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We chose eighth graders as our audience because we felt it was the best fit for our anchor text. Fever 1793 was an accessible read for younger middle schoolers and preteens to read, but engaging and complex enough for older readers to be intrigued as well. Eighth grade was ideal because those at an eighth grade reading level will have no problems reading the text, but those with learning differences or disabilities will find it approachable as well. For the sake of this assignment, we are going to assume that most of the students read at, or above, grade level.

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Our anchor text was Fever 1793. It’s an historical fiction young adult novel that follows the main character, Mattie Cook, and her family members as they struggle to stay alive in the chaos of the yellow fever that hit Philadelphia in 1793. It’s an excellent read for middle schoolers, but is approachable to advanced younger readers and interested older readers as well.

Anderson, L. H. (2000). Fever 1793. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

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We felt this text would be an excellent way to illustrate some of the differences between America today and America in the colonial 1700’s. We often look at history through bored and analytical eyes, especially when we’re trying to teach others about specific dates and events to better their chances on a test. However, one of the best ways to remember history is to make it personal. Reading letters sent home by soldiers, comparing the death tolls to modern day populations, and reading journal entries from significant players are all enriching ways to learn about the great wars for example. Making history personal can change the way we look at and retain information about it. Fever 1793 not only gives us an “on the ground” view into the chaos and devastation of America in the grips of the plague, but shows us the consequences of too slow communication and poor/unregulated city hygiene. Both of which were common and unavoidable facts of life in America during the late 1700s.

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Connection to 3-5 content and/or school library standards:

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Connection to 3-5 content and/or school library standards:

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One content standard in the area of History and Social Science that connects to many of the resources in our curricular text set is 8.1:

“8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy. 1. Describe the relationship between the moral and political ideas of the Great Awakening and the development of revolutionary fervor. 2. Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”). 3. Analyze how the American Revolution affected other nations, especially France. 4. Describe the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions.”

History Social Science Content Standards (2000). California Department of Education. Retrieved October 10, 2018, from https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf

Our anchor text can be utilized for students to grasp another component of the major events that preceded the founding of the nation.  Students can find instances of daily life that may have changed due to The Revolutionary War, both during and after.  The book describes a lot of the daily life aspects of the times as well as the social structuring, economics, and health issues of the era.  Other sources in our curricular text set connect even more directly to the Revolutionary War.

The second standard we have chosen for our curricular text set is School Library Standard for seventh and eighth graders 2.1 a

“Standard 2. Students evaluate information."
The student will evaluate and analyze information to determine what is appropriate to address the scope of inquiry.

2.1 Determine the relevance of the information:

a.   Assess the author’s evidence to support claims and assertions, noting instances of bias and stereotypes in a variety of visual and audio materials.”

With such a wide variety of resources, students can analyze an author’s evidence to support their topic.  Especially within the research article, “British Convicts Shipped to American Colonies”, where students will see pieces of many primary sources of information within the article.  The students can also compare the viewpoints and examine for bias within their class text, the informational text American Colonies: The Settling of North America, and the videos.

The third standard we have chosen for our curricular text set is School Library Standard for seventh and eighth graders 2.2 b

“2.2 Assess the comprehensiveness, currency, credibility, authority, and accuracy of resources:

b.   Analyze differences among various categories of informational materials

(e.g., textbooks, newspapers, magazines, atlases, online resources) in terms of structure and purpose.”

Model Library Standards (2010). California Department of Education. Retrieved October 10, 2018, from https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/cr/lb/schoollibstnds2017.asp

Our curricular text set has such a wide variety of types of resources that students would be able to analyze the differences between the structures and the purposes of each.  The students can look at diary entries, poetry, historical fiction, non-fiction, video, audio, photos, research article, and a short story.

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The American Colonies: The Settling of North America by Alan Taylor

Taylor, A. (2002). The American colonies: The settling of North America. London, England: Penguin Random House.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/95225.American_Colonies

Annotation: Alan Taylor is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author. This book is the first in a series called The Penguin History of the United States.  The book is commended for providing multiple outlooks on the colonization and settlement of North America.  The book discusses English, French, Dutch, Russian, and Spanish settlement as well as Indigenous People and African slaves.  Many history textbooks have a limited viewpoint, and this book strives to counter that trend.

Justification: This book is “above” our 8th grade reading level target.  According to many of the reviews on Goodreads.com, the book would be best for eleventh or twelfth grade.  To utilize the book for eighth grade, specific sections of the book could be read in teacher-led groups or as a class with teacher support.  Each section could be read in conjunction with a study of that country and their significance in settling North America.  Students could read their text book section, the corresponding section of The American Colonies: The Settling of North America, and watch a video on the same topic to support the student’s understanding and present the information in multiple formats and viewpoints.

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“Valley Forge and the American Revolution” by Barbara Radner

Radner, B. (2005). Valley Forge and the American Revolution. CommonLit. Retrieved from https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/valley-forge-and-the-american-revolution

Annotation: Barbara Radner is an Associate Professor and Director of the Polk Bros Foundation Center for Urban Education at the DePaul School for New Learning. She specializes in literacy, museum education, social sciences, and history. She holds a BA in English from the University of Illinois, and an MST in Early Childhood Education and PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Chicago. Her piece, “Valley Forge and the American Revolution,” describes a battle between George Washington’s army and the British that Washington would go on to win.

Justification: “Valley Forge and the American Revolution” is a short informational text piece meant for fifth graders. However, we felt that it would serve well as both a “below” grade level example due to what a simple read it is and a great opportunity for peer led discussion among students. The site allows for PDF downloads that include worksheet questions that students can use in their study groups. Because the text is found on a website it can be both printed off for readers or used on a computer in a lab.

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“The Founding of American Democracy” by Jessica McBirney

McBirney, J. (2016). The Founding of American Democracy. CommonLit. Retrieved from https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts/the-founding-of-american-democracy

Annotation: “The Founding of American Democracy” is an informational text piece on the colonization and revolution of America written by Jessica McBirney, an experienced writer and research intern. In the article McBirney covers a number of topics pertaining to the beginning of America as the country we know today including the Constitution, federalism, and the Bill of Rights.

Justification: McBirney’s article is aimed at seventh graders and thus falls into the “below” eighth grade reading level, due to its straightforward and easy to understand language. Written specifically for classrooms and middle schoolers, the article additionally comes with worksheets and discussion topics that would translate well to an eighth grade classroom. One of the article’s greatest strengths is the author’s ability to sufficiently explain complex issues heavily laden with political jargon in just a matter of a paragraph or two. This segmenting allows younger readers or those with learning differences to focus on each paragraph at a time and helps to prevent them from glazing over while reading what would normally be lengthy material. While this could be read independently, we recommend it be partnered with teacher-led discussion and supplemented with further materials such as pictures, videos, or interactive lessons like history games.

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“America, a Prophecy” by William Blake

Blake, W., Eaves, M., & Paley, M. (1975). America, a prophecy. Albuquerque, N.M.]: Blake Newsletter.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Blake#ref211235

Annotation: This is actually a book of poetry by William Blake, poet and illustrator.  The book is considered prophetic in that he predicted what would happen throughout the American Revolution and after.  However, many of his ideas did not come to fruition, such as slavery coming to an immediate end.  The book was originally engraved on eighteen plates and he produced his own copies of the book in his home, some of them hand colored.

Justification: This poetry is “above” grade for our 8th grade reading level target.  Pieces of the poems could be photocopied and read whole class or small group in teacher-led activities.  Pieces of the poem could be analyzed for their figurative language and symbolism and how it relates to a particular event or theme during the Revolutionary War.  This source is also an interesting example of how art and literature interpret the politics of the times and could tie into today’s political cartoons.  The students could also learn about printing processes of the 1700s for books and newspapers, which could possibly lead into a hands-on activity of printing something of their own.  This source could also lead to students making their own poem about an event in history, or a political art piece.

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"By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation" by George Washington

By the President of the United States of America. A Proclamation. (1793, January 1). Western Star. Retrieved from https://docs-newsbank-com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:EANX&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=108B80F6C503C488&svc_dat=HistArchive:ahnpdoc&req_dat=0ED7205AB93FC626

Annotation: This news article is a proclamation by George Washington condemning the murders of several Cherokee nation Native Americans and the burning of their town. In it, he not only admonishes those responsible, but gives permission to those under his service to bring the perpetrators to justice. He offers a five hundred dollar reward to those that succeed.

Justification: The article is “at” eighth grade reading with the assistance of a teacher. Though some of the words may be difficult to understand or read, the majority of the message should be very accessible to eighth grade readers. Teachers could use this article to shed light on America in 1793 and make comparisons to today’s culture. For example, he or she could discuss the lingering animosity towards Native Americans at the time, coupled with the difference between a modern punishment/manhunt and the five hundred dollar reward offered by Washington. Students could also discuss the sharing of information at the time (newspapers/pamphlets) versus today and the immediate news we’ve become accustomed to that can be shared through social media and websites.

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“British Convicts Shipped to American Colonies” by James Davie Butler

Butler, J. (1896). British Convicts Shipped to American Colonies. The American Historical Review, 2(1), 12-33.

http://www.eablanchette.com/_supportdocs/Butler,%20British%20Convicts%20Shipped%20to%20American%20Colonies.htm

Annotation: This article uses many primary sources to discuss the circumstances under which many British immigrated to North America in the 1700s.  The article discusses contradictory information in which some officials deny the immoral character of immigrants brought over, while others confirm people were specifically brought as punishment for crimes.  Some sources argue that the crimes were merely political, others disagree.  The article also discusses the use of convict slave labor in the West Indies.

Justification: I believe this article would be of high interest to middle school students.  While the article itself is very long and wordy, the content is of high interest motivating readers to forge ahead.  I would still cut portions of the article to use, and read it as a class or small group in a teacher-led activity.  As a class, we could discuss the varying disagreements and see whom the students believe.  I would follow it up with a video on the same topic, or find other examples around the world to relate the issue to, such as the similar settlement of Australia.  This article is above our eighth grade target reading level.

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“13 Colonies Song” by MrBettsClass

[MrBettsClass]. (2018, August 30). 13 Colonies Song (Queen’s “Somebody to Love” Parody) [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqvlwaBUM4I

Annotation: This song is a parody of Queen’s hit song, “Somebody to Love”.  The song covers the names, locations, resources, and religions of each of the 13 British colonies on the east coast of North America.

Justification: This song is a fun and entertaining way for students to learn or review the 13 British Colonies established in North America.    Music is also an engaging unit opener, or once taught, the song can be replayed as a “sponge” activity when there is a transition time or two more minutes until the bell.  I like that the lyrics are included on the youtube page, so teachers can print copies for their students to learn the song.  There seem to be many positive reviews for this song as well, so hopefully that is a reflection of student feedback.  This song will most likely support the students’ eighth grade history textbook, as most focus upon the 13 British colonies.  The other supplementary resources in our curricular text set discuss other viewpoints.  It may be fun for students in groups to come up with their own parody about France, Spain, Russia, or Dutch settlements in North America.  This song is below our eighth grade target reading level.

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The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777 by Kristiana Gregory

Gregory, K. (1996). The Winter of Red Snow: The Revolutionary War Diary of Abigail Jane Stewart, Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 1777. Scholastic Inc.

Annotation: Kristiana Gregory is a bestselling author of over twenty middle grade novels. The Winter of Red Snow is one of a number of historical fiction diary novels that Gregory has written. The story is formatted like a personal journal that reads in chronological order. The main character, Abigail Jane Stewart, lives in the infamous Valley Forge that played host to one of the most memorable battles in the revolutionary war and in 1777 George Washington has come to town.

Justification: This book is recommended for middle grade readers and sits well “at” an eighth grade reading level. Though younger readers could read this novel, it contains era appropriate profanity and wartime descriptions of violence, which might be better handled by older readers. Because this book is written like a journal, the chapters are smaller and more manageable for readers and thus can be read independently by students. In-class follow up discussions could involve delving into what made Valley Forge the famous battle that it was and glancing over maps of the area as it looked in 1777. This book not only ties into the era that our anchor text was set it in, it also addresses some similar coming of age themes such as growing up, working at a young age, and learning to manage dangerous situations. As Abigail Stewart is close in age with our young Mattie Cook from Fever 1793, class discussions could compare the two characters and their mirrored life styles. Did they answer calls of responsibility similarly? Who handled danger better? What made them different?

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Just Jane: A Daughter of England Caught in the Struggle of the American Revolution by William Lavender

Lavender, W. (2002). Just Jane: A Daughter of England Caught in the Struggle of the American Revolution. Gulliver Books.

Annotation: William Lavender has published a number of historical novels, the first of which, Chinaberry, was a bestseller. He has also written extensively about the history and conflicts of young women in America. Just Jane: A Daughter of England Caught in the Struggle of the American Revolution is the story of a young woman from England who finds herself in the middle of the American revolution as she chases her own independence and traverses the road of first loves.

Justification: Set in 1776, Just Jane showcases what life was like for a young woman in America during the late 1700s and is recommended for readers in grades 9-12. We felt it would serve as a good “above” grade level example and could be read independently and followed up with teacher led class discussion. A paperback novel, it could be taken home each night with students to read at their own pace and serve to broaden their knowledge of American history. Having information provided to them in novel format could also help students become more engaged in the class material as more relatable and personal stories often encourage students to connect to otherwise dull historical facts and numbers. Further discussion could involve how women aided in the American revolution and what battles they faced for rights in the coming years.

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“The Sign Painter’s Secret: The Story of a Revolutionary Girl (Her Story)” by Dorothy Hoobler

Hoobler, D. (1991). “The Sign Painter’s Secret: The Story of a Revolutionary Girl (Her Story).”  Silver Burdett Pr.

Annotation: “The Sign Painter’s Secret: The Story of a Revolutionary Girl (Her Story)” is a short story about a girl in the winter of 1777 who finds herself in the company of George Washington's army at Valley Forge.

Justification: This story is a good example of a short story at “below” grade reading levels. Because the story is set at Valley Forge, it can not only be used to educate about America in the late 1700s, but would work excellently as a partner piece to the informational text, “Valley Forge and the American Revolution.” Together they offer both an analytical and facts driven lesson and a more relatable character story to follow. As the story is below grade level, it can be read independently by students, but is also a simple enough read that students could participate in peer led discussion.

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The Colonization of North America

Goldman, G. & Hilson, D. (Producers), & Rogers, N. (Director). (2007). The Colonization of North America [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Full Circle Entertainment in association with Goldhil Home Media.

http://www.libraryvideocompany.com/just-the-facts-colonization-of-north-america-4pack-p/gh1744.htm

Annotation: This video is actually a collection of four videos in one.  The collection has an installment about the first colonies in the Americas, the British settlements, French settlements, and Spanish settlements.  Each video highlights prominent figures from each country such as Ponce De Leon and Cortes.  The video also shows alliances and conflicts with the Indigenous People, such as Pocahontas, the first Thanksgiving, Plymouth Rock, and Chief Powhatan.

Justification: Videos can be an engaging way to present material to students.  The videos can deepen their understanding of a reading on the same topic to support the students who may be at lower reading levels.  The videos are broken into sections which makes them easier to use than one three hour film.  Most classes are taught in 50-60 minute blocks and a shorter film works better not only for scheduling, but for students to digest and retain the information.  Teachers can pair the videos with readings from their main text or from our text set. The films are below our eighth grade target reading level.

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Representation du Feu terrible a Nouvelle Yorck by Franz Xaver Habermann

The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The

New York Public Library. (1776). Representation du Feu terrible a Nouvelle Yorck Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e3-b9b0-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99

Annotation: Engraved by German artist Franz Xaver Habermann, this image depicts the devastating New York fire of 1776. It is currently a part of the New York Public Library’s Print Collection and can often be found with similar engravings by Habermann.

Justification: The image makes especially apparent the sharp contrast between 1700s America and today in both the format of the photo and what it showcases. Though there are still artists drawing by hand today, it’s far less common than it was in the past and today, with a moment this catastrophic, we’d have thousands of photos and videos delivered to us from witnesses’ cell phones. It’s also hard to imagine a fire today that would have the chance to burn down a third of New York due to modern building codes and fire department efficiency. Because this is an image, it can be appreciated and understood by a variety of grade levels including those “above,” “at,” or “below” eighth grade reading levels. Teachers can use the photo to illuminate the differences between 1700s America and today, and set the scene for some of the stories and information provided in this text set.