Thanks so much for your purchase! I am very excited to introduce you to these digital interactive notebooks!
They have made a big impact in my classroom and I am positive they will work well with your students as well!
I think you will find them very intuitive to use and engaging for your students. They work well anywhere you
can use Google Drive – on laptops, PCs, Macs, iPads, etc.
You can access this Digital Interactive Notebook here: http://bit.ly/USRevolutionDigitalDrive
Note that this will require that you are signed-in to your Google account and will then prompt you to make your
own personal copy of the Interactive Notebook. You can also use this link to give out to your students to create
their own copies. However, you might also
want to modify the pages or only use a certain
page or pages at a time. If you do, you will
then want to use the blue “Share” buttom in
the top right (1) to use with your students.
This button is also useful if you want to share
with students who do not have Google
accounts. When you do this, make sure you
allow sharing access to be able to edit the file
(2), not just view it. Then, have students
make a copy of it for themselves instead of
editing your master copy. That is important so
they are not all editing the same document.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you ever
have any questions! I’m happy to help!
Getting Started
All of the blue boxes are where students should type in their responses. and type in their answers. I will get them
started doing this with my version on a projector. It is really very intuitive and students should pick it up quickly.
Students can also change their fonts, the color, size, etc using the “Format” toolbar. I go through this with them
as well as how to insert images. This can be done by going to “Insert” on the toolbar and selecting “Images…”
or by simply clicking on the mountain icon (
).
Some pages require students to “drag and drop” graphics in order to match items or create a timeline, this really
is as simple as it sounds! Students click on any and rearrange them in the correct order. However, this still might
be something you want to demonstrate for students before letting them loose.
After releasing these notebooks, I have realized that Google
has an anti-spam security glitch where it will sometimes ask
users to request access to these pages. You don’t need to do
that! Try refreshing or closing out and re-loading the page
until you see a screen like the one to the right. I’m really sorry
for that inconvenience and will continue to look for a
solution!
Completing the Pages
My school uses laptops which teachers reserve by the period. For this resource, I check them out for a period and
then give them the period to get started. I then move throughout the room assisting students where needed. We
usually begin this in the middle of our unit and students are expected to complete all of the remaining pages for
homework by the end of our unit.
As for resources to complete the pages, beyond the links provided for on each page, I generally rely on these
excellent online sources for students to use for research:




The free online textbooks at US History.org.
Digital History
World History for Us All
The History Channel
I know many schools have subscriptions to online databases like ABC CLIO and others, which work just as well.
I also am ok with students using Wikipedia, however, I realize many teachers have mixed feelings about it. The
images available and ability to search by exact topic I find to be very helpful for students. It allows allows me a
chance to talk to them about the veracity of the source and how to know when they are using good sources.
Checking Student Work
There are a few ways you can check how students perform, The first is to direct students to click the blue
“Share” button when they finish and enter your email address so it can be sent directly to you. I, however, use a
variety of traditional and digital resources and still employ notebook checks, so I have students print these and
paste them in their notebooks when done. I realize that defeats some of the purpose of digital notebooks, but I
feel students are much more likely to study them later if they retain a hard copy. They could then print and turn
in by the page or you could check them when/if you check notebooks.
Answer Key
A complete answer/teacher’s guide for all the pages is included following these introductory pages.
More Interactive Notebook Resources
If you enjoyed this resource and are looking for more, you can find them by clicking here. If you prefer more
traditional, cut-and-paste Interactive Notebooks, please check out all of mine here for both World and US
History.
Terms of Use
Please note, this product is for personal classroom use by a single teacher. If you would like to copy this product
for more than one teacher, please download additional licenses, available at 50% off the original price. Purchase
Orders are welcomed and are often helpful in purchasing multiple licenses. Fonts courtesy DIVA Studio, LTD.
All images courtesy of Wikimedia.
© Students of History - https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Students-Of-History
Here are some additional resources for teaching about this unit that also fit in perfectly with these Digital
Interactive Notebook graphic organizers! Just click on any image to learn more about that resource.
Social media logos courtesy Glitter Meets Glue Designs
Answer Key / Teacher’s Guide
Student Name
Instructions
This Digital Interactive Notebook is designed to help
you better understand America’s Revolutionary War. It
includes pages on vocabulary terms, people, and key
events of this period.
On each page you will see blue text boxes where you
can type responses. Simply click in the box and begin
typing to provide your response. You can also add your
own text boxes by clicking on the text box icon (
).
You also will need to add images to various pages. You
can do this by clicking on the “Image” icon (
) or by
going to “Insert > Image” in the menu.
Each text box can also be resized using the borders so
that each fits on your pages.
Revolutionary War Illustrated Vocabulary
Directions: Research each vocabulary term below and type your own definition in the 2nd
column. Then look for an image that best symbolizes it and insert it in the 3rd column.
Vocabulary
Definition
Patriot
Someone in the colonies who
supported the American
Revolution.
Loyalist
Someone in the colonies who
supported staying loyal to
England. Also known as a Tory.
Redcoats
Nickname given to British soldiers
of the Revolution because of their
bright red uniforms.
Guerrilla Warfare
Style of fighting used by the
Continental Army which included
hit-and-run, surprise attacks, and
ambushing the British.
Boycott
Strategy of refusing to purchase
goods in the hopes of weakening
the boycotted party.
Blockade
Having ships surround an area so
that no goods or people can pass
through. The British blockaded the
Colonies to prevent their aid.
Shot Heard ‘Round
the World
The first shots of the Revolution
that were fired at Lexington &
Concord and began the war.
Image
The Boston Massacre
Directions: : On March 5, 1770, British soldiers killed five civilians and injured six others in
Boston. The incident became known as the The Boston Massacre. After reading about and
analyzing the event, find one of the many images of the event and paste in below. Then,
analyze the image by completing the text boxes.
Who appears to be the aggressor in this
Describe the background of the image. What
image? How can you tell?
buildings do you see and what time of day is it?
Answers for each student should vary depending
on the image they select. Some will likely use
Paul Revere’s famous engraving. Other
popular versions are J. H. Bufford’s, and
Alonzo Chapel’s.
How do the townspeople
appear in the image? What
are they doing?
In this image, the
townspeople appear as
innocent victims cowering
from the soldiers firing on
them from deadly close
range.
Most images depict the British soldiers
as the aggressors and were used as
propaganda by Patriot leaders like Paul
Revere. In fact, it was the colonist mob
which were the initial aggressors.
How many British soldiers are
there? How do they appear?
This image shows a group of
soldiers taking orders from a
general behind them. This
makes it seem like a
coordinated attack on innocent
civilians as opposed to the
chaotic event that it was.
Find another image of
the Massacre and
compare it to this one.
What are some
differences that you
see?
Answers will vary
depending on the
images students use,
but they should note
how the event can be
seen in various ways.
Patriots, Loyalists, & Neutrals
Directions: As calls for independence grew across the 13 Colonies, people began to take
sides. After reading about these 3 groups, find a picture to represent each and paste it below.
Then describe the reasons each group had for their stance. Finally, explain what your stance
would be and why if you were alive at the time.
Patriots
Patriots supported
independence for many
reasons. First, they
claimed “no taxation
without representation.”
They saw themselves too
far removed from
England to be subject to
the King and Parliament.
The Enlightenment ideals
they believed in also
convinced them they
could form a better
government.
Neutral
Mahy colonists were
neutral and did not
choose a side during the
war. This could be
because they were
nervous about picking
the wrong one, were
apathetic, playing both
sides, or were far enough
removed from society
that they could afford to
stay out of the fray.
Loyalists
Some Loyalists
supported Great Britain
because their jobs
depended on it. Royal
governors and agents
of the Crown remained
loyal. Others felt strong
ties to their mother
country and did not see
a need for Revolution.
Older conservatives
disagreed to revolting
against the Crown and
wanted its protection.
My stance would be - open to many possible student responses depending on
their beliefs as long as they support their answer with facts from the Revolution.
Enlightenment Ideas Influence a Revolution
Directions: Enlightenment ideas spread throughout the colonies that had a major impact on
many colonists supporting the Revolutionary cause. First read about English documents that
set the stage for the Revolution. Then, read about the works of John Locke and Thomas
Paine and the influence they had on America’s Revolution.
Magna Carta
Year: 1215
Key Ideas:
Established the ideas
of limited government
and that the King’s
power was not
absolute.
Petition of Right
Year: 1628
Key Ideas:
This extended the
rights of commoners
to give them a voice
in England’s
Parliament.
English Bill of Rights
Year: 1688
Key Ideas:
This guarenteed free
elections and basic
rights for people
accused of crimes in
England.
Thomas Paine
John Locke
Important Works
Important Works
Two Treatises on Government
Common Sense
Key Ideas
Key Ideas
Locke believed a ruler’s power
only came from the consent of
the governed. His duty was to
protect the rights of the people.
Paine argued for a democratic
republic because England was too
far away to rule the colonies fairly.
Important People of the Revolution
Directions: While the “Founding Fathers” are the dominant figures of this period, many others
contributed greatly to the American Revolution. Read more about the four listed below. Find a
picture of each to paste in, then describe their impact on the Revolution in the space provided.
Molly Pitcher
helped at the
famous Battle of
Monmouth by
bringing water to
the soldiers and
then taking over
a cannon when
her husband
collapsed.
Benedict Arnold
Molly Pitcher
Paul Revere was
a member of the
patriotic group
Sons of Liberty
and alerted the
Colonial militia
about
approaching
British forces
before Lexington
& Concord.
French aristocrat
who helped the
Revolution by
fighting, leading
troops, gaining
greater French
support, and
using his own
fortune to aid the
war.
Marquis de Lafayette
Benedict Arnold
is the most
famous traitor in
American
history. He was
in control of
West Point and
planned to give it
to the British
when his plan
was discovered.
Paul Revere
The Declaration of Independence
Directions: The most famous date in American history - July 4, 1776 - marks the date when
the Declaration of Independence was formally adopted by the Continental Congress. After
analyzing the Declaration, drag and drop to sort the sections in the correct order. Then,
briefly explain each section in your own words.
Preamble
This is the introduction of the Declaration and states the
purpose of the Document. Jefferson explains that if
people want to dissolve their government, they need to
tell the world why they want to do this.
Statement of Beliefs
The section section lists the rights that all "men" have.
These unalienable rights can't be taken away or given
up and include the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. The government has a responsibility to
protect these rights.
List of Grievances
Here, Jefferson lays out all of the complaints the
colonists have against the King of England - what he
has done to deny them their rights and the repeated
offenses they feel are too much to bear.
Attempts at Negotiation
This section spells out how after each offense the
colonists appealled to the King but were always denied
and that the King is a tyrant and unfit ruler of his people.
Declaration
This is the final, formal statement of independence for
the colonists and includes the signatures of 56
members of the Continental Congress.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Directions: Although Great Britain was more well-established, each sire had its advantages
and disadvantages. After reading about each side, complete the chart below of strengths
and weaknesses, then explain which you feel had the bigest impact on the war.
Colonial Advantages
●
●
●
●
Knew the terrain and were
fighting on their home turf.
Guerilla tactics
Believed in their cause and had
more to fight for.
Leadership of George
Washington
British Advantages
●
●
●
●
Colonial Weaknesses
●
●
●
●
Disorganized army
Poorly trained troops and very
little supplies for the war.
No navy
Had difficulty raising the funds
needed for war.
Larger force that was better
trained.
Naval superiority.
Better armed.
More money and supplies.
British Weaknesses
●
●
●
Fighting far from home.
Many paid mercenaries as
soldiers who were only fighting
for money
Very difficult to cause to win
Explain advantage/weakness had the biggest impact on the War’s outcome.
Open to many possible student responses provided they support their selection
with facts from the war that accurately reflects this war.
Battles and Key Events of the Revolution
Lexington & Concord
What started the conflict at Lexington?
The British were attempting to
disarm a colonial militia when they
fought.
Why was this called “the shot heard
‘round the world?
The shots fired started the first major
Revolution against British rule in one
of its many colonies that would be
watching.
1775
1776
Directions: Use the provided links for
each to complete the boxes. Additional
good resources for learning about battles
of the Revolution include: Teaching
American History and USHistory.org.
Battle of Bunker Hill
Who won the battle?
Great Britain
What was significant about it?
Saratoga
Why was Saratoga considered a turning
point in the war?
It was a major victory for the
colonists and helped convince
France that they could win the war.
1777
This battle showed that the colonists
could inflict heavy losses on the British.
Washington Crosses the Delaware
What was so significant about this move?
Valley Forge
1778
What hardships were Washington & his
men facing?
It was freezing and the men were
poorly equipped to handle it.
How did the winter at Valley Forge help
the Continental Army?
The army came together under
Washington’s leadership and
believed more in his guidance.
Yorktown
Find a picture of Washington crossing the
Delaware and paste it in the space below.
1779
1780
Who led the forces at Yorktown?
George Washington and French
General Rochambeau
Why did Lord Cornwallis surrender?
The British were outnumbered and
the French fleet’s arrival had them
surrounded.
This was a surprise attack on Christmas
night that resulted in the capture of Hessian
troops. It boosted morale for the
Continental Army.
1781