Learn about the American Revolutionary War for Kids with this fun history for kids lesson. We’ve included fun hands-on American history activities like a printing press Revolutionary War Project Ideas , lots of great book recommendations, and a free printable revolutionary war lapbook with important dates and people. This is a fun American history for kids unit for kindergartners, first graders, 2nd graders, 3rd graders, 4th graders, 5th graders, and 6th graders.
Revolutionary War for Kids
Learn about famous Americans during our War of Independence from the British around 1776 with this fun American history for kids lesson. In our revolutionary war lapbook you will learn about important people from both the red coats (lobster tails) and patriots of the militia as well as major events in the timeline from the Boston Massacre to the Declaration of Independence and George Washington leading the 13 colonies to become the United States of America. We have also included revolutionary war project ideas to keep kindergartners and elementary age students in grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6 engaged and make learning fun!
Revolutionary War Lapbook
Each week we will add more dates to our timeline and learn about famous people from the American Revolution. You can do this unit without buying a single textbook (assuming you have a good local library)! Start by scrolling to the bottom of the post, under the terms of use, and click on the text link that says >> Download <<. The American revolution lapbook pdf file will open in a new window for you to save the freebie and print the template.
American Revolution for kids
This homeschool history unit is perfect for the entire family to do together with lots of great book, hands on history projects, and a free printable American Revolution Lapbook. So join us as we relive history in our revolutionary war for kids unit
I found this WONDERFUL resource! It is a cartoon series called Liberty Kids. It goes through the Revolutionary war in about 40 episodes. It includes famous people, major battles, perspective from both sides, is fun to watch (I enjoyed it to!) and does this all in a tasteful, accurate way. LOVE it! We used this entire series. Our local library had it so we were able to check it out. If yours does not, it is totally worth the $12 to own your own copy!!
This week we watched episode 1-5 of video series (1 a day for week).
Revolutionary War Timeline
As we studied the American revolution for kids we learned about the following events and added them to our timeline project (see the bottom of post for freebie).
- TAXES on molasses, tea, paper goods (Stamp Act)
- Boston Massacre – Goofy found a red shirt to represent the British and we acted out the Boston Massacre.
- Boston Tea Party (we had a tea party with pound cake) – December 16, 1773
- English close Boston Port until Colonists pay back the cost of the tea – the colonists called this the Intolerable Acts
- Printing Press & Benjamin Franklin’s newspaper The Pennsylvanian Gazette
Revolutionary War Project Ideas
To help understand the printing press and how long it took to set-up to print the newspaper I came up with this project. We picked a simple thing to print “British are coming!” as I knew we’d run out of letters.
We laid them out backwards. Then Goof used a piece of paper and and book to push down to make his press print. Putting all the type in for the newspaper would have been a LOT of work!
Colonial Costume – in The Liberty Tree it explained that men usually braided or pulled back their hair and then put flour on it. It also shows the time period tricorn hats. So we made our own from felt (that we braided) and black construction paper.
Revolutionary War Books for Kids
The Liberty Tree does a wonderful job explaining history from both sides. It introduces major characters, explains events leading up to the Revolutionary War beginning with the French-Indian War, and has nice illustrations. Although this is all you will need you might also want to check out Graffic Library’s The Boston Massacre or the Time Traveling Twins’ Joining the Boston Tea Party
Famous People of the Revolutionary War for Kids
We studied the following Famous People from the Revolutionary War and added them to our lapbook.
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, was a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution. His 1768 circular letter calling for colonial cooperation prompted the occupation of Boston by British soldiers, eventually resulting in the Boston Massacre of 1770. In 1776 he helped draft the Articles of Confederation.
Benjamin Franklin
Franklin was a leading author (Poor Richard’s Almanack), printer (The Pennsylvania Gazette), Pennsylvanian politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, diplomat, and American founding father. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, a carriage odometer, and the glass ‘armonica’. He formed the first public library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania.
King George III
King George III’s reign was marked by a series of military conflicts involving his kingdoms, much of the rest of Europe, and places farther afield in Africa, the Americas and Asia. George III is often accused of obstinately trying to keep Great Britain at war with the revolutionaries in America, despite the opinions of his own ministers.
Patrick Henry
Henry was an attorney and politician during the movement for independence in Virginia in the 1770s. He is remembered as governor of Virginia (twice), saying “Give me liberty or give me death” and “I am not a Virginian, but an American”, opposing the Constitution as it would take away from state’s rights, and as a proponent of Bill or Rights.
See the rest of the lessons in this Revolutionary War for Kids unit:
History Lessons for Kids
Check out one of or MANY engaging, Free history lessons for kids
- Explore American History for kids including lots of fun, hands on activities and free printables
- Dive into Mesopotamia History to learn about Gilgamesh
- 4 week lesson about Early Explorers for Kids
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- Make a teepee, dig for arrowheads, color our printable books and more in this Native Americans for Kids lessons
- The Colonial America for Kids lesson takes kids on a journey back to the first permanent settlement in America – Jamestown. Students will learn about colonial life with lots of hands on projects like eating Gruel, making a Wattle & Daub house, and creating a tin lantern will make the settlement come alive.
- We will make westward expansion for kids come alive for kids as they learn facts about the time period from about 1783-1898. In addition to learning about the Oregon trail, pony express, gold rush, transcontinental railroad, students will also learn to match animal trails, map the united states, and learn about North American animals too.
- Civil War for Kids – students will learn about slavery, famous Americans from the Civil War, famous battles, and how our nation stayed together. Lesson includes printable worksheets, mapping activities, printable civil war board game and more!
Looking for more resources and free worksheets to teach students about geography for kids? You will love these coloring sheets, printable maps, books, activities and games:
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- You can find all our country coloring pages coloring pages or jump right to Spain Coloring Pages, China Coloring Pages, Italy Coloring Pages, Chile Coloring Pages, and Costa Rica Coloring Pages
- Children around the World Worksheets
- Country Coloring Book – explore 36 countries with country coloring pages
American revolution lapbook
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