It's no secret - teaching history in the elementary classroom can be a struggle.  Teachers are faced with the challenge of making people and events of the past relatable to young students who have a hard time even remembering or caring about the events and people of last week, let alone last century!

That's why making history come alive in your classroom is so crucial to making students care about what they are learning.

But - lucky for you - I love a good challenge! I've created a unit that will make you the hero in your next social studies lesson (bonus if it happens to be a lesson you're getting observed on!)

HOW IT WORKS:

Each lesson has 3 components to help you structure your instruction effortlessly.

• Introduction - During this portion of the lesson you'll review previously learned content and add on or introduce new concepts and content vocabulary that students will be working on that day. You'll start as a whole group using anchor slides before breaking out into small groups for hands-on practice.

• Lesson Activity - During this time of your lesson students will interact with you and each other as they explore history through varied hands-on activities, often in partners or small groups. They'll record their learning all in one place in their students activity packet.

• Lesson Reflection - Bring students back together at the end of the lesson to review, share, and discuss what they have learned during the lesson activity. Students reflect on what they've learned through journal questions right in their student activity packet.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

• Detailed Teacher Guide - with everything you need for each lesson. All needed resources are downloadable directly from the guide making prep a breeze! The teacher guide includes a unit overview and detailed daily lesson plans. The lesson plans include easy-to-follow information about student objectives, materials needed, teacher preparation required, and the steps on how to conduct the lesson. You'll even find sample anchor charts and answer keys embedded right into the teacher guide.

• 50 Anchor Slides - These slides will help you teach specific content as described in the lesson plans. The unit plans indicate what slides to use for each lesson. The slides are provided in PowerPoint, PDF, and PNG image files.

• Student Activity Packet (SAP)- This student activity packet that will be given to each student. In the packet there are activities and tasks that go along with each lesson. [also available in google slides]

• Bulletin Board Set - This set will be added to throughout the unit. As students learn new concepts, you will add new pieces to the bulletin board. It is meant to be a reference tool for students to review concepts learned.

• Images of the Revolution - These picture cards will be used to kick off the unit [also available in google slides]

• Liberty Poem - Students will be writing an acrostic poem and using this template as their final copy paper. [also available in google slides]

• “The Revolution and Me” Article - This article will be used to get students to start making connections about the war [also available in google slides]

• “That’s My Spot!” Game - This game will be played as a way to help students understand the results of the French and Indian War. [also available in google slides]

• “No Taxation Without Representation” Reader’s Theater - Students will learn about colony taxes through this reader’s theater script. [also available in google slides]

• Boston Tea Party New Article - After watching a short video, students will pretend to be a journalist during the Revolutionary war period and will write an article about the Boston Tea Party [also available in google slides]

• Patriots vs. Loyalist Sort- Students will learn to tell the difference between a loyalist and patriot with this sorting activity [also available in google slides]

• Major Events Learning Folders- This is a set of 6 learning centers. Editable versions are also available in case your state requires you to cover specific events.

• The Declaration of Independence: A Summary- This activity sheet puts the major points of the Declaration of Independence in kid-friendly language. [also available in google slides]

• “We The People” Class Book - In lesson 11, students will illustrate the major points of the Declaration of Independence by creating a class book.

• “Let There Be Peace Again” Article- This article teaches about the Treaty of Paris [also available in google slides]

• American Revolutionary “SCOOT!” - This game will be used as a whole-class unit review to help students study for the final unit assessment.

• Unit Assessment - This assessment will monitor students’ learning for the entire unit. An answer key is provided for easy grading.

• BONUS RESOURCE- LINKtivity® Digital Learning Guide and Student Flipbook - This LINKtivity® is a digital resource that helps teach students about the major events and battles of the Revolutionary War. This resource is sold separately HERE, but is included in this full unit at no extra charge!

CONCEPTS COVERED:

• What is a revolution?

• The French and Indian War (as a cause of the American Revolution)

• No taxation without representation

• Taxes on the colonies

• The Boston Massacre

• The Tea Act and the Boston Tea Party

• The Intolerable Acts

• Patriots and Loyalists

• Major events & battles of the war including: The First Continental Congress, Lexington and Concord, Second Continental Congress, Fort Ticonderoga, Bunker Hill Declaration of Independence, Trenton, Saratoga, Yorktown, The First President

WHAT OTHER TEACHERS ARE SAYING...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Excellent resource! Worth every penny! This is my first year teaching social studies and these units have been a lifesaver. Very easy to follow and prep for the teacher and full of a variety of lessons and materials for students. I love that there are a variety of different types of ways that students get to access the information: note-taking, reader's theater, articles, LINKtivity®, and more. Thank you for such a comprehensive resource!" - Literacy Loves Company, teacher

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I love how all-inclusive this unit is. I know that if I purchase something from the Classroom Nook, it is going to have everything I need. The lesson plans are included and the resources are SUPER engaging. My kiddos love all of her units!" -Teachery Tidbits, teacher

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "This is, BY FAR, the best, easiest to use and most comprehensive purchase I have ever made on TPT. I was blown away. Students do not typically love social studies and because I have the giant task of teaching the whole 5th-grade social studies and making it interesting, I was nervous starting with the American Revolution. Without this resource, I would have been overwhelmed and definitely would have struggled to make the content as fun. Thank you SO much for creating this." - Kelsey M, teacher