The Revolutionary Period
11th Grade U.S. History
Tim Coudret
Table of Contents
The American Heritage
 People in Societies
 World Interactions
 Decision-making and Resources

Slides 3-6
Slides 7-9
Slides 10-13
Slides 14-16
Democratic Processes
Slides 17-19
Citizenship, Rights and Responsibilities
Slides 20-22
American Heritage
Activities
 1)
Discuss why the Articles of Confederation was
replaced by the Constitution
 2) Divide the students into two groups. One side
will be the Federalists, the other Anti-federalists.
Each side will outline their positions on the
Constitution and the two sides will have a debate
over the Constitution.
Activities continued
 3)
Have students discuss why Americans have
traditionally distrusted an overbearing
government. Does that characteristic still exist in
Americans?
 4) Divide the class into two groups. One group
will identify and justify the major colonial policies
of the British between 1767 and 1774. The other
group will offer the colonist’s response to these
policies.
Activities continued
 5)
Have the class address this question, “ Has the
United States lived up to the ideals of the
Declaration of Independence? Why or why not?
The students will present their response to the class
American Heritage
Websites

1) Thomas Paine, Common Sense 1776
http://udor.let.rog.n1/~usa/D/1776-1800/paine/cm
2) A Loyalist Answers Thomas Paine
http://earlyamerica.com/review/fall96/loyalist.html
3) Virtual Tour of Plimoth (Plymouth) Plantation
http://pilgrims.net/plimothplantation/vtour/
4) Jamestown
www.williamsburg.com/james/james.html
5) Timeline: America During the Age of Revolution
http://memory.loc.gov/ammen/bdsds/timeline.html
People in Societies
Activities
 1)
Discuss with the class the different ways of life
of the merchants, farmers, slaves, women and
children during the Revolutionary Period.
 2)Have the students write a journal entry as if they
were a colonial slave or woman and discuss the
contradictions between the ideals of the
Declaration of Independence and their actual lives.
People in Societies
3)Ask students to investigate the role of African
Americans in the Revolutionary War.
 4)Have students take on the role of Loyalists. What were
their concerns? Did they feel safe? How were they
viewed and treated?
 5)Discuss Native Americans with class. Have students
prepare speeches as if they were a Native American chief
discussing the Europeans. Which side will they support?
Why?

People in Societies
Websites
1)
Amazing Women in War and Peace
www.captbarb@aug.com
2)
3)
4)
5)
African American Freedom Fighters
www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/aaffsfl.html
Loyalist Propaganda
http://users.erols.com/candidos.propda
Litchfield During the American Revolution
www.litchfieldhistorical society.org/history/duringrev.html
Native Americans in the American Revolution: Oconostota
www.iath.virginia.edu/seminar/unit1/ocon.html
World Interactions
Activities
 1)
Discuss with students the effect that the
American Revolution had on the rest of the world.
 2) Have students explore the French Revolution.
Students should make a table and contrast and
compare the two nation’s revolutions.
World Interactions
 3)
Students will address this three pronged
question, “How did the colonial slave trade effect
Africa economically, sociologically and
psychologically?
 4)Students will get into groups of three or four and
discuss and list the ways that the slave trade has
affected our culture today.
World Interactions
 5)
Divide students into three groups. One group
will be Spain, the other two will be France or the
Netherlands. Each group will ascertain why these
countries were willing to help the U.S. win the
independence. The three groups will share their
findings with the entire class.
World Interactions
Websites
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
British Newspaper Coverage of the French Revolution
www.english.ucsb.edu/faculty/ayilia/research/around-1800/
A Tale of Two Revolutions
www.self-gov.org/freeman/8908pete.html
The Franco-American Alliance
http://odur.let.rog.nl/~usa/H/1994/ch3_p11.html
Spain’s Support was Vital
www.neta.com/%7E1stbooks/vital2.htm
French Alliance Brings Joy to Valley Forge
www.ushistory.org/valleyforge/history/alliance-washington.html
Decision Making and Resources
Activities
 1)Have
students discuss the geographic factors that
led to the development of two very different
economies in the original colonies.
 2)Have students identify various natural resources
that existed in the original 13 colonies and list the
likely industries that would exist there.
Decision Making and Resources
3) Students will write a letter from the point of view of a
loyalist and a patriot stating the reasons for choosing to
fight or stay loyal.
 4) Students will be divided into two groups. One will list
the factors that led to manufacturing appearing
predominantly in the North and agriculture in the South.
 5)Have students identify on a map the geographic feature
that is a common denominator for the location of almost
all cities.

Decision Making and Resources
Websites
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Map: British Colonies in North America, 1763-75
www.lib.utexas.edu/maps
Maryland Loyalism and the American Revolution
http://users.erols.com/candidos/index.htm
Southern Colonial America During the Revolutionary War
if.com/public_html/The_Great_Republic_ By_The_Master_Historians_Vol_11
U.S. Territorial Maps, 1775
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MAP/TERRITORY/1775map.html
How Did Geography Affect Social, Political and Economical Differences
Between the Colonies
www.apreview.com/ushistory/students/articles/jfsl-geography.asp
Democratic Processes
 Activities
1) Students will research voter turnout and discuss how
they think voter turnout affects election results.
 2) Students will investigate what percentage of Americans
actually determine the face of our government after
eliminating those that are under the age of 18, felons,
people who are not registered and those that do not choose
to vote etc…

Democratic Processes
3) Students will be split into two groups. One group will
defend the Electoral College, the other will oppose it. As
a group they will propose alternate solutions.
 4) The students will compare and contrast how British
government differed with the Constitutional government
of the U.S.
 5) One class period will be spent operating like a direct
democracy. The next class will be spent operating like a
representative democracy. Which is better? Why do we
have a representative democracy?

Democratic Processes
Websites
1) What is Your Electoral College I.Q.?
http://www.RichardWarrenField.com/elct-tst.html
2) In Defense of the Electoral College
http://www.cato.org/dailys/11-10-00html
3) Electoral College Reform Options
http://gning.net/electoral.html
4)The Electoral College Inhibits Democracy
http://www.electionreform.org/ERMain/editorials/ec.html
5) How the Electoral College Works and Why it Works Well
http://www.cato.org/dailys/11-13-00.html
Citizenship, Rights and
Responsibilities

Activities
1) Have students list 1 or 2 issues that interest them.
Group students with similar topics together. Students will
research their topic and present their findings to the class
2) Class will divide into four groups. Each group will
cover a different 1st amendment right. The groups will
highlight the the various rights and limitations of each.
Citizenship, Rights and
Responsibilities
3) Have class divide into two groups. Group one will argue
that voter registration is a necessary requirement for
voting. Group two will argue the latter. Have five
students serve as a jury.
4) Students will design a voting ballot that is easier to
understand. They may test it out with other students
5) Students will contemplate the sacrifice that U.S. veterans
have made for our freedoms. Students will be required to
either; 1. Interview a veteran or 2. Write a report about
one of our national monuments to veterans.
Citizenship,Rights and Responsibilities
Websites
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Center for Voting and Democracy
www.fairvote.org/
Register to Vote
https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/nvral
Ben’s Guide to U.S. Government
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/9-12/citizenship/index.html
The Wall
http://grunts.space.swri.edu/thewall.htm
The Power of a Name
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/pwrname.htm