Middle School 7th Grade Classes Study Revolutionary War
by Mrs. Davis
March 01, 2010
The 7th Grade Social Studies students have finished the American Revolutionary War unit. Upon the completion of the unit, the students were divided into groups and asked to choose something relating to the war that they were especially interested in. Each group then researched their chosen topic, collected information and facts, and wrote a script for a news show. The students worked in their groups to plan costumes and props. On Tuesday, February 23, 2010, each group presented a segment of the Revolutionary War News Show. The segments were video taped and linked together to make the complete show.
Our Revolutionary War News Show included a great variety of topics. One group interviewed British women who were traveling with the British troops. It was interesting to learn about their perspective of the war. Another group took us to Valley Forge for an interview of General Washington and his troops. We saw the rag tag soldiers and learned about the hardships they were enduring. Next, Paul Revere rode through the classroom on his famous midnight ride and was stopped by the British. Interviews with Paul and the British soldiers provided us with more information about the incident. What did the American troops eat during the American Revolutionary War? Well, two young women joined the show to teach us about foods of the war. They cooked up some soup and hardtack which they shared with the audience. Another segment of the show informed us about the American camp followers. They told us about the things they do to help out with the war. John Paul Jones sailed the Bon Homme Richard through the classroom and attacked the Serapis. A reporter interviewed both John and the British captain and we learned some interesting facts about the incident. An interview of Jim 'The Butcher' Percy helped us learn about the unsanitary conditions of the army hospitals during the war. We were invited to witness the amputation of an arm. It was quite gruesome! We also learned about the tools used by the Revolutionary War doctors and nurses. One reporter took us to a style show of Revolutionary War outfits. Appearing in the show were such important people as Molly Pitcher, John Burgoyne, American soldiers, George Washington, and the soldier's friend, Marquis de Lafayette. Their outfits were quite interesting. A final news segment took us to see Earl de Stieanback, a prisoner on a British war ship. Earl had been on the ship for six years and described the conditions, medical treatment of prisoners, and how the British treated him. At the end of this segment, we saw Earl trying to escape. Throughout the show we saw commercials for items that were invented during the American Revolutionary War time period. This was a fun project. It was enjoyed by all!
Revolutionary War News Show
