 04

   The Bill of Rights (unit project)

   • ELA

     Present a multimedia report on one amendment (SL.8.5)

   • Math

     Survey family on which rights matter most; analyze data (7.SP.A.1)

   • Science

     Science and freedom of the press: sharing discoveries openly (MS-ETS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Rights today; how the Constitution changes (D2.Civ.10.6-8)

Read alongside: The American Revolution: A History by Gordon S. Wood; The Scratch of a Pen: 1763 and the Transformation of North America by Colin G. Calloway (excerpts); Stamp Act Congress resolutions (1765).

1. 01

   The Seven Years' War and its costs

   • ELA

     Determine central ideas in a secondary source and summarize (RH.11-12.2)

   • Math

     Model British national debt growth with a function (HSF-IF.B.4)

   • Science

     How war and trade moved plants, animals, and disease: ecosystem change (HS-LS2-7)

   • Social Studies

     Global context of the war; Native nations after 1763 (D2.His.1.9-12)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • For an accessible opening, select and attribute the National Park Service paragraphs on debt and postwar policy. Help the learner separate what the page documents from the historian’s explanation of why events mattered.
   • Keep the graph labels visible: FRED’s Bank of England series reports annual end-of-year public debt in millions of pounds; the straight-line function is a model, not another historical measurement. The NPS article’s approximate total uses a different presentation, so do not combine the figures.
   • The National Park Service bison article gives an accessible, attributed account of trade routes and regional change; Morrissey’s named scholarly reading adds an interpretation of Illinois people, bison, and diplomacy. Invite the learner to label each source’s evidence and interpretation separately.
   • Ask whose experiences appear in each source and whose do not. Discuss the Illinois people as a specific community, and avoid treating Illinois, Shawnee, Delaware, Haudenosaunee, or other Native nations as interchangeable.
2. 02

   Parliamentary sovereignty vs. colonial rights

   • ELA

     Evaluate differing points of view in British and colonial sources (RH.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Taxes as percentages; compare colonial and British tax burdens (HSN-Q.A.1)

   • Science

     Enlightenment science: Newton's laws as a model for "natural law" reasoning (HS-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     Virtual vs. actual representation (D2.Civ.8.9-12)

   For families

   A few ways to learn together

   Open learner lesson

   • Begin with the current Unit 1 reading list and short selected excerpts. Ask the learner to mark what a source says, what the source’s author or speaker argues, and what the learner is inferring; do not invent or paraphrase a quotation as if it were original wording.
   • The historical context is the post–Seven Years’ War dispute: British officials addressed the fiscal and administrative costs of empire, while colonial writers and the Stamp Act Congress asserted rights associated with English subjects and questioned taxation without a more direct form of consent. These were competing arguments, not one British view and one colonial view.
   • Keep the tax activity visibly mathematical and illustrative. The hypothetical cases are not records of what British or colonial households paid and cannot settle the historical dispute; the learner should explain how the chosen denominator changes the percentage comparison.
   • Use Newton’s laws as a reasoning model only. A physical law can help a learner test an analogy about force, inertia, or reaction, but it cannot serve as historical evidence or prove what rights a government should recognize.
   • When discussing representation, note that “actual” and “virtual” representation were competing claims about political consent. Ask whose voices were present or absent, including the limits of the Stamp Act Congress resolutions and the unequal political standing of many people in the eighteenth-century Atlantic world.
3. 03

   Resistance networks

   • ELA

     Analyze how Committees of Correspondence used rhetoric (RH.11-12.4)

   • Math

     Network math: model how news spreads between towns (HSF-LE.A.1)

   • Science

     Communication technology: speed of information by horse, ship, signal (HS-PS4-5)

   • Social Studies

     Sons of Liberty, crowds, and political organizing (D2.His.14.9-12)

4. 04

   Boston, 1770–1774

   • ELA

     Detect contradictions among trial testimonies of the Massacre (RH.11-12.8)

   • Math

     Statistics: compare witness accounts as a data set (HSS-ID.A.2)

   • Science

     Chemistry of tea and trade goods: solutions and concentration (HS-PS1-5)

   • Social Studies

     Escalation from Massacre to Coercive Acts (D2.His.10.9-12)

Read alongside: Common Sense (full); the Declaration of Independence; Olive Branch Petition (1775); Lord Dunmore's Proclamation (Nov 1775); fiction: April Morning by Howard Fast.

1. 01

   Reconciliation or independence?

   • ELA

     Compare the Olive Branch Petition and Common Sense on the same question (RH.11-12.9)

   • Math

     Logic and argument structure: conditional statements (HSS-CP.A.1 framing of events)

   • Science

     The scientific ideas behind "self-evident" truths: axioms in reasoning (HS-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Why moderates turned toward independence (D2.His.5.9-12)

2. 02

   Paine and persuasion

   • ELA

     Analyze Paine's rhetoric and appeals (RI.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Model Common Sense circulation with exponential growth (HSF-LE.A.2)

   • Science

     Printing technology: energy and mechanical advantage of a press (HS-PS3-3)

   • Social Studies

     Mass politics and public opinion in 1776 (D2.His.3.9-12)

3. 03

   Close reading the Declaration

   • ELA

     Analyze the Declaration's themes, purposes, and rhetoric (RI.11-12.9)

   • Math

     Categorize grievances and build a frequency table (HSS-ID.B.5)

   • Science

     Jefferson's drafts and editing: how evidence revises a claim (HS-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Natural rights theory and Lockean ideas (D2.Civ.3.9-12)

4. 04

   Liberty and slavery

   • ELA

     Read Jefferson's deleted slavery passage and Dunmore's Proclamation; write an analytical essay (W.11-12.2)

   • Math

     Analyze population data for enslaved people who fled to British lines (HSS-IC.B.6)

   • Science

     Human variation: why "race" is not a biological category (HS-LS3-3)

   • Social Studies

     The central contradiction of the Revolution (D2.His.4.9-12)

Read alongside: 1776 by David McCullough; A Narrative of a Revolutionary Soldier by Joseph Plumb Martin (excerpts); Pox Americana by Elizabeth A. Fenn (excerpts).

1. 01

   Strategy: a war of posts

   • ELA

     Evaluate an author's claims about Washington's strategy (RH.11-12.8)

   • Math

     Trigonometry: angle and height of the Dorchester Heights guns (HSG-SRT.C.8)

   • Science

     Projectile motion with quadratic models (HS-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     British and American strategic choices (D2.His.14.9-12)

2. 02

   Soldiers' lives and logistics

   • ELA

     Analyze a soldier's memoir for point of view and bias (RH.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Optimization: supply lines and cost (HSA-CED.A.3)

   • Science

     Nutrition and body systems under starvation and cold (HS-LS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Who served: militia, Continentals, Black soldiers, camp followers (D2.His.4.9-12)

3. 03

   Smallpox and war

   • ELA

     Synthesize sources on the 1775–82 smallpox epidemic (WHST.11-12.7)

   • Math

     Model disease spread with exponential functions (HSF-LE.A.2)

   • Science

     Immune response and inoculation; run an epidemic simulation (HS-LS1-2, HS-ETS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Washington's 1777 inoculation order as a policy decision (D2.His.3.9-12)

4. 04

   Diplomacy and a world war

   • ELA

     Evaluate Franklin's diplomatic letters (RH.11-12.1)

   • Math

     Continental currency collapse: exponential decay model (HSF-LE.A.2)

   • Science

     Naval technology: forces on ships and sails (HS-PS2-1)

   • Social Studies

     France, Spain, Netherlands; Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris (D2.His.1.9-12)

Read alongside: Liberty's Exiles by Maya Jasanoff (excerpts); Revolutionary Mothers by Carol Berkin (excerpts); Phillis Wheatley's letter to Samson Occom (1774); fiction: The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson.

1. 01

   Loyalists

   • ELA

     Write a Loyalist's argument using evidence from sources (W.11-12.1)

   • Math

     Estimate Loyalist emigration and compare distributions (HSS-ID.A.3)

   • Science

     Migration and resources: why exiles settled where they did (HS-ESS3-1)

   • Social Studies

     Loyalism as a legitimate political choice (D2.His.5.9-12)

2. 02

   Women and the Revolution

   • ELA

     Analyze Abigail Adams's and Mercy Otis Warren's writing (RI.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Household economics: model a war-time household budget (HSA-CED.A.2)

   • Science

     Home production science: soap, dye, and textile chemistry (HS-PS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Republican motherhood and women's political roles (D2.His.4.9-12)

3. 03

   African Americans and the Revolution

   • ELA

     Compare Wheatley's letter and Northern gradual emancipation laws (RH.11-12.9)

   • Math

     Data: enslaved population by state, 1790 census (HSS-ID.B.5)

   • Science

     Benjamin Banneker's astronomy and almanacs (HS-ESS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Freedom sought on both sides; emancipation in the North (D2.His.12.9-12)

4. 04

   Native nations

   • ELA

     Evaluate sources from Joseph Brant and American leaders (RH.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Land cession data over time (HSS-ID.C.7)

   • Science

     Land use and ecosystems of the Ohio Valley (HS-LS2-6)

   • Social Studies

     The Revolution's consequences for Native sovereignty (D2.His.14.9-12)

Read alongside: The Federalist Nos. 10 and 51; Brutus No. 1; the U.S. Constitution; Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis (selected chapter).

1. 01

   The Articles and the Northwest Ordinance

   • ELA

     Analyze the structure of the Articles (RH.11-12.5)

   • Math

     Land Ordinance grid: area of townships (HSG-MG.A.1)

   • Science

     Surveying: measurement, error, and precision (HSN-Q.A.3)

   • Social Studies

     Western lands and the ban on slavery in the Northwest Territory (D2.Civ.4.9-12)

2. 02

   Shays' Rebellion and economic crisis

   • ELA

     Evaluate claims in a newspaper debate on Shays (RH.11-12.8)

   • Math

     Debt and compound interest (HSF-LE.A.2)

   • Science

     Complex systems: small shocks and cascading failures (HS-ETS1-4)

   • Social Studies

     Debt, taxes, and calls for a stronger government (D2.Eco.1.9-12)

3. 03

   The Philadelphia Convention

   • ELA

     Seminar discussion on the Virginia and New Jersey Plans (SL.11-12.1)

   • Math

     Apportionment math: Hamilton method with 1790 census data (HSN-Q.A.2)

   • Science

     Checks and balances as a feedback system (HS-LS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Compromises on representation and slavery (D2.Civ.3.9-12)

4. 04

   Ratification debates

   • ELA

     Delineate and evaluate reasoning in Federalist 10 and Brutus 1 (RI.11-12.8)

   • Math

     Analyze ratification vote margins by state (HSS-ID.A.2)

   • Science

     Evaluating trade-offs in competing solutions (HS-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists (D2.Civ.8.9-12)

Read alongside: The Bill of Rights; Benjamin Banneker's letter to Thomas Jefferson (1791); Frederick Douglass, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" (1852); Washington Irving, "Rip Van Winkle".

1. 01

   The Bill of Rights

   • ELA

     Analyze how the Bill of Rights addresses Anti-Federalist concerns (RI.11-12.9)

   • Math

     Constitution amendment math: supermajority thresholds (HSA-CED.A.1)

   • Science

     Science and rights: freedom of inquiry and the Patent Clause (HS-ETS1-1)

   • Social Studies

     Rights then and now; key court cases (D2.Civ.10.9-12)

2. 02

   The age of revolutions

   • ELA

     Compare the Declaration and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man (RH.11-12.9)

   • Math

     Timeline analysis: intervals between revolutions (HSN-Q.A.1)

   • Science

     Climate and crop failure as a factor in 1780s Europe (HS-ESS2-4)

   • Social Studies

     Global influence: France, Haiti, Latin America (D2.His.1.9-12)

3. 03

   Remembering the Revolution

   • ELA

     Analyze Douglass's speech and Irving's satire (RL.11-12.6)

   • Math

     Evaluate statistics in historical claims and myths (HSS-IC.B.6)

   • Science

     How evidence changes accepted scientific and historical ideas (HS-ETS1-3)

   • Social Studies

     Historiography: how interpretations changed over time (D2.His.6.9-12)

4. 04

   Capstone: research presentation

   • ELA

     Research paper and presentation on a self-chosen question (W.11-12.7, SL.11-12.4)

   • Math

     Include one data analysis or model in the capstone (HSS-ID.B.6)

   • Science

     Include one science connection, with evidence (HS-ETS1-2)

   • Social Studies

     Argue a claim about the Revolution's significance (D2.His.16.9-12)