The Library of Congress holds a delightful book (copyrighted in 1875, published in 1883) titled Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill. The text is a poem written by Oliver Wendell Holmes, and it is accompanied by H.W. McVikar's beautiful illustrations. Teachers of elementary school students (and possibly middle school) can project the book directly from the Library's website or download a PDF version of the book and project that version to a class, while reading the text aloud. For those pages that appear out of focus, here's the complete text from Wikisource.

Page Nine, Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill

For an easy-to-understand introduction to Bunker Hill, the 1775 battle in which New England soldiers faced the British army in a pitched battle for the first time during the American Revolution, here is a 10-minute animated video from Simple History. I think it would serve as an excellent lead-in to build context before students hear and view Grandmother's Story of Bunker Hill.

https://youtu.be/9UqJzKX03-0 

I know there are thousands more primary sources in the Library of Congress for the American Revolution, such as this set from the U.S. History Primary Source Timeline for the American Revolution 1763-1783, but sometimes we just need a real simple introduction for our students, especially our younger students. 

Oddly, as I watched the video, I kept thinking of the comparisons between the battle of Bunker Hill and the Ukrainian army during the first days of their war against the Russians in 2022. I wonder what poems and picture books will come out of the current armed conflict. History repeats itself. 

  3 - 5    6 - 8    Social Studies/History    Bunker Hill    teaching strategies     

Hello   John Suter  and the American Revolution group!

Are you or your students watching PBS Benjamin Franklin A Film by Ken Burns? And if so I’m curious as to how might you use the film in class?

Since the film is four hours and broken into two episodes I’m thinking those focusing on Franklin during the Revolution might use  Episode 2  “An American” The film also has a Spanish version.  

PBS has classroom lessons here: https://ca.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/kenburnsclassroom/film/benjamin-franklin/

And of course there is a wealth of primary sources in the film, many from the Library of Congress including: 

• Exhibition Benjamin Franklin In His Own Words 
• Collection Benjamin Franklin Papers 

https://www.loc.gov/item/2018697119/

The PBS description of the film:

“Ken Burns's two-part, four-hour documentary, Benjamin Franklin, explores the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century's most consequential and compelling personalities, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States. Franklin's 84 years (1706-1790) spanned an epoch of momentous change in science, technology, literature, politics, and government — fields he himself advanced through a lifelong commitment to societal and self-improvement.”

I'd be interested to hear how you might use the film integrated with the Library of Congress primary sources to teach about the American Revolution.

  Benjamin Franklin    American Revolution    Ken Burns  

Did you know there's a really good American Revolution unit from the TPS Consortium grant project, Journalism in Action (PBS NewsHour Extra)? 

https://www.journalisminaction.org/case/early-america  

"The press played a critical role in covering the War of Independence and the early years of the republic. In this case study, you’ll interact with a variety of news media that demonstrates how newspaper editors and pamphleteers used a wide range of techniques to inform and direct public opinion for or against the British. You’ll also see how the press’s partisanship affected their reporting on challenges facing the new nation."

https://www.loc.gov/item/2016816335/ 

I also recommend that you watch this short, but sweet, video in which a student intern explains why the final Create Your Own Story activity is "really cool!"

https://twitter.com/NewsHourExtra/status/1424886615848235013?s=20 

  6 - 8    9 - 12    Social Studies/History    American Revolution    Journalism in Action    Victoria Pasquantonio  

This year, I discovered the EduHam lesson plans and research plans.  My 7th graders are very excited about their project on Esther Reed, after reviewing the videos provided, my three Lancaster County PA girls   6 - 8    9 - 12    Art/Music    English/Language Arts    Social Studies/History    Technology   and are currently writing a Sea Shanty (very popular on TikTok this year), on Esther's life and battle with George Washington.  The idea of hyperlinking every line in the written work to a primary source from the LoC has been an interesting challenge that has motivated my students to find accurate and relevant content.  I'm hoping that this will not be the only year for the competition, but the activity could easily work for any curriculum.

 https://hamilton.gilderlehrman.org/

On this day in 1754, Benjamin Franklin published one of the most famous cartoons in history: the "Join, or Die" woodcut. Franklin’s art carried significant importance at the time and is considered an early masterpiece of political messaging.

"Join, or Die" may be one of the most heavily used images in units covering the American Revolution, but it was published long before that and used long after. Here are two resources that provide interesting background notes on the history and uses of the image:

Today in History - May 9 (Library of Congress)

The story behind the Join or Die snake cartoon (Constitution Daily)

https://www.loc.gov/item/2002695523/

3 - 5 6 - 8 9 - 12 Art/Music Social Studies/History Benjamin Franklin political cartoons

Here are some resources to teach students about some of the events that led to the Revolutionary War.

Fun document for students to read and think about.

Name:________________________ Section:_______

The Proclamation of 1763 - George Washington

Letter to Crawford -surveyor

“. . . I can never look upon the Proclamation in any other light (but this I say between ourselves) than as a temporary expedient to quiet the minds of the Indians. It must fall, of course, in a few years, especially when those Indians consent to our occupying those lands. Any person who neglects hunting out good lands, and in some measure marking and distinguishing them for his own, in order to keep others from settling them will never regain it. If you will be at the trouble of seeking out the lands, I will take upon me the part of securing them, as soon as there is a possibility of doing it and will,moreover, be at all the cost and charges surveying and patenting the same . . . . By this time it be easy for you to discover that my plan is to secure a good deal of land. You will consequently come in for a handsome quantity.”

"to keep the whole matter a secret, rather than give the alarm to others or allow himself to be censured for the opinion I have given in respect to the King's Proclamation."

"All of this can be carried on by silent management and can be carried out by you under the guise of hunting game, which you may, I presume, effectually do, at the same time you are in pursuit of land. When this is fully discovered advise me of it, and if there appears a possibility of succeeding, I will have the land surveyed to keep others off and leave the rest to time and my own assiduity."

Less than two weeks after he had received it, Crawford informed Washington about several tracts in the vicinity of Fort Pitt.

The next year, Crawford began to survey the tracts he and Washington had identified. Out of a total of 64,071 acres apportioned on the map, 19,383, or approximately 30 percent, were patented in Washington's name.

#1  What questions do you have for George Washington?  What is Washington asking Crawford to do or perform?  Is this a step toward Rebellion?

#2 On the back of this sheet create a Cartoon or image of George Washington and his involvement in English history so far, also include an insert of the future.

Google document

Social Studies/History

6 - 8

9 - 12

The latest additions to Chronicling America fill in a gap in a time period regularly taught in K-12. If you teach anything about the Revolutionary War period, you'll want to read about the newly available digital content from 18th century newspapers from the three early capitals of the United States - New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC:

http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2016/08/headlines-from-americas-earliest-days/

@TeachingLC, always on top of all things helpful to teachers, already tweeted out newspaper coverage of George Washington's inauguration today. 

I think the Wood text provides a good summary of the causes and contributing events leading up to the Revolution. I also think it includes some complex text that will be useful for close reading with students. I immediately noticed one particular quotation that I plan to use with my third graders:

"Nowhere were events more spectacular than in Massachusetts. There the situation was so inflammatory that every moved triggered a string of explosions that widened the chasm between the colonists and royal authority." 

The text as a whole and this particular quotation are a good introduction to how the American Revolution became an inevitability. 

How would you use this text in your planning and teaching? 

How would you use the reading in class? Would it be for some of the primary sources mentioned? Has anyone noticed some possibilities to create some geography lessons? What other ideas do people have?