1. BASIC LESSON INFORMATION:
Unit Name: Causes of the American Revolution
Date(s): 11.16
Topic / Lesson Name: The Boston Massacre
Unit Essential Questions(s) /
Themes Connected to the
Lesson:
“Who was responsible for the Boston Massacre?”
/ Is violence between police and citizens usually
the fault of soldiers, citizens, or both?
Objective(s):
SWBAT define the Boston Massacre.
SWBAT identify whothe colonists
and British soldiers blamed for the
Boston Massacre.
SWBAT explain whothey believe
was responsible forthe Boston
Massacre
New
Vocabulary:
Boston Massacre
King George III
Boston
Connection
to the TEKS
/ AP
Standards:
Vocabulary
to be
Spiraled:
Colony
Colonist
British soldiers
Massachusetts
WHAT STUDENTS WILL BE LEARNING/PRACTICING:
Key Points – Facts:
- In 1768, King George III sent British soldiers to the colonies to enforce tax law
- The Boston Massacre took place on March 5th 1770
- The Boston Massacre was a conflict between British soldiers and British colonists who were
protesting taxes and the presence of British soldiers
- 5 colonists died in the Boston Massacre
Key Points – Ideas:
- The “blame” for the Boston Massacre has never been fully agreed on. Colonists like Paul Revere
generally blamed the soldiers for firing on unarmed colonists. Great Britain generally blamed
the colonists for throwing snowballs, taunting soldiers, and waving clubs.
- The Boston Massacre increased tension between the colonists and Great Britain, as the two
sides continued towards war.
Social Studies /
Research Skills
Usedin the Lesson:
Explain, Define, Document Analysis, Connections to Present Day
LOGISTICS:
Agenda:
1 – Warm Up (5 min)
2 – Guiding Question (2 min)
3 – Key Point 1 (5 min)
4 – Video (3 min)
5 – Key Point 2 (5 min)
6 – Independent Practice (10 min)
7 – Key Point 3 (5 min)
8 – Guiding Question (2 min)
9 – Exit Ticket (5 min)
Materials:
Class ppt
Copies of notes, warm ups, and exit
tickets
Assignments
before the
lesson or after
the lesson:
After – map homework due friday
LESSON TRAJECTORY:
Part 1:
Warm Up
Imagine that you live in a town where soldiers are everywhere you go - the store, walking along your street,
the post office, mall, and more. Imagine that these soldiers make sure that everyone pays their taxes, and

2. The Big
Picture
frequently arrest people who are suspected of not paying taxes. These taxes were forced upon the people -
your representatives didn’t even get to vote on the tax law!
Explain whether the situation is fair or unfair.
Guiding Question Discussion
Teacher will post the guiding question on the board and invite a student to read it: “Is violence between police
and citizens usually the fault of soldiers, citizens, or both?”
Teacher will instruct students to think about their opinion and examples silently.
Teacher will instruct students to “pair” and share their ideas with their table.
Teacher will silence the class (if you can hear me, clap once!) and cold call a student to share their opinion.
Teacher will cold call a student to agree/disagree.
Part 2:
The New
Material
Key Point 1
Teacher will say, “Conflict between police or soldiers and citizens was one of the reasons why America
declared independence from Great Britain in 1776. Today, our learning starts right after the Townshend Acts
in 1778. What do you think is happening in the document?”
Teacher will show a visual document of British ships entering the Boston Harbor on the overhead, with
interpretive questions next to it. Teacher will lead students in a Think, Pair, Share for each question.
Exemplary answers include “The document shows ships entering into the colonies, Ithink they are from Great
Britain” and predicted follow-up questions include “After the protests of colonists against taxes, what do you
think King George III was sending in those ships?”
For the question “How do you think this made the colonists feel?” exemplary answers would be “angry”
After TPSs for the two questions, Teachers will instruct students to copy down Key Point 1: In 1768, King
George III sent British soldiers to the colonies to enforce tax laws. This angered many colonists, especially in
Boston, Massachusetts.
Key Point 2
Teacher will say, “We are going to watch a video about how some colonists in Boston Massachusetts reacted
to the arrival of soldiers. At the end of the video, you will define the Boston Massacre and make connections
to present-day.”
Teacher will play video.
Teacher will instruct students to silently write a definition of the Boston Massacre.
Teacher will cold call a student to share their answer while teacher types it onto the board. Teacher will ask
students to think silently “What is good about this definition? What could make this definition better?”
Teacher will cold call students to share their feedback and allow students to add to their own answers with
improvements.
Teacher will say, “Most days inhomeroom, youwatch Channel One News or CNN Student News. Think silently
– what conflicts in the world today are related to the Boston Massacre? (pause for thinking) Now, discuss in
your groups.”
Teacher will silence the class (if you can hear me, clap once!) and ask volunteers to share what connections
they see to the present day. Exemplar answers will include connections to events police brutality.
Teacher will close the conversation appropriately, according to the nature and events of the discussion.
Closing line will sound something like, “When we study the Boston Massacre, we are studying a problem that
persists in our society today. People in 1770 and 2015 asked questions like, “How should police or soldiers
treat protestors? What should soldiers and police be able to do? What should they not be able to do?” Our next
steps today is to look even more closely at the events of the Boston Massacre. Everyone, I need you to point to
where it says “This is a woodcarving.” When your finger is pointed to “this is a woodcarving, I know that you
know where we are.”
Teacher: For the next 15 minutes, all students will work silently to complete all questions on the front and
back. Raise a silent hand if you have a question. Go.

3. Students will work silently while teacher circulates to reinforce behavioral expectations, provide academic
assistance, work with a pull-out group, and cfu with accommodated and struggling students.
Teacher will get student attention (pencils down in 5…4…3…2…1…eyes on me. I am waiting for 100%) and
cold call a student to share their answer to key point #3. Teacher will type their answer onto the front board
to analyze with the class through Think, Pair, Share.
Part 3:
Connecting
the New
Material to
the Big
Picture
Teacher will post the Guiding Question on the board: Was the Boston Massacre the fault of the British soldiers,
the colonists, or both? Use EVIDENCE from class to support your answer.
Teacher will invite students to Think, Pair, Share their answers.
Part 4:
Assessment
Students will silently work on the Exit Ticket for 5 minutes: Explain whether you think the colonists or the
British soldiers are to blame for the Boston Massacre.
Modifications / Accommodations/
Differentiated Instruction:
Materials for accommodated and struggling students include: sentence
stems, reduced note-taking, simplified language, and vocabulary
assistance.
Teacher will check-inwith accommodated students one-on-one during
independent practice and checkfor understanding regularly.