Eisenhower Middle School’s Team 8E recently concluded an interdisciplinary unit focusing on the Revolutionary War. Like most interdisciplinary units, this unit had an overriding goal - to enhance the students’ appreciation and depth of understanding of the American Revolution - and focused on a major project, the creation of a Revolutionary War newspaper, which then incorporated goals and objectives from each of the curricular areas.
The students of Team 8E were each assigned to a particular group. Then working cooperatively, the students assumed the roles of newspaper reporters, editors and illustrators, as they used computer technology to compose a total of 14 newspaper articles. The headlines for each of the articles were as follows: Colonies Gain Independence, Foreign Aid Enables continental Army to Defeat Redcoats, Continental Congress Meets in Philadelphia, Colonial Troops Win Key Battles, Weapons of War, A Long, Cold Winter; One Soldiers Experience at Valley Forge, George Washington: Our Great Leader, British-American Tension Seen as Cause of the War, Continental Army vs. British Redcoats: A Profile of Two Armies, The Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, Results of the Revolution, Benedict Arnold: Hero or Traitor?, Loyalist Turned Patriot and Classified Ads.
Each academic teacher graded each group’s final newspaper holistically. The teacher’s were checking for use of assigned historical events and personalities from a list that was provided to the students, historical accuracy, incorporation of science and math facts, newspaper and journalistic writing style, mechanics and artistic impression.
Based upon each group’s final scores, the group with the
highest score was announced and awarded a prize.
The student’s recognized this year for the highest score on their
Revolutionary Paper were Ricky Belza, Courtney Adams, Tara Kostecki, and Dan Cullen.