A Massacre in Boston

(Liberty) Bell Work

Word Work

Using words Boston Massacre,
​create a list of words to fit in the categories below.
​Pay particular attention to spelling patterns.

Boston (words that rhyme with ton)

Massacre​ (words with ss in the middle)

Word Wise

Define the ​following words:

guilt

innocence​

massacre

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Quick Write:  What is your idea of the "American Dream"?

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Sentence Augmentation*
Augment the sentence below to greatly improve it.  Record your improved sentence on your paper.

The guy died.
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​*Augment:  make (something) greater by adding to it

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Sentence Surgery
Read the sentence below.  Do you see any problems?  Do not rewrite the sentence.  In fact, don't even fix the sentence.  Instead, on your paper, tell the writer three things that need to be corrected.

if you throw a rock, you could
​put out somebodies eye

On Target

​Write the target number in the "bull's eye".
In the 20 other open sections of the target,
write equations to equal the target number.

Today's number is 5
​.
​For example, if the target number is 36, the student may write expressions like the examples here (right).

6 squared
2 x 18
3 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8
72/2
3 x 3 x 4

Music Appreciation

​Nothing More

What About Now

Art Appreciation

Observe Paul Revere's famous engraving of the Boston Massacre (right).

• What do you notice?
• What do you wonder?
• What is happening?
• Write your thoughts.

What Went Wrong?

On March 5, 1770, life was complicated in Boston, Massachusetts.  Some people know a little bit about the event, but most probably don't understand its causes and what happened afterward.  See First Blood below for another reason tensions flared.

Presumption of Innocence

It has been debated and debated.  Future President John Adams successfully defended the British soldiers in court.  As much as that might sound like Adams chose the wrong side, it points out this important concept:

• Why is this important?
• Why do lawyers defend "bad" guys?
• Do guilty parties ever go free?
• Do innocent people ever get punished?
• If police have arrested a man, does that mean the man is guilty?
• How does a judge determine whether a person is guilty or not guilty?
• What other questions might you have for a lawyer or a judge?

Crispus Attucks

The "massacre" in Boston is highlighted by the fact that one of the casualties of the new American Revolution was a black man (actually a man of mixed race).  Just think about the irony:  this was the Revolution against tyranny and the war fought for freedom and the unalienable rights of man, and the first to die was a runaway slave.

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First Blood

Have you ever heard of Christopher Seider?  I didn't think so.  On February 22, 1770, just a few days ahead of the Boston Massacre, Christopher Seider was the first patriot to die in the revolution.  Here is an article to explain the situation and a video to bring it to life.

Create some test questions of your own (with a complete answer key), based on the events explained in the article and video.