Today was the most challenging content so far, and I think it can be argued that it is no coincidence that it was the most rewarding and joyous day so far as well! We may talk tomorrow about cause and effect in relation to our productive struggle.  In a learning environment, does an increase in investment and struggle cause an increase in satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in the learning process? How does this relate to our essential question: Are the sacrifices of individuals in a war worth the gains to cultures and societies? Is there a diminishing return in relation to the sacrifices of war that negate the social and cultural gains?

What was this difficult content? Who shot first in the first Battles of Lexington and Concord? In three small groups, we prepared ourselves to buckle down and research 6 major battles of the Revolutionary War through text reading, online articles, and video accounts.  We organized our understandings of battle locations on a map by regions and created timelines to discuss and understand any observable cause and effect relationships that could be discovered between these major conflicts.  What criteria are used to determine victory or defeat: causalities inflicted, objectives met, physical territories seized? What types of resource availability caused specific outcomes of certain battles? Did a certain outcome of a battle cause a different battle in a different location?  What is the relationship of the battles of 1775 and early 1776 (both victories and defeats) to the decision making processes of the colonial representatives in the July 2, 1776 vote to declare independence? What was the importance of the victory of the Battle of Trenton as a cause for the beginning of the end of the war?

We researched the lives of Alexander Hamilton and George Washington and then listened to an excerpt from Hamilton: An American Musical.  What connections from the musical can we make directly from the reading we have done?  How do these men work to develop their identities in this changing culture and prepare for jobs that don’t even exist? What can we learn from 110 Rules of Civility as young George did? What can we learn from observing a portrait of Washington about his character and values? 

Tomorrow, we will harness all this knowledge to dive deeper into issues of war, as well as observe a detailed reading of the Declaration of Independence. In each section, we will work backward in history to discover the cause of the idea it expresses.  We will also be increasing our discourse skills in hopes you will join us for a demonstration at Friday’s open house at 3:15. Please be asking your child about some of the issues and events mentioned earlier.  We have found unanimous consensus on one issue so far – you will not be asked to sing “Yankee Doodle” if you attend – although we may analyze the lyrics.

Hope to see you on Friday!

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