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.
2.
3.
4.
be constructed chronologically
contain all important dates and the name of the event
contain a brief description of the event
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
Quartering Act
Quebec Act
Massachusetts
Government Act
Administration
of Justice Act
Boston Port Act
Summary of Act
British
Justification
American
Reaction
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.
 Political Causes
 Social Causes
 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.