Mass Media and the American Revolution

This lesson was initially developed to help teach students about the ways in which mass media have evolved over time, but also about how many of the functions that the media serve today have remained the same for hundreds of years. In my experience, this lesson works very nicely as a gallery walk, but it is also possible to place students in small groups based on readiness or interest level, have each group examine only one document, and then take turns presenting their findings to the whole class. The graphic organizer and exit ticket question are left intentionally broad so as to allow this lesson to fit nicely into any course, focused on any number of themes or exploring any number of enduring understandings.