1. Mira Spurgeon
Grade 5
Topic: The American Revolution
Learning Objective: Investigate the causes and key events of the American Revolution
First, let’s find out how America was first colonized.
1. http://www.americaslibrary.gov/index.html
Click on “Jump Back in Time”, then on “Colonial America”.
a) What were the first two English colonies established in America? When was each one
founded?
_____________________________________________________________
b) What was the main crop for each colony?
_____________________________________________________________
How did this peaceful colonial life become violent revolution? Let’s find out.
2. http://americanhistory.about.com/od/revolutionarywar/a/amer_revolution.htm
Scroll down to the section titled “Major Events that Led to the American Revolution”
a) Pick one action done by the British and explain how it helped lead to the revolution.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b) Pick one action done by the colonists and explain how it helped lead to the revolution.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
One of the events that led to the American Revolution was the Boston Tea Party. Let’s find out
more about it.
3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwEX_YVyAS4
Watch the short video.
a) What did the British do to cause the Boston Tea Party?
_____________________________________________________________
2. b) How did the British respond to the Boston Tea Party?
_____________________________________________________________
c) What effect did this response have on the colonists?
_____________________________________________________________
Who were the people who led the Revolutionary Movement? We call them the Founding
Fathers.
4.http://americanhistory.about.com/od/revolutionarywar/tp/foundingfathers.htm
Choose one Founding Father and explain why he was important.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
One of the most famous Founding Fathers was George Washington. Let’s explore a portrait of
him.
5. http://www.history.org/history/paintings/george_washington/
Click on the blue dots on the painting to find more information.
a) What was the name of the army that Washington commanded?
_____________________________________________
b) Whom did Washington defeat at the Battle of Trenton?
_______________________________________
c) What city is pictured in the background of the painting?
_______________________________________
But how did the fighting begin?
6. http://www.ushistory.org/us/11c.asp
a) Why did the British want to seize Lexington and Concord?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b) What was the name of the militias that defended Lexington and how did they get their
name?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. The American Revolution was more than just a war. It was also an independence movement.
Let’s look at an important document of that movement.
7. http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/
Click on “Document” in the menu on the left.
a) What are the “unalienable rights” to which everyone is
entitle?___________________________________________________
b) Why did the colonists feel that they were not being given these rights?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
The language of that document is kind of confusing because it was written a long time ago.
Let’s look at a simpler version.
8. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/declaration.htm
a) Why did the colonists write the Declaration of Independence?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b) In your opinion, what was the worst thing that the King of England did to the colonists
and why?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Now that America was independent, it needed it’s own Constitution.
9. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/constitution.htm
a) What was the purpose of the Constitution?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b) Which part of the government makes the laws? ____________________________
c) Which part of the government commands the army? _________________________
d) Which part of the government judges whether the rest of the government is following the
Constitution? _______________________________________
But the Constitution alone was not enough. The new nation also needed a Bill of Rights
4. 10. http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/government/billofrights.htm
a) How is the Bill of Rights different from the Constitution?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b) In your opinion, which right is the most important and why?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Finally, the United States of America had become an independent country.
5. Answers
1. a) Jamestown (1607) and Plymouth (1620)
b) tobacco (Jamestown) and corn (Plymouth)
2. a) Answer will depend on event chosen.
b) Answer will depend on event chosen.
3. a) The British repealed all taxes except the one on tea.
b) The British closed Boston harbor.
c) Many colonists lost their jobs.
4. Answer will depend on Founding Father chosen.
5. a) the Continental Army
b) the Hessians
c) Princeton, New Jersey
6. a) They wanted to capture Sam Adams and John Hancock and take the colonists’
gunpowder.
b) They were called Minutemen because they could be ready to fight in minutes.
7. a) Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
b) The colonists felt oppressed by the British government and military (or similar ideas).
8. a) They wanted to explain why they were splitting from England.
b) This answer is based on opinion, but should be an item from the list on the website.
9. a) The purpose of the Constitution was to set up the structure of the American
government.
b) Congress
c) the President
d) the Supreme Court
10. a) The Bill of Rights deals with the rights of individuals, while the Constitution sets up
the structure of government (or any other valid comparison).
b) This answer depends on which right is chosen.
