Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?

Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? By: Jean Fritz
King George III

Grade Level: Fifth

Subject(s): Social Studies, Language Arts, Writing, Art, Drama

Learner Outcomes:

The students express opinions about events in a story.
The students read for comprehension.
The students identify major causes leading to the revolutionary war.
The students identify roles of prominent colonial people.
The students predict outcomes of reading materials.
The students summarize information after reading.

Time Frame: 4.5 hours

Materials:

"Letter from King George"
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
For each student:

Literature circle contract
paper or parchment paper
pencils
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz

Technology Tools:

Multimedia computer
Word processing software such as Corel Word Perfect or Microsoft Word
Printer
CD ROM drive
"Shh! We're Writing the Constitution" CD ROM series by Scholastic Software

Teacher Notes:

Pass out Can't You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz the night before the lesson begins so that students have a chance to read the first block of assigned pages. Reserve a time in the lab to complete the word processing activity. Make sure all students have the approved Internet permission form before using or viewing material on the Internet.

Procedures:

1. The teacher opens the lesson by reading the "Letter from King George".

2. The students will complete literature circles and work on the contract activities including SOP's (summary, opinions, and predictions).

3. Students will write a response to King George's letter from a colonist's point of view. Students will use a colonial font of their choice and type the letter using the word processing software. Once the students have written and electronically proofread their materials for grammar and spelling they may print the final draft on parchment paper to be displayed.

4. The teacher will read a desired amount of Shh! We're Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz orally to the class.

Modifications:

The students will work in cooperative groups for most activities.

Enrichment
Activities:

The students will design a flag of one of the 13 colonies.
The students will visit www.yahooligans.com and other URLs listed in the references section to research more information about King George.

Evaluation(s):