This activity will allow students to visualize the benefits and challenges of the relationship between Great Britain and the 13 colonies from the American colonists’ perspective prior to the Revolutionary War.
CONTENT
Britain and her colonies had a relationship that benefited both sides, but it was largely hands off. At the end of the French and Indian War, the need for the British government to rebuild its financial strength caused the government to become more involved. Colonists quickly began to resist.
AIMS/OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to:
Analyze and quantify the benefits and challenges of the relationship between Great Britain and the American colonists.
Identify and analyze significant moments on the road to independence.
MATERIALS
Thematic Overview: What Caused the Revolution?
Balancing Scale
Material that can be used as weights (a bag of rice, pebbles, coffee beans, etc.)
PROCEDURES
First, have the students read through the Thematic Overview and learn about the relationship between Great Britian and her 13 colonies. As they read, students should think about the benefits of the relationship and the negatives [challenges?] of the relationship. After they have finished reading, tell the students that one side of the scale represents the benefits of the American colonial relationship with Britain and the other side represents the negatives of the arrangement, both from the perspective of the American colonists.
Next, have the students brainstorm the benefits of the colonial relationship and record each benefit on the worksheet. For each benefit they come up with, have them decide how much of a benefit it is, and thus how much weight should represent it. After the students are finished with the benefits, have them list the negatives, again determining how much weight each challenge is worth.
Then, when they have finished determining the weight, have them fill up a cup with the benefits weight and one with the negative’s weight. Encourage them to alternate between each benefit and negative to see how the scale goes back and forth. [Or math – record the weight going up for each line item]
Finally, once they have finished both sides, ask them if they agree with where the scale landed. Ask them if they believe the British would have agreed.
Worksheet
This activity is excerpted from Unit 4 of the Through Their Eyes: Major Causes and Events of the American Revolution Teacher Resource Guide. To see the full lesson and all supporting materials visit: http://www.amrevmuseum.org/teacher-resource-guides