Teachers - American Revolution Overview

Welcome to Walk Through the American Revolution™! This dynamic 5^th grade presentation has become one of our most popular classroom experiences providing a lively retelling of our nation’s beginnings. Visit our reviews page to see what teachers have to say! 

By participating in Walk Through the American Revolution, fifth grade students grow in performance literacy, listening skills, and vocabulary development, all while learning about America’s rich and diverse history from early settlement to the conclusion of the War in 1783. The presentation allows fifth grade students an opportunity to actively participate in their learning with games, music, re-enactments and storytelling to make history come alive! It explores some of the famous events, historical figures, and vocabulary studied in fifth grade curriculum based on California state standards for History and English.

Click here to read what standards are supported and what specific history standards are addressed within the presentation. The presentation is a supplement to what is being taught in the classroom providing an overview of many key events that support classroom learning and student retention. It is designed to spark student interest in the subject matter therefore allowing for better in-depth classroom discussions on perspectives of history as detailed in the California State Framework.

Content Details:

The first half includes an introduction of early indigenous inhabitants, the arrival of the first colonists, conflicts that arose from British colonization (French & Indian War and Treaty of Paris 1763), and the reasons for the separation from England (no taxation without representation). The second half includes a reading from excerpts of the Declaration of Independence, battle scenes, and a singing of the Star-Spangled Banner (though penned in 1814, this song is included at the conclusion of the presentation to celebrate our national heritage). Throughout the presentation we meet some of the major players and legends of history who contributed to the separation from Great Britain and who fought for the independence of America using both pen and sword. It concludes with a re-enactment of the last major battle of Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris of 1783.

Throughout the presentation students are awarded points by the presenter in a friendly competition to try and become the first-place team! Students are encouraged to display teamwork, sportsmanship, respect, and enthusiasm. The presenter calls out pre-assigned vocabulary words (Expert Cards) and names of historical people (Character Cards) for students to come up and recite. Students receive points for their team for recitations of their Expert Word and Character cards and some may receive additional points for being caught with “greatness” by pulling a gold-tipped lollipop out of the “Liberty Bell” sucker holder! Students will also portray the Committee of Five as they recite portions of the Declaration of Independence, and each team will re-enact a famous battle of the American Revolution.

To prepare, teachers are provided with a digital Preparation Guide containing detailed instructions and all materials to print. Materials include an assignment list for placing students on their 3 teams and to a specific Expert or Character card designated for each team; Expert, Character, and American Experiment Cards to be distributed to each student (15 Expert Word cards, 27 Character cards, 6 American Experiment cards);  Pre-scripted Battle Scenes (3); a Revolutionary War “game sheet” (has fill in and multiple choice questions for students to complete at designated points of the presentation); a Name Tag template for making student name-tags; a parent/caregiver invitation letter, lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner, a score sheet for keeping track of points awarded by the presenter and a “do not disturb” sign for the door.