Stamp Act Simulation

Today, we participated in a simulation of the Stamp Act. Each student went home with the following letter:

Dear 4-324 Student,

Today you learned about the new PS 321 Paper Tax. With this tax, each piece of paper you use at school will be taxed five cents to pay for necessary school expenses. I just want to let you know that this tax is not real. You will not be charged for each piece of paper you use.

However, the experience you went through today and the very really feelings you felt when the tax was announced are very real and have happened several times throughout America’s history.

In 1765, a very similar event occurred in the Thirteen Colonies. Remember that at this time, the French and Indian Wars had recently ended. Can you imagine how expensive those wars might have been? The British government needed more money to pay for them, and they expected the Americans to pay. King George III, the British King, passed a tax called the Stamp Act. This act said that nearly every piece of paper bought in the colonies was going to be taxed. Each piece of paper would need to have a stamp placed on it to prove the tax had been paid. And this tax, just like the tax we experienced today, was placed on the American colonists without discussing it with them or hearing their opinions.

Tonight, spend some time thinking about why King George III would need to put the Stamp Act into place and how he and the American colonists might feel about it. Then, write a journal entry from the perspective of either King George III or an American colonist describing how you feel about the Stamp Act and some reasons why. You can write on any paper you have. Be specific, and keep what you know about the time period in mind as you write.

Tomorrow, we’ll have a chance to talk about the Stamp Act and how different colonists reacted. Until then, be very glad you do not have to pay a tax on paper!

Yours,

PS 321

How did you feel about the tax? Share your thoughts here!

Math Short Responses

On the state math test, we'll have two days of multiple choice questions and one day of short-response questions. Here are some of the strategies we've been using on the short-response questions:

• Read the question carefully. Underline important information in the question. 
• Circle key vocabulary words. Define them, writing the definition right next to the word. For example, if you circle equation, write variable next to it. 
• Show all your work, using equations or models (sometimes the problem will ask you to use a specific method to show your work). 
• Reread the problem to make sure you answered the correct problem. 
• Check your work using another strategy to be sure it's correct. 
• Fill in the answer in the answer blank. 

Are there other strategies you use to solve short-response questions? If so, share them here!

Fractions

During math this week and next week, we'll be continuing our explorations of fractions! Earlier this year, I sent out a packet of information about different strategies students might use to solve problems with fractions and different models that might be helpful. You can find that packet electronically HERE.