Standards Sundays: Grade 5 the course and consequences of the American Revolution

In the next chapter of understanding the standards, I'm most interested in the first and seventh sub-strands.

The first one says students should identify and map the major battles, campaigns, and turning points of the American Revolution. I know I love a good mapping activity. It's relatively easy to set-up/clean-up and hits a whole bunch of other academic subjects. I can just hear some students complaints of "But NO ONE read a map anymore! We have GPS!" My reply: "GPS IS a map, doofus."

Ok, maybe without the doofus.

The seventh sub-strand says students need to understand how the ideals of the Declaration of Independence changed the way people viewed slavery. I love this one because it basically sets the stage for the next major events of American history. See kids? Ms. B isn't crazy when she keeps blurting, "It's all connected! It's all connected!"