american revolution research project middle school

American Revolution research project!

American revolution project grading rubric.

American Revolution Research Project + Activities Middle School Social Studies

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No prep, no materials needed research project and activity digital resource with added ready-to-print option is perfect for upper elementary through middle school! Including a 5-day, standards-aligned lesson plan with differentiation, scaffolding, answer key, and two rubrics (traditional grading and standards-based grading), it is a comprehensive unit that seamlessly integrates all phases of the American Revolution in both Social Studies and ELA . With a super engaging research project and small group performances, as well as creative ways to check for understanding and reflection, every level of learner will gain from the experience. This resource includes digital and print formats and ensures your students will love learning as they bring history to life and demonstrate their understanding through creative, hands-on practice.

When I created this resource, I realized I had a large group of students with wildly varying levels of prior knowledge who all needed to learn more and show what they knew. This comprehensive unit ensures every student gets there—confidently and creatively.

Why You’ll Love This Resource:

• Standards-Aligned: Meets ELA and Social Studies standards for grades 5-8.
• No Prep Required: Just print (or upload) and go—everything you need is included.
• Engaging and Interactive: Students will research, create, and perform, making history come alive.
• Differentiated Instruction: Includes scaffolding and options for all learners, from advanced to those needing more support.
• Comprehensive Coverage: Addresses key moments and outcomes of the American Revolution, from causes to consequences.

Standards Alignment:

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3 - RI.8.3: Explain the relationships between individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical text.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 - SL.8.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7 - W.8.7: Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4 - SL.8.4: Report on a topic or text, present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and descriptive details.

This resource takes the guesswork out of planning and ensures that every student, regardless of prior knowledge, can engage with and master the material. From captivating group performances to meaningful reflections, this unit covers it all, helping teachers meet diverse needs with ease.

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20 Informative Activities Based On The American Revolution

March 14, 2023 //  by  Christina Cunningham

The American Revolution is an interesting and complicated part of American history. Teachers can make this topic accessible to students by developing engaging activities that bring important events and historical figures to life! Children can explore the life experiences of colonists through the arts or use primary source documents to learn important facts about events like the Boston Tea Party or Paul Revere’s ride. Pick a few of the activities from this list to make your social studies class truly revolutionary! 

1. Word Search

This simple word search is an excellent, low-prep option for a center activity! Students will review topical vocabulary and identify important figures from the Revolutionary War as they hunt for them in the puzzle. Have students race for some friendly competition too!

Learn More:  Monster Word Search

2. Class Vote

Teach students about exercising their right to vote, sharing opinions, and having friendly debates with this interactive activity where they must pick a side! Students should be prepared to justify their support of the Patriots or Loyalists with a few facts or figures from the time of the American Revolution.

Learn More: Pinterest

3. Escape Room

Bring the mystery and collaboration of an escape room to your social studies class with this printable activity. Students will solve clues and codes all relating to the causes of the war. As they play, they will learn about events like the Boston Massacre, Stamp Act, etc.

Learn More: Think Tank Teacher

4. The Spies’ Clothesline

This incredible STEM challenge integrates writing, problem-solving, and social studies as students develop a secret message-sharing clothesline like those used by spies during the Revolution. Children will put themselves into the shoes of colonists as they use trial and error to create these functional models!

Learn More: Thrive in Grade Five

5. Ducksters Research

Ducksters are a treasure trove of information for students when researching important historical events. It covers everything from the major events before the war, to key battles, to specific information on what life was like during that time. Students can even test their knowledge with a quiz after they read!

Learn More: Ducksters

6. News Columnists

Inspire budding journalists in your midst by having students write the “front page news” from the perspective of those living during the Revolutionary War. Possible topics include “interviews” with key figures, casualty reports, depictions from period artists, or whatever concepts showcase American life in this era.

Learn More: Scholastic Runway

7. Spy Quotes

This activity requires a small purchase, but it’s worth it to bring a bit of spy-related fun to your history lessons! Instead of a typical quiz, have students record who they think spoke famous quotes in invisible ink (you can use erasable highlighters or purchase these pens on Amazon!).

Learn More: Board Games for Learning

8. Interactive Notebook Foldable

A key topic to cover during any study of the American Revolution is why exactly it happened. In this foldable, students will record what they know about four major events, including the French and Indian War, taxation, the Boston Massacre, and the Intolerable Acts in this interactive notebook Freebie! 

Learn More: Homeschool Giveaways and Freebies

9. George vs. George

Students will learn to consider others’ points of view as they complete this classroom activity. After reading the book George Vs. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides, students can use this freebie to compare and contrast both leaders and what their motivations were for the American Revolution!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

10. PBS Liberty

The Liberty Series from PBS details the course of the American Revolution for viewers through dramatic reenactments. PBS has a whole teacher site devoted to utilizing the entire series in the classroom, with lesson plans, quizzes, and arts integration extensions where children can learn about the music of the Revolutionary War!

Learn More: Amazon

11. The Candy Tax

This role-playing activity will help your students bring history to life. To explore the concept of taxation without representation, a “king” and “tax collectors” will require “colonists” to give up pieces of candy according to intolerable new tax laws. It’s a perfect way to generate perspective-taking about historic events!

Learn More: Kristine Nannini

12. Cut and Paste Timeline

Having children assemble a timeline of events will help them to better understand the connections between key occurrences and have a deeper understanding of how those experiencing them might have felt! Have them complete this as a standalone activity or add new pieces as you cover more!

Learn More: The Clever Teacher

13. Adopt a Character

Help students understand the experience of the Revolutionary War through this role-playing activity. Assign each student an identity as a Patriot, Loyalist, or Neutralist, and let them keep the role as you share opinions, hold debates, and experience things like “taxation.”

14. The Women of the Revolution

From graphic novels to biographies, there are some amazing resources out there to help students learn about the incredible women who contributed to the American Revolution. Students can read about important figures like First Lady Martha Washington, brave spy Phoebe Fraunces, and Paul Revere’s news-spreading contender Sybil Ludington.

Learn More: Table Life Blog

15. American Revolution Flipbook

These pre-made flipbooks are an excellent resource for learning about the importance of six major elements of the American Revolution. Assign one topic a day to read about, and have children respond in the flipbook with facts, impressions, and sketches about what they’ve learned.

Learn More: Simple Living, Creative Learning

16. Political Cartoons

Drawing political cartoons is an excellent way to integrate the arts into social studies in place of traditional writing activities. You can assign children a particular stamp act to doodle about, a figure to share an opinion on, or give them free rein!

Learn More: Fancy in Fifth Grade

17. Mini Books

Pre-made, printable mini-books are a great resource to help students develop topical vocabulary, learn about important people from the time, and review what they have learned! Students can trace the titles of each page and color the illustrations while they learn important facts about the Revolutionary War.

Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me

18. Silhouettes

To engage artsy students, teach them how to make silhouettes of important figures like George and Martha Washington, Alexander Hamilton, etc. Use these to accompany your biographical writing pieces or as part of a presentation!

Learn More: Education Possible

19. Revolutionary Artifacts

Spark curiosity about this era with this fun teapot-painting kit. Children will get to learn about the hand-making processes of real historical artifacts from the American Revolution. This unique activity will teach students about popular art forms and the detail that went into each and every piece!

20. 13 Colonies Geography

Children need adequate background knowledge of what exactly our country looked like in this time period before things like battles and important events make sense! To do this, you can have your students make puzzles to practice the geography of the original American colonies! Simply print two copies of a map, then cut one apart to make the pieces!

Learn More: Hip Homeschool Moms

Project ideas for exploring the American Revolution

Use these examples, and the corresponding lessons, templates and tweets to inspire project work for the American Revolution in your classroom.

Creative use of technology can engage students! These samples were created by students and classrooms using Wixie.

Trading Cards

As students research famous, and not so famous, figures in the American Revolution, have them summarize their findings in the form of a trading card.

Historical Newsletter

To help students better understand the perspectives of those experiencing the revolution, have them develop newsletters that recall and retell historic events.

Wanted Posters

Students create Wanted posters for people considered "outlaws" by either the British or Patriots.

Journey Journals

Students connect with the past as they write a first-person account of events in history.

Graphic Organizers

Students use graphic organizers like clusters, timelines, venn diagrams and more to organize their research and thinking.

Loyalist vs. Patriot Debate

Students can create digital debates between patriots and loyalist to demonstrate their understanding of the views held by each side and the reasons behind them.

Keep a Diary

Get students to take on the role of someone living during the American Revolution and empathize with their experience. Ask them to share their perspective through a diary or scrapbook that shares their feelings and perspective on the events of the time.

Give Students Choice

Use this choice board to put students in charge of how they will demonstrate their learning.

Using Wixie in Middle School Social Studies

Project ideas, templates, and lessons to support student's as they explore their world and share their learning.

Explore the guide!

First draft of a Jamestown timeline - our 4th grade Ss are using #Wixie to demonstrate their understanding of VA studies @Tech4Learning @TreadwellMrs @ColesRoadrunner @PWCS_HSS pic.twitter.com/RU8OPupqAy — Mrs. Martin (@ITCColes) October 28, 2021

Students are using Wixie to make book covers in order to identify key events in the American Revolution! @aacpsoit @SocStudiesAACPS @PtPleasantAACPS pic.twitter.com/n4Ppelm8Jp — Ms. Pendergast (@MPendergastPPES) March 13, 2019

Notable People

As we finish learning about the Revolutionary War, students @SunsetAACPS inquired further about other notable people who contributed to the war. They shared what they learned through a self selected project on #wixie @aacpsoit pic.twitter.com/5OQSI2UJr2 — Allison Fleck (@MrsAFleck) February 7, 2019

Students are using Wixie to bring their words, their voice, and their art to the curriculum.

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Hands-On Activities for Studying the American Revolution

Published: May 13, 2020

Contributor: Jeannette Tuionetoa

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

The American Revolution was the defining period of American colonies’ breaking away from Great Britain’s rule. These hands-on activities for studying the American Revolution will help your kids learn about it.

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Can you imagine how these times were? Groups were sent from the Queen to gain power over other European nations, yet the people rebel against you.

On the other hand, most colonists wanted freedom, prosperity, and independence. This was a pivotal time in world history. Most of us in America are here because of this very revolution.

What started the American Revolution?

Once the groups arrived in the Americas, the relationship between the American colonies and Great Britain became strained by taxes imposed on them. The rebellion began with peaceful protests. Colonists longed for independence and resented the taxes from the British rule.

Here are a few specific events and situations that led up to the revolution:

The Stamp Act of 1765, taxed colonies to raise revenue for Great Britain.

A group of people (a secret society) called the Sons of Liberty set out to protect the rights of the American colonists.

Protests resulted in the Boston Massacre in 1770. Four colonists were shot by British troops while protesting.

The Boston Tea Party in 1773, was a famous colony protest against taxes as they dumped 90,000 pounds worth of tea off of British ships in the Boston Harbor.

In 1776, the United States signed the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain (442 days after the war had already begun).

The war actually began in April 19, 1775. It’s first shot fired is still know today as the ‘’shot heard around the world”.

From here, the war broke out. We all know how the war ends. Eight years later, 1783, the American colonies gain their independence. We understand this and we celebrate the 4 th of July because of it every year.

However, there may be a few things we don’t know about the American Revolution and what led to our independence that kids may find quite interesting. 

Here are a few things about the American Revolution that you may want to share with your kids. It will shed some light on what happened during the period, besides battles and bloodshed.

Not all the colonists wanted to rebel against Great Britain or even want to go to war. Some didn’t want to take sides at all, called “fence-sitters” and then those who were loyal to Britain and were named the “loyalists.”

Likewise, not all British supported the war against the Americans. They were called the “Whig” faction.

The British were called the “Red coats” or “devils.” (The latter being little harsh, in my opinion.)

The American Commander in Chief during this time was George Washington.

The African-American slaves served on both sides of the war, up to 25,000 of them. George Washington raised up a small number of African-American-only units that were war heroes. In opposition, the British offered freedom to slaves who escaped their masters and serve don’t heir side as loyalists.

In the midst of the craziness of the war, many slaves were able to escape slavery altogether.

Although about 25, 000 American soldiers/patriots died during the American Revolutionary War, most didn’t die from actual battle but from unsanitary prisoner of warships.

1/3 of the British troops were German. France and Spain (Spain although “secretly”) joined the Americans in support of their fight for freedom against Great Britain.

These resources and tools will help you to teach the American Revolution:

FREE Battles of the American Revolution Copywork

American Revolution Unit Study and Lapbook 1775 – 1783 | Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

FREE American Revolutionary War Pack | 3 Dinosaurs

American Revolution FREE Handouts | Student Handouts

Worksheets and Answer Key – American Revolution (FREE) | Easy Teacher Worksheets

American Revolution FREE Worksheets & Facts | kidskonnect

FREE Facts and Printables About the American Revolution | Thought.co

FREE American Revolution Guided Drawing

Road to the American Revolution | Janae Van Orman – The Sharpened Pencil

Causes of the American Revolution & Revolutionary War Battles–DISTANCE LEARNING | Splash! Publications

American Revolution – Revolutionary War Causes – Revolutionary War |  Shelly Rees

100 Ways To Study The American Revolution In Your Homeschool | Table Life Blog

American Revolution Word Wall Terms | Social Studies Success

Study American Revolution Unit | Our Journey Westward

War is Brewing Revolutionary War Unit | 123 Homeschool 4 Me

American Revolution Printables (These will fill up your whole unit! From Bingo games, writing prompts to art history) | Write Bonnie Rose

There is no better way to learn history than with activities to keep kids engaged. Although they need t know it, history can get quite dull to some kids.

With hands-on activities, kids will be motivated to learn more and more about this very important period in America’s history.

Grab these hands-on activities for studying the American Revolution in your homeschool:

STEM Engineering Challenge American Revolution | Gretchen Hilley

American Revolution Activities – The Revolutionary War | The Fun Factory

Board Game Project Activity Fun – American Revolution | Instructomania with Mr and Mrs P

American Revolution Activity: George Washington, US Constitution | Science Spot

Escape From King George! American Revolution Escape Room | Happy Teacher Resources

AMERICAN REVOLUTION ACTIVITY: Founding Fathers—80 Mix-&-Match Templates | GravoisFare

Hands-On Fun at The American Revolution Museum at Yorktown | Mom’s Magical Miles

American Revolution Games: Battle Blitz and Liberty at Last, Plus Timeline! | Brain Power Boy

Fun Hands-on Activities for Teaching the Revolutionary War | Classroom

American Revolution: Minutemen Activity | His Mercy is New

Recipes from Revolutionary War for Children: Honey-Jumble Cookies | The Natural Homeschool

American Revolution Hands-On Activities for Middle School | Education Possible

In 1776 and American Revolution Sensory Bin | 3 Dinosaur

Role Playing with the American Revolution (FREEBIES Included) | Young Teacher Love

7 American Revolution Activities | Vestal’s 21 st Century Classroom

These videos really help kids get an idea of the American Revolution’s big picture:

American Revolution for Kids – Facts on the Revolutionary War | Hey! Guess What

The American Revolution – OverSimplified (Part 1) | OverSimplified

5 Revolutionary War Videos for Kids | The Clever Teacher

Tea, Taxes, and The American Revolution: Crash Course World History | Crash Course

Jeannette Tuionetoa

Jeannette is a wife, mother and homeschooling mom. She has been mightily, saved by grace and is grateful for God’s sovereignty throughout her life’s journey. She has a Bachelor in English Education and her MBA. Jeannette is bi-lingual and currently lives in the Tongan Islands of the South Pacific. She posts daily freebies for homeschoolers!

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The American Revolution for Teachers - Free Lesson Plans and Units

These are free lesson plans and units for teachers to use in your unit study of the american revolutionary war. many have activities built into them. these lesson plans can be adjusted for any grade. we hope you'll find some ideas you can use..

Donn , Mr Donn's American Revolution Unit (13 lessons, grade 9)

The American Revolution Unit, designed for grade 4 but can be adjusted for grades 4-8, free download, Core Knowledge

American Revolution, Core Knowledge, free download

Several lesson plans (American Revolution, edcitement)

Liberty! The Teachers Guide, lesson plans

Museum of the American Revolution, mini lesson plans

Teacher Resource Guides - Units for Educators, Museum of the American Revolution

Teaching the American Revolution for 5th grade, lesson plans and activities

Protest Songs

Boston Massacre

Weigh the Evidence, the Boston Massacre

Famous Trials: The Boston Massacre

Boston Massacre - 2 days (84 minutes each)

Committees of Correspondence

How do you get people to join your cause? (lesson plan)

Common Sense, By Thomas Paine

Common Sense , a close reading - biased language, perseusive techniques

Common Sense : The Rhetoric of Popular Democracy (lesson plan)

Continental Congress

Continental Congress lesson plans

Daily Life during the Revolution (lesson plan)

Declaration of Independence and Other Freedom Documents

Declaration of Independence (mrdonn lesson plan)

Declaration of Independence (more lesson plans)

• Articles of Confederation

Constitution of the United States

Take the Quiz, interactive, with answers

Famous Folks

Heroes of the American Revolution (lesson plan)

Minority Heroes (lesson plan)

Lexington & Concord

Fighting the War - Lexington & Concord (lesson plan)

Bunker Hill

Battle of Bunker Hill

Fighting the War, British Strategy - Battle of Saratoga (lesson plan)

War in the South

Fighting the War, British Strategy - War in the South (lesson plan)

Yorktown, the beginning of the end (lesson plan)

Treaty of Paris, 1783

How did the colonists win the war? (short lesson)

Free Classroom Activities and Hands on Projects for Teachers for the American Revolution

Free Interactive Games and Activities for Kids for the American Revolution

Ask Mr. Donn - Take the Quiz, interactive review, with answers

Explore American History

For kids and teachers, creating a new nation.

• Native Americans in Olden Times
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Creating a New Government

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• 13th Amendment ending slavery forever
• Reconstruction, Carpetbaggers & Scalawags
• 14th & 15th Amendments

Growth in the West

The nation grows, world war i, the great war, the roaring 20s, the great depression, world war ii, slavery in america, segregation for kids - civil rights, us holidays.

GAMES! American History Games

QUIZZES - Interactive, with Answers for Student Review

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Free for Classroom Use - American History Powerpoints and Presentations

American History Lesson Plans, Units, Activities, Projects for Teachers

Full American History Index for Kids and Teachers

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Make American Revolution Activities Memorable

Are you ready to make the most out of your American Revolution history lesson?

Whether you are teaching American History in the classroom or through distance education, your students deserve a learning experience that they will never forget.

American Revolution Topics

• Causes of the American Revolutionary War
• Major Events
• War Leaders and Generals
• Unsung Heroes
• Famous Quotes

My Revolution Experience

I’ve taught this lesson in the classroom and recently adapted it for distance education. I’m always searching for ways to bring history to life. Students love independent research assignments. In order to make these activities effective, they must be self-guided.

YES! You FINALLY finished the 13 Colonies unit! Now what?

Revolution – any sudden or grand change

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are all experiencing an Educational Revolution. Distance education ! Google Classrooms ! Microsoft OneNote ! Virtual learning experiences! Cooperative Activities!

It’s ok if you’re not ready to switch to digital lessons because this history lesson is TIMELESS !

Educational Revolution

An educational revolution might seem scary! However, just a few tweaks make it quite simple. When teachers become the facilitator, students are held accountable.

Sounds great in theory, but it doesn’t just happen over night.

When I implemented my first independent research assignment, I was totally disappointed. After spending hours on this project, my students’ work fell far below expectations. I felt like it was a total waste of time.

I was left scratching my head! What went wrong? I planned, prepped, set the stage, and modeled but still set them up for failure.

It was one of those moments when the “perfect” lesson plan resulted in a flop.

SOLUTION : They needed a more detailed self-guided assignment.

American Revolution Research Assignment

This is one of my favorite units of the year, and former students agree!

Memorable…check! Fun…check!

If you are history teacher and haven’t used this website yet, meet your new best friend – Duckster.com . It is perfect for researching- Events Leading Up to American Revolutionary War, Battles, Major Events, War Leaders, Unsung Heroes, and Famous Quotes .

First, students explore each topic. Then, they choose a subject for research. For example, Revolutionary War Battle is a topic. Battle of Yorktown is a subject of this topic. All of these subjects and topics are indexed on Duckster.com .

1.) Self-Guided Checklist

To keep students on track, I created a research checklist. Simple steps are formatted into a checklist. The checklist includes tasks, research skills, and topics of research.

2.) Research Guide

Graphic organizers with guiding questions.

Guiding questions make it easier to locate the most important information .

Therefore, I created graphic organizers with guiding questions for each topic. The guiding questions are a set of questions based on the essential information. As a result, research is easier!

Graphic organizers are easy to create in both digital and printable versions.

• Include two columns- one for questions and one for student answers.
• The number of rows depends on the amount of guiding questions. See above image.
• Next, type guiding questions in the left column. Leave the right column blank for student answers. Each row will have questions on the left and a blank space on the right.
• Last, combine all graphic organizers. Make a paper packet or assign online.

3.) Research Projects

This is where the learning really takes place. Applying knowledge is the most challenging part of research, but, SHHHHH, don’t tell my students. The fun outweighs the challenge!

Disclaimer : TEACHERS NEED TO CHECK STUDENTS’ RESEARCH FACTS BEFORE ASSIGNING A PROJECT!

I know! I know! You are so ready to move on to the FUN stuff. However, if students are lacking important facts, their projects reflect this.

REMEMBER THE FLOP STORY MENTIONED EARLY? Some of your students might need a little more guidance.

When students have collected enough information, YOU ARE READY FOR THESE ENGAGING PROJECTS!

American Revolution Newspaper  

Students become newspaper reporters.

I created a 2-page newspaper template that has a space for each topic. Research facts are showcased in news articles, summaries, images, captions, and famous quotes.

Since there are many different ways to implement this activity, choose the one that fits your style.

• Printable, hand-written articles, hand-drawn or pasted images
• Google Drive
• PowerPoint Editable
• Assign partners to work in live Word document. Both students can type at the same time. TEAM WORK IS DREAM WORK!

Revolutionary American Idol

Student tune up their research in a song and compete to become the next Revolutionary American Idol.

• Change the lyrics of a song to American Revolution facts. It’s like a parody without the comical effect.
• Assign as a group or individual project.
• Students either perform in front of the class or submit videos on a platform such as Flipgrid .
• The class votes for the best song.
• The winner becomes the next  Revolutionary American Idol.

This versatile project fits with so many history units. My students totally rocked out Native American Idol performance (image below)! I invited my principal to watch the class performances, and she begged our winners to perform on stage for the whole school.

Native American Idol winners from both classes performed in front of the whole school.

Click HERE to view the complete Native American Idol resource.

As you can see, students love turning historical facts into a song.

You must watch this YouTube video of a class that changed the lyrics of “Viva la Vida” to “Viva la 13 Colonies.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpmnKt2PWeg The kid playing the drums is my favorite part!

I know what you are thinking, “This activity sounds great, but …”

Think NO FURTHER because I have everything you need packaged and bundled for you. Just imagine untying a big, pretty virtual bow when you click HERE .

Don’t teach American history! Start an educational revolution that will never be forgotten.

American Revolution Hands-On Activities for Middle School

These two American Revolution hands-on activities are the perfect way to break up a boring history lesson.

I am a huge advocate of incorporating American history activities into your homeschool. When kids complete interactive tasks while studying history, the subject becomes real and tangible to them. Plus, they’re a lot of fun.

So whenever you can, let your older kids ditch the history textbook and work on a project instead.

This post contains affiliate links.

Table of Contents

American Revolution Hands-on Activities

Right now we are studying the American Revolution, so I went hunting for some projects that my oldest, Abigail would find interesting. I settled on two (drawing a historical silhouette and creating a story) and added them to our lesson plans.

Creating a Historical Story

Have your kids put themselves into the time period by writing what is called,  My Side of the Story .  After doing some research on both sides of the revolution, they should decide which one they would support and why. It’s a fun way to tie some creative writing into your history studies.

Abigail loves reading historical fiction, so she jumped at the chance to create her own story.

After she had a good handle on the different views people held during the American Revolution, I had her to pretend she was living in the 1700s and think about whether she would be a loyalist or a patriot. Then, for the creative writing part, she would need to write a letter to someone close to her, sharing her views.

She thought about it for a while and did some brainstorming. She then created a story in which she was a married woman who supported a different side of the revolution than her husband, and it was tearing her family apart.

Once she had a version she was happy with, she neatly wrote her letter on a plain piece of white paper with black ink. Since the letter was from the 1700s, she also needed to age the paper.

Here’s what she did:

• She placed the letter on a sheet tray.
• Then she made a cup of hot tea, letting the bag steep until the liquid was dark (she wanted her paper on the darker side). She then let it cool.
• Poured the tea over the letter, wetting the paper completely.
• Removed excess liquid by pouring out pools of liquid and sopping up large puddles with a paper towel.
• She ripped and tore the paper around the sides to make it look as if they had handed it down through generations.
• Baked it in a 200-degree oven for about 10 minutes. She started checking it after 5 to see if it was dry enough and until the edges curled.
• Removed it from the oven and let it cool.

She loved how it turned out. It was a wonderful addition to her end of the year portfolio.

Historical Silhouettes

Prior to the invention of photography in the early 1800s, capturing someone’s image was done either through painting or sculpture and was an extravagance that few, aside from the wealthy, had the time or money for.

A different option, silhouette portraits, gained popularity as more skilled artists came over to the new world from England.

Creating her own silhouette was the ideal activity for Abigail because she loves both history and art.

As she thought about this project, she decided she didn’t want to do a full-sized portrait, so she used one of her American Girl dolls instead. It was perfect because she was starting with a smaller portrait for her first time attempting a silhouette, plus she didn’t have to worry about her model sitting still.

She tied her doll’s hair back to resemble the historical silhouettes she saw during her research. She set her up on a stool and taped a piece of paper to the wall behind her.

Then, working with a light, she created the silhouette she was looking for. It took quite a bit of trial and error, but she stuck with it and was able to successfully trace the shadow. After she finished outlining the doll’s head, she removed the paper and painted the image with black acrylic paint.

Because Abigail enjoys painting more than cutting, I encouraged her to paint the silhouette on white paper instead of following the traditional method of cutting it out of black paper.

If you would like to take this project a step further, add in an additional writing assignment by having your middle schooler write a story about the person in the silhouette.

Abigail really enjoyed completing these two American Revolution activities. Plus, as I walked through them with her, I could see just how much she understood about the time period.

Is your tween ready to work on these fun projects and take a trip back to the American Revolution?

More American Revolution Hands-on Activities

• Hands-on Activities to Bring Early American History to Life
• Liberty Bell Timeline Scavenger Hunt
• Study the American Revolution by Combining Art and History

American Revolution Resources

• American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities
• George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides
• Liberty: How the Revolutionary War Began

What fun projects have you added to your American Revolution history studies?

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We also love studying history… and there are so many ways to incorporate all kinds of things into a study on history….it makes it just come alive and be remembered. We did the silhouettes with our kids years ago….but after seeing this, I am reminded that it is time to do them again! Thank you.

Love this with 4 girls and 1 American Girl Doll (thanks Grandma) so far I have no choice but to pin it!

This is awesome! We love history as well. What a clever way to use your American Girl dolls … we’ve created silhouettes of one another in the past. It’s hard to sit still.

Way to bring history to life! These are great activities! Thanks for sharing at the After School Linky party.

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