Choice Time!

Think about a time you had to make a big choice. It could be about what to eat, what to wear, or even what game to play.

What was the choice you had to make?




How did you feel before you made the choice?




What happened after you made your choice?

Teacher Script: Revolutionary Choices

Warm-Up: Choice Time! (5 minutes)

Teacher: Good morning, everyone! Let's start with a quick warm-up. I want you to think about a time you had to make a big choice. It could be about anything – what to eat, what to wear, or even what game to play. Take a few minutes to write down the choice you made, how you felt before you made it, and what happened after.

Teacher: (After students have had time to write) Can a few brave volunteers share one of their choices and how they felt? (Allow 2-3 students to share briefly. Affirm their responses and connect to the idea that choices, big or small, have feelings and consequences).

Teacher: Excellent! Today, we're going to look at some really big choices that people made a long, long time ago – choices that actually started a brand new country! We'll explore the choices that led to the American Revolution.

Introduction: What Led to Revolution? (5 minutes)

(Display Revolutionary Choices Slides - Slide 1: Title, then Slide 2: Introduction)

Teacher: Look at our first slide, “Revolutionary Choices: What Started the American Revolution?” When we hear the word "revolution," it means a big change, often a big fight for change. Before the United States became its own country, it was a group of colonies controlled by Great Britain. Imagine being told what to do by someone very far away, someone who didn't live in your town or even your country!

(Pause, allow students to think)

Teacher: On this slide, we see that America was ruled by Great Britain, and rules started to change. Colonists felt they were treated unfairly. This led to tough choices and big disagreements. This lesson is all about understanding those choices. What kind of feelings do you think come up when people feel treated unfairly? (Wait for responses like anger, frustration, sadness).

Key Events & Choices (5 minutes)

(Display Revolutionary Choices Slides - Slide 3: The Stamp Act)

Teacher: Britain had just finished a very expensive war, and they needed money. So, they made a choice: they decided to tax paper goods in the colonies, like newspapers, legal documents, and even playing cards! This was called the Stamp Act.

Teacher: How would you feel if, all of a sudden, you had to pay extra for your favorite book or a game you wanted to play, and you weren't even asked about it? (Allow responses). The colonists felt this was very unfair. They had a phrase: 'No taxation without representation!' This meant they believed if they didn't have a voice, or a representative, in the British government, they shouldn't be taxed by that government. So, the colonists made a choice too: they chose to protest! They refused to buy the stamps and spoke out against the tax.

(Display Revolutionary Choices Slides - Slide 4: The Boston Tea Party)

Teacher: Even after the Stamp Act was eventually removed, Britain kept trying to tax the colonists, especially on tea. Imagine your favorite drink suddenly costing much more because of a new rule from far away. The colonists in Boston decided to make a very bold choice. One night, a group of them disguised themselves and boarded British ships. Their choice? To dump all the British tea into the harbor as a huge protest! This event became known as the Boston Tea Party.

Teacher: This was a very strong way to show their anger. What do you think happened after the British found out about the Boston Tea Party? Do you think they were happy? (Allow responses). No, they were very angry! Britain responded with even stricter rules, making the colonists even angrier and leading to even more choices for the colonists.

(Display Revolutionary Choices Slides - Slide 5: Choosing Independence)

Teacher: These disagreements and choices between Britain and the colonists grew bigger and bigger. It wasn't just about taxes anymore; it was about who had the power and who made the rules. Eventually, the colonists had to make the ultimate choice: Should they stay part of Great Britain, or should they fight for their own country? This incredibly difficult choice ultimately led to the American Revolution!

Activity: Timeline of Choices (5 minutes)

Teacher: Now, let's put these events in order and see how one choice led to another. We're going to create a Timeline of Choices Activity together. I have your Revolutionary Choices Worksheet that will help you keep track.

Teacher: On the board, I'm going to draw a line to represent our timeline. Let's start with the earliest event. What was the first big choice or event we talked about that started this whole process? (Guide students to recall: Britain needed money, taxed colonists, Stamp Act). Good! We'll put that first.

**(As a class, write

Revolutionary Choices Worksheet

Name: ____________________________

Date: ____________________________

Part 1: Our Choices and History

1. Think back to our warm-up. What is one thing you remember about making a big choice?
   
   
   
   

2. Why is it important to understand the choices people made in the past, like during the American Revolution?
   
   
   
   

Part 2: Key Choices and Events

Read the questions below and use what we discussed to answer them.

1. The Stamp Act:

   • What was Britain's choice that led to the Stamp Act?
     
     
     
     
   • What was the colonists' choice in response to the Stamp Act?
     
     
     
     

2. "No Taxation Without Representation!"

   • What did the phrase "No taxation without representation!" mean to the colonists?
     
     
     
     

3. The Boston Tea Party:

   • What was the colonists' choice during the Boston Tea Party?
     
     
     
     
   • What was one consequence (what happened after) of the Boston Tea Party?
     
     
     
     

Part 3: Reflecting on Revolution

1. If you were a colonist, do you think you would have chosen to protest against Britain? Why or why not?
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Timeline of Choices Activity

Objective

To visually sequence the key events and choices leading to the American Revolution, understanding cause and effect.

Materials

• Large whiteboard or butcher paper
• Markers
• Pre-written event cards (optional, for quicker setup) or space for students to write

Instructions

1. Prepare the Timeline: Draw a long horizontal line on the whiteboard or butcher paper. Label the left end "Beginning of Disagreements" and the right end "Road to Revolution."

2. Introduce the Activity: Explain to students that they will collectively create a timeline of the important choices and events we just discussed. Emphasize that history often involves a chain reaction – one event or choice leads to another.

3. Event 1: Britain Needs Money & Taxes Colonists (Stamp Act)

   • Ask: "What was the first major event or choice we talked about that started the conflict?" (Guide them to the Stamp Act and Britain's need for money).
   • Write or have a student write "Stamp Act Imposed (Britain's Choice to Tax)" on the timeline at the beginning.

4. Event 2: Colonists Protest ("No Taxation Without Representation!")

   • Ask: "How did the colonists respond to the Stamp Act? What was their choice?" (Guide them to protesting and the phrase "No taxation without representation!").
   • Write or have a student write "Colonists Protest (Colonists' Choice to Resist)" next to the Stamp Act on the timeline, adding an arrow from the Stamp Act to the protest.

5. Event 3: Boston Tea Party

   • Ask: "What happened after more taxes, especially on tea, made colonists even angrier? What big choice did they make in Boston?" (Guide them to the Boston Tea Party).
   • Write or have a student write "Boston Tea Party (Colonists' Choice to Destroy Tea)" after the protests, adding an arrow.

6. Event 4: Stricter Rules / Growing Anger

   • Ask: "How did Britain react to the Boston Tea Party? What was their choice that made colonists even angrier?" (Guide them to stricter rules).
   • Write or have a student write "Britain Enacts Stricter Rules (Britain's Choice to Punish)" after the Boston Tea Party, adding an arrow.

7. Final Event: Choosing Independence (American Revolution)

   • Ask: "When all these choices and disagreements built up, what was the ultimate, biggest choice the colonists had to make?" (Guide them to fighting for independence).
   • Write or have a student write "American Revolution Begins (Colonists' Choice for Independence)" at the end of the timeline.

Discussion Points during Activity:

• "How did Britain's choice here lead to the colonists' choice there?"
• "What was the impact or consequence of that choice?"
• "Imagine you were there. What other choices could have been made?"