Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Saratoga National Historical Park

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to Saratoga National Historical Park in Stillwater, NY. They determine if any descendents of participants in the war live in their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Revolutionary War

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the role of Virginia during the Revolutionary War. Using an inflatable ball, they toss the ball around the room and answer questions related to sayings on the ball. In groups, they play a game to reinforce...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Road to Revolution: Patriotism or Treason?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Patriot or traitor? Scholars debate the line between patriotism and treason in a short activity. Academics analyze a political cartoon and discuss varying viewpoints between different groups living in the American colonies. The activity...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing American and French Revolutionary Documents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This document or that? Historians compare crucial documents from both the American and French Revolution to gain a better understanding of the purpose and impact the documents had on each nation. Academics read excerpts from both...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Comparing Depictions of the Boston Massacre

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Academics compare images of the Boston Massacre to understand differing opinions of the event. Scholars view multiple images, participate in group discussion, and complete a series of written prompts. Young historians gain an...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death: The Journey to Revolution

For Teachers 8th Standards
The words of "Common Sense" and Patrick Henry's "Give me liberty or give me death!" speech ring throughout history. Scholars explore the nuances of each patriot's argument using excerpts from the famous pamphlet and speech and a recorded...
Unit Plan
Simon & Schuster

A Teacher's Guide to 1776 by David McCullough

For Teachers 9th - 12th
David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, 1776, is the focus of a 28-page teacher's guide. The guide includes pre-reading questions, background information about key British and American figures, and chapter-by-chapter lessons.
Interactive
DocsTeach

Prequel to Independence

For Teachers 5th - 8th
It's about time! Young historians use primary sources to create a timeline of events leading to American Independence. The fast-paced activity is designed to be used at the end of a unit on the Revolutionary War or as an assessment tool....
Unit Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Hamilton Was Here: Rising Up in Revolutionary Philadelphia

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Hamilton may be a hit Broadway show, but there is so much more to learn. An eight-unit resource guides young historians through the life of Alexander Hamilton and the Revolutionary War. The lessons include hands-on-activities, writing,...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Non-Importation Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Boycott for free trade! An eye-opening lesson explores the non-importation movement created by American colonists in response to the Stamp and Sugar Acts. Scholars specifically look at the impact the boycott had on colonial women who had...
Lesson Plan
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation

Why Did Some Colonial Virginians Seek Independence?

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
To understand the reasonings of those colonials who sought independence from England, young historians are divided into content groups that examine documents related to either the Boston Tea Party, the Yorktown Tea Party, Tea Overboard,...
Website
1
1
Smithsonian Institution

War of Independence

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Want to explain the War of Independence without using just a textbook? The resource, an online exhibition, provides direct instruction to scholars. It discusses what led up to the war, the time of the war, and the legacy left behind long...
Lesson Plan
Ford's Theatre

How Perspective Shapes Understanding of History

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Boston Massacre may be an iconic event in American history, but perhaps the British soldiers had another point of view. Using primary sources, including reports from Boston newspapers and secondary sources from the British...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Boston Tea Party Image Analysis

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Elementary scholars become Sherlock Holmes to analyze a lithograph showcasing the Boston Tea Party. Scholars view the image with some pieces missing and must write an observation. Individuals are then shown the whole image and asked to...
Interactive
DocsTeach

To Sign or Not to Sign

For Teachers 6th - 8th
To sign or not to sign, that is the question. Scholars review the Declaration of Independence and discuss the Framers' decisions for signing the document. The activity uses primary text, a worksheet, and group discussion to help...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Latino Patriots

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Pupils may not be familiar with Bernardo de Gálvez or Juan Seguín, but these Latinx patriots played important roles in American history. Using biographies of the Revolutionary War hero and Texan politician, historians consider how Latinx...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Excerpts from the Declaration of Independence

For Teachers 5th - 8th
What exactly did the Founding Fathers declare? Elementary historians delve into the Declaration of Independence in a fast-paced activity. The resource provides text experts and guided questions to help academics analyze the intent of the...
Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Object Observation: Purpose on a Powder Horn?

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young archeologists discover the significance of ordinary objects from the past in an interesting lesson on artifact analysis. The activity focuses on examining the image of a powder horn from the Revolutionary War to understand what it...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Indian Nations vs. Settlers on the American Frontier: 1786–1788

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
1776 was a year of political upheaval in the American colonies. Academics examine the Maryland Constitution to understand the desire to break with Great Britain. Young historians learn about Maryland's efforts to extend rights to its...
Worksheet
Reading Through History

The Battle of Yorktown

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
The Battle of Yorktown was an important battle of the American Revolutionary War for all sides. Learners read everything from the point of view of the British, the Americans, and finally, the French. After reading, they answer...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

Benjamin Franklin, Elder Statesman

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Ben Franklin was the only American to sign The Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Alliance with France, the Treaty of Paris, and the US Constitution. An interesting resource explores his role in the latter by comparing the US...
PPT
1
1
Curated OER

History Review: Colonial America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Explore key moments in American history with the click of a mouse! Learners read 50 questions from different eras in early America, and watch the rest of the presentation to find more questions to answer.
Lesson Plan
Museum of the American Revolution

Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...

Other popular searches