TeachersFirst's Resources Related to the Revolutionary War
Take your students back in time to the late 1700s, as the 13 colonies began their quest for freedom from British rule. These resources share information and tools to engage your students as they learn how the colonies came together to form the United States of America. Resources are shared for all grade levels and include classroom use ideas.
Are you looking for more resources? Explore this list for additional resources related to the American Revolution.

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Evaluating Art as Historical Evidence - Stanford History Education Group
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), art history (79), artists (74), assessment (126), china (61), civil rights (182), civil war (127), comics and cartoons (48), declaration of independence (14), egypt (45), france (37), japan (55), mayans (10), mexico (29), native americans (85), nazis (8), thanksgiving (24), womens suffrage (36)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this list for use throughout the year with many different history lessons. Include these art activities to provide context and visual perspective to important events. Use a curation tool such as Padlet, reviewed here, to create an ongoing resource for students to use for review and as a guide for understanding history through a wider lens. For example, when using Padlet, choose the timeline feature and add a piece of art onto the timeline. Upload videos, text, and additional images to create an interactive timeline that tells a story through art. As a final project, ask students to share their learning using Sway, reviewed here, to write a reflective piece on the use of art throughout any period in time. Have students include student work, images, links, maps, and more in Sway projects.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Unsung Hero Projects - Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), civil rights (182), civil war (127), heroes (20), Project Based Learning (14), STEM (239), vietnam (32), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students to learn more about the "everyday" people involved with historical events. Consider starting a project-based learning activity for your students. Learn more about project-based learning at the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page devoted to project-based learning, found here. Help students organize resources found in their research using Wakelet, reviewed here. Create Wakelet collections for each project that includes links to articles, videos, and other relevant information to be used in their project. As students prepare to complete their projects, share a storyboard creation tool such as Storyboard Generator, reviewed here, to help plan videos, podcasts, websites, or plays.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hamilton Education Program Online - Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), poetry (184), songs (44), washington (23)
In the Classroom
Include this resource with your remote learning resources for teaching social studies. Engage students in learning about the founding of the United States through the music and words of Hamilton. Include activities available through this site along with your selected videos, documents, websites, and more to create a complete online lesson using ActivelyLearn, reviewed here. Have students use Canva Edu, reviewed here, to create posters for the play using information learned from the primary sources included with this site. Extend learning even further by challenging students to write a play about the American Revolution using ActiveTextbook, reviewed here, to create an interactive experience with videos, images, and more. For students who prefer drama and music presentations, ask them to share their learning with podcasts using Buzzsprout, reviewed here. Have students create podcasts telling the story as if they were a participant in the revolution and share their stories from different points of view.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching History with Hamilton - Department of History, Stonehill College
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): 1700s (36), american revolution (79), constitution (85), jefferson (18), washington (23)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the immensely popular musical, Hamilton, to engage students as they learn about early American History. Include activities found on this site, along with your other resources, on a bookmarking tool such as Symbaloo, reviewed here, for younger students try Padlet, reviewed here. Ask students to share their learning by creating infographics using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here. Examples might include an infographic of Hamilton's life, comparisons between Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, and Hamilton's influence on creating the two-party system in the United States. Extend learning by providing students options for sharing their perspectives on early American History. Have students who love drama and music use the play as inspiration to write and produce their own short play. Ask another group of students to create an interactive timeline of events using one of the timeline creation tools located here. For students who enjoy computer programming and games, encourage them to use Scratch, reviewed here, to design a game using information from their research and learning activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The 1619 Project Curriculum - Pulitzer Center
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): 1600s (19), american revolution (79), civil war (127), colonial america (95), slavery (66)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the wide variety of materials included in this curriculum as part of any lessons on slavery, civil war, and early American history. As you introduce the 1619 Project to your students, ask them to work with a partner or in groups to highlight and identify important information. Many of the student materials are available as PDF documents, have students work in groups to highlight important information or information that needs additional clarification. If you work with older students, use a digital annotation tool like Hypothesis, reviewed here, to add and share notes for discussion. As students become familiar with the content found in the 1619 Project, ask them to demonstrate their understanding of the materials through their choice of multi-media tools. Suggestions include asking students to create a newsletter with the arrival date of the first enslaved African-Americans using Smore, reviewed here, or use Preceden, reviewed here, to build and customize a timeline of events featured in the article. Use the information found on the site to extend learning further and help students make real-life connections to the material by asking students to use the information learned to direct and act out different events in history. Consider asking different groups to create a series on ongoing podcasts using Anchor, reviewed here, to tell the story of American history beginning in 1619 and share their podcasts using school social media accounts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Race to Ratify - iCivics
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): 1700s (36), american revolution (79), branches of government (59), colonial america (95), constitution (85), game based learning (167)
In the Classroom
Demonstrate the basic concepts of the challenge on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then allow students to play on their own on the whiteboard or classroom computers, keeping a log of their actions and results. Enhance learning by having students share interactions from the game in comic form using ToonyTool, reviewed here. Ask students to use ToonyTool to create a conversation with the game's character trying to persuade an anti-Federalist or another opponent on the virtues of the Constitution. Use the game as inspiration for students to extend their learning by creating their own history game using Scratch, reviewed here. For ideas and inspiration, use the search feature in Scratch to find examples of history games created by other users.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Essential Questions in Teaching American History - Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History & John McNamara
Grades
7 to 12tag(s): 1800s (65), 1900s (59), american revolution (79), civil rights (182), civil war (127), cold war (27), constitution (85), elections (77), great depression (27), russia (33), terrorism (41), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Although it appears simple, this document is an excellent resource to bookmark for anyone who teaches American History. Print and save this document to focus on essential questions as you plan your lessons. Consider using an online platform like Actively Learn , reviewed here, to find and share quality lessons and learning activities with your students as they relate to these essential questions. To enhance learning and classroom technology, ask students to respond to questions found on this list by creating a website using Jimdo, reviewed here, and include their response along with supporting material including documents, videos, and more. Ask individual students or groups to modify technology use by creating a timeline of events using Timeline JS, reviewed here, to visualize and document events based on the essential questions. For example, if answering "Was the Great Depression inevitable?" ask students to build a timeline including important causes including World War 1, bank failures, the Dust Bowl, and more to demonstrate the many causes of the Great Depression.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Be Washington - George Washington's Mount Vernon
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), presidents (116), washington (23), white house (15)
In the Classroom
Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce your unit on the American Revolution. Follow the instructions to create a multiplayer game for your classroom using small groups. Instead of written reports, extend student learning by asking students to research the different points of view provided by advisors within the game. Then modify learning by having them create a website either individually or in small groups using Carrd, reviewed here, to share information backing up their final decision within the game including links to research sites and their supporting writing activities. As a class project, use student research to modify learning and create an interactive book using Book Creator, reviewed here. Have students enhance their learning by using Be Washington as a model to create podcasts using Anchor, reviewed here, to reenact the challenges faced by George Washington.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Project Look Sharp - Project Look Sharp, Ithaca College
Grades
K to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), climate change (82), critical thinking (105), environment (230), martin luther king (41), media literacy (93), middle east (43), nutrition (131), OER (43), presidents (116), russia (33), social media (47)
In the Classroom
Become acquainted with these free curriculum kits and lessons to integrate media literacy within content already taught in the classroom. As you teach lessons found on the site, incorporate technology to enhance learning and build student understanding by using Word Ahead, reviewed here, or WordSift, reviewed here, to introduce and develop vocabulary as a prereading strategy or older students can use either as they are reading. Incorporate images with annotations to help students understand "big picture" ideas using Image Annotator, reviewed here. For younger students create a Image Annotator as a class to add text, video, and more to images. Ask older students to create their own Image Annotator sharing information learned throughout your lessons. Be sure to share all of your images on your class website for students to view at any time. To transform classroom technology use and as a culminating activity, use a digital book creation tool like Book Creator, reviewed here, as an alternative assessment to quizzes or tests. Include student-created writing, Annotated images, and add videos with student commentary within each book. Be sure to provide students with your rubric to use as a guide before turning in digital books. Find many ideas for implementing rubrics for assessment along with examples and online tools at TeachersFirst Rubrics to the Rescue, reviewed here. Whether students work individually or in groups, be sure to share your new digital library related to your lesson topic with students to review and revisit at any time!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mr. Moore's Classroom - Matt Moore
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): 1700s (36), 1800s (65), 1900s (59), 20th century (50), advanced placement (24), american revolution (79), aztecs (9), civil rights (182), civil war (127), debate (38), industrial revolution (20), industrialization (11), speech (67), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save Mr. Moore's Classroom as a supplement to your current social studies teaching materials. Find new ideas for Debate Team. Take advantage of the free materials and planning information offered on this site. Share this site with colleagues.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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TomRichey.net - Tom Richey
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): advanced placement (24), american revolution (79), colonial america (95), europe (73), greece (26), israel (14), medieval (29), native americans (85), primary sources (106), renaissance (32), romans (33)
In the Classroom
Tom Richey has put together an excellent resource for any secondary level history teacher. Take advantage of the many free materials to supplement your current curriculum. Share a link to videos and review information on your class web page for student use at home or view together on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Be sure to share with students as they prepare for AP exams.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Highlighting Our History: American Revolution Read-alouds PLUS for the Common Core - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 6tag(s): american revolution (79), book lists (143), commoncore (79), writing prompts (56)
In the Classroom
Mark this article in your Favorites and take the book suggestions with you to the school library (or search for interlibrary loans). Consider using this as part of a "Then and Now" or "Past and Present" focus in kindergarten or first grade, or with middle elementary students as part of a unit related to the Revolutionary War. Take a look at the suggestions for connecting the read-alouds to CCSS-aligned writing prompts or for short, focused research projects to include as follow-up.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Totally History - totallyhistory.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): american revolution (79), art history (79), civil war (127), presidents (116), religions (69), vietnam (32), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Totally History offers a starting point to find basic facts and information on many topics. Use material from the site to introduce any topic such as presidents or events in World or American History. Share with students to use as a resource for classroom projects and reports. Have students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS also offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president or any person or event in history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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CurriConnects Book List - Colonial America and the Revolution - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), book lists (143), colonial america (95), independent reading (81)
In the Classroom
Make history more real during your unit on Colonial America and/or the Revolution. Have students choose a book from this list and present their impressions from it in the form of a blog post from the times. If you are beginning the process of integrating technology, have students create blogs sharing their learning and understanding using Tumblr, reviewed here. Collect the links to all the student posts on your class web page for students to browse and gather a "human" experience of history.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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History Labs - A Guided Approach to Historical Inquiry in the K-12 Classroom - UMBC Center for History Education
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): african american (105), american revolution (79), civil rights (182), civil war (127), colonial america (95), colonization (19), great depression (27), iran (8), jefferson (18), kennedy (19), native americans (85), roosevelt (11), slavery (66), washington (23), womens suffrage (36), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site for use with any American History topic as a complete lesson or to offer another angle on current lessons. Enhance learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Venngage reviewed here. Before beginning a unit, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Scrumblr, reviewed here (quick start- no membership required!).Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Revolutionary War Animated Maps - American Battlefield Trust
Grades
6 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1700s (36), american revolution (79), map skills (56), maps (207)
In the Classroom
Illustrate Revolutionary War battles on an interactive whiteboard or projector during a lecture or class discussion. This site might also be useful as a link students can explore from home as part of a homework assignment or enrichment activity. Have students research this site and other information about their "battle" and create a multimedia project. How about enhancing learning with a "talking map" indicating where a battle took place with audio recordings? Use a tool such as Zeemaps, reviewed here, to create a map of local landforms (with audio stories and pictures included)! Extend learning for your group of talented future animators by challenging them to envision similar animations for battles that are not already included, and use Animatron, reviewed here, to create and share them with you and their peers.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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U. S. History Images - Karen J. Hatzigeorgiou
Grades
7 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1800s (65), american revolution (79), civil war (127), colonial america (95), colonization (19), emancipation proclamation (8), images (252), industrial revolution (20), industrialization (11), lincoln (56), native americans (85), pioneers (8), states (120), transportation (32), washington (23)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site to share during classroom lessons on your projector or interactive whiteboard. Share with students as a place to explore and to "get the picture" of early events in American History. As an alternative a traditional report and to enhance learning, create a newspaper using a site such as Printing Press, reviewed here, to report on Civil War events. This site is a wonderful source for students to find raw materials for multimedia projects in general. Be sure to provide a mini lesson on how to cite their image sources!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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America in Class - The National Humanities Center
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): abolition (7), american revolution (79), civil war (127), colonial america (95), colonization (19), democracy (19), native americans (85), primary sources (106), religions (69), slavery (66), women (112)
In the Classroom
Use your interactive whiteboard or projector to help your class learn the background information and read the material through once. Work through the lesson together; then consider assigning groups of four students to go through the readings again, discovering the answers to the essential questions. Have students post the group's answers on a back channel chat program such as YoTeach!, reviewed here, so all groups can see all answers. Where answers differ, have students go back into the reading and cite evidence to support their answer on Today's Meet for all to see.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Like a Historian - Stanford History Education Group
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), civil rights (182), civil war (127), cold war (27), colonial america (95), colonization (19), emancipation proclamation (8), new deal (5), reading strategies (87), slavery (66), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for American history lessons throughout the year. The final segment of each lesson, the "Central Historical Question," has been noted as the most important part. If you don't have time for the full lesson, incorporate the historical question into your lesson plans as part of your classroom discussion, or journal activities. Perhaps you can use it as an essential question for your unit. Challenge students to create a talking avatar using a photo or other image (legally permitted to be reproduced). The avatars can be used to explain the central historical question. Use a site such as Blabberize, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Docs Teach - The National Archives
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): american revolution (79), civil war (127), digital storytelling (137), great depression (27), industrial revolution (20), primary sources (106), Teacher Utilities (134), westward expansion (36), world war 1 (66), world war 2 (140)
In the Classroom
If you teach history or social studies, you know what a great emphasis is being placed on the use of primary documents in helping students develop an awareness of the perspectives of those who lived during a particular era. Use this site to develop sophisticated lessons using primary documents on US History with the activity builder. Use the ready-made activities (the majority of which are available once you've registered), on an interactive whiteboard or projector for the whole class or assign groups of students to work independently at a computer workstation or at home. These activities encourage higher order thinking among students rather than simply the memorization of facts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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