Annenberg Foundation
The New Nation
The conclusion of the American Revolution brought about a new conflict—choosing the stye of government for the newly formed United States. Using the views of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists, learners work in pairs and groups to...
Annenberg Foundation
Revolutionary Perspectives
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Learners go to the heart of the causes of the American Revolution. Examining political cartoons, Enlightenment documents, and firsthand accounts, they present their ideas and reflective...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
How Did Relations between Britain and the Colonies Change after the French and Indian War?
What does the French and Indian War have to do with the American Revolution? Following the war, Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763 in an attempt to limit the colonists' western expansion. To understand how the proclamation, the...
Center for History Education
How Did the Public View Women’s Contributions to the Revolutionary War Effort?
Calling upon the legacies of Joan of Arc, Elizabeth I, and Catherine the Great, Esther Reed rallied Southern women to support the American Revolution. Using a broadside by Reed and other primary sources, such as poetry, young historians...
Curated OER
Loyalists in the American Revolution
Learners use the internet to research the American Revolution from the point of view of the loyalists. Students present their information in both an oral form and as a research paper.
Curated OER
American Revolution
Students review the events leading to the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence. Using the internet, they examine many different political cartoons from the time period and discuss the political atmosphere. In groups,...
Curated OER
Naval Warfare in the American Revolution
Middle schoolers listen to and identify styles of music popular during the American Revolution. They recognize songs identified with the Royal Navy and analyze how music was used on board ship.
Center for History Education
Who Fired the Shot Heard Round the World?
Take a closer look. Young academics become detectives in an engaging lesson on the American Revolution. Scholars work in groups to analyze documents to uncover whether the American colonists or British soldiers fired the first shot at...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Join, or Die: Reenacting the Albany Conference
The Albany Congress was one of the first attempts at colonial unity. While it was an effort against the French during the French and Indian War, it was one of the events leading up to the American Revolution. Scholars consider the...
College Board
2017 AP® United States History Free-Response Questions
Were unfair taxes really the cause of the American Revolution? Learners explore the complicated historiography behind the revolutionary period using authentic College Board prompts. The free-response questions from the exam feature...
PBS
Thomas Paine: Writer and Revolutionary
Is the pen really mightier than the sword? Scholars analyze the impact Thomas Paine's book Common Sense had on the American Revolution. Video clips and primary sources investigate the role Paine had on dissent in the colonies....
Curated OER
The Boston Tea Party: Costume Optional?
Students investigate the events of the Boston Tea Party. They read and analyze first-hand accounts, answer discussion questions, develop a chart of facts, and create a newspaper article, letter, or factual report.
Curated OER
The Spread of Revolutions
In this spread of revolutions study guide worksheet, students respond to 16 fill in the blanks and graphic organizer questions.
Curated OER
Road to Revolution
Students discuss reasons war erupted between Britain and the colonies. They examine and explain critical events of the 1760s, and discuss what rights and beliefs Americans felt were being violated.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 3: Religion and the Fight for American Independence
Pupils explore the role religion played in the American Revolutionary War. Using primary documents and writing exercises, high schoolers understand how religion was used in support of the war efforts and how specific religious groups...
Curated OER
Patriots v. Loyalists
Students consider how colonial citizens chose sides in the American Revolution. In this Revolutionary War lesson plan, students role play Loyalists, Patriots, and undecideds in a classroom simulation. Students research their positions so...
Curated OER
Lesson 2: Using Common Sense
Tenth graders explore the impact of Thomas Paine on the American Revolution. In this colonial America lesson, 10th graders analyze Common Sense and then paraphrase selected excerpts of the pamphlet. Students also respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Battle of Lexington and Concord
Eleventh graders study the causes of the American Revolution. In this American History lesson, 11th graders read a story "Guns for General Washington. Students read and discuss statements about war.
Curated OER
Paul Revere's Ride
Students explore the political situation in Boston in 1775, using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" to introduce the beginning of the American Revolution.
Curated OER
American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. In this early American history instructional activity, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American...
Curated OER
You're Invited...To A Tea Party
Kids read the book Boston Tea Party by Steven Kroll and use maps to locate various landmarks. They identify the cause and effect of the events related to the Boston Tea Party, then write a descriptive composition.
Curated OER
Revolution! Freedom for All?
Twelfth graders examine the causes of freedom by revolutionary patriots. In this Civics and Economics lesson, 12th graders analyze primary sources. Students work cooperatively to write a freedom declaration for their group.
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty!
Middle schoolers explore the American Revolution. In this Revolutionary War lesson plan, students research Internet and print sources regarding the major battles of the war and make oral presentations regarding their findings.
Curated OER
Loyalists
Students explain why some colonists remained loyal to England during the American revolution. In this social studies lesson, students write a letter to an editor about their reasons for remaining loyal to England.