How did the British Colonies in America manage to fight and win a war against the most powerful empire in the world? That's the question we will explore throughout this class as we meet the colorful and often flawed luminaries who dared to rebel and go on to win what seemed like an impossible endeavor. By taking a deep dive, in 20 weeks, into this fascinating transformation, in which 13 separate and distinct colonies came together to form a nation, students will emerge with a much richer understanding of what happened, why it happened, and why it matters.

Lesson 1: The British Colonies
Lesson 2: Colonial Life
Lesson 3: Rights of an Englishman
Lesson 4: Mistakes Were Made
Lesson 5: Europe's Proxy War
Lesson 6: The Cost of War
Lesson 7: Taxation Without Representation
Lesson 8: More Mistakes Were Made
Lesson 9: Breaking Away
Lesson 10: Not Your Grandmother's Tea Party
Lesson 11: Coming Together
Lesson 12: The Shot Heard Round the World
Lesson 13: Bunker Hill
Lesson 14: We Hold These Truths
Lesson 15: A Part-Time Army
Lesson 16: The Crossing
Lesson 17: A Turning Point
Lesson 18: Valley Forge
Lesson 19: A Swamp Fox and a Victory at Sea
Lesson 20: The World Turned Upside Down

Each week students will:
• view a recorded lesson that introduces the content
• view a recorded lesson that demonstrates a reading comprehension skill
• independently read and respond to written texts, videos, and images
• practice rare-word vocabulary on Quizlet (no student account necessary) 
• participate in an online dialog with classmates on Padlet (no student account necessary) 

In addition to the prerecorded lessons, I will provide a study exercise for each lesson that focuses on a discreet skill, such as summarizing, taking Cornell Notes, creating a content web, or using question-answer relationships to answer questions about a nonfiction text.

Students will work collaboratively on weekly assignments using a series of padlets where they can exchange ideas, share discoveries, post images,  record responses, and pose questions.  Each week will feature a challenge.

My teaching style is one of starting with a question and generating additional questions that often lead to unexpected connections and discoveries.  

Please note: this is a flexible-schedule class.  There are no scheduled live video lessons.  Students will be expected to complete the weekly assignments and participate in the padlet activities at their own pace by the end of each week. This course format works well if your learner prefers independent pacing or is uncomfortable with live video classes.