This week, we wrapped up the Revolutionary War and began transitioning into the formation of a new nation. From major battles to the Treaty of Paris, and the contributions of marginalized groups to the local impact of Revolutionary War veterans, the focus was on tying big ideas to personal connections.
EduProtocols were front and center, with Sketch and Tell-O taking the lead as students visualized key concepts across the unit. We also used Wicked Hydra to spark curiosity, Number Mania to connect history to local stories, and Brain, Book, Buddy, Boss to strengthen review and collaboration. It’s been a week of reflection, practice, and making history come alive through active, creative engagement.
Monday – Sketch and Tell with CER, Reading
Tuesday – Treaty of Paris Reading and 2xPOV, Sketch and Tell-O
Wednesday – Marginalized Voices lesson
Thursday – Brain, Book, Buddy
Friday – Number Mania, Reading
Monday: Revolutionary War Battles
Today, we focused on Revolutionary War battles, diving into the “big five” that shaped the war’s outcome: Lexington and Concord, Bunker Hill, Trenton, Saratoga, and Yorktown. While battles aren’t my favorite part of this unit (and I’m ready to wrap it up by the week’s end), I aimed to make the lesson purposeful and engaging for my students while also pushing their thinking beyond surface-level details.
Starting with Curiosity and Context
To kick off, I posed a simple but thought-provoking question: How many battles do you think were fought during the Revolutionary War? As expected, the responses ranged from “10” to “1 million” (middle schoolers never disappoint). I shared the surprising fact that there were over 1,000 battles and skirmishes, but we’d focus on five key battles. This helped set the stage for students to see the broader context before zooming in on the most impactful moments.
Building Knowledge with Gimkit and Padlet
We started with a 3-minute Gimkit to review core terms and concepts from the Revolutionary War. This quick burst of activity keeps engagement high and helps solidify foundational knowledge. Next, I had students dive deeper by becoming “battle experts.” Each student researched one battle, focusing on:
- When it happened
- Where it happened
- Two major events
- Why it was important to the war’s outcome
To share their findings, I set up a Padlet divided into five sections—one for each battle. I provided directions, maps, and a prompt to guide their work. Students also used the “I Can’t Draw” AI tool to create images representing their battle, adding a creative touch. Once the Padlet was complete, students read through the shared information and mapped out each battle location along with three key facts per battle.
Pushing into Evaluation and Synthesis
After gathering information, I challenged students to evaluate: Of the five battles, which three were the most important? They struggled with this—evaluating and ranking require a shift to DOK 2 thinking, and it’s an area we’re still building. Students sketched a quick image for each of their top three battles, which helped them synthesize their ideas visually.
To extend their thinking further, we moved into a CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) exercise: Which battle was the most important overall? Writing a strong claim with evidence and reasoning remains a work in progress for many of my students, but these moments of struggle are necessary steps in their growth. While the CERs weren’t perfect, they showed effort and emerging skills, and I see improvement as we continue practicing.
Wrapping Up with Retrieval
To close, we circled back to a 3-minute Gimkit, reinforcing what we’d learned and giving students a sense of progress by ending with something familiar and fast-paced.
Reflection: A Mix of Wins and Areas for Growth
My students excelled at the DOK 1 tasks—reviewing, gathering information, and sharing details—but evaluating and ranking battles (DOK 2) proved more challenging. CER writing continues to be a struggle, as expected, but it’s something we’ll keep practicing. The process of grappling with these higher-order tasks is just as important as the end result. Overall, the day offered a mix of engagement, content-building, and opportunities for growth, which is exactly what I want as we head toward the end of the unit.
Tuesday: Treaty of Paris of 1783
Today was all about the Treaty of Paris of 1783, and we explored its impact through visuals, questioning, and perspective-taking. This pivotal moment in history not only marked the end of the Revolutionary War but also set the stage for a newly independent United States. My goal was to hook students with curiosity, guide them through the key agreements, and challenge them to think critically about the treaty’s outcomes.
Starting with Wicked Hydra: Hooking Curiosity
We began with Benjamin West’s famous unfinished painting of American diplomats at the Treaty of Paris. Using the Wicked Hydra protocol, students generated questions about the painting. Predictably, many asked whether Benjamin Franklin was in the painting and why parts of it were blank or cloudy. Wicked Hydra is one of my favorite ways to start a lesson because it taps into students’ natural curiosity and frames their questions as an integral part of the learning process. I deliberately designed the lesson to answer many of their questions, creating a sense of anticipation and connection as the day progressed.
Treaty Reading, Sketch and Tell-O, and Summarizing
Next, students read a one-page summary of the Treaty of Paris. I used a concise reading to make the content manageable, focusing on three key agreements of the treaty. To reinforce comprehension, students sketched out each agreement using a Sketch and Tell-O, pairing visuals with concise explanations. Sketch and Tell-O not only keeps students engaged but also helps them process information in a way that sticks. After sketching, students wrote a brief summary, which encouraged them to synthesize what they’d learned and translate it into their own words.
Mapping Boundaries: Visualizing the Treaty’s Impact
To make the treaty’s outcomes more concrete, we turned to a map showing the boundaries established by the agreement. Students read three short descriptions outlining the boundaries for Spain, the United States, and Britain, then colored the map accordingly. This activity was an eye-opener—it highlighted just how challenging spatial reasoning and interpreting written directions can be for middle schoolers. Even with labeled sections on the map, many struggled. While it wasn’t smooth sailing, it was excellent practice for connecting textual information with geographic visuals, a skill they’ll continue to develop.
Ending with Perspective: A 2xPOV Activity
To wrap up, we revisited the painting and engaged in a 2xPOV protocol. Students wrote from the perspective of the American diplomats in the painting, reflecting on the significance of the treaty and their feelings about independence. Then, they switched to the perspective of the absent British negotiators, imagining their thoughts on the loss of the war and the new boundaries. This exercise pushed students to consider the treaty from multiple viewpoints, fostering empathy and critical thinking about the complexities of peace negotiations.
Reflection: A Mix of Wins and Growth Opportunities
The Wicked Hydra and Sketch and Tell-O were clear wins—their questions and sketches showed curiosity and a solid grasp of the treaty’s major points. The mapping activity, while a struggle, was valuable practice in connecting abstract agreements to tangible visuals. The 2xPOV activity challenged students to think beyond surface-level facts and put themselves in the shoes of the historical figures involved, a skill that’s key to understanding history as more than just events and dates.
Wednesday: The Contributions and Paradox of Marginalized Groups in the Revolutionary War
Today’s lesson was about bringing the voices of marginalized groups into the narrative of the Revolutionary War, a story that often centers on the contributions of white men while sidelining others who played critical roles. Ohio’s standards emphasize the importance of teaching how different groups—enslaved people, women, and Native Americans—contributed to the war’s outcome. However, our textbook provides only a brief mention of women and an even smaller nod to enslaved people, leaving an enormous gap to fill.
Introducing the Paradox: Fighting for Freedom
As I prepared for this lesson, I wanted students to grapple with a critical paradox: How did these marginalized groups help secure freedom during the Revolutionary War, only to be denied that freedom in the new nation they helped create? It’s a difficult, uncomfortable truth, but it’s also an opportunity to make history more inclusive and meaningful. My goal was to push students to think about this contradiction and see history as more than just dates and events—it’s a collection of human stories, struggles, and injustices.
Building Context with a Frayer Model: Defining “Marginalized”
We began by unpacking the term marginalized using a Frayer model. Defining the word gave students the vocabulary to frame the lesson and helped anchor their understanding of how these groups were treated during and after the war. Adding examples and characteristics brought the abstract concept to life, setting the stage for our deeper exploration.
Sketch and Tell-O: Contributions and Denial of Freedom
Next, students read a passage I created by combining textbook excerpts and additional information generated with AI. I asked AI to fill in the gaps, highlighting both the contributions of marginalized groups and the freedoms they were denied after the war. The students then completed a Sketch and Tell-O, choosing one group to illustrate both their contributions to the war and an example of the freedoms they were denied afterward. This activity gave students a way to process the information visually and reflect on the paradox of fighting for freedom while being excluded from it.
Engaging Perspectives: Interviewing Historical Figures with AI
To take things further, I introduced a Frayer model activity where students “interviewed” a historical figure. Using Claude AI and Magic School Chatbot, I created personas for James Lafayette, Abigail Adams, Deborah Sampson, and members of the Oneida. While I’m cautious about using AI for marginalized perspectives due to potential bias, I carefully tailored the instructions to avoid harmful stereotypes and ensure the responses were appropriate for 8th graders.
Students chose a figure, conducted interviews, and completed the Frayer model, answering questions about the figure’s contributions to the war, their treatment during and after the war, and their legacy. This interactive component allowed students to step into the shoes of these individuals and gain a deeper understanding of their experiences.
Closing with Reflection: Living the Paradox
To conclude, I asked students to reflect on what it might have been like to fight for freedom yet be denied it in the new nation they helped create. We discussed examples such as being forced back into slavery, having one’s land taken away, or being excluded from voting. This reflection aimed to connect students emotionally to the historical content, fostering empathy and critical thinking about the inequities that shaped early America.
Reflection: Teaching Beyond the Textbook
Today’s lesson was a powerful reminder of the importance of teaching history as a collection of diverse stories. While the textbook offers a narrow view, using AI and creative protocols like Sketch and Tell-O and historical interviews allowed me to broaden the narrative and engage students in meaningful ways. Grappling with the paradox of marginalized groups is challenging, but it’s a necessary step in helping students understand history’s complexities and injustices. I’m hopeful that today’s lesson planted seeds for deeper thinking and more inclusive perspectives in our classroom conversations.
Here’s the updated blog post for Thursday:
Thursday: Reviewing with Brain, Book, Buddy, Boss
Today was a review day, and we used one of my favorite protocols: Brain, Book, Buddy, Boss. This time, we approached it through multiple-choice questions to reinforce key content from the Revolutionary War unit while encouraging collaboration, self-reflection, and deeper understanding.
Setting Up the Process: Brain, Book, Buddy
Students began by dividing their paper into three columns. I provided 16 multiple-choice questions, covering everything from Revolutionary War battles to the Treaty of Paris. Here’s how the protocol unfolded:
- Brain: In the first column, students answered the questions independently without any help. This initial attempt was purely from memory, and I asked them to highlight or star any questions they were unsure of as they worked through the set.
- Book: Next, students used their notes, sketches, and completed EduProtocols to review the questions they’d flagged. In column two, they wrote down the updated answers they found using these resources. This step not only reinforced their retrieval skills but also encouraged them to connect back to the activities and materials we’ve worked on throughout the unit.
- Buddy: Finally, students compared their answers with a partner, writing their final answers in column three. Any discrepancies between their answers sparked a discussion, requiring students to explain their reasoning and come to an agreement. These discussions were phenomenal—students were engaged, asking each other questions, and even revisiting their notes to back up their arguments. The teamwork was inspiring and exactly what I hoped to see.
Grading and Analyzing Progress
At the end of the activity, I revealed the correct answers and had students grade themselves for each column. The goal was to reflect on what they knew independently (Brain), how much they improved with resources (Book), and whether collaborating helped them refine their understanding (Buddy). For most students, the progression showed clear improvement, but there were a few surprises—some students actually scored lower as the columns progressed! I chalk it up to the unpredictability of middle school thinking; sometimes overthinking or misunderstanding during the Buddy phase can derail what they initially got right.
Wrapping Up with Gimkit
To close the day, we played a Gimkit to reinforce the content we’d reviewed. The class averages—83%, 86%, 86%, and 90%—showed strong growth and confidence. Gimkit remains a favorite because it blends competition and repetition, making review both effective and fun.
Reflection: Balancing Independence and Collaboration
Today highlighted the balance between independent thinking and collaborative learning. Students showed strong effort in the Brain and Book phases, and the Buddy discussions pushed them to explain their reasoning and build consensus. Even when some students scored lower after collaborating, the discussions were valuable in fostering deeper thinking and reinforcing the importance of justifying answers.
The self-grading piece was especially powerful, giving students immediate insight into their progress and areas for improvement. Middle school is a mix of surprising growth and moments of “What just happened?” but that’s what makes it such a rewarding process. Overall, today was a win for reflection, review, and meaningful teamwork.
Friday: Assessment and Connecting the Revolutionary War to Local History
Today was a mix of assessment and transition, as we wrapped up the Revolutionary War unit and began looking ahead to the creation of a new country. With ties to local history, the lesson aimed to connect the broader narrative of the war to something more personal and tangible for my students.
Assessment: Gimkit and Short Answer
We started the day with a dual-format assessment. I set up a Gimkit assignment with 17 questions that stopped automatically when students completed it, giving them a focused goal. Alongside the Gimkit, I included two short-answer questions on paper, asking students to synthesize key ideas from the Revolutionary War unit. They had 20 minutes to finish both tasks, balancing their time between the two formats. After collecting their papers and recording scores, we transitioned to the second part of the day.
Number Mania: Local Connections to Revolutionary Veterans
For our next activity, we explored a transitional topic: Revolutionary War veterans settling in Ohio. I found a fantastic article from the Clermont Sun newspaper detailing how land in Clermont County and surrounding areas, including Hamilton and Brown counties, was granted to veterans as payment for their service. This topic is personal for me because my family has farmed Revolutionary War land in Clermont County since it was granted to my ancestors. Sharing this personal connection brought a human element to the lesson and helped students see how national history ties directly to their local area.
Like all Number Mania activities, I began with a statement for students to prove:
“Clermont County became a significant settlement area for Revolutionary War veterans, who were paid in various ways for their service.”
We read the article together, and students highlighted four numbers and corresponding facts that supported the statement. Using these numbers, they designed slides that visualized the information in a clear and compelling way. This task combined reading comprehension, critical thinking, and design skills, making it a great way to bridge content areas.
Wrapping Up with Insights
With five minutes left, I revealed eight possible numbers that could have supported the statement, giving students a chance to compare their choices with other possibilities. This final step sparked discussion about what makes evidence strong and how different pieces of information can support the same claim.
Reflection: Bringing History Home
Today’s activities were a meaningful way to connect national history to local significance. The assessment gave students a chance to show what they’ve learned, while the Number Mania tied the Revolutionary War to their own community’s roots. The personal connection—especially sharing my family’s Revolutionary War land story—added a layer of authenticity and relevance that helped students see how history shapes the places we live today. As we move forward into the new country’s formation, I hope this connection inspires them to think critically about how the past continues to impact the present.
Moler's Musings 