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TEACHER’S GUIDE
Follow-up Activities
• There were many famous women associated with the American
Revolution. Break students into small groups and assign each group an
important woman to research, such as Abigail Adams, Mercy Otis Warren,
Nancy Hart or Phyllis Wheatley. Ask each group to do a presentation
explaining the significance of their Revolutionary War heroine.
• The American war effort benefited greatly from the assistance of
Europeans such as Baron von Stueben, the Marquis de Lafayette and
Thaddeus Kosciusko.Ask students to research and summarize the contributions of these famous men. Based on what they learn, ask students to
debate the likelihood of American victory without European aid.
• Even after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, colonial leaders were
reluctant to declare their independence from Great Britain. Just before
the Declaration of Independence was issued, the Second Continental
Congress sent King George III the “Olive Branch Petition.” Read with
students the full text of the Petition and ask students to analyze its
overall tone and meaning.The Petition may be read at the following Web
site: www.learner.org/channel/workshops/primarysources/revolution/
docs/olive.html.
• Benedict Arnold was one of the American generals who helped the
colonies win the Battle of Saratoga.Ask students to research the Battle of
Saratoga, one of the major turning points in the Revolutionary War.Ask
students to discuss the role of Benedict Arnold in this campaign and,
based on his later actions in siding with the British, to conduct a mock
trial in which Arnold is tried for treason.
• Share with students the text of the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Break students into small groups and ask each group to identify on a map the
changes in territory that were detailed in the treaty.The full text of the
treaty can be found at this Web site: www.ku.edu/carrie/docs/texts/
paris_treaty.html.
• Ask students to break into small groups and research the lives and leadership roles of the Committee of Five appointed by Congress to write
the Declaration of Independence: Benjamin Franklin,Thomas Jefferson,
John Adams, Roger Sherman and Robert Livingston.Ask each group to
construct a dialogue among the Committee of Five members reflecting
what students learned about how the original Declaration of
Independence was written.
Suggested Internet Resources
Periodically, Internet Resources are updated on our Web site at
www.LibraryVideo.com
• www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/constpap.htm
The Avalon Project at Yale Law School provides teachers and students
with the full text of many primary source documents associated with
the American Revolution and the beginning of the United States.
(Continued)
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TEACHER’S GUIDE
TEACHER’S GUIDE
• lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/
The Library of Congress presents the largest collection in the world of
original documents on the life of George Washington.
• www.libs.uga.edu/darchive/hargrett/maps/revamer.html
The Hargrett Rare Book & Manuscript Library at the University of Georgia
offers links to many historical maps from the Revolutionary War time
period.
Suggested Print Resources
• Burg, David. American Revolution: An Eyewitness History. Facts on File,
New York, NY; 2001.
• Lavender,William. Just Jane: The Story of a Daughter of England Caught
in the Struggle for Independence in Revolutionary America. Harcourt,
San Diego, CA; 2002. The fictional account of an English girl living in South
Carolina at the time of the American Revolution.
• Slavicek, Louise Chipley. The Women of the American Revolution. Lucent
Books, San Diego, CA; 2003.
TM
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
Grades 5–12
TEACHER’S GUIDE
Jeffrey W. Litzke, M.Ed.
Curriculum Specialist, Schlessinger Media
Rudolph Lea
Historian
COMPLETE LIST OF TITLES
• Three Worlds Meet (Origins–1620)
• The Era of Colonization (1585–1763)
• Slavery & Freedom
• The American Revolution
• A New Nation (1776–1815)
• Expansionism
• Democracy & Reform
• Causes of the Civil War
• The Civil War
• Reconstruction & Segregation (1865–1910)
• Industrialization & Urbanization
(1870–1910)
• Immigration & Cultural Change
• A Nation in Turmoil
Teacher’s Guides Included
and Available Online at:
• The Progressive Movement
• U.S. & The World (1865–1917)
• The Great War
• The Roaring Twenties
• The Great Depression
& The New Deal
• World War II
• Post-War U.S.A.
• The Cold War
• Civil Rights
• The Vietnam War
• The Middle East
• U.S. Politics (1960–1980)
• U.S. Politics (1980–2000)
800-843-3620
Teacher’s Guide Copyright 2003 by Schlessinger Media,
a division of Library Video Company
D6764
P.O. Box 580,Wynnewood, PA 19096 • 800-843-3620
V7004
Program Copyright 1996, 2003 by Schlessinger Media
Executive Producer:Andrew Schlessinger
Original production produced and directed by Invision Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
T
his guide is a supplement designed for teachers
to use when presenting programs in the United
States History series.
Before Viewing: Give students an introduction
to the topic by relaying aspects of the program
summary to them. Select pre-viewing discussion
questions and vocabulary to provide a focus for
students when they view the program.
After Viewing: Review the program and vocabulary, and use the follow-up activities to inspire
continued discussion. Encourage students to
research the topic further with the Internet and
print resources provided.
This program correlates to the following
Prentice Hall textbooks:
The American Nation: Chapters 5 and 6
America: Pathways to the Present: Chapter 1
Program Summary
The American Revolution began long before the war for independence actually started.Although they were ultimately subject to the rule of Great Britain,
the American colonists enjoyed substantial freedom from British control.
After the French and Indian War, however, Great Britain sought to reassert its
authority in the colonies and many colonists objected to stronger enforcement of trade laws and tax collection, as reflected in their cry of “no taxation
without representation!”
Tensions mounted after the Boston Massacre in 1770, but it was the Coercive
Acts, passed in response to the Boston Tea Party in 1773 that helped unite the
colonies. In response, leading colonial figures met in 1774 at the first
Continental Congress, with some leaders calling for independence from
Great Britain.
Despite several battles in 1775, it took Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” to
convince many Americans to take the dramatic step of breaking with Great
Britain.When the Continental Congress reconvened in 1776, independence
was officially declared and George Washington’s makeshift army prepared to
take on the world’s greatest military power.
Despite some devastating early defeats, Washington prevented his small
regular army from being captured and won some important victories.After
General Gates’ major victory at Saratoga, the Americans received aid and assistance from France — a turning point in the war.
In 1781, the American and French forces won a dramatic victory at Yorktown,
and the British surrendered. The United States of America was officially
created, and although many people did not immediately share in the rights
and freedoms expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the country
embarked on its unique experiment to build a democratic nation.
1781 — British General Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown.
1783 — The Treaty of Paris is signed, which officially creates the United
States.
Vocabulary
revolution — A forcible and often violent political movement by people to
1760 — George III becomes the King of England.
1764 — Sugar and Currency Acts are passed by Parliament.
1765 — The Stamp Act is passed by Parliament.
1765 — Stamp Act riots occur in the colonies.
1765 — The Stamp Act is repealed by Parliament.
1765 — The Townshend Acts are passed by Parliament.
1770 — Five colonists are killed in the Boston Massacre.
1770 — The Townshend Acts are repealed by Parliament; tax on tea remains.
1773 — The Tea Act is passed by Parliament.
1773 — Colonists protest the Tea Act at the Boston Tea Party.
1773 — The Coercive Acts are passed by Parliament.
1775 — Battles occur at Lexington and Concord.
1776 — The Declaration of Independence is issued.
1776 — George Washington crosses the Delaware and defeats the Hessians.
1777 — The Americans win an important victory at Saratoga. (Continued)
change their government, such as the American Revolution, or a gradual but
significant cultural change, such as the Industrial Revolution.
Seven Years’ War — A major conflict over territory fought in Europe
beginning in 1756.The war also involved a struggle known as the French and
Indian War between Great Britain and France for control of North America.
Parliament — The legislative body of Great Britain, consisting of a King or
Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. Other countries also
have legislatures called parliaments.
Stamp Act — An unpopular 1764 British law that placed new taxes on
American colonists.
Sons of Liberty — A secret society of colonial patriots originally formed in
1765 to oppose the Stamp Act.
Townshend Acts — A series of taxes placed on products imported from
England.
duties — Taxes which are levied on the sale of goods or services.
boycott — A political or economic protest in which people refuse to buy
certain types of goods from a specific source.
Boston Massacre — An incident that took place in Boston on March 5,
1770 in which British soldiers shot and killed five American protestors.
The Coercive Acts — Measures passed by Parliament that were intended
to punish Boston for destruction of British tea during the Boston Tea Party.
First Continental Congress — A meeting held in Philadelphia in 1774 in
which representatives from the colonies spoke about their problems with
the British.
Second Continental Congress — A group of colonial representatives
who gathered in Philadelphia in 1775 to talk about their problems with the
British.The group voted to form a committee to write the Declaration of
Independence.
“Common Sense” — The title of a pamphlet published by Thomas Paine in
1776 that became highly influential in persuading Americans to join in the
move toward independence.
The Declaration of Independence — A document issued on July 4, 1776,
which declared that the American colonies were free and independent states.
English common law — The basis of English law and justice developed
over many centuries, relied on, in part, by those who shaped the doctrines
and practices of American government.
Founding Fathers — The group of Americans who wrote the Declaration
of Independence and the Constitution and who founded and shaped the new
nation — the United States.
(Continued)
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Time Line
The Enlightenment — A time in Europe during the 18th century when
thinkers and philosophers came to believe in reason, science, and a
respect for humanity.They began the movement toward more democratic
forms of government.Also known as the Age of Reason.
popular sovereignty — A central idea from the Age of Enlightenment
that government was founded upon the consent of the governed.
republic — A form of government with an elected, rather than hereditary
leadership.
democracy — A system of government controlled by the people that
acts in the people’s interests.
loyalists — People in the colonies who remained loyal to England during
the American Revolution.
Continental Army — The name of the army of colonists led by George
Washington who fought in the Revolutionary War.
mercenaries — Professional soldiers who are paid to fight in the armies
of other countries. For example, German Hessians fought for the British
during the Revolutionary War.
guerrilla tactics — Military actions, such as surprise hit and run attacks,
usually by small irregular forces against a larger conventional military
force.
Six Nations — The six Indian nations comprising the Iroquois Confederacy
in upper New York State during the 18th century.
Pre-viewing Discussion
• Ask students to explain the importance of the American Revolution in
history. Ask students to name one of the important people or events
associated with the American Revolution.
• Ask students to offer definitions for the term “independence.”Why do
people value independence for themselves and their countries? What
benefits, responsibilities and challenges does independence offer?
• The Declaration of Independence asserted that “all men are created
equal.”Ask students to discuss the extent to which America has been
able to meet this ideal.
Follow-up Discussion
• Ask students to evaluate George Washington’s “hit and run” military strategy against Great Britain’s more traditional strategy of marching and
attacking in columns.Why did Washington choose this method of fighting the British?
• Ask students to analyze the saying “the power to tax is the power to
destroy” within the context of the American Revolution.
• Compare and contrast the interests, goals and actions of patriots and
loyalists during the Revolutionary War period.
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