Course: Social Studies
Grade Level: 4, 5
Type: Informational/Explanatory
Structure: Explain
4-5 Task 14: Why did the American colonists declare their independence? After reading your social
studies text and the provided articles, write an essay in which you explain the reasons why the American
colonies decided to enter into a war with Great Britain in 1776. Support your response with evidence
from the text. D2: Include at least two examples from two different sources to support your discussion.
Performance Level: Approaches Expectations
Cause of the Revolutionary War
How would you like to pay extra money on supplies when you never had to before?
During the French & Indian War, Britain sent soldiers to help the colonists. But now Britain
wants americans to pay the French & Indian War. This angered the colonists, after many years of
unfair laws and taxes. So, after all of these taxes and laws the colonists broke away from Great
Britain. The two reasons why the colonists broke away were the Quartering Act and the
Townshend Acts.
In 1765, Britain passed the Quartering Act which meant the colonists had to house
soldiers. Throughout the colonies 10,000 soldiers were housed. The colonists had to do more
than they needed to because of housing the soldiers. They needed to clean the soldiers uniforms
which took a long time. The colonists also needed to make more food because they were housing
the soldiers and they had to feed them because that was part of the law. The worse part was the
soldiers did not need to help the colonists at all. The soldiers did not need to help clean the
house, cook, or even help wash the uniforms.
In 1767, Britain passed the Townshend Acts which taxed paint, glass, tea, paper, and
lead. The colonists got really angry because they used a lot of those things and they got taxed,
meaning they got more expensive. The colonists boycotted buying any British products because
they did not want to pay extra. King George repealed the Townshend Acts in 1770 because
merchants were losing money. King George still kept the tea tax though.
As a result of Britain putting unfair laws and taxes on the colonists, America decided to
declare war, known as the Revolutionary War. After winning, we formed a new country and it
was peaceful from then on.
Bibliography
"Causes of the American Revolution." Leveled Texts for Social Studies: Early America.
Huntington Beach: Shell Education, 2007. 93-100. Print.
Kowalski, Kathiann M. "Seeds Of Revolution." Cobblestone 26.7 (2005): 3. MasterFILE
Premier. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
Annotation
Focus
3
Controlling Idea
2.5
Reading/Research 2
Development
2
Organization
2
Conventions
2.5
Content
Understanding
2.5
The essay fully addresses the task by discussing two reasons, the
Quartering Act and Townshend Acts, why the American colonies
decided to enter war with Great Britain.
The writer establishes a controlling idea, but there is no reference
to the Revolutionary War in the introduction or the thesis
statement: The two reasons why the colonists broke away were the
Quartering Act and the Townshend Acts.
The writer provides some information from reading materials: In
1765, Britain passed the Quartering Act which meant the colonists
had to house soldiers. More detailed examples and explanations
from research are needed to support the ideas in the essay.
The writer provides adequate details of the Quartering Act:
Throughout the colonies 10,000 soldiers were housed. More
elaboration on the Townshend Acts and their effect on the
colonists, i.e. the Boston Tea Party, is needed.
The writer attempts to create an organizational structure with the
two body paragraphs chronologically following the order of the
Acts in the thesis statement. The organization within paragraphs is
basic and lacks transitions, which interrupts the flow of the essay.
The conclusion needs more elaboration and includes an
overgeneralization, “After winning, we formed a new country and it
was peaceful from then on.”
The writer demonstrates an inconsistent command of Standard
English: americans, French and Indian war, worse. Informal word
choice, “got really angry,” affects formal tone appropriate for
academic writing.
The writer accurately but superficially presents disciplinary
content. The writer could be more explicit about the causes
consequences of the Quartering and Townshend Acts.
This student would benefit from feedback, discussion, and/or instruction in the following
areas:



Elaborating on examples and research to provide more thorough explanations.
Writing conclusions that effectively synthesize the important points and insights of the
essay.
Capitalizing proper nouns.