Adrian Herrera

Revolution Conclusion
8th Grade US History
Goal: Standard 1: Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their
understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the
history of the United States and New York.
Objectives:
1. Students will integrate a game into the way they learn and study.
2. Students will modify their notes in order to make up questions for jeopardy.
3. Students will combine their knowledge from past lectures to create the game.
Materials Needed: Powerpoint and Students notes
Detailed Lesson:
Warm up (5 Minutes):
Ask the class whether or not they believe we wouldve won the war without
French assistance.
The French Alliance (10 Minutes):

The French were probably just as intrigued about the win at Saratoga as the

patriots themselves.
Since the end of the French and Indian War, they were eager to get revenge on the

British and saw this as their opportunity.

Very early on, the French sent emissaries to America to see how devoted the
colonists were to independence.

In 1776, congress sent Silas Deane to France in secrecy to purchase military

supplies using credit.

At the same time, he began hinting towards political and military assistance.
The French were simply watching the events taking place and Benjamin Franklin

was in charge of relations with France.

Though Franklin was there to persuade them, Saratoga is what caught their eye.
The Treaty of Alliance signed with France made it so that if Britain went to war

with either country, the other would come to its aid.

Also neither side would lay down their arms unless both sides agreed.
The French support was decisive in the Battle of Yorktown.
The French navy also disrupted the British blockade and commanders like

Lafayette were admired by many Americans.

Lord Cornwallis was station in Yorktown, Virginia and intended on staying there

until reinforcements and supplies arrived.

Washington came from the north, French from the South and Lafayette met up

with Washington as well.

They pretended to perform other military actions to keep the British in the dark
and finally attacked, leading to Cornwallis surrendering nearly 8,000 troops on

October 19, 1781.

The Battle of Yorktown turned the British public against the war.
Finally in 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed. The British acknowledged
America as an independent nation, America agreed to repaying debts they owed
the British before the war, and to no longer persecute British loyalists.

Jeopardy Question Creation (Rest of the Class):

The class will spend the remainder of the class making up questions for a
jeopardy game which will be played in the following class.

The questions will focus mainly on the American Revolution but they will also
have to make up a miscellaneous category which they can choose from anywhere
so long as it was covered.
The incentive to study is that many of the things covered in the game will be on
the test and the winning team gets 3 extra points on their exam.