NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies - grade 7, unit 2 - ADA version

This is the WCAG 2.0 accessible version.

This is the second unit of the grade seven scope and sequence, titled: The Road to Independence. It was developed by a team of NYCDOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with scholars of the humanities and social sciences as well as museum curators. Students will immerse themselves in the topic by discussing focus questions, reading and analyzing a rich collection of diverse primary and secondary sources, examining artifacts, and interpreting images, such as paintings and photographs, maps, and political cartoons.

This guide offers a multitude of perspectives on the causes and outcomes of the Revolutionary War, and other historical phenomenon relating to the American struggle for freedom. Topics of representative lessons in this unit include: colonial responses to British taxation; how the sharing of culture, identity, and political and economic ideas shaped the foundations of American government, and how military strategies and geography affected the outcome of battles. Lessons also emphasize the actions of ordinary people, specifically the experiences of continental soldiers, women, African Americans, and Native peoples, who were all central to the revolutionary process. New York's pivotal and storied role in the Revolution is also highlighted throughout lesson activities to encourage civic engagement, and connect the past to the student’s local community.

To evaluate student mastery of content knowledge, cognitive processes, and critical thinking skills, this unit includes formative assessments, and a performance-based assessment activity, which has students work collaboratively to design a five-borough tour of the Revolutionary War sites in New York City. Each group will design a brochure to advertise the tour, create a geographic itinerary for the tourists, and produce a written historical marker for the tour guides to use at each location.

Please note: the complete set of NYCDOE K-8: Passport to Social Studies Core Curriculum materials include a wide-range of trade books and primary documents, in addition to this unit of study. In order to support rigorous social studies instruction and student inquiry, we recommend that teachers integrate these resources into their daily instruction and assessment plans.