Mr. Andrew Bankert
7th
Grade
Clinton
Middle School
HERE LIES
BURIED
JAMES OTIS
Orator
and Patriot of the Revolution
Famous for his argument
against Writs of Assistance
Born 1725 - Died 1783
“A man’s house is his castle; and whilst he is quiet, he is
as well guarded as a prince in his castle. This writ, if it should be declared
legal, would totally annihilate this privilege. Custom-house officers may enter
our houses when they please; we are commanded to permit their entry. Their
menial servants may enter, may break locks, bars, and everything in their way;
and whether they break through malice or revenge, no man, no court may
inquire.” James Otis, 1761
INTRODUCTION
How would you like it if the Police could break into your
house any time they felt like it? In
the 1700’s, British policies attempted to control the lives of the American
colonists in various ways. They used
economic methods such as taxation and restrictive trade laws. The British also felt it was necessary to be able to search colonial homes and ships
whenever they felt the need. The Writs
of Assistance allowed British soldiers to search American ships, buildings and
homes looking for illegal goods. The
colonists viewed these British searches as a huge invasion of their
privacy. When the colonists won their
independence from the British in the American Revolution, Americans eventually
addressed the problem of government invasions of privacy in the 4th
amendment.
Amendment IV
The
right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects,
against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no
Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or
affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the
persons or things to be seized.
TASK
Your group will make a collage of documents, pictures and
text illustrating the problem of British searches and colonial dissatisfaction
with British invasions of privacy. Think
of the different actions by both sides (British and
American), why they behaved that way, and the results of those actions. Your group will present your collage in
which you explain your documents and pictures to the class.
PROCESS
Groups will be formed (3-5 in a group) and complete the following four worksheets of the AHPPA as a group:
Worksheet 1: Defining the Social Problem
Worksheet 2: Gathering Evidence
Worksheet 3: Determining the Causes of the Problem
Worksheet 4: Evaluation of the Policy
(Questions to consider)
1. How did the British attempt to
control the lives of the colonists? What
laws, acts, and actions did the British use to do that?
Why did the British feel it was necessary to search colonists’ homes,
businesses and ships? What were they
looking for?
Why did the colonists resent these searches? What did the colonists do to the British?
What events occurred because of the colonial resentment of British redcoats
in their homes and neighborhoods?
What were the results of these actions?
2. Think of some pictures, events,
documents, etc. that you might use to illustrate your answers to these
questions.
3. The class will go to the computer lab
to find these pictures and documents.
Use the list of resources below to help.
Assign each group member topics/places to search.
4. In class the group will then make a
collage of their pictures and documents outlining the problem and illustrating
what happened in history as a result of the problem.
5. Finally, the group will present their
collage to the whole class
RESOURCES
Dissatisfaction under British Rule (1750--1776)
The Resolutions
of the Stamp Act Congress, October 19, 1765
The Declaration of Rights of the Stamp Act Congress (1765) Developed the concept that people could not legitimately be taxed except by their elected representatives.
William Pitt's Speech on the Stamp Act, January 14, 1766
The
Rights of the Colonists, Samuel Adams (1772) John Adams indicated that all
the concepts which
Declaration of Colonial Rights of the Continental Congress (1774) John Adams said that the Declaration of Independence was not much more than a recapitulation of this document.
Journals of the Continental Congress,
34 Volumes. This invaluable collection of documents tells what took
place in
(1750-76) PLACES & REGIONS
- Eyewitness Account of the Boston Tea Party, George Hewes (1773)
- John Dickinson's Letter 2, from Letters from a Farmer, 1767-1768
- John Dickinson's Letter 4, from Letters from a Farmer, 1767-1768
- Resolution of the Virginia House of Burgesses for Establishing an Intercolonial Committee of Correspondence (1773)
http://www.nhumanities.org/ccs/docs/writs.htm
http://history.howstuffworks.com/revolutionary-war
http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/amendIVs2.html
http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1205.html
http://www.history1700s.com/page1795.shtml
http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/prerevolution/section3.rhtml
http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/town.htm
http://www.historywiz.com/primarysources/quarteringact.htm
EVALUATION
Making A Collage : WHERE DID THE 4TH AMENDMENT COME FROM?
Teacher
Name: Mr. BANKERT
Student
Name: ________________________________________
|
CATEGORY |
4 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
Relevance
to Topic |
The student gives a reasonable explanation of how every
item in the collage is related to the assigned theme. For most items, the
relationship is clear without explanation. |
The student gives a reasonable explanation of how most
items in the collage are related to the assigned theme. For many of the
items, the relationship is clear without explanation. |
The student gives a fairly reasonable explanation of
how most items in the collage are related to the assigned theme. |
The student's explanations are weak and illustrate
difficulty understanding how to relate items to the assigned theme. |
|
Titles
and Text |
Titles and text were written clearly and were easy to
read from a distance. Text varied in color, size and/or style for different
text elements. |
Titles and text were written clearly and were easy to
read close-up. Text varied in color, size and/or style for different text
elements. |
Titles and text were written clearly and were easy to
read close-up. There was little variation in the appearance of text. |
Titles and/or text are hard to read, even when the
reader is close. |
|
Quality
of Construction |
The collage shows considerable attention to
construction. The items are neatly trimmed. All items are carefully and
securely attached to the backing. There are no stray marks, smudges or glue
stains. Nothing is hanging over the edges. |
The collage shows attention to construction. The items
are neatly trimmed. All items are carefully and securely attached to the
backing. A few barely noticeable stray marks, smudges or glue stains are
present. Nothing is hanging over the edges. |
The collage shows some attention to construction. Most
items are neatly trimmed. All items are securely attached to the backing. A
few barely noticeable stray marks, smudges or glue stains are present.
Nothing is hanging over the edges. |
The collage was put together sloppily. Items appear to
be just "slapped on". Pieces may be loose or hanging over the
edges. Smudges, stains, rips, uneven edges, and/or stray marks are evident. |
|
Creativity
|
Several of the graphics or objects used in the collage
reflect an exceptional degree of student creativity in their creation and/or
display |
One or two of the graphics or objects used in the
collage reflect student creativity in their creation and/or display. |
One or two graphics or objects were made or customized
by the student, but the ideas were typical rather than creative (.e.g, apply the emboss filter to a drawing in Photoshop). |
The student did not make or customize any of the items
on the collage. |
|
Time and
Effort |
Class time was used wisely. Much time and effort went
into the planning and design of the collage. It is clear the student worked
at home as well as at school. |
Class time was used wisely. Student could have put in
more time and effort at home. |
Class time was not always used wisely, but student did
do some additional work at home. |
Class time was not used wisely and the student put in
no additional effort. |
CONCLUSION
Students will understand that Americans have always valued
their freedom. When government attempts
to limit or curb the freedoms Americans have become accustomed to, there are
repercussions. The conflicts between the
British and the American colonists led to the American Revolution and
eventually the rights and freedoms that were included in the Constitution of
the United States.
STANDARDS
New York State Social Studies Standards #1 and # 5
The students will:
- interpret the ideas, values, and beliefs contained
in the Declaration of Independence and the New York State Constitution and
United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other important historical
documents
- investigate key turning points in
- describe how ordinary people
and famous historic figures in the local community, State, and the United
States have advanced the fundamental democratic values, beliefs, and
traditions expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York
State and United States Constitutions, the Bill of Rights, and other
important historic documents
- understand how different experiences, beliefs,
values, traditions, and motives cause individuals and groups to interpret
historic events and issues from different perspectives
- describe historic events through the eyes and experiences of
those who were there.
- analyze the sources of a nation’s values as embodied
in its constitution, statutes, and important court cases
- analyze how the values of a
nation affect the guarantee of human rights and make provisions for human
needs
- understand the basic civil values that are the
foundation of American constitutional democracy
- understand that the American
legal and political systems guarantee and protect the rights of citizens
and assume that citizens will hold and exercise certain civic values and
fulfill certain civic responsibilities