Carolina K-12
First Continental Congress, Second Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence
Your learners will take on the roles of Congressional members in the year 1775 and devise a plan for America after the onset of the Revolutionary War.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lost Hero: Was John Hanson Actually the First President?
The first president of the United States was ... John Hanson? Scholars investigate the notion that the initial leader of the nation was not George Washington. Using research, articles, and open discussion, individuals create a quest for...
Curated OER
A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Curated OER
The War in the North, 1775-1778
Students investigate the hardships and difficulties that the Continental army faced in the early years of the American War for independence. the battles of Lexington and concord and the expectations of the Continental Army forms the...
Curated OER
Liberty! The American Revolution
This presentation reviews some of the reasons that led to the writing of the Declaration of Independence and the start of the Revolutionary War. It provides a brief overview and images for events like the French and Indian War, the...
Los Angeles Unified School District
Why Is the Declaration of Independence Important?
Fair or unfair? To begin a study of the American Revolution, class members review the treatment of the people of the American Colonies by the King of England and decide which were fair and which were unfair. Class members then annotate a...
Curated OER
The Road to Revolution: (1770-1776)
Posing a guiding question about the inevitability of the American Revolution, the presentation guides students through the circumstances leading up to "The shot heard 'round the world" up to the Declaration of Independence. Teachers can...
Carolina K-12
Causes of the American Revolution
Beginning with the experience of hearing that lockers in school will be taxed, through analysis of political cartoons and informational text, and culminating in a debate between loyalists and patriots, your class members will engage in a...
Curated OER
The Revolutionary War: The Battle For Freedom
Eighth graders examine the events leading up to the Revolutionary War with a focus on the Boston Tea Party. Using the internet, they discover why the tea was dropped into the harbor by the colonists and research the Intolerable Acts. ...
National Constitution Center
Fourth of July (Grades 3-5)
Bring history to life for your young scholars with a Fourth of July lesson series. After a class reading of the Declaration of Independence, students translate this pivotal document into layman's terms before working in small groups to...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
How the First State Constitutions Helped Build the U.S. Constitution
Did you know that the United States Constitution was adopted after many state constitutions were already in place? Young scholars examine facts about the influence of states through an informative and interesting resource. Groups then...
K12 Reader
Abigail Adams: Persuading Her Husband
After reading a brief excerpt from a letter written by Abigail Adams to her husband and future president of the United States, John Adams, your young historians will practice their reading comprehension skills and identify what Abigail...
Manchester University
Events leading to the American Revolution
The Stamp Act, Paul Revere's ride, and the Boston Tea Party pushed American colonists to the tipping point that led to the American Revolution. Fifth graders research the key figures of the war, study the Declaration of Independence, and...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Declaration of Independence
Give budding historians a guided exploration of the Declaration of Independence, historic photos, videos, and more as they deepen their understanding of the American Revolution and the attitude of the colonists leading up to the war.
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Bill of Rights
Do citizens need protection from the federal government? Scholars investigate why the framers of the Constitution created the first 10 amendments and what these amendments mean to citizens of the United States more than 200 years later....
Curated OER
Drafting the Declaration of Independence
Students working in small groups to compare and contrast the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson with the final version. They list the differences and decide on why the changes were made.
Curated OER
In Congress Assembled: Continuity and Change in the Governing of the United States
Students interpret history using primary resources and secondary research. The Constitution is examined and changes are explained within the time period they were made.
Curated OER
Recap and Activities (Reveloutionary War Era)
Eighth graders discuss the importance of the Second Continental Congress. They compare and contrast present-day athletic mascots and their roots in the Revolutionary War. After discussing Loyalists and Patriots, 8th graders write...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The War in the North, 1775–1778
Using primary source documents, including maps, learners examine Revolutionary War events from 1775 to 1778. The focus here is on the challenges George Washington and the Continental army faced and how they persevered in spite of those...
K12 Reader
Dear King George
Thomas Jefferson's letter to King George III, which evolved into the Declaration of Independence, is the subject of a two-part reading comprehension exercise that asks kids to first read the attached article, and then to respond to a...
Curated OER
Early Congress Proclaims Holidays
Students read about and discuss the historical effects of Congressional decision-making in the establishment of national holidays.
Digital History
The New Nation
George Washington and the new nation of the United States of America faced many problems in their inaugural years. Use this activity as a straightforward approach to learning about the reasons the country was experiencing a lack of...
Curated OER
Bill of Rights Day
Fifth graders examine and identify the values and purposes of the Bill of Rights. They complete a class KWL chart, participate in a class jigsaw activity, write and illustrate a book about the first ten amendments, participate in a mock...
Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...