LAP 4: History Unit
I.
Content: Describe what it is you will teach. What is the content?
This is the fourth lesson in the history unit “No Taxation without Representation”. In this
unit, students will explore some of the important events that led to the Revolutionary
War. This lesson the students will learn about the Boston Tea Party. Students will
connect the events of the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.
II.
Learning Goal(s): Describe what specifically students will know and be able to do
after the experience of this class.

III.
Students will know and demonstrate understanding the 5 Ws of the Boston Tea
Party
 Students will begin to discuss how the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party
are related
 Students will discuss reasons behind the events of the tea party
 Students will begin to discuss why this event might lead to a revolution
Rationale: Explain how the content and learning goal(s) relate to your Curriculum
Unit Plan learning goals.
The Boston Tea Party is an important event that builds off of the events we have
previously learned about including the new taxes and the Boston Massacre which occur
due to high tensions between the British Soldiers and the colonist. In previous lessons,
students explored these events and how both sides felt. Students will continue learning
about patriots and loyalists during this lesson as well as continue learning about the
effects of Paul Reveres painting of “The Bloody Massacre”. The story of the Boston Tea
Party, in combination with the other events leading up to the revolutionary war helps
answer the essential question “Why do people revolt?”
IV.
Assessment: Describe how you and your students will know they have reached your
learning goals.
As this is the first day focusing on the Boston Tea Party, students will fill out a 5 W’s
worksheet. This worksheet will assess their understanding of the basic events of the Tea
Party. Students will also participate in whole class and peer discussions of the events
prior to completing the worksheet. In the worksheet, the students will answer: Where did
it take place? Who was there? What happened? When did it happen? Why did it happen?
V.
Personalization: Describe how you will provide for individual student strengths and
needs. How will you and your lesson consider the needs of each student and
scaffold learning?
This lesson will include read aloud and a lot of class discussion. The read aloud will be
accessible and interesting to all of the students. As with all class discussion, students will
have a chance to participate in various turn and talks throughout the conversation. Turn
and talks are effective because the students are able to think about their response and talk
about it in a low pressure environment before sharing with the whole class. Turn and
talks also increase wait time, so that students have more time to think about how they
want to respond. Students will complete the assessment in their table groups, allowing for
collaborative thinking and sharing between students.
VI.
Activity description and agenda: Describe the activities that will help your students
understand the content of your class lesson by creating an agenda with time frames
for your class. Be prepared to explain why you think each activity will help students
on the path toward understanding.
Time
Teacher Activity
Student Activity
Reasoning
0-10
Has anyone heard of
minutes the Boston Tea Party?
What is it? (Chart
answers)
Students participate in
Brainstorm
10-35
Read aloud section in
minutes text book.
Students grab text book
and come to the rug.
Listen to the text book
read aloud
Cross off/fix
misconceptions we
charted earlier and
Add to the chart
35-45
Read aloud:
minutes Boston Tea Party by
Pamela Duncan
Edwards
45-60
Walk around and help
minutes students who need
assistance
VII.
Turn and talk: What
happened? Why did it
happen?
Listen on rug
Students’ thinking is
focused on a specific event.
Prior
knowledge/misconceptions
are addressed.
Introduce the students to
the basic events of the
Boston Tea Party.
Students hear the story of
the tea party through the
story, helps them
understand the event
better.
Students complete
assessment
Students show
understanding of what
happened at the Boston
Tea party.
List the Massachusetts Learning Standards this lesson addresses.
New England and Massachusetts:
3.5 Explain important political, economic, and military developments leading to and
during the American Revolution. (H, C)
a. the growth of towns and cities in Massachusetts before the Revolution
VII.
Reflection
a. In light of all areas of planning, but especially in terms of your stated purpose and
learning goals, in what ways was the activity(ies) successful? How do you know? In
what ways was it not successful? How might the activity be planned differently
another time?
b. What did you learn from the experience of this lesson that will inform your next
LAP?
I believe this lesson went well overall. After looking over the assignment of the 5 Ws
sheet, everyone in the class except one student was able to explain in simple terms what
happened during the boston tea party. We had written ideas on chart paper about what the tea
party was and added to that list as we read the text book and the story of the Boston Tea Party
aloud. While we were first brainstorming, one student said the BTP was a tea party that
happened in Boston. I put this on the chart paper, but later crossed it out once we learned that
this was not what actually happened. However, I think one student (Nathaniel) clung to that idea
because when he was writing his “what happened” on the 5 Ws sheet he wrote: “They threw a
tea party”.
I had to divide the lesson into two parts because of the behavior of the class. Instead of
doing al of the activities at once, I had to stop in the middle of the read aloud and have students
return to their seats. The read aloud was a little cute because it used mice and it had a lot of
repetition, but apparently the students could not handle this. I liked the book because I thought it
would stick with the students and help them remember the events of the Boston Tea Party, but I
really did not consider that they would think it was too funny and that they wouldn’t be able to
handle reading it without fooling around. I sent the students back to their seats and we started
MCAS prep. About an hour later the students returned to the rug and we finished the story. I
would have preferred to read the story all in one sitting; I think it would have flowed better. But I
had to make the choice and in the end I am glad that I stopped the read aloud. If I did not stop it,
I don’t think many of the students would have been able to pay attention to it.
Now that the students know and can simply explain the basic events of the BTP, in the
next lesson I hope to deepen their understanding and helping them connect the events together.
We will watch the liberty kids episode and I am going to make sure that I draw attention to why
the sons of liberty were created and why they were upset about the taxes.