Lessons/Diary imagining an alternative boarding decision on the Dartmouth
Diary imagining an alternative boarding decision on the Dartmouth
Boston Tea Party historical fiction
Social SciencesCoding
Students write an 8th-grade first-person diary imagining a woman boarder's alternate handling of tea at the Dartmouth, then compare it to the historical record.
Pacing
2–3 days · 3 × 45 min
Grade
Grade 8
Coding
Beginner
Opens a private practice project in the Studio — no account needed.
How might one different choice have changed people and events?
Students will be able to
Write first-person diary entries in a character voice.
Describe a specific alternate decision about handling the tea.
Compare the imagined outcome with documented history from the passage.
Design a cover with title, subtitle, and an image of the Dartmouth at night.
Key vocabulary
Tea ActmonopolySons of LibertyIntolerable Acts
The student journey
This is a build — not a worksheet packet
Every lesson runs like the story students are about to make: read it, write it, build it, polish it, publish it. The printables scaffold each stage — the published Elementari project is the destination.
1
📖
Read
Students read a short, high-interest passage — a real-world hook, not a dry textbook definition — to spark ideas for what they'll make.
📖A Harbor of Defiance
The harbor felt like a powder keg waiting for a spark. For weeks, the ship *Dartmouth* and others sat at the wharf, their holds filled with East India Company tea. A new law, the Tea Act of 1773, let the East India Company sell tea directly…
Sourcesarchives.govBoston Tea Party Timeline (U.S. National Park Service)billofrightsinstitute.orgbostonteapartyship.com
In the studio, students bring the project to life — adding art and following the exact writing and coding steps shown below. The Studio Compass walks them through it, one step at a time.
🧭Studio CompassStep 1 / 3
Design the cover
Choose a background, add a foreground image of the Dartmouth at night, and write a title and subtitle.
Each step checks off & advances on its own
All 3 studio steps · dynamic to the project
1Design the cover~5 min
2Write the build-up entry~5 min
3Write the final entry~5 min
4
🔁
Polish
ongoing
Teacher and peer feedback pin right onto the project — students revise until it's ready to share.
Feedback on the project2 pins
🍎
Add one more sentence here so readers get the full picture.
👍 2Teacher
A
The interaction is clear — it helps the reader follow the project!
A couple of things to gather, a few quick steps to prep — then you're ready to hand it to students.
What you need
A device per student or pair
Internet connection
Prep · about 10 min
1Print the student kits
2Assign this lesson to your students
3Skim the build steps
Teacher background
What you need to know
A single, different decision can alter immediate outcomes and the message a protest sends; the evidence we have limits what changes are plausible and helps us compare imagined outcomes with what really happened.
Key terms
Tea Act
A 1773 law that let the East India Company sell tea directly in the colonies and gave it a special advantage.
monopoly
When one company or person is the only seller of something and controls the market.
Sons of Liberty
A group of colonists in Boston who organized protests against British actions and taxes.
Intolerable Acts
Laws passed by the British in response to the Boston protests that punished the city and limited its rights.
Watch for these misconceptions
✕
evidence mismatch →Ask the student to point to the exact line they used and say in one sentence how it supports their point.
✕
opinion in summary →Ask the student to rewrite the sentence beginning with 'This source says...' to keep it source-only.
✕
list-only narrative →Prompt the student to add one sensory detail and one short reflection on motive to deepen voice.
Standards alignment
Aligned to the standards you teach
Every task maps to a specific standard, so planning and reporting are covered.
Tracking 7 frameworks: Common Core ELA, Common Core Math, NGSS +4
Common Core State Standards — English Language Arts
2 standards
RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Full task-by-task mapping — including Depth of Knowledge — is in the answer key.
Differentiation & accessibility
Built to reach every learner
One lesson, three built-in paths — with accessibility baked into the materials, not bolted on afterward.
Extra support
Emerging readers & writers
Read-aloud and multilingual support in the Elementari build
Studio Compass highlights one task at a time — including the coding
Sentence frames and a word bank so it is never a blank page
On grade
The core lesson
The passage and storyboard exactly as written
Model answers and “look-fors” in the answer key
Self-check chips at every milestone
Ready for more
Extension & challenge
Challenge vocabulary and a real-world extension question
Deepen one existing page or interaction — without changing the required mechanics
A longer, evidence-based reflection prompt
Accessibility, built inPredictable step-by-step structureOne task at a time · Studio CompassHighlighted response areasLow-stimulation printMovement-friendly pacingDesigned so every student can design, write, and code — with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia in mind.
Questions
Teacher FAQ
Do I — or my students — need to know how to code?
No. Coding concepts are introduced in plain language exactly when students need them, and Studio Compass confirms each milestone so students keep moving without you troubleshooting. The teacher guide walks you through the whole build, answers included.
How long does this lesson take?
About 2-3 days, paced into 45-minute class periods. You can spread it out or compress it — students pick up where they left off, so it doesn't have to finish in one sitting.
What devices does this lesson work on?
Students can read, write, code, and publish on Chromebooks, iPads, tablets, laptops, or desktops. All they need is a modern browser — nothing to download or install.
What is Studio Compass?
Studio Compass is the step-by-step guide inside the Studio. It shows students what to do next, identifies the exact coding blocks they need, and confirms completed milestones so they can keep moving independently.
How does this lesson support different learners?
This lesson includes read-to-me with synchronized highlighting, a built-in glossary, and picture-based storyboarding, with writing and coding scaffolds you can dial up or down. Students can work with guided support or more independently — and still finish the same project.
Ready when you are
Bring this lesson to your class
Import your class, assign in one click, and watch them build — the whole kit comes with it.
Free to try · No student emails required
Diary imagining an alternative boarding decision on the Dartmouth
