The British in Michigan

Date: 3/2/2016
Big idea and essential question(s): Many groups of people are important to the history
of Michigan and have left traces of their cultures that still remain today. The natural
resources of Michigan characterized how people survived in Michigan in the past. How
did the early people of Michigan influence Michigan today? What parts of the history of
Michigan affect what Michigan is like now?
Objective(s) for todays lesson: Explain how the French and British came to live in
Michigan and their influence on Michigan at the time. Identify influences that are still
present from the cultures of the French, British, and Native Americans in Michigan.
Standards:
GLCE 3 - H3.0.5: Use informational text and visual data to compare how American
Indians and settlers in the early history of Michigan adapted to, used, and modified their
environment.
GLCE 3 - H3.0.6: Use a variety of sources to describe interactions that occurred
between American Indians and the first European explorers and settlers in Michigan.
Materials & supplies needed:
Map and pictures of French forts in Michigan
Chart paper
Procedures and approximate time allocated for each
event
Introduction to the lesson (5 minutes)
The students are on the rug.
Yesterday we talked about the French fur trade
in Michigan. At the very end of the lesson, we
saw that the British came to Michigan because
they were interested in the fur trade. I told you
that the French and the British had been enemies
for a long time, and then I asked you why you
thought they were enemies and what you thought
would happen next. What did you think of?
Students will discuss their opinions about why
the French and the British might be enemies.
They will discuss what they thought would
happen next.
Why might the French and the British not get
along in Michigan? Students will respond. If
they do not list one of the reasons as that the
French and British are competing over the fur
trade, I will guide them to this reason.
OUTLINE of key events during the lesson (25 minutes)
I will show a map of French forts in Michigan
and pictures of French forts in Michigan. These
are called forts. The French built them. What do

Academic, Social and

Linguistic Support during
each event
I have a student that has
many behavior problems, and
he has a particularly hard
time when he is on the rug. If
he starts displaying behavior
that is distracting to other
students, I will have him
return to his seat and listen
and participate from there.
I will try to keep students
moving as much as I can so
that they are not in one place
for too long. In particular,
this will help 3 of my
students that have a hard time
paying attention.

you think the forts were for? What gives it away

in the picture? Students will discuss. If they do
not figure out that they are for military purposes
and built to protect what is inside, I will point out
the tall walls surrounding the buildings and ask
what the purposes of the walls might be.
I will pull out a graphic organizer with event,
cause, and effect, and I will explain that the
French were earning lots of money with the fur
trade. I will write that in the event section. I will
ask what caused the French to earn lots of
money. Students will hopefully remember from
the day before that there was a scarcity of
beavers in France, but if they do not, I will guide
them to it. I will ask what the effect of the French
making lots of money from the fur trade was.
Students will hopefully conclude that the British
wanted to be in control of the fur trade so they
could earn lots of money, but if they do not, I
will guide them to this reason.
If students predicted a war would start (and I
highly suspect one student will inform the whole
class that a war started based on her preassessment), I will affirm that they were right. If
none of my students predicted that a war would
start, I will inform them at this time.
I will pass out event/cause/effect sheets to each
student and send them back to their seats.
I will guide them in writing War between
France and Britain in the event box. Think for
a few moments about what might have caused
this war. Now turn to your peanut butter and jelly
partner and discuss what you were thinking.
After they have had enough time to discuss (20
30 seconds is probably good) what they think
caused the war, I will let a few students share
what they said. We will write, The French and
the British were competing over the fur trade in
the cause box.
I will explain that we have not talked about the
outcome of the war yet, so we cannot fill in the
effect box quite yet. I will transition the students
back to the rug.
So we know the French and the British were
fighting each other. What about the Native

Americans? What do you think they did? Try to

think like a Native American at this time for the
next few minutes. Think about which Native
American group you are from. What would be
good about not joining either the French or the
British? What would be good about fighting with
the French? What would be good about fighting
with the British? I will let the students discuss
pros and cons for a few minutes, keeping track of
their responses on the chart paper. I will have
them close their eyes and vote for which option
they would choose if they were a Native
Americans. After tallying the votes, I will
explain, The Native Americans chose to fight
with the French. They had traded with the French
for so long that they trusted the French much
more than they trusted the British. They were
afraid of what would happen if the British got
control of the fur trade.
Possible discussion if there is time: In Europe,
they call this war the Seven Years War because
it lasted for 7 years. In the United States, we call
it the French and Indian War because it was
against the French and some of the Native
Americans. Why do we call it different things?
Discussion: Who do you think won the war?
What evidence do you have? My students will
discuss this, guessing who won the war and
providing reasons. If they do not bring up the
fact that we speak English, I will point that out to
them. This should help them identify that the
British won the war and gained control.
I will transition the students back to their seats to
fill in the effect of the war. They will do this on
their own.
Discussion: Now that we know the British won
the war, what do you think the British felt
towards the Native Americans? Why? If my
students do not bring up the fact that the Native
Americans were just fighting with the French
against the British, I will guide the students
toward this fact. I will also bring up the fact that
the British were not nice to the Native
Americans. The French had been kind to the
American Indians. They helped them, they

learned the natives languages, and they traded

fairly. The British, on the other hand, did not
show the same kindness. They were more
interested in taking over the land and making
money than being fair to the Native Americans,
and they raised the prices of the goods they sold
so that the natives had to pay more.

Sothe Native Americans started fighting the

British and taking over their forts. Chief Pontiac
from the Odawa tribe was their leader.
Eventually, the British got the forts back. Then
the British colonies in North America wanted
freedom from Britain and they started a war.
Britain lost and America became its own country.
Michigan Territory was part of this country,
although it was not considered a state quite yet.
Closing summary for the lesson (2 minutes)
Michigan has been controlled by many different
groups of people. I have The British, The
Native Americans, The Americans, and The
French signs. What order do they go in?
Students will conclude that the order should be
The Native Americans, The French, The
British, The Americans.
Assessment
I will collect my students graphic organizers to see if
they correctly explained the effect of the war.
As an additional formative assessment, if my students are
unable to correctly order the groups of people that
controlled Michigan, I will know that we need to revisit
this topic.

Academic, Social, and

Linguistic Support during
assessment