Alabama Social Studies SS24.6.9

SS24.6.9 is a cluster heading. These are the individual standards under it.

• SS24.6.9a

  Evaluate the political and military contributions to the American Revolution of Founding Fathers, including their efforts to mobilize support, develop military ...

• SS24.6.9b

  Analyze how the Treaty of Paris of 1783 affected the development of the United States, including the establishment of its boundaries.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students explain why the colonies won, including French help and British supply problems. They describe how Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin helped the cause. They identify the land Britain recognized as part of the new United States.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

A student can explain how Washington's strategy and French ships helped win at Yorktown. They can describe how Jefferson's writing built support and Franklin's diplomacy secured French help. They can identify the Mississippi River as the treaty's western boundary.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may give Washington all the credit and overlook French troops, ships, and loans. They may confuse the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781 with the peace treaty signed in 1783. Some assume the treaty gave the United States its current borders.

04

How to Assess It

On an exit slip, ask: "Name one way Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin each helped the colonies. What did Britain recognize in 1783, and where was the new western border?"

1. 01

   Give pairs a blank 1783 map and colored pencils; have them mark the Mississippi River and shade the land Britain recognized as U.S. territory.

2. 02

   Ask: Could Washington have won at Yorktown without French ships? Write three sentences using one fact about Franklin's diplomacy.

3. 03

   Give groups cards for Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and the French navy; have them match each to a contribution and explain their choices.

4. 04

   Compare 1783 and current U.S. maps; have students circle California, Texas, and Oregon and explain why each was outside the treaty borders.

• SS24.4.6c

  Summarize the principles of the Declaration of Independence.

• SS24.US1.1d

  Evaluate the contributions of colonial leaders, including George Washington; military strategy; and the support of foreign nations to significant victories in t...

• SS24.6.8d

  Explain why Loyalists and other colonists sided with the British during the War for Independence and how Great Britain’s defeat and withdrawal impacted their li...

• SS24.2.1a

  Describe the reasons for the settlement of the American colonies.