Grade 5
Social Studies
Unit: 05
Lesson: 03
Suggested Duration: 3 Days
Musical and Literary Works of the Revolution
Lesson Synopsis:
In this lesson students add to their understanding of the historical context of the Revolutionary era by investigating music
and literature of the period. Throughout this unit students have learned about the people, issues, and events surrounding
the American Revolution. In this lesson students add another dimension, and then combine all they have learned to write
a piece
TEKS:
5.2
5.2B
History. The student understands how conflict between the American colonies and Great Britain led to American
independence. The student is expected to:
Identify the Founding Fathers and Patriot heroes, including John Adams, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Nathan
Hale, Thomas Jefferson, the Sons of Liberty, and George Washington; and their motivations and contributions
during the revolutionary period.
5.19
Citizenship. The student understands the importance of effective leadership in constitutional republic.
5.19A
Explain the contributions of the Founding Fathers to the development of the national government.
5.21
Culture. The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created.
The student is expected to:
5.21A
Identify significant examples of art, music, and literature from various periods in U.S. history, such as the painting
American Progress, “Yankee Doodle,” and “Paul Revere’s Ride”.
Explain how examples of art, music, and literature reflect the times during which they were created.
5.21B
Social Studies Skills TEKS:
5.24
5.24A
5.24E
5.25
5.25D
Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a
variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
Differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews;
biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and artifacts to acquire information about the United
States.
Identify the historical context of an event.
Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:
Create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies.
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION
Performance Indicator(s):
•
Create a piece of literary non-fiction that reflects one hero’s account of an event during or immediately following
the Revolutionary War. Share the account with the class. (5.2B, 5.19A, 5.21A, 5.24B, 5.25D)
5F
Key Understandings and Guiding Questions:
•
Music and literature echo the values and beliefs of a society at that time.
— What things were important to people of the day? What did they value?
— How does the literature of the Revolutionary Period reflect its values and beliefs?
Vocabulary of Instruction:
•
culture
•
beliefs
•
values
Materials:
•
Refer to the Notes for Teacher section for materials.
©2012, TESCCC
04/12/13
page 1 of 4
Third Grade
Social Studies
Unit: 12 Lesson: 02
Attachments:
•
•
•
•
Handout: Song Excerpts (1 per student)
Handout: Poem Excepts (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Revolutionary War Songs and Poems: Interpretation: (1 per student)
Teacher Resource: Revolutionary War Songs and Poems: Interpretation: Interpretation – KEY
Resources and References:
•
•
Website: http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri013.html (Information about Phyllis Wheatley)
Yankee Doodle lyrics and history - http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/songs/yankee_doodle.html
Advance Preparation:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Become familiar with the content and procedures for this lesson, including the results of the American
Revolution and the music and literature that came out of that time period.
Refer to the Instructional Focus Document for specific content to include in the lesson.
Select appropriate sections of the textbook and other classroom materials that support the learning for this
lesson.
Preview available resources and websites according to district guidelines.
Contact the technology specialist or other appropriate personnel to make sure the correct software and
access is available for playing the sound files.
Choose songs and lyrics for sharing with students. Download the sound files to a folder on the desktop for
easy access and prepare to display or distribute the lyrics for students to read along.
Prepare materials and handouts as needed.
Background Information:
Music and literature play a vital role in a society. People’s perception of these cultural activities can change the outlook of
the times.
Literature of the time included:
• speeches of political orators like Samuel Adams, James Otis, and Josiah Quincy, in Massachusetts, and Patrick
Henry in Virginia.
• newspapers, essays and letters on the public questions of the time signed using pen names such as "Vindex,"
"Hyperion," "Independent," "Brutus," "Cassius,"
• documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the messages,
inaugural addresses, and other writings of our early presidents
• pamphlets such as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense
• The most popular poem of the Revolutionary period was John Trumbull's McFingal, published in 1775
• American political satires were popular, including Butler's mock heroic poem, Hudibras. Also The Anarchiad, the
Echo, and the Political Green House,
Music of the time included:
• The song Yankee Doodle, which evolved during the revolution and is still well-known today, as is Johnny Has
Gone for a Soldier. (The term Yankee Doodle was taken up by the colonists, who proudly made it their own. The
stanza, "Yankee Doodle came to town," etc., predates the war; and the first complete set of words to the tune was
the Yankee's Return from Camp, which is apparently of the year 1775.)
• Many songs and verses are written to tell relevant stories of events of the day by using familiar tunes.
Art of the period included
• Benjamin Franklin’s Join or Die drawing
• Paul Revere’s Boston Massacre etching
• Portraits such as Gilbert Stuart’s George Washington
• Drawings of events of the time used as a means of communication and propaganda
GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENT
© 2012, TESCCC
05/12/11
page 2 of 4
Third Grade
Social Studies
Unit: 12 Lesson: 02
Instructors are encouraged to supplement and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.
The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus
Document for this unit. Instructors are encouraged to create original lessons using the Content Creator in the Tools Tab located at the top of the page.
All originally authored lessons can be saved in the “My CSCOPE” Tab within the “My Content” area.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
ENGAGE
1. Play some Revolutionary War era songs and display the lyrics
for students to follow along.
NOTE: 1 Day = 50 minutes
Suggested Day 1 – 15 minutes
Materials:
• Sound files for Revolutionary War songs
2. Students recollect what was happening at the time these
songs were written (e.g., separation from Britain, desire for
independence, war between colonies and Great Britain,
fighting, people asserting a new way of looking at government
that included rights of individuals)
Purpose:
Introduce the fact that music and literature play a
vital role in society.
3. Play and display the lyrics to the song Yankee Doodle.
Instructional Note
Background information about Yankee Doodle can
be located at
http://www.loc.gov/teachers/lyrical/songs/yankee_do
odle.html
4. In pairs, students “translate” some of the words and discuss
what the song means, who the song was about, and why it
became popular during the American Revolution. (Troops
needed to stay positive about fighting the British, it is about
the Colonial militia, colonists needed encouragement to keep
fighting, and songs and poems tell a story about what people
are experiencing.)
TEKS: 5.2B, 5.19A, 5.21A, 5.24D
5. Students share their thoughts in a group discussion.
EXPLORE/EXPLAIN – Interpreting Literary Works
1. With students in small groups, distribute the Handout: Song
Excerpts.
2. Play two more songs of the period: “Free America” and
“Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier” while students follow along.
3. Divide the class into small groups.
4. Display the Handout: Revolutionary War Songs and Poems:
Interpretation
5. Students interpret the songs using the displayed questions to
guide their interpretations (Suggested answers are included
on the Teacher Resource: Revolutionary War Songs and
Poems: Interpretation: Interpretation – KEY)
6. Students share their interpretations with the class in a
discussion where they answer the guiding questions and
support with evidence the Key Understanding.
7. Distribute the Handout: Poem Excerpts.
8. Student pairs again use the questions to interpret the literary
works.
9. Remind students of the quotes and excerpts they have used
throughout this unit (including the Declaration of
© 2012, TESCCC
05/12/11
Suggested Day 1 (continued) – 35 minutes
Materials:
• Sound files for “Free America” and “Johnny Has
Gone for a Soldier”
Attachments:
• Handout: Song Excerpts (1 per student)
• Handout: Poem Excerpts (1 per student)
• Teacher Resource: Revolutionary War Songs
and Poems: Interpretation: (1 per student)
• Teacher Resource: Revolutionary War Songs
and Poems: Interpretation: Interpretation –
KEY
TEKS: 5.2B, 5.19A, 5.21A, 5.24D
Instructional Note:
• Yankee Doodle has been used in lessons in unit
4 and unit 5.
• Before beginning this lesson it may be
necessary to contact district technology
department to ensure access to the websites
with songs (proper software downloaded,
appropriate bandwidth to play, access not
denied).
• Other possible songs include: “God Save the
Thirteen States” and “The World Turned Upside
page 3 of 4
Third Grade
Social Studies
Unit: 12 Lesson: 02
Instructional Procedures
Notes for Teacher
Independence and quotes from Thomas Paine’s Common
Sense).
•
10. Use the questions to interpret the quotes and excerpts to help
summarize the values of the time.
•
11. Facilitate a discussion where students answer questions such
as
• How do songs and poems reflect the beliefs and
values of the colonists during the Revolutionary War?
• What stories were being told in the music and
literature of the day?
ELABORATE – Illustrate
1. Students consider the content learned over the last two units
(Unit 4 and 5) about the Road to Revolution as well as the
Revolution and Its Effects, including the events, issues, and
people involved.
Down”
More information about Phyllis Wheatley can be
found at:
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/tri013.html
Guide students to think about the results of the
American Revolution: U.S. won freedom from
Britain, a new government had to be created,
land west of the Appalachians became part of
the US, and military institutions were
established.
Suggested Day 2 (continued) – 20 minutes
Materials:
• Drawing paper
2. Students illustrate an event in the Revolutionary War hero’s
life and then share the picture with a partner, explaining the
illustration.
EVALUATE – Creating a Non-Fiction Literary Work
•
Create a piece of literary non-fiction that reflects one hero’s
account of an event during or immediately following the
Revolutionary War. Share the account with the class. (5.2B,
5.19A, 5.24B, 5.25D)
5F
1. Students have listened to music of the Revolutionary era.
They have heard the story of Paul Revere’s Ride (a thirdperson account written 60 years after the event). They have
seen and analyzed works of art, both contemporaneous and
created later to commemorate events. They have read or
heard first-person accounts of events, and read quotes and
excerpts from literature of the day including speeches, papers,
and other written works.
Suggested Day 2 (continued) and 3 – 80 minutes
Instructional Note:
• Definition from TEA: literary nonfiction includes
narratives based on actual persons, places, and
things. In literary nonfiction, a writer may
construct text in any number of ways and is not
limited to the organizational patterns normally
associated with nonfiction texts.
• The Teacher Resources: Road to Revolution
Timeline and the American Revolution
Timeline from earlier lessons could be of help
2. Students have learned about issues, events, and people
during the period and how they have contributed to the era
and to the story of America.
3. They now have an opportunity to put it all together to write a
piece of literary non-fiction (nonfiction story) to tell a story of
one of the heroes of the Revolution and his involvement in an
event of the day.
4. Review the people, issues, and events of the revolutionary
period.
5. Students can discuss ideas with a partner, but must write their
own work.
© 2012, TESCCC
05/12/11
page 4 of 4