Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)

Lesson Idea Name: Events of the American Revolution

Content Area: History
Grade Level(s): Fourth Grade

Content Standard Addressed: SS4H1: “Explain the cause, events, and results of the American Revolution”
C: “Explain the writing of the Declaration of Independence; include who wrote it, how it was written, why it
was necessary, and how it was a response to tyranny and the abuse of power.”
Technology Standard Addressed:
6. Creative Communicator
C. Communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively by creating or using a variety of digital objects such as
visualizations, models, or simulations

Selected Technology Tool: Timeline (via ReadWriteThink.org)

Timeline
URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable):
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/declarationofindependence/

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☒ Evaluating ☒ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

I will provide students with options for language by pre-teaching vocabulary with our whole group
conversation about the definition of independence. Students will be given a checklist during their individual
time to complete their timeline. The checklist will include sections for the number of events listed, the date
included, the title included, details included, and creative photo included. The BrainPOP video used during the
lesson is available in multiple languages, and with closed captioning. This will be useful for ELL students, as
well as students who are both visual and auditory learners. Lastly, I will provide my students with alternatives
in the requirements for timing of completion, as well as difficulty of the assignment based on their current
learning goals.
Lesson idea implementation:
I will start off the lesson with an engaging hook, asking students, “What is independence?” I will walk around
handing out sticky notes, a low-tech tool beneficial for student feedback. Each student will write their
interpretation of independence, and bring their sticky note up to the board. When all the sticky notes are
present, I will have the students convene on the carpet and we will discuss as a group what independence is.
After this, we will discuss what the Declaration of Independence is, and means for the United States and its
people. I will pass out copies of the Declaration of Independence, which we will review together and talk
about class.

Then, I will pull up a BrainPOP video on the Declaration of Independence. During the video, students will be
asked to take notes on major events mentioned in the video leading up to the Declaration of Independence. I
will tell students to pay attention to the dates, details about the events, and the people instrumental in the
events.

Spring 2018_SJB
 Beyond-the-Basic Productivity Tools (BBPT)
After the conclusion of the BrainPOP, students will be asked to review their notes and utilize a software such
as Timeline to create a chronological order of the events leading up to the Declaration of Independence. They
will include the date, title of the event, details of the event, and a photo to signify it. They will be asked to
include the names of prominent figures that were instrumental in the events in the descriptions. I will give the
students around thirty minutes to create their Timelines. Students will save their individual projects as a PDF
and email them to me. After providing feedback, I will post the projects to the class blog, where students will
be asked to give feedback on three of their peers’ Timelines.

Feedback will be provided to students through a student-friendly rubric, and from their peers through the
comments on the class blog. I will also circle around the room while the students are completing their
Timelines to check-in with them individually, and give feedback on what they are doing well, as well as what
they could improve on.
Reflective Practice:
I feel that the activities I created could impact student learning positively. Students have multiple
opportunities to learn and are reaching all six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. They are using their knowledge
obtained from our group conversation, the review of the Declaration of Independence as a document, as well
as the BrainPOP video, to construct their own Timelines. I designed this lesson as an introductory idea to
explaining the writing of the Declaration of Independence. Through an additional activity, I could extend this
lesson even further.

To further extend this lesson, I would send students home with an individual project. I would assign them to
make their own personal Declaration of Independence. They would act as the author, reviewer, and publisher
of their own Independence Bill. Students would use a Basic Productivity Tool of their choice to draft their own
Declaration of Independence. This activity provides as a make-shift simulation for the students, so that they
could visualize a glimpse of what it was like to be one of the five men that drafted the Declaration of
Independence. I will then select a student from the class to appear in the morning TV announcements and
present their personal declaration in front of the school.

Spring 2018_SJB