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Boston Massacre (Advanced)

From: Gilder Lerhman

Grade Level: HS, (College)

Remote Ready: With Modifications

Time: 1 Class Period

Length of Reading: Pages

Link: Boston Massacre

This activity utilizes the Jigsaw method. Put students in groups of 5 (this number is modified from the original lesson). All students read the secondary source and view the engraving of the Boston Massacre. But each student in the group reads a different primary document. Students can re-group and discuss the primary source with others who read the same source, if necessary. Then each student goes back to their original group and explains their primary source to others who did not read it. The groups and/or the class then discuss what happened in the Boston Massacre based on the differing perspectives expressed in the sources.


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More Information:

Grade Level:

HS, (College): This lesson is meant for high school students; however we think it would be well suited for college students too

This Activity Involves:

Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources.

Secondary Source: This activity utilizes secondary sources.

Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion.

Image: Paul Revere, The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt., Engraving, Library of Congress, 5/23/25, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2008661777/.

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