Revolutionary War Unit Basics

My favorite unit in 5th grade is studying about the Revolutionary War. I find that my students love it because it is interactive and interesting. I have an entire unit based on the war. Of course, I have help because Houghton-Mifflin has an entire theme based on the Revolutionary War. I use their stories and work on their comprehension skills, and begin to teach the unit. However, I have an interactive unit that my friend and I created the first year I taught 5th grade. She is amazing, and has updated it, so that I could use it since I was busy having a baby earlier this year!

The students are assigned a character in history, and a colony. I always play King George III/Historian. The students then research the colonies and their characters.

This was the first year I had iPads to research, and it was a bit too much fun! The students had specific questions to ask, so they could truly participate in the continental congresses knowing how their colonies thought. They also researched their person, so they knew when to participate in the interact.

For example, Patrick Henry gave his famous speech, John Adams led the Boston Tea Party, and Paul Revere read the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.

1.     King George

Revolutionary War

1.     Patrick Henry

2.     John Adams

3.     Abigail Adams

4.     Benjamin Franklin

5.     Joseph Galloway

6.     John Hancock

7.     Nathanael Greene

8.     Ethan Allen

9.     Thomas Paine

10. Thomas Jefferson

11. Crispus Attucks

12. Paul Revere

13. George Washington

14. Phyllis Wheatley

15. James Wilson

16. James Madison

17. John Jay

18. Benedict Arnold

19. Nathan Hale

20. George Rogers Clark

21. John Penn

22. General Charles Cornwallis

23. Sybil Ludington

24. Mary Ludwig Hayes

25. Richard Henry Lee

26. John Paul Jones

27. Henry Knox

28. Samuel Adams

29. William Prescott

30. John Dickinson

31. James Wilson

32. Thomas McKean

The students were also in charge of doing a research report based on their person, and during computer time, they would research and fill out basic questions from their early life, revolutionary war, and after the revolutionary war. They also wrote a report on the person during writing time.

After researching the colony, the first interactive thing we did was discuss the 7 Years War, which began the taxes. We did a small section of reading based on the war from our social studies book. 

Then, letting the students sit by colonies, "King George III" came in and proclaimed the different taxes from the Revolutionary War. The students of course went into an uproar. Also, we re-inacted the Boston Massacre. For the Boston Tea Party, I found a small play to do with the kids, and they re-inacted the Boston Tea Party. Then we would begin the 1st Continental Congress, and would vote on the three things the actual congress voted for.

Patrick Henry gave his speech, and Paul Revere talked about his Midnight ride. While the students read their parts the rest of the students drew parts they heard on the "Draw Free" app on the iPad. I found that this kept the students interactive.

Finally, we read about Lexington and Concord in our Social Studies book, and break into colonies to vote for in the Second Continental Congress. We form an army and petition King George, and discuss the Olive Branch Petition. After we discuss the Petition, we declare independence, and the war begins.

The last thing we do is discuss propaganda and the role it played in the war. This is my favorite part! We look at Benjamin Franklin's "Join or Die" art work, as well as the Boston Massacre propaganda that occurred in a newspaper. Then I let the kids create their own artwork, pretending they are artists during that time.

After the students have finished their research report (which they are working on the whole time), they do a presentation based on their person. I will talk more about that during my presentation blog!


Here are the final posters: