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Designing a Tea Party Tea Set

Tea was an important part of daily colonial life and many families in the colonies (especially in urban areas) had porcelain tea sets from China.

Images on tea sets often featured symbolism that was significant to the family who owned them. Examples of symbolism included flowers that had different meanings and colors which represented different ideas.

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Designing a Tea Party Tea Set

The Massachusetts Historical Society has pieces from a porcelain tea set full of symbolism given to Martha Washington in 1795 by an agent for the Dutch East India Company.

Read a description of the symbolism of the pattern and see an image of a plate on the next slide.

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Designing a Tea Party Tea Set

At the center of the plate are the “MW” initials on a gold radiant disc representing the rising sun of the Republic.
Olive and laurel wreath, representing peace, surrounds the central monogram.
Ribbon below wreath reads ‘Decus et tutamen ab illo’ (Honor and defense come from it).
Sun rays extend to lip of plate which is circled by chain of 15 links, each containing a name of a state (VT & KY added to the original 13).
Around the endless chain of states, at the outmost edge of plate lip, is a serpent biting its tail, the symbol of eternity, banded in gold.”

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Designing a Tea Party Tea Set

Directions: After reading the background historical overview and a selection of the primary sources from the text set, reflect on the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the events of the Boston Tea Party. Use images, symbols, and patterns to design a Tea Set to commemorate the causes of the Boston Tea Party.

For at least four objects (tea pot, cup, sugar bowl, and a serving tray), create or insert symbols, images and patterns that build a visual representation of the causes of the Tea Party. Once you have fully designed an object, write a brief explanation of the symbolism of your design choices.

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Designing a Tea Party Tea Set

Some questions to consider in your design process:

What are social activities / beliefs that contributed to colonial culture before the Boston Tea Party?
What are economic factors in the colonies and/or Britain that contributed to the causes of the Boston Tea Party?
What are political factors in the colonies that contributed to the causes of the Boston Tea Party?
What images / symbols / patterns can represent these social / economic / political factors from your first three answers?
What images / symbols / patterns can create cohesion between the tea set pieces? How can each piece of the tea set come together visually to commemorate the social, economic, and political factors that contributed to the Boston Tea Party?

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Rubric

	5	3	1	Score
Social, Economic, and Political Factors	Student correctly identifies at least one of each of the factors (social, economic and political) that contributed to colonial culture before the Boston Tea Party and set the stage for conflict.	Student correctly identifies only two of each of the factors that contributed to colonial culture before the Boston Tea Party and set the stage for conflict.	Student correctly identifies only one of the factors that contributed to colonial culture before the Boston Tea Party and set the stage for conflict.
Use of Symbols, Images, and Patterns	- Each of the tea set pieces is designed with at least three symbols / images / patterns. - At least one visual component is unique to each piece of the set.	- Not every tea set piece is designed with at least three symbols / images / patterns. - At least one visual component is unique to each piece of the set.	- There is only one visual component to each piece. - Some of the tea set pieces are designed with only the same visual component.
Explanation of Choices	- Clearly written, multi-sentence response directly connects each of the visuals included to the factors contributing to the Boston Tea Party.	- Multi-sentence response connects many of the visuals included to the factors contributing to the Boston Tea Party.	- Response is either one sentence or shorter in length OR does not connect the majority of the included visuals to the factors of the Boston Tea Party.
Total				/15

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Tea Pot

Explanation of Design Choices:

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Tea Cup

Explanation of Design Choices:

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Sugar Bowl

Explanation of Design Choices:

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Tea Set Tray

Explanation of Design Choices: