Dear Classroom Teacher,
Thank you for booking your game only American Revolution Time Travel Field Trip!
When I arrive on your field trip day, I’ll be launching straight into the game. Students will
take on the identities of real people who lived in colonial Boston, hear from primary sources,
make decisions, and experience the consequences.
For this experience to make sense, the students will need a certain amount of background
knowledge before they play the game.
To prepare for your field trip:
• Please send me your class list so I can make nametags.
• Please make one pre- and one post-test for each student. Please administer the pre-test
before I arrive.
• Students should be divided into and seated in 4 groups: red, green, yellow, and blue.
• Parent letter/permission slip is attached for your convenience, if you choose to use it.
Please go over the content on the Essential Concepts page.
I am giving you materials to help you teach this content. Feel free to use it or not, but I spent
a lot of time creating the materials, and hope you will respect the copyright and not share
them in any form (printed or electronic) except for this one-time classroom use.
Thanks!
Beth Wyman
©Beth Wyman 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be duplicated, either by copying or electronically, without prior written permission.
For permission, contact Time Travel Field Trips.www.timetravelfieldtrips.com
Essential Concepts
• Vocabulary
• The French and Indian War cost a lot of money.
• Who
• When
• Where
• New lands acquired
• To get more money, Britain passed new tax laws.
(For each, please indicate what it was and why people were upset about it)
• Sugar Act
• Stamp Act
• Glass and Tea (part of Townshend Acts of 1767)
• Suddenly, there were all these new laws and controls on where you could live, on smugglers, and
imports.
• No taxation without representation. (What is it, why were people upset?)
• English citizens living in England could vote for Parliament.
• That means the men in Parliament wanted to keep them happy (so they could be re-elected).
• English citizens living in the American colonies could NOT vote for Parliament.
• Colonists felt they should get to vote on laws that they had to follow (like tax laws).
I find this works best if I say - “Colorado is no longer allowed to vote for president or send
representatives to Congress (though all the other states do), but we still have to follow national laws and
pay taxes” - and get their reactions.
• Colonists had to house British soldiers (1st Quartering Act)
• King fires colonial representatives who stand up to him.
• Boston Massacre (When, who, what, why was it called a “massacre?” and impact)
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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“ We hold these truths to
be self-evident, that all men
are created equal, that they
are endowed by their
Creator with certain
unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life,
Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.”
Thomas Jefferson
“I am sorry that the line of
conduct seems now chalked
out, which the enclosed
dispatches thoroughly
justify; the New England
governments are in a state
of rebellion, blows must
decide whether they are to
be subject to this country or
independent.”
King George III
Boycott: To stop using the goods or services of a group until
changes are made
Coercive: Using force or threats to make someone do something
Continental Congress: A group of representatives from all 13
colonies
Customs: Fees paid to the government when goods enter or leave
a country
Declaration: Something that is stated in a public or official way
Effigy: A large doll made to look like someone who is hated
King George III: British king from 1760-1820
Independence: Freedom from outside control
Intolerable: Too bad or harsh to be accepted
Legislature: A group of people with the power to make or change
laws
Loyalist: A person who was loyal to the King
Massacre: The violent killing of many people
Militia: A group of people who are trained as soldiers but who are
not part of the army
Parliament: The lawmakers in the English government
Patriot: A person who fought for the rights of the American
colonies
Pound: British money. 20 shillings = 1 pound
Rebel: Another name for a Patriot
Repeal: To make a law no longer valid; to cancel a law
Representatives: Someone who acts or speaks for a group
Shilling: A British coin. Worth about $6 in today’s money.
Smuggler: Someone who sneaks things into the country illegally
and secretly
Tory: Another name for a Loyalist
Bostonians tar and feather a tax collector. The Liberty Tree is shown in the
background.
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
Treason: The crime of trying to overthrow your government
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Date: ____________________
Dear Parents,
Your child has a wonderful opportunity to participate in an in-school field trip.
Students will learn about American history and the causes of the American
Revolution by taking on the role of a real person who lived in colonial Boston. They
will decide if they want to boycott tea in 1773, how to respond to the Intolerable
Acts, and choose to stay loyal to the king or to rebel.
They’ll get to hear eyewitness accounts about key events like the battles at
Lexington and Concord from both the loyalist and patriot points of view. Along the
way, they will gain or lose points depending on the consequences of their choices.
The cost for the day is $7.50 per student. Please make out checks to the school.
I am so excited that your child will get to experience this fun, engaging and
memorable day!
**********************************************************************************
Date of field trip: ________________________________
I give permission for my child _______________________________ to participate in the
American Revolution Time Travel Field trip in the classroom. I am enclosing my
check for $7.50.
Parent signature: _____________________________________________________________
Name:_______________________________
Causes of the American Revolution Pre-Test
1.
List three important events that led to the colonies declaring independence from
England. (3 points)
a.
b.
c.
2.
After so many years of letting the colonies pretty much run themselves, why did the
English government pass new tax laws for the colonies? (1 point)
a.
King George hated smugglers.
b.
They had to pay for the French and Indian War.
c.
So the colonies would pay as many taxes as people in England.
d.
The men in Parliament wanted to get rich.
3.
Why did the colonists boycott English goods? (1 point)
a.
They didn’t like the wool from England – too scratchy.
b.
It took too long for ships to reach the colonies.
c.
The French made better stuff.
d.
To protest laws they thought were unfair.
4.
When did America declare independence from England? (1 point)
a.
1576
b.
1673
c.
1776
d.
1805
5.
What risks did the Patriots face in declaring independence from Britain? (1 point)
6.
Write the letter of the correct vocabulary word next to the definition: (3 points)
A. Intolerable B. Treason
C. Representative
______ 1. Too bad or harsh to be accepted
______ 2. Someone who acts or speaks for a group
______ 3. The crime of trying to overthrow your government
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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Name:_______________________________
Causes of the American Revolution Post-Test
1.
List three important events that led to the colonies declaring independence from
England. (3 points)
a.
b.
c.
2.
After so many years of letting the colonies pretty much run themselves, why did the
English government pass new tax laws for the colonies? (1 point)
a.
King George hated smugglers.
b.
They had to pay for the French and Indian War.
c.
So the colonies would pay as many taxes as people in England.
d.
The men in Parliament wanted to get rich.
3.
Why did the colonists boycott English goods? (1 point)
a.
They didn’t like the wool from England – too scratchy.
b.
It took too long for ships to reach the colonies.
c.
The French made better stuff.
d.
To protest laws they thought were unfair.
4.
When did America declare independence from England? (1 point)
a.
1576
b.
1673
c.
1776
d.
1805
5.
What risks did the Patriots face in declaring independence from Britain? (1 point)
6.
Write the letter of the correct vocabulary word next to the definition: (3 points)
A. Intolerable B. Treason
C. Representative
______ 1. Too bad or harsh to be accepted
______ 2. Someone who acts or speaks for a group
______ 3. The crime of trying to overthrow your government
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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Name:_______________________________
Causes of the American Revolution Post-Test
1.
List three important events that led to the colonies declaring independence from
England. (3 points)
Any reasonable answer. For example - the Tea Act, The Coercive or Intolerable Acts, no taxation without representation, stronger British control over things like the legislatures and judicial system, the
occupation of Boston, taking away their rights as Englishmen such as protection of property and liberty and
right to a jury trial, etc.
2.
After so many years of letting the colonies pretty much run themselves, why did the
English government pass new tax laws for the colonies? (1 point)
a.
King George hated smugglers.
b.
They had to pay for the French and Indian War.
c.
So the colonies would pay as many taxes as people in England.
d.
The men in Parliament wanted to get rich.
3.
Why did the colonists boycott English goods? (1 point)
a.
They didn’t like the wool from England – too scratchy.
b.
It took too long for ships to reach the colonies.
c.
The French made better stuff.
d.
To protest laws they thought were unfair.
4.
When did America declare independence from England? (1 point)
a.
1576
b.
1673
c.1776
d.
1805
5.
What risks did the Patriots face in declaring independence from Britain? (1 point)
If they were caught, they could have been hanged as traitors, and all their goods confiscated. Also, they could
have been killed in the fighting or hated by their neighbors.
6.
Write the letter of the correct vocabulary word next to the definition: (3 points)
A. Intolerable B. Treason
C. Representative
___A___ 1. Too bad or harsh to be accepted
___C___ 2. Someone who acts or speaks for a group
___B__ 3. The crime of trying to overthrow your government
Gr. 5 GLE. H2. D. Explain important political, social, economic, and military developments leading to the American Revolution. - What
were the causes of the American Revolution?
Gr. 5. GLE. CC. Declaration of Independence; What risks Patriots faced in declaring independence from Britain; vocabulary including intolerable, treason, boycott, independence, and representative.
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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DECISION OF
A LIFETIME:
If you sign this
document, you are
commiting treason. The
punishment for that is
death.
“We must all hang
together, or
assuredly we shall all
hang separately.”
Ben Franklin
“I am well aware of
the toil and blood
and treasure it will
cost us to maintain
this declaration,
and support and
defend these states.
Yet through all the
gloom I see the rays
of ravishing light and
glory. I can see that
the end is worth all
the means. This is our
day of deliverance.”
John Adams
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
Signing the Declaration of Independence. Although it was adopted on July 4, 1776, it
wasn’t signed by the entire Continental Congress until later.
What does the Declaration
of Independence say?
Sometimes people need to leave their old country and create
a new one. This is a big deal, so they should explain why they
can’t just stick with the old one.
We think these things are obviously true:
• All men are created equal.
• They all have rights to things like life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness.
• The purpose of government is to protect those rights.
• Governments only exist if people agree to be governed, and they can change governments for a better one if the
one they have isn’t protecting their rights.
People should be careful not to change governments every time
the least little thing goes wrong. However, if the government
has proved through lots of examples that it’s just out to make
people miserable, then it is their right and their duty to change
it for the better.
This is what has happened to these American colonies. King
George III keeps doing bad things to us, acting like a bully and
a tyrant. Here are some examples.
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•He’s refused to pass the laws we need to run the colonies and help people. He’s trying to force us to give up our right to representation.
•He’s messed with our legislatures to make them give in to him. If they stand up
to him, he fires them all.
•He won’t let new settlers come to America, and he won’t let us take over land
from the Native Americans.
•He won’t let us choose our own judges. He chooses them so they’re all on his
side.
•He also sent over lots of new government officials who make our life more
difficult and made us pay for them.
•He put a huge army over here when we didn’t want or need one, and then gave
the military all sorts of power they shouldn’t have. He even protected his soldiers
when they committed murder!
•He hurt us in lots of ways, like cutting off our ability to trade with the rest of the
world, forcing us to pay taxes we never agreed to, and taking away our basic rights
like trial by jury.
•He changed our basic laws we’d lived by for over 100 years, including the way we
made our own laws.
In fact, he’s done such terrible things to us, he’s given up all right to be our king.
•He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed
the lives of our people.
•He brought in foreign soldiers to keep hurting and killing us. He captured our
people and forced them to fight against their own families, and encouraged the
Native Americans to attack us.
No matter how awful he has been, we’ve kept asking humbly for help, but he ignores and
insults us. We’ve finally decided that he is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
We even appealed to our brothers in England for help, but they didn’t listen either. We’ll
have to be enemies while we are at war, while hoping to make friends again someday
when we are at peace.
Therefore, as representatives of the United States of America, we do declare that we are
a new country, free and independent of Great Britain, with all the powers to do what
countries do.
And for the support of this declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine
Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor.
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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Copy for student signatures
©Beth Wyman 2011. All rights reserved.
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