A Guide to Teaching the American Revolution - At-Home Resource

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

Comprehensive at-home teaching guide for Boston’s American Revolutionary history, designed for elementary school teachers and parents. The collection brings American Revolution stories, primary sources, and guided exercises into home learning, using real-life examples that connect historical events around Boston with contemporary issues. Each section pairs a historical topic with an article and activity, encouraging multiple perspectives and reflection on difficult choices faced by colonial and revolutionary families.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages38

Reading Time59 min

AccessFree to download

Part 1: Who were the Puritans? The Early Years of Boston

A City Upon A Hill (Background on Puritans)

Puritans and the Revolution

Working with Primary Sources

Part 2: Revolution! Perspectives and Propaganda

The Patriot Perspective

The Loyalist Perspective

Pamphlets, Broadsides, and Propaganda

Part 3: The Boston Massacre

“The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street”

Propaganda Today

Part 4: The Boston Tea Party

The Trouble with the Tea

The Crown Puts Its Foot Down

Protests Today

Part 5: Paul Revere and his Midnight Ride

Paul Revere, Folk Hero

Primary Source: “Paul Revere’s Ride,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A Guide to Teaching the American Revolution At-Home Resource Adapted from: Freedom Trail Resource Guide by Christine Baron Adapted by: Rebecca Griffith and Emily Kovatch, Freedom Trail Foundation April 2020 A comprehensive guide to teaching Boston’s American Revolutionary history for elementary school teachers and parents teaching from home. Funded by This collection of articles, primary sources and exercises is designed to bring some of the stories of the American Revolution into your home. These articles and exercises help provide a context for the events that took place in and around Boston during those critical years. Every effort has been made to present the lesser known stories of individuals and groups who were essential to the Colonial and Revolutionary periods. Students are encouraged to see history from different points of view and investigate the difficult choices that our forebears struggled to make for themselves and their families. Each historical topic that is covered is also partnered with an exercise or article that provides a contemporary look at the problems we still face today. Each section provides real-life examples and issues that tie historical events with contemporary issues in forms that students will encounter in their daily lives. Each section will include the topic/subject heading and an article and activity. Atthe end of this packet, you will find additional links and resources to continue the fun and uncover additional information! Table of Contents Part 1: Who were the Puritans? The Early Years of Boston | 􀂾 A City Upon A Hill
(Background on what it means to be a “Puritan,” the founding principles of the colony of Massachusetts, the makeup of its population in the 17th century)
􀂾 Puritans and the Revolution (How 17th-century Puritan ideas laid the groundwork for 18th-century rebellion in Boston)
􀂾 Working with Primary Sources
(An excerpt of the Sumptuary Laws, showing how historians use primary sources in learning about the past)
Part 2: Revolution! Perspectives and Propaganda | | --- | | 􀂾 The Patriot Perspective (Why some colonists wanted to separate from the Crown and Parliament)
􀂾 The Loyalist Perspective (Why some colonists did not want to separate from the Crown and Parliament)
􀂾 Pamphlets, Broadsides, and Propaganda (How written materials shaped people’s ideas)
Part 3: The Boston Massacre | | 􀂾 “The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street”
(What happened on the night of March 5th, 1770, and how it was presented and perceived)
􀂾 Propaganda Today
(What are the common propaganda techniques and how are they still being used today)
Part 4: The Boston Tea Party | | 􀂾 The Trouble with the Tea
(What was the tax on tea, why it was passed, and why Bostonians destroyed it)
􀂾 The Crown Puts Its Foot Down (Passing of the Coercive Acts or the Intolerable Acts and how colonists reacted)
􀂾 Protests Today
(Exploration of a modern form of protest, what law/policy people wanted to change, and what it accomplished)
Part 5: Paul Revere and his Midnight Ride | 􀂾 Paul Revere, Folk Hero (The events of April 18th, 1775, and why Revere is ‘revered’ so much for his role) 􀂾 Primary Source: “Paul Revere’s Ride,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Reading the original poem, analyzing how it compares to what really happened, thinking about how and why we love to tell stories) A City upon a Hill The Puritans left England in the 1600’s to build a new society that would be a model for others around the world. They often called this idea “A City upon a Hill.” Their new “City” would be based on their religious beliefs, rather than buildings or roads. These religious beliefs were their main reason for wanting to come to the New World. Unlike other colonies, people coming to Massachusetts came to stay for the rest of their lives. Leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony were very careful about who they let join them. In this ‘wilderness’, they we

FAQs

Who is the guide designed for?

It is designed for elementary school teachers and parents teaching from home.

What learning materials does the guide include?

The packet includes a collection of articles, primary sources, and exercises aligned with each historical topic.

How are historical topics connected to students’ everyday lives?

Each section pairs a historical topic with an article and activity that provides real-life examples and issues tied to contemporary problems students may encounter.

Sep 28, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore