Thursday, May 1, 2014

"It is a united will, not mere walls, which makes a fort," ~Author Unknown




Dear families-
I will be posting a series of videos that support our learning about the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. By doing so, students can readily access key information for review or just a second look -- and all of you can continue to check out the kinds of things we're talking about. I'll post assignments at the bottom of each blog.

~

Soon after the defeat at Fort Necessity, Britain learned that 78 French troops had been deployed to attack the British fort Oswego, in Canada. The British Parliament responded by providing more money to the colonies to fund an expanded militia. They also sent British regiments to the colonies. In February 1755, the first British general to ever set foot in the colonies, Edward Braddock, arrived in Virginia to take charge. Braddock had had 45 years of experience in European style warfare, but was completely ignorant of how to fight in the North American wilderness. Here, “Indian fighting” took the place of formal, face-to-face combat. Upon his arrival, Braddock developed a three-part strategy for defeating the French. The Massachusetts regiments were sent to reinforce the defenses at Oswego, and to capture Fort Niagara on the south shore of Lake Erie. Colonel William Johnson was assigned to capture Fort Frederick at Crown Point, on the banks of Lake Champlain. Braddock himself was to take Fort Duquesne in Pennsylvania.

The battle for Fort Duquesne was the first significant battle of 1755. Though the British outnumbered the French by more than two to one (2,200 men to 1,000 men), the French defeated them easily. As Braddock’s men marched toward the Monongahela River in formal columns, the French ambushed them using the surrounding trees as cover. Braddock refused to allow his men to break ranks and seek cover. Panic ensued as the soldiers were fired upon relentlessly by an invisible (hidden behind trees and rocks) enemy. In the end, 977 British soldiers were killed, while only 9 French soldiers lost their lives. Braddock was also killed.

 The battle for Fort Duquesne was the first significant battle of 1755. Though the British outnumbered the French by more than two to one (2,200 men to 1,000 men), the French defeated them easily. As Braddock’s men marched toward the Monongahela River in formal columns, the French ambushed them using the surrounding trees as cover. Braddock refused to allow his men to break ranks and seek cover. Panic ensued as the soldiers were fired upon relentlessly by an invisible (hidden behind trees and rocks) enemy. In the end, 977 British soldiers were killed, while only 9 French soldiers lost their lives. Braddock was also killed.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=T33NCbQzOIg

Battle of the Monongahela AKA Battle of the Wilderness– July 9, 1755
On July 9, 1755, Braddock's men crossed the Monongahela without opposition, about ten miles south of Fort Duquesne. The advance guard of 300 Grenadiers and colonials with two cannon under Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Gage began to move ahead, and unexpectedly came upon the French and Indians, who were hurrying to the river. The Battle of the Monongahela, or the Battle of the Wilderness, was officially begun.


Another Tragedy: The Acadians Deportation--1754

The Acadians are the descendants of the French who settled in Acadia located in the Canadian Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and in the state of Maine. Acadia was founded in a region geographically separate from Quebec. Québecers and Acadians have different cultures, but during the deportation, many refugees move in Québec. Today almost all Québecers can say they have an Acadian ancestor. In the Great Expulsion of 1755-1763, mostly during the Seven Years' War, British colonial officers, New England legislators and militia deported more than 14,000 Acadians from the maritime region.

Many later settled in Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. University of Maine at Fort Kent history professor Roger Paradis said that this was a clear case of ethnic cleansing and genocide because an attempt was made to make French Acadians disappear by scattering them throughout the 13 colonies. It was unnecessarily cruel in the sense that ships were overloaded, which resulted in disease, death, and the sinking of vessels. Families were broken up and the Acadians were sent to an alien and unfriendly land of exile.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnpW5IVyWtU




ASSIGNMENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 
APRIL 28--MAY 2

SPELLING
Monday: Copier down.  Worktime.
Tuesday: Copier down. Work on Reading project due tomorrow.
Wednesday:  Time to finish up book projects
Thursday:  Pages 137-138
Friday:  Pages 139F & 139G

READING
Book projects (Acrostic summaries) due on Wednesday, April 30th.  

LANGUAGE ARTS
Monday: Share "Telephone" poems. Write a sensory paragraph titled, "Entering the Classroom."
Tuesday: Type sensory paragraph and turn into a poem. ("Prose to Poetry" activity) Begin work on 14 vocabulary words--due Monday, May 5th.
Wednesday: Fort Necessity Activity. (Gr 6) "Then & Now" Map activity due Thursday, May 8.
Thursday: Introduce Poetry Unit (which we've already started) with handout listing due dates
Friday: Work on Poetry Unit -- look online and in books and choose a poem to analyze. FYI: Poems must be OKed by me.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Monday: Willow came.  No class. 
Tuesday:  Videos and information from this blog.
Wednesday: Fort Necessity activity. (Gr 5) "Then & Now" Map activity due Thursday, May 8.
Thursday & Friday: The Acadians Deportation--1754 & Battle of the Monongahela AKA Battle of the Wilderness– July 9, 1755

Go to  this site for maps to answer the following questions:

  • Why was the Ohio Valley of particular importance to the French?
  • Why would they fear British control of this region?
  • Why did the British colonies covet this land?
  • How would French ships have brought supplies to Fort Duquesne?
  • Why was Fort Duquesne strategically important?