Boston Massacre Webquest Project

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] A WebQuest for 12th Grade (U.S. History) Designed by Matthew Wichern [email_address] Based on a template from The WebQuest Page

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] On March 5, 1770 a mob taunted a British soldier guarding the Boston Customs House. When other British soldiers came to his aid there was a confused conflict in which the British fired shots into the crowd. This quickly became known as the Boston Massacre. It was hardly a massacre, but it became an episode which roused public opinion against the British. Five Americans died and six were wounded. The British captain, Thomas Preston, and his men were tried for murder, with Robert Treat Paine as prosecutor, John Adams and Josiah Quincy as lawyers for the defense. However simple and strait forward this summary might make it seem, the Boston Massacre was anything but. Just compare these two pictures of the event and the differing view points about what happened become obvious. The Question you as the jury are here to answer today is what really happened and if the British soldiers in custody are to blame, being guilty of murder! Boston Massacre Historical Society

Student Page Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ]
If one thing is for sure regarding the Boston Massacre it is that no two accounts are the same, with many of the varying account produced by convenient memories reflecting the political and emotional views of the witnesses. You as a member of the jury are tasked with weeding through the testimonies of the event, eliminating those accounts that have no credibility or reliability, and then piecing together the remaining accounts in order to gather a general idea of what actually happened and where the blame lies.
Once a verdict is decided upon, you as the jury are to type up a summary of you findings. Your findings should include an explanation of how you came to your verdict along with a summary of the events and description of what you think took place.
Title http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/soldiers1.html

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ]
You will be assigned groups, each group is its own jury
Each group will use the resources and links to primary source documents below to familiarize themselves with the information and testimonies concerning the case. (These sources can be divided up among the group but everyone should have a basic understanding of the events)
After evaluating the sources, your group will convene and determine what really happened, coming to a group consensus on you verdict of who is to blame and weather the British soldiers on trial are guilty of murder, manslaughter, or are innocent.
Then your group will document (type) your findings. Your findings should include an explanation of how and why you came to your verdict, along with a summary of the events and description of what you think actually took place.
Lastly, individually everyone will write a paragraph on evaluating primary sources, collecting the various account in order to synthesize what actually took place, and the importance of recognizing biases.
Primary Source Evaluation Guide
Eyewitness Accounts of the Boston Massacre
Deposition of William Wyat, March 7, 1770
Testimony of Matthew Murray, October 26, 1770
British vs. American views of Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre Historical Society (Great collection of Information on Massacre!!)
Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre
Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre Trials (Great collection of accounts!)

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Identifies important information Students lists all the main points of the testimonies. The students lists most of the main points. Students identify some of the main points, do not highlight any unimportant points. The students cannot identify important information with accuracy. Identifies details Students recall several supporting details for each main point. Student recall some details for each main point. Students are recall only minimal detail for each main point. Students cannot locate any details supporting main points with accuracy. Identifies facts Students accurately locate at least 5 facts in the articles and give a clear explanation of why these are facts, rather than opinions. Students accurately locate 4 facts in the articles and give a reasonable explanation of why they are facts, rather than opinions. Students accurately locate 4 facts in the articles. Explanation is weak. Students have difficulty locating facts in articles. Identifies opinions Students accurately locate at least 5 opinions in the articles and give a clear explanation of why these are opinions, rather than facts. Students accurately locate at least 4 opinions in the articles and give a reasonable explanation of why these are opinions, rather than facts. Students accurately locate at least 4 opinions in the article. Explanation is weak. Students have difficulty locating opinions in articles. What Actually Took Place? Student describes clearly what they believed actually happened with clear support from evidence in readings. Student describes what they believed actually happened with some support from evidence in readings. Student summarizes most of the testimonies accurately, but has some slight misunderstanding. Student has great difficulty summarizing the testimonies. Writing Paper is free from all grammatical and spelling errors. paper only has a few minor typos. Paper has multiple simple grammatical or spelling errors. Errors can be found throughout the paper.

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] Congratulations on coming to your verdict!! You have just worked on solving the puzzle that is historical primary sources. Hopefully, through this process you have learned how biases can largely affect the perspectives and opinions that are recorded throughout history. More importantly through this activity you have learned how to differentiate from those biases and find truth and fact through them. This is the job of a historian (or jure in this case). I also hope this activity helped you to think about the conflict world views found throughout history. How do you think the British felt about our fight for independence? (clue: think about the northern unionist view during the civil war). Although history is made up of a series of singular events, the numerous different perspectives, views, and accounts concerning that event are what define history and represent what we are left with after that event has come and gone.

Student Page Title Introduction Task Process Evaluation Conclusion Credits [ Teacher Page ] http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/soldiers1.html http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/revgfx/bost-mass2.jpg http://www.bostonmassacre.net/pictures/index.htm http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/us/intro/evidence_detail_01.html http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/us/intro/evidence_detail_02.html http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/eyewit-boston.htm http://www.bostonmassacre.net/plot/index.htm http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/anon.htm http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/prest.htm http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/liberty/primary/doc5.html http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~library/guides/primarysources/evaluating.html The Clements Library The WebQuest Page The WebQuest Slideshare Group

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Based on a template from The WebQuest Page Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page This lesson was developed as part of Colorado State University’s EDUC 331 class curriculum. This lesson is intended to get students working with primary documents. The goal being helping students to learn how to read, analyze and summarize primary documents. To achieve the above purposes and introduce students to primary sources I am using the various accounts of the Boston massacre. Students will act as the jury of the British soldiers and analyze the various accounts with the goal of coming to a consensus about what actually happened and who is to blame. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion Boston Massacre Historical Society

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page This lesson is planned for higher level high school social studies class, particularly an American History class. Students will need a basic understanding of American Revolutionary history, and the critical thinking skills needed to analyze the primary source documents. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page
Curriculum: Colonial History, Research, and use of Primary documents
Standards: Fulfills standard 2: “Students know how to use the processes and resources of historical inquiry.” Specifically- 2.1 Students know how to formulate questions and hypotheses regarding what happened in the past and to obtain and analyze historical data to answer questions and test hypotheses. 2.2 Students know how to interpret and evaluate primary and secondary sources of historical information.
Objectives: Students should be able to read and analyze various perspectives in primary source documents, interpreting the factual evidence from contrary documents to ascertain the truth or what really happened. Students will compare eyewitness accounts and evaluate them. Students will use graphic depictions of the event and decide as to their legitimacy. Students will form their own conclusions as to what happened, who did what, and who, if anyone, was to blame. This will encourage and require the use of higher level thinking along with critical evaluation by the students. They will wrestle as a group with how to pull the truth of what happened from the numerous contradictory accounts presented to them.
Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page This lesson will probably work best in two shorter class periods or one long class period. Although this lesson focuses on social students, it could be beneficial to involve an English teacher to work with students on evaluating primary source documents, thus making the lesson interdisciplinary. To make the jury groups I would just divide student evenly into groups no bigger than 4-6 (for this activity I think it would work best for the teacher to make the groups his or her self, in order to make sure groups are not made up of talkative best friends). The teacher needs no particular skills other than a background knowledge of the Boston Massacre, and the various recorded accounts concerning it. Other than that just a ability to mediate the debate going on in the groups and keep the groups on task is all that is needed. For the Exact Process Refer to the Student Process Page! Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page
Either each student will need access to a computer with internet access (2 students sharing a computer might work in pinch), or the teacher will need to print off copies of the student WebQuest presentation and the primary sources ahead of time.
If human resources are available having one adult aid in each group might be helpful to facilitate conversation and debate.
All internet links listed are either to primary source documents themselves, or websites dealing with the Boston Massacre and the primary source documents.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Boston Massacre
Deposition of William Wyat, March 7, 1770
Testimony of Matthew Murray, October 26, 1770
British vs. American views of Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre Historical Society (Great collection of Information on Massacre!!)
Anonymous Account of the Boston Massacre
Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre
Boston Massacre Trials (Great collection of accounts!)
Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page The major goal of this lesson is to expose students to primary source documents and teach them how to analyze the historical data. Students should learn how to interpret and evaluate primary sources coming to a educated conclusion about what actually took place at the event in question (Social Studies Standard 2, see Standards Page ). Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion CATEGORY 4 3 2 1 Identifies important information Students lists all the main points of the testimonies. The students lists most of the main points. Students identify some of the main points, do not highlight any unimportant points. The students cannot identify important information with accuracy. Identifies details Students recall several supporting details for each main point. Student recall some details for each main point. Students are recall only minimal detail for each main point. Students cannot locate any details supporting main points with accuracy. Identifies facts Students accurately locate at least 5 facts in the articles and give a clear explanation of why these are facts, rather than opinions. Students accurately locate 4 facts in the articles and give a reasonable explanation of why they are facts, rather than opinions. Students accurately locate 4 facts in the articles. Explanation is weak. Students have difficulty locating facts in articles. Identifies opinions Students accurately locate at least 5 opinions in the articles and give a clear explanation of why these are opinions, rather than facts. Students accurately locate at least 4 opinions in the articles and give a reasonable explanation of why these are opinions, rather than facts. Students accurately locate at least 4 opinions in the article. Explanation is weak. Students have difficulty locating opinions in articles. What Actually Took Place? Student describes clearly what they believed actually happened with clear support from evidence in readings. Student describes what they believed actually happened with some support from evidence in readings. Student summarizes most of the testimonies accurately, but has some slight misunderstanding. Student has great difficulty summarizing the testimonies. Writing Paper is free from all grammatical and spelling errors. paper only has a few minor typos. Paper has multiple simple grammatical or spelling errors. Errors can be found throughout the paper.

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page This WebQuest lesson plan requires high levels of critical thinking and evaluation, if students are unable to get through the WebQuest lesson plan pages themselves, I doubt they would be able to succesfully complete this assignment. The best role for the teacher is to be available to answer questions and mediate in the groups discussion, making sure they are staying on the right track. A great introduction to this assignment would be for the teacher to use Paul Revere’s engraving, pointing out all the errors in his artistic account, and compare it to a more accurate view of what probably took place. The Boston Massacre Historical Society has a great website explaining Paul Revere’s engraving. Process segment Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page Although history is made up of a series of singular events, the numerous different perspectives, views, and accounts concerning that event are what define history and represent what we are left with after that event has come and gone. To truly expose our students to history, we must expose them to primary sources and give them experience in analyzing those primary sources . The task of analyzing primary sources in order to discover the truth about the events that took place in the past is at the heart of history and socials studies. It is a crime that any student should graduate high school without at least having had that experience. This lesson is a easy way to expose students to that aspect of history, concerning an important event in revolutionary American history. Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion

[ Student Page ] Title Introduction Learners Standards Process Resources Credits Teacher Page http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/soldiers1.html http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/revgfx/bost-mass2.jpg http://www.bostonmassacre.net/pictures/index.htm http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/us/intro/evidence_detail_01.html http://www.dhr.history.vt.edu/modules/us/intro/evidence_detail_02.html http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/eyewit-boston.htm http://www.bostonmassacre.net/plot/index.htm http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/anon.htm http://odur.let.rug.nl/~usa/D/1751-1775/bostonmassacre/prest.htm http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/bostonmassacre/bostonmassacre.html http://videoindex.pbs.org/resources/liberty/primary/doc5.html http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~library/guides/primarysources/evaluating.html The Clements Library Evaluation Teacher Script Conclusion The WebQuest Page The WebQuest Slideshare Group

Boston Massacre Webquest Project

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