gilbert du motier
 

From Tea to Shining Sea: A Primary Document-Based Unit on the Boston Tea Party

Developed by Lisa M. Green, Swampscott High School, Swampscott, Mass.

From Tea to Shining Sea contains curriculum units for both A.P. United States History and A.P. Economics classes. In the History curriculum, students use five sections of primary source documents to discern the different economic, political, and social strands that created the tension leading up to the Boston Tea Party. Each section contains document analysis and "Consider" questions to help students prepare for group discussion. The unit culminates with an oral debate, as well as argumentative essays that draw from the documents. In the Economics curriculum, students view the historical event of the Boston Tea Party by applying economic analysis, including taxation policy, Game Theory, demand curves, and monopolies. A PowerPoint presentation that reviews the major events leading up to the Tea Party may be downloaded for use with either curriculum.