PBS Interactive: The Role of France In the American Revolution

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The Role of France In the American Revolution

Ken Burns In The Classroom – Ready-To-Use Lesson Plans Ken Burns PBS teaching resources for the American Revolution are abundant. “The American Revolution is a 12-hour, six-part PBS documentary series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt, written by Geoffrey C. Ward, and narrated by Peter Coyote.”

The following is an interactive lesson from the PBS Ken Burns American Revolution resource. 

A few thoughts:

1. Review the cautions before sharing with students. 
2. Review the standards.
3. Experiment with the Teacher View & Student View.
4. Some students encountered a 404 Error when they signed in with google. To correct this problem, students can register as a guest. We are not sure if this allows the progress to be saved. 

It’s always best to preview a lesson or activity prior to sharing with students; however, we also have found that it’s OK to take a chance and experiment with a lesson from a reliable source without fully completing it. One example is the PBS Ken Burns American Revolutionary War interactive involving The Role of France In the American Revolution. 

Ken Burns is relatively new resource for US history teachers. With so much on a teacher’s plate, it may be a good opportunity to have the students test out an assignment and give feedback. This interactive is an 11 page interactive. It allows students to answer questions as they go, which we love. Their are sections with videos, which we do not like so much. If each student is watching the video, the room can be loud and chaotic. 

One option to this would be for the teacher to complete the assignment as a class, presenting the information on the white board, while the students complete their work on the computer. . 

Another option is to have the students complete the assignment for homework over several days. This could be a problem for students who lack technology at home or do not have access to Wi-Fi. 

We encourage teachers to explore this activity a little more closely. We feel could be a good option for students and teachers. Hopefully, this allows you to have a little better understanding of the activity and a good starting point if you want to test it out.

1. Introduction (Page 1 of 11): This is simple slide that requires students to read the information. The essential question is also introduced.
2. Test Your American Revolution Knowledge! (Page 2 of 11): Students will answer questions associated with France’s role in the American Revolution. The correct answers are explained.
3.   An Unlikely Alliance: France and the American Patriots (Page 3 of 11):Directions: Watch the three clips below and answer the corresponding questions in the charts to the right of each video.
   1. Video 1: France Secretly Supports the Patriot Cause
   2. video 2: Franklin Appeals for More Aid
   3. video 3: France Joins the War for American Independence
4. Franco-American Treaties of 1778: Alliance and Trade (Page 4 of 11): This is a page where students interact with the text and will write responses on the website.
5. France Provides Military Support (Page 5 of 11): This page has two videos with questions.
   1. Video 1: Battle of Rhode Island 
   2. Video 2: Siege of Savannah
6. France’s Material Contributions to the American Revolution (Page 6 of 11): This page contains information and the following writing prompt: You have learned of the various ways France supported Americans during the American Revolution: military, political, financial, and material. Pick 3 categories of aid the French supplied to the United States during the American Revolution. Why was each significant?
7. The Impact of the French Alliance on the Course of the War (Page 7 of 11): This page has two videos with questions.
   1. video 1: Battle of the Chesapeake 
   2. video 2: Siege at Yorktown
8. The Siege of Yorktown: The End of the War (Page 8 of 11): This page has a video with questions.
   1. Video: Franco-American Victory
9. Final Assignment Organizer Activity (Page 9 of 11): Task: Create a PSA or other visual product that shares the impact and significance of France’s involvement in the American Revolution. Your final product should share the story of France’s involvement in the American Revolution as you now understand it. Use the Chart It! activity to help organize your thoughts for the final assignment.
10. Final Assignment (Page 10 of 11): Task: Create a PSA or other visual product that shares the impact and significance of France’s involvement in the American Revolution.Your final product should share the story of France’s involvement in the American Revolution as you now understand it.
11. Hand in My Work (Page 11 of 11):