American Revolution Station Lessons

1. The lesson is set up to take two periods. The students should get half the period per station.

2. Break them into FOUR groups

3. Put them into stations 1 – 4

4. They should complete the questions in the packages at each station and wait for the teacher to tell them to move to the next station

5. Set the stations up around the room so they go to the stations, not the other way around.

Station One: Building a Timeline

Instructions:

Using your text book and any other sources you have at your disposal, create a timeline outlining the important dates and events leading up to the American Revolution.

This Timeline should:

1. be constructed chronologically

2. contain all important dates and the name of the event

3. contain a brief description of the event

4. be organized in such a way that it is easy to read and understand

You may not copy your timeline simply from the internet. Your textbook should be your first resource and will supply you with most of what you need.

Station Two: Important People

Instructions:

Identify the following people and briefly explain their importance in American History focusing specifically on the American Revolution.

1. Benjamin Franklin

2. Thomas Jefferson

3. George Washington

4. Louis Montcalm

5. William Pitt

6. James Wolfe

7. Pontiac

8. George Grenville

9. Patrick Henry

10. John Dickinson

11. Mercy Otis Warren

12. Sam Adams

13. Paul Revere

14. Thomas Paine

15. King George III

Note: You will find all of these people mentioned in the textbook but you can use the internet briefly to help you get more information if required.

Station Three: Important Events

Instructions:

Identify the following events and briefly explain their importance in American History focusing specifically on the American Revolution.

1. Salutary Neglect

2. The French and Indian War

3. The Albany Plan

4. Virginia Militia

5. Treaty of Paris

6. Proclamation of 1763

7. The Sugar Act

8. The Stamp Act

9. Nonimportation Agreements

10. The Townshend Acts

11. Taxation Without Representation

12. Sons of Liberty

13. Daughters of Liberty

14. The Boston Massacre

15. Boston Tea Party

16. Second Continental Congress

17. “The Association”

Note: All of these terms can be found in your text book but you can supplement the information later if there is not enough information

Station Four: The Intolerable Acts

Instructions:

Listed below are the Intolerable Acts.

1. Briefly explain the what the act was and its purpose

2. What was the British justification – what was its benefit?

3. What was the American reaction?

The Acts:

Quartering Act

Quebec Act

Massachusetts Government Act

Administration of Justice Act

Boston Port Act

Note: Below is an example of how you could set up your comparison.

Intolerable Act	Summary of Act	British Justification	American Reaction
Quartering Act
Quebec Act
Massachusetts Government Act
Administration of Justice Act
Boston Port Act

Station Five: Causes of the American Revolution

Instructions:

Using your text book, outline all of the causes you can find for the American Revolution. Be sure to organize them using the heading listed below to ensure you can find them later when you need them.

Ø Political Causes

Ø Social Causes

Ø Economic Causes

Once you’ve completed the causes briefly describe the importance of each cause and what it meant to the American colonists.

Note: Some causes might overlap so be sure to explain why you feel this is the case.

Station Six: Interpreting Primary Resources

Instructions:

Read the following Primary Source Reading, “Common Sense Dictates,” written by Thomas Paine.

When you have finished reading the excerpt closely, answer the following questions.

1. According to Paine, why does Britain protect the colonies?

2. What does Paine think America should do to strengthen its place in the world?

3. How, according to Paine, do the colonies’ ties to England hurt America?

4. Why does Paine think America is safe from invaders?

5. Does Paine rely primarily on logic or emotion to support his proposal that America sever its ties with Great Britain? Explain your answer.

Answer the following questions considering the nature of the source itself.

1. Why is this considered a Primary resource?

2. What is the difference between a Primary Resource and a Secondary resource?

3. What is the advantage of using Primary resources in historical research as opposed to Secondary sources? Explain.

4. Do you think Paine has a ‘bias’? Explain your reasoning.