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Planning this Unit
Terms & Questions
Slides & Notes
Review Videos
Unit Activities
Opener Questions

The Revolutionary War

The American Revolution: 1775-1783

Planning this mini-unit

The American Revolution is the second mini-unit of Unit 2: The American Revolution. This mini-unit is taught after “Road to Revolution,” the first mini-unit in Unit 2: The American Revolution and before “New Nation: Articles of Confederation and the Constitution,” the first mini-unit of Unit 3: New Nation.  Click 🔗HERE to get a copy of my pacing guide. 

Pacing

Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:

Openers

  1. Comparing Forces in the Revolutionary War
  2. Revolutionary War Advantages
  3. Deborah Sampson Gannett
  4. Alliance with France
  5. Siege of Yorktown
This FREE resource includes 5 openers to use in order to supplement this unit.  Begin each class with an opener question. Opener questions can be found on this webpage as an image (see “opener questions” at the bottom of this webpage) or free on TpT (🔗see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion.   Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding.  
 

Lessons

After the opener, begin the 🔗 Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides). 

  1. TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. To do this, click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide.   
  2. TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
  3. TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their students’ needs and individual learning targets.
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  2. After teaching a concept, take a break from the lecture and show a quick review video to reinforce the concepts. Suggested videos to enhance the lesson are on this webpage.  
  3. Mix up your unit by having the students complete the PROP (Point, Reason to lie or distort, Other sources, Public/private) analysis. For a free resource that reviews PROP, click 🔗 HERE.   
    1. TIP TEACHER: Group students together to complete this activity. This strategy sparks conversation and encourages critical analysis. Discussed as a class. 
  4. Review additional suggested activities found on this webpage:
    1. FREE: Benedict Arnold’s Treason from Bill of Rights Institute 
    2. FREE: Global Impact of the American Revolution from Bill of Rights Institute
    3. FREE: Washington’s Choice: Crossing the Delaware from Bill of Rights Institute 
    4. FREE: Declaration of Independence from Stanford History Education Group
    5. FREE: Loyalists from Stanford History Education Group
    6. FREE: Battle of Lexington from Stanford History Education Group
    7. FREE: American Revolution from Stanford History Education Group
    8. FREE: Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary Leadership and Purpose from Bill of Rights Institute 

5.  Print the Prove It activity included in the Google Slides lesson at the end of the unit. Students read statements and determine if they are true or false. If the statement is false, they correct it. This lesson encourages students to review their note-taking guide.

key terms to know

People to Know

  •  George Washington
  • General William Howe (British)
  • Hessians
  •  General Benedict Arnold (Continental) 
  • General Horatio Gates (Continental)
  • Benjamin Franklin
  • Marquis De LaFayette
  • Alexander Hamilton (Continental) 
  • John Laurens (Continental)
  • Lt. General Comte de Rochambeau (Contiental)
  • General Cornwallis (British)
  • Nathan Hale
  • James Armistead Lafayette

Key Terms

  •  First Continental Congress
  • Second Continental Congress
  • Loyalists
  • Patriots
  • Declaration of Independence
  • Red Coats
  • Continental Army
  •  Homespun Movement
  • Camp Followers
  •  Treaty of Amity and Commerce
  • Treaty of Alliance
  • Articles of Confederation
  • Guerrilla Warfare
  • First Rhode Island Regiment
  • Treaty of Paris

Events

  •  Battles at Lexington and Concord
  • Battle of Bunker Hill
  • Battle of Long Island
  • Washington crosses the Delaware 
  • Battle of Saratoga
  • Valley Forge
  • Battle of Yorktown

Essential Questions

1. Describe the relationship between the British and the Colonists before the Second Continental Congress declared independence.

 

2. To what extent did colonists support declaring independence?  

 

3. Compare and contrast the Continental Army with the British Army. Which side presents more advantages? Justify your answer. 

 

4. Outline foreign support for both the British and the Continental Armies. To what extent did foreign aid affect the outcome of the war?

 

5. Describe how Patriot women supported the war? 

 

6. Describe the conditions at Valley Forge. What is significant about the experience of Continental Troops spending a Winter at Valley Forge?

 

7. What are the Articles of Confederation? What were powers given to Congress based on the Articles?

 

8. How did the war “divide Native American nations”?  

 

9. To what extent did African Americans support the Continental Army? Which side presented better opportunities for African Americans?   Justify your answer.

 

10. Which battle of the Revolutionary War was the most significant? Justify your answer.

 

11. What were the conditions agreed to in the Treaty of Paris?

Google Slides & Note Taking Guides

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Click image for link to source

First Page of PRINT
Note Taking Guide

30 Slides (editable) with graphic organizer note-taking guide and summative assessment worksheet. This Google Slides reviews the American Revolutionary War.

 

This Google Slides:

  1. Editable
  2. Has checks for understanding/thinking questions throughout the Google Slides
  3. Interesting and varied graphic design
  4. A variety of different sources to catch your students’ attention and engage them with the content: maps, charts, primary sources, quotes, timelines, etc.
  5. Major Concepts Reviewed:
    1. Exploring Historical Context: The First Continental Congress, Battle of Lexington and Concord, Second Continental Congress, Battle of Bunker Hill
    2. Percentage of Loyalists, Patriots, and those neutral
    3. Declaration of Independence and the Revolution
    4. Compare and Contrast: The British and the Americans
    5. The Hessians
    6. Battle of Long Island
    7. Revolutionary Women: Homespun Movement, Soldiers, Camp Followers
    8. Washington crosses the Deleware
    9. Battle of Saratoga
    10. Benjamin Franklin and the French alliance
    11. Marquis de Lafayette
    12. Valley Forge
    13. Articles of Confederation
    14. Alexander Hamilton
    15. European nations support America: France, Spain, and The Netherlands
    16. Yankee Doodle
    17. War in the West: Guerrilla warfare and Native Americans
    18. Comparing Revolutionary War Battles
    19. African Americans in the war
    20. Battle of Yorktown
    21. Spies: Benedict Arnold, Nathan Hale, James Armistead, Lafayette
    22. Treaty of Paris

✏️ Note-Taking Guide with a Teacher’s Key:

  • Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document, or handwrite)
  • Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
  • Great for IEP, 504, EL students or students who need modifications
  • Helps students be accountable for information during lecture
  • Comes with print and digital notetaking guides.

 

✏️ Post-Notes Analysis Worksheet with a Teacher’s Key:

  • Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document or handwrite)
  • Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
  • Has a True/False checking for understanding
  • Includes a document that connects to information from the slides.
  • Comes with print and digital post-notes analysis guides.
  • Students are asked to ” Prove It,” “Analyze It” “Personalize It” and “Explore Limitations.”

Helpful Videos for Your Students

Unit Activities

Click on the images below to access these suggested resources

The Global Impact of the American Revolution

BRI: Bill of Rights Institute

Benedict Arnold’s Treason

BRI: Bill of Rights Institute

Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary Leadership and Purpose 

BRI: Bill of Rights Institute

Washington Crossing of the Delaware

BRI: Bill of Rights Institute

American Revolution

SHEG: Stanford History Education Group

Loyalists

SHEG: Stanford History Education Group

Battle of Lexington 

SHEG: Stanford History Education Group

Declaration of Independence 

SHEG: Stanford History Education Group

Opener Questions Free

🔗 Click HERE to access this FREE resource

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Thank you for stopping by Teacher Bistro.  I created this place as a resource for educators who wanted a easy way to find resources.  In my first ten years of teaching I can’t tell you how many hours I spent gathering lesson plans, video guides and lectures.  Hopefully, you have added this site to your bookmarks, and this place can make teaching a little bit easier.