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The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Boston
Dear Families,

Our class will soon begin a new social studies unit on the American Revolution. We will be using a curriculum called Storypath, in which students will be learning about this historical period by creating a story that they themselves help to create. This particular Storypath is called //The Struggle for Independence in Colonial Boston//. Your students will be split into “families” and will create a business and home in colonial Boston. These families will work together as they experience the various events that led to America gaining its independence from Britain.

Storypath is a fabulous curriculum in that it gives the students an opportunity to actually live through the events that led to the American Revolution. They will create biographies about their characters and will be asked to respond to events such as the taxing conflict, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, and much more, as though they are their character. Ultimately, they will need to decide whether they will become a Patriot or a Loyalist, and will understand the advantages and disadvantages that colonists had to face in making these difficult and historical decisions.

Throughout the unit, which will last six weeks, we encourage you to ask your student what is happening in their life while living in colonial Boston. They will each receive a portfolio that will guide them in completing their assignments. This portfolio will give you a good idea of where we are in the Storypath and the kinds of historical events that they are living through, and experiences they are grappling with as merchants, colonists, and members of a family. We have also included a couple activities on this website that we encourage you to complete with your child. The more they work with you at home and keep their character’s alive, the more invested they will be in the Storypath and therefore the more they will learn!

As always, we welcome volunteers and guest speakers in the classroom, so please reach out to us if you are interested. We understand that many of you may have traveled to Boston and visited the historical sites that your students are learning about throughout the unit. If you would like, we invite you to come into the classroom and share your knowledge about this time and place. Furthermore, there are many dramatic role plays that will happen throughout the unit. We invite you to come in and join the fun. It’s always great to have you be a part of the students’ learning.

Let us know if you have any questions! We look forward to beginning our journey through history together.

Warm regards,

Ms. Carr and Ms. Alskog