Tax and Tea Teacher Guide Day 1 Lesson Plan
US History & ELA
Tax and Tea
Investigating the Tea Act, the Boston Tea Party, and Crown Abuses
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Question:
How does economic overreach and political retaliation unite a divided population to resist a powerful crown?
Learning Target:
"I can document the Tea Act and Coercive Acts as crown abuses and evaluate their impact on colonial unity."
Standards: SS 1.1 (Evaluate Context), ELA 3.1 (Formulate Claims)
Materials: Tea & Tyranny Worksheets, scrap paper (tea crates)
Daily Lesson Structure & Pacing
WARM-UP 10 Min
MINI-LESSON 15 Min
IMMERSIVE 25 Min
DEBRIEF 10 Min
EXIT TICKET 10 Min
1 Warm-Up (10 Min) & Mini-Lesson (15 Min)
Warm-Up: Connect students to the Essential Question: How would you react if an authority figure dictated exactly what you had to buy, and from whom? Mini-Lesson: Briefly lecture on the Tea Act (1773). Emphasize that it wasn't just about the price—it granted a monopoly to the British East India Company, bypassing local merchants. Outline the Boston Tea Party (Sons of Liberty dumping 342 chests of tea) and Parliament's swift retaliatory blow: the Coercive (Intolerable) Acts of 1774, which closed Boston Harbor, suspended colonial assemblies, and quartered soldiers in private homes.
2 Immersive Experience: Boston Harbor Rebellion (25 Min)
The Setup: Divide the class into three factions: Sons of Liberty (militant protesters), Colonial Merchants (fearing economic ruin), and Royal Officials (enforcing order).The Action: Distribute "tea crates" (balled-up scrap paper with written colonial grievances). Merchants and Loyalists try to "land" and stack crates in Boston Harbor (a designated area on the classroom floor), while Sons of Liberty must debate them on British tyranny. If a debate is won by the patriots, they "dump" a crate into the harbor (the recycling bin).Roleplay Rule: All arguments must address the loss of colonial representation and self-governance under the Coercive Acts.
3 Debrief (10 Min) & Exit Ticket (10 Min)
Debrief: Connect the emotional high of the simulation to the strategic reality: How did British retaliatory measures transition colonists from mere grumbling about taxes to coordinated, radical resistance?Exit Ticket: Guide students to transition into their historical persona: A Delegate from New Hampshire . They must draft their "Evidence of Crown Abuses" registry, detailing the impact of the Boston Port Act and the Massachusetts Government Act on their future arguments.
Facilitation Tips
Ensure the Sons of Liberty do not just yell; require them to quote specific taxes or laws to successfully "dump" a tea crate.
Monitor the Royal Officials to ensure they emphasize "Crown Supremacy" and the necessity of paying debts from the Seven Years' War.
Key Questions
"Why was closing the port of Boston considered an attack on ALL colonies, not just Massachusetts?"
"How did Parliament's punishment of Boston unite the 13 competitive, disparate colonies?"
Misconception Alert
Students often think the Tea Act increased tea prices. In fact, it actually made British tea cheaper than smuggled Dutch tea, but colonists rejected the monopoly and the precedent of taxation without representation.
Differentiation
Support: Provide a simplified chart listing the 4 Intolerable Acts.Extend: Challenge students to argue whether the Boston Tea Party was heroic protest or lawless vandalism.
Road to Revolution Curriculum SS 1.1 / ELA 3.1 Focus Page 1 of 5
Tea and Tyranny Worksheet Colonial Records • Archive No. 1774-01
TEA & TYRANNY
Name:
Date:
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Q:
How does economic overreach and political retaliation unite a divided population to resist a powerful crown?
Learning Target:
"I can document the Tea Act and Coercive Acts as crown abuses and evaluate their impact on colonial unity."
Section 1: Warm-Up Reflection
How would you react if a remote authority figure dictated exactly what goods you had to buy, and from which specific merchant? Describe the feelings and actions this would provoke in you.
Section 2: Historical Briefing — Tea to Intolerable
The Tea Act (1773) & Coercive Acts (1774)
By granting the British East India Company a monopoly on tea sales in America, Parliament bypassed colonial merchants and asserted its power to tax the colonies without their consent. On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor.
"The Boston Port Act: ...No goods, wares, or merchandise, shall be laden or shipped... or landed or discharged at the said town... of Boston." — British Parliament, March 1774
1. The Economic Strike (Tea Act)
What right or economic principle did Parliament violate by granting a trade monopoly, and why did this anger the colonists?
2. The Iron Fist (Coercive Acts)
How did closing Boston Harbor and suspending local assemblies directly threaten the daily survival of the colonists?
Exit Ticket: Scaffold to Summative Letter
Standard SS 1.1
Your Summative Role: A Delegate from New Hampshire preparing to call for independence.Your Goal Today: In your final letter, you must provide descriptions of the crown's abuses. Document two specific abuses below from today's lesson that you will weave into your letter's background context.
Abuse #1: The Tea Monopoly (Economic Overreach) Describe the abuse and how you will argue its impact on colonial rights:
Abuse #2: The Coercive/Intolerable Acts (Political & Physical Oppression) Describe the closing of Boston Harbor or assembly suspension and how it justifies resistance:
Student Handout • Road to Revolution Unit Scaffold Component: Events Leading to Independence (SS 1.1) Page 1 of 1
Spark of Rebellion Teacher Guide Day 2 Lesson Plan
US History & ELA
Spark of Rebellion
First Continental Congress, Lexington, Concord, and Colonial Capacity
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Question:
When does resistance transition from protest to organized military conflict and self-governance?
Learning Target:
"I can analyze the debates of the First Continental Congress and the military escalation at Lexington and Concord to assess colonial capacity for independent rule."
Standards: SS 1.1 (Evaluate Context), SS 2.1 (Civic Institutions)
Materials: Colonial Congress Worksheets, role placards
Daily Lesson Structure & Pacing
WARM-UP 10 Min
MINI-LESSON 15 Min
IMMERSIVE 25 Min
DEBRIEF 10 Min
EXIT TICKET 10 Min
1 Warm-Up (10 Min) & Mini-Lesson (15 Min)
Warm-Up: Connect students to the Essential Question: What turns separate groups of people with different interests into a single, unified force? Mini-Lesson: Teach the First Continental Congress (Sept 1774), where 12 colonies met in Philadelphia to coordinate boycotts via the Continental Association. This was a critical first step towards a shadow government. Next, lecture on the military flashpoint: April 19, 1775, Lexington & Concord. Explain that British troops marched to seize militia weapons, but encountered armed "minutemen." The blood spilled proved the colonies would fight back as a unified body.
2 Immersive Experience: Congress Under Fire (25 Min)
The Setup: Transform the classroom into Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia. Assign half the class as New England Radicals (John Adams, eager to mobilize defenses) and the other half as Mid-Atlantic Moderates (John Dickinson, advocating for reconciliation).The Action: Present the sudden crisis: "We have just received word that blood has been shed at Lexington & Concord. The British army fired upon our brethren!" Factions must draft a 3-point action plan: How do we respond? Do we form an army or send a petition? They must write their points on their worksheet.Goal: Reach a consensus while showing that the colonies have the capability to coordinate and govern themselves without Parliament.
3 Debrief (10 Min) & Exit Ticket (10 Min)
Debrief: Point out that the creation of the Association and the armed defense of Concord demonstrated that the colonies had already established functioning civic and military structures. They were no longer dependent on Britain.
Colonial Congress Worksheet Colonial Records • Archive No. 1774-02
THE SPARK OF REBELLION
Name:
Date:
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Q:
When does resistance transition from protest to organized military conflict and self-governance?
Learning Target:
"I can analyze the debates of the First Continental Congress and the military escalation at Lexington and Concord to assess colonial capacity for independent rule."
Section 1: Warm-Up Reflection
What turns separate, independent communities with highly diverse interests into a single, cohesive, and cooperative force? Reflect on a modern or historical example.
Section 2: Carpenters' Hall Chamber Debate
Your Assigned Political Faction:
New England Radical Mid-Atlantic Moderate
"The crisis is upon us. Blood has been spilled at Lexington & Concord. We must outline our capacity to act as a unified governance."
Your Group's 3-Point Action Plan for Colonial Resistance:
How does this plan demonstrate the colonies' capacity for self-rule and defense?
Exit Ticket: Scaffold to Summative Letter
Standards SS 1.1 / SS 2.1
Your Summative Persona: A Delegate from New Hampshire preparing to call for independence.Your Goal Today: In your final letter, you must argue why the colonies are capable of independent rule . Draft the core arguments below, citing the First Continental Congress and the armed resistance at Lexington & Concord.
Civic Capacity (Continental Congress) How does the Congress prove our ability to coordinate and govern ourselves?
Military Capacity (Lexington & Concord) How does the armed defense prove we can protect our sovereign rights?
Student Handout • Road to Revolution Unit Scaffold Component: Colonial Self-Rule & Capacity (SS 1.1, SS 2.1) Page 1 of 1
Age of Reason Teacher Guide Day 3 Lesson Plan
US History & ELA
Age of Reason
Introduction to Enlightenment Philosophy and the Right to Revolt
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Question:
How did the Enlightenment challenge the divine right of monarchs and introduce a philosophy of human liberty?
Learning Target:
"I can explain the core concepts of the Enlightenment and contrast divine right with natural rights to argue the illegitimacy of monarchical rule."
Standards: SS 2.1 (Civic Institutions), ELA 3.2 (Evidence & Claims)
Materials: Enlightenment Sparks Worksheets, Salon prompt cards
Daily Lesson Structure & Pacing
WARM-UP 10 Min
MINI-LESSON 15 Min
IMMERSIVE 25 Min
DEBRIEF 10 Min
EXIT TICKET 10 Min
1 Warm-Up (10 Min) & Mini-Lesson (15 Min)
Warm-Up: Connect students to the Essential Question: If you were designing a society from scratch, what absolute rights should every human being possess? Mini-Lesson: Contrast the "Divine Right of Kings" (monarch's authority comes from God, making royal rule absolute) with the "Enlightenment." Explain how thinkers applied scientific logic to society. Introduce the three core pillars: Reason (logic, not tradition, guides laws), Liberty (individual freedoms), and Natural Rights (inherent protections like life and liberty).
2 Immersive Experience: The Salon of Reason (25 Min)
The Setup: Divide the classroom into paired "Salons." One student plays the Defender of the Absolute Crown (kings protect people from chaos and are chosen by God), and the other plays the Enlightenment Philosophe (laws must protect natural liberty).The Action: Students debate three core prompts: 1) Where does law-making authority come from? 2) Can a king's power be limited? 3) What happens if a ruler abuses his people? Partners take turns articulating their character's arguments, recording points of tension.
3 Debrief (10 Min) & Exit Ticket (10 Min)
Debrief: Ask: How did replacing "God's Will" with "Human Reason" as the source of authority destroy the justification for absolute monarchies?Exit Ticket: Students assume their historical persona:
Enlightenment Sparks Worksheet Colonial Records • Archive No. 1774-03
ENLIGHTENMENT SPARKS
Name:
Date:
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Q:
How did the Enlightenment challenge the divine right of monarchs and introduce a philosophy of human liberty?
Learning Target:
"I can explain the core concepts of the Enlightenment and contrast divine right with natural rights to argue the illegitimacy of monarchical rule."
Section 1: Warm-Up Reflection
If you were designing a society completely from scratch, what absolute rights should every human being automatically possess just by virtue of being born?
Section 2: The Parisian Salon of Reason
Select Your Salon Role:
Absolute Monarchist Defender Enlightenment Philosophe
Debate your partner on the source of authority. While Monarchists argue for order and Divine Right, Philosophes demand logic, individual Liberty, and the supremacy of Reason over royal heritage.
Dialogue Prompt A: Legal Authority
Where does authority to rule come from: Divine mandate (God) or human reason and social consensus?
Dialogue Prompt B: Tyranny & Abuse
If a King abuses his subjects or suspends assemblies, does he forfeit his right to rule? Explain why.
Exit Ticket: Scaffold to Summative Letter
Standards SS 2.1 / ELA 3.2
Your Summative Persona: A Delegate from New Hampshire preparing to call for independence.Your Goal Today: In your open letter, you must provide your intellectual and moral reasoning for revolution. Translate the Enlightenment concepts of Liberty and Reason to draft your philosophical argument against monarchy below.
Philosophical Argument: The Fallacy of Divine Right Why is a king's claims to absolute power over the colonies irrational under the laws of "Reason"?
Philosophical Argument: The Protection of Natural Liberty Why must the colonies replace royal decree with a government built on human reason and liberties?
Student Handout • Road to Revolution Unit Scaffold Component: Right to Revolt Foundations (SS 2.1, ELA 3.2) Page 1 of 1
Lockes Logic Teacher Guide Day 4 Lesson Plan
US History & ELA
Lockes Logic
Enlightenment Case Study: John Locke's "Second Treatise of Civil Government"
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Question:
Under what conditions does the social contract justify a people's right to rebel against their government?
Learning Target:
"I can analyze John Locke's Second Treatise to explain natural rights, the social contract, and the justification for revolution."
Standards: SS 2.1 (Civic Institutions), ELA 3.2 (Evidence & Claims)
Materials: Locke's Treatise Worksheets, highlighters
Daily Lesson Structure & Pacing
WARM-UP 10 Min
MINI-LESSON 15 Min
IMMERSIVE 25 Min
DEBRIEF 10 Min
EXIT TICKET 10 Min
1 Warm-Up (10 Min) & Mini-Lesson (15 Min)
Warm-Up: Connect students to the Essential Question: What is a contract? What happens when one party breaks their promise? Use this to anchor the legal/political social contract.Mini-Lesson: Introduce John Locke (1632-1704). Walk students through Locke's logic: 1) State of Nature: baseline of complete freedom where everyone is equal. 2) Natural Rights: Inherent rights to Life, Liberty, and Property. 3) Social Contract: People voluntarily form governments to protect these rights. 4) Right to Revolt: If government fails to protect rights, or actively abuses them (violating the contract), citizens' obligation to obey is broken. They have a right and duty to alter or abolish it.
2 Immersive Experience: Close-Reading Text-Marking (25 Min)
The Setup: Group students in pairs. Distribute worksheets with primary excerpts from Locke's Second Treatise .The Action: Direct students to perform active text-marking.
3 Debrief (10 Min) & Exit Ticket (10 Min)
Debrief: Ask: How did the Tea Act and Coercive Acts directly violate the Social Contract under Locke's terms? (e.g., seizing property without consent).
Lockes Treatise Worksheet Colonial Records • Archive No. 1774-04
LOCKE'S LOGIC
Name:
Date:
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Q:
Under what conditions does the social contract justify a people's right to rebel against their government?
Learning Target:
"I can analyze John Locke's Second Treatise to explain natural rights, the social contract, and the justification for revolution."
Section 1: Warm-Up Reflection
What is a contract? What happens when one party breaks their promise in a contract? How do you resolve a broken contract?
Section 2: Text-Marking & Translating John Locke
Active Text-Marking Instructions: Underline Natural Rights (life/liberty/property). Box references to Government Consent/Trust . Put an asterisk * next to the reasons that justify revolution .
Excerpt A: Purpose of Government
"The great and chief end, therefore, of men's uniting into commonwealths, and putting themselves under government, is the preservation of their property."
Modern Translation:
Excerpt B: Breaking the Trust
"...whenever the legislators endeavor to take away, and destroy the property of the people... they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from farther obedience..."
Modern Translation:
Exit Ticket: Scaffold to Summative Letter
Standards SS 2.1 / ELA 3.2
Your Summative Persona: A Delegate from New Hampshire preparing to call for independence.Your Goal Today: In your open letter, you must justify why colonists have a right to revolt. Use Locke's social contract logic and primary source quotes to draft your argument.
Lockean Argument: The Broken Contract Under Locke's theory, how has King George III broken the contract? (Cite tea, harbor closing, taxes)
Lockean Argument: The Legitimate Right to Revolt Explain why New Hampshire delegates are "absolved from farther obedience" and can legally form a new government:
Student Handout • Road to Revolution Unit Scaffold Component: Locke's Contract & Right to Revolt (SS 2.1, ELA 3.2) Page 1 of 1
Common Sense Teacher Guide Day 5 Lesson Plan
US History & ELA
Common Sense
Thomas Paine's Rhetorical Style, Public Appeal, and Writing Claims
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Question:
How can persuasive and emotional rhetoric mobilize a diverse public toward the radical cause of independence?
Learning Target:
"I can dissect the rhetorical appeals (logos and pathos) of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and draft a compelling thesis statement justifying independence."
Standards: ELA 3.1 (Claims/Counterclaims), ELA 3.5 (Conclusions)
Materials: Paine's Rhetoric Worksheets, Common Sense excerpts
Daily Lesson Structure & Pacing
WARM-UP 10 Min
MINI-LESSON 15 Min
IMMERSIVE 25 Min
DEBRIEF 10 Min
EXIT TICKET 10 Min
1 Warm-Up (10 Min) & Mini-Lesson (15 Min)
Warm-Up: Connect students to the Essential Question: How do you convince an ordinary person to support your cause—with complex jargon or powerful, emotional metaphors they can picture? Mini-Lesson: Introduce Thomas Paine and his January 1776 pamphlet Common Sense . Paine changed the revolution from an intellectual debate of elites into a popular movement. He combined Logos (rational arguments: "a continent should not be ruled by an island") with intense Pathos (emotional appeals: calling the King a "crowned ruffian"). Teach students the structure of an arguable thesis statement (Claim + Reasons) and a compelling conclusion hook.
2 Immersive Experience: Rhetorical Weapon Dissection (25 Min)
The Setup: Have students work in pairs to analyze three key, famous passages from Common Sense .The Action: Students categorize Paine's arguments into his two primary "rhetorical weapons":Logical Appeals (Logos): "Small islands not capable of protecting themselves..."Emotional Metaphor (Pathos): "...the blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'tis time to part!"
3 Debrief (10 Min) & Exit Ticket (10 Min)
Debrief: Ask: Why was Paine's writing so much more effective at mobilizing the general public than Locke's theoretical treatise?
Paines Rhetoric Worksheet Colonial Records • Archive No. 1776-05
PAINE'S COMMON SENSE
Name:
Date:
Weekly Focus:
"I can analyze the critical political events, military conflicts, and Enlightenment philosophies that challenged British monarchical authority and drove the American colonies toward revolution."
Essential Q:
How can persuasive and emotional rhetoric mobilize a diverse public toward the radical cause of independence?
Learning Target:
"I can dissect the rhetorical appeals (logos and pathos) of Thomas Paine's Common Sense and draft a compelling thesis statement justifying independence."
Section 1: Warm-Up Reflection
To convince a crowd to support a dangerous, massive change, which is more powerful: hard intellectual logic, or high-intensity emotional metaphors? Explain your reasoning.
Section 2: Dissecting Thomas Paine's Rhetoric
"Common Sense was written for the ordinary colonist. Paine blended Logos (logical structure) and Pathos (passionate appeals) to make royal rule feel not only unjust, but absurd."
Weapon A: Logos (Logical Appeal)
"...there is something very absurd, in supposing a continent to be perpetually governed by an island..."
Identify the core logical argument:
Weapon B: Pathos (Emotional Appeal)
"...the blood of the slain, the weeping voice of nature cries, 'TIS TIME TO PART."
How does his word choice incite action?
Exit Ticket: Synthesis for Delegate Letter
Standards ELA 3.1 / ELA 3.5
Your Persona: New Hampshire Delegate. Your Task: Draft your core letter elements today!
A. Your Formal Claim/Thesis (ELA 3.1) Combine Day 1 abuses + Day 2 capacity + Day 4 Locke logic: "The colonies must declare independence because..."
B. Concluding Call to Action (ELA 3.5) Urge fellow delegates to sign the Declaration immediately using Paine-style fiery rhetoric:
Student Handout • Road to Revolution Unit Scaffold Component: Claim, Rhetoric & Conclusion (ELA 3.1, ELA 3.5) Page 1 of 1
