Freedom Fighters Throughout American History
Overview: Through the years elementary teachers have taught their students about the first Thanksgiving in America. The focus has been on how the first Thanksgiving was a celebration of a bountiful harvest and survival of that first, arduous year on a new continent. While this is the most obvious meaning of Thanksgiving, it could/should be taken a step further with middle school students as a celebration of freedom. When recalling the reason the pilgrims left the comforts of their native land, it was for the right or freedom to worship in their own way. With this underlying fact, Thanksgiving could be considered a celebration of freedom in the new country.

From the time the pilgrims first stepped on the soil of the new continent until present day, our country has had many outstanding people willing to fight for a cause they truly believe(d) in: Freedom. Freedom can and does wear many hats and can mean many things.

This lesson will look at Freedom Fighters throughout U.S. history; their contributions, ideals, as well as their impact on our nation. Many outstanding people immediately come to mind, and then, there are those who lost their lives in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania in the recent tragedy. Lives that were taken as a means of mocking the very freedoms that we hold dear.

The overall objective of this lesson is to re-enforce how important it is to have our freedom, how fortunate we are to enjoy such freedoms, how people past and present have dedicated their lives for the protection of our freedom, and how we must continue to work for and value our freedom in America.

Time:
 45-90 minutes; 1-2 weeks
Grade Level :
 6th, 7th, 8th
Materials:
  • eBuddies
  • Internet Access
  • MS Office applications
  • Inspiration software (optional)
  • Adding machine tape
National Standards:

Civics Standards:

  • What is Government and What Should it Do?
    • 1. Understands ideas about civic life, politics, and government.
    • 3. Understands the sources, purposes, and functions of law, and the importance of the rules of law for the protection of individual rights and the common good.
  • What are the Basic Values and Principals of American Democracy:
    • 9. Understands the importance of Americans sharing and supporting certain values, beliefs, and principles of American constitutional democracy.
    • 11. Understands the role of diversity in American life and the importance of shared values, political beliefs, and civic beliefs in an increasingly diverse American society.
  • What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?
    • 25. Understands issues regarding personal, political, and economic rights.
Objectives: Students will be able to:
  • conduct research utilizing the Internet on people in American history who have contributed to the cause of freedom.
  • give a definition of freedom.
  • give examples or categories of freedoms.
  • give examples of freedoms that are important to them and then categorize the freedom from the categories the students had previously derived.
  • utilize MS Word application to design a sign/brochure about the person researched.
  • work collaboratively to construct a visual timeline of researched Freedom Fighters.
  • design a Power Point Presentation to dissimilated information gathered about the person researched.
  • give an oral presentation to co-inside with the Power Point Presentation.
  • design a "Wax Museum" display using information gathered from research.
  • write a persuasive/informative paper on the merits and accomplishments of the person researched.
  • practice the democratic practice of voting for the freedom fighter they feel has contributed the most to our country.
Procedure:
1. Have students brainstorm the meaning of freedom. (Using the application, INSPIRATION, is an excellent way of recording brainstorming session's ideas). From the brainstorming session, develop a class definition of Freedom.
2. Have students list or give ideas of different types of freedoms.
3. Give each student 1 or 2 sticky notes and have them record a freedom they feel most important.
4. Using the categories derived as a class, have students individually read and place their sticky note under the proper category. Have the students explain why they feel their input to be an important freedom.
5. Link our present freedoms to the freedoms the pilgrims had or didn't have.
6. Ask students to name people who, in the past or the present, fought or crusades for the listed freedoms. Make a list. ( Possible homework assignment would be to interview parents, grandparents, etc. for additional names.)
7. Compile a list of "Freedom Fighters" (a basic list is included)
8. As a class, generate a document to be used for gathering information in the research of an assigned or chosen Freedom Fighter.
9. Assign or have students choose a person to research.
10.

After distributing the eBuddies, have the students go to the following websites to gather research:

About.com:
http://americanhistory.about.com
http://womenshistory.about.com/library/bio/blbio_list.htm

The American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/parentspage/greatsites/people.html

African American Freedom Fighters Soldiers for Liberty http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaffsfl.htm

Smithsonian National Museum of American History http://americanhistory.si.edu/

Biographies of the Founding Fathers
http://www.colonialhall.com/biodoi.asp

Colonial American History Resources Index
http://www.bham.wednet.edu/colonial.htm

The Early American Review
http://earlyamerica.com/review/2001_winter_spring/index.html

11. Students will construct a sign/brochure using MS Word with information gathered about the person they are researching. (Rubric included)
12. The class will work collaboratively to construct a visual timeline of researched Freedom Fighters using the signs/brochures.
13. The students will develop a Power Point Presentation utilizing the information gathered through Internet research. Information to be included in the presentation will be biographical, the accomplishments, what the person is know for and biographical information that was used in the brochure/sign. (Rubric included)
14. Using the eBuddies, have the students access the following web site: http://www.madame-tussauds.com to get an idea of what a wax museum is like. Explain to the students that as a class a wax museum will be done to display the person researched (Information sheet and rubric included). Review the requirements and grading procedures.
15. The students will write, using the information gathered and using MS Word, an informative and persuasive paper about the person researched. The focus of the paper is to inform/persuade the class the person in which they researched has made the biggest contribution to our country. The student will be presenting the Power Point Presentation along with the oration of the paper.
16. Upon completion of the presentations, the class will practice the democratic right and privileged of voting for the most deserving person. ( A voting Excel spreadsheet included).
17. At the conclusion of the unit of study, the students will present a Freedom Fighter's Wax Museum.
Evaluation:
  • Teacher observation: brainstorming sessions
  • Sign/brochure
  • Information gathering document
  • Power Point Presentation
  • Informative/Persuasive paper
  • Oral presentation
  • Wax Museum presentation
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