The Significant Battles of the American Revolution

The colonists were heavily taxed and they felt that they had no representation in the English Parliament. The colonists felt oppressed by rules that came from far away.  As a result of the English not wanting to move further west, the colonists believed they were denied the right to own property.  These reasons began to fuel a resistance against England and all played a role in the decision of the colonists to separate from England.

Before the colonists went to war against England, they tried diplomatic means to make peace.  They sent the "Olive Branch Petition" to the King of England which stated their loyalty to England in return for the repeal of the Intolerable Acts.  When the King rejected this, the colonists felt that they had no alternative but to go to war.

The "shot heard round the world" was fired when British soldiers marched out from Boston to seize the guns and ammo where the Americans held at Concord. It was at this point that The American Revolutionary War was set in motion.  This lesson describes the events of some of the significant battles of the war from 1775-1881.

Your task is to research the significant battles of the American Revolutionary War and choose one that you will present.  The purpose of this assignment is for you to become more familiar with the battles and to share your knowledge.  You will be actively engaged in the content and will be considered the "expert" of the battle that you choose. 

Battles and Dates:

Lexington and Concord - April 19, 1775

Battle of Bunker Hill - June 17, 1775

Battle of Trenton - December 26, 1776

Battle of Saratoga - October 17, 1777

Battle of Yorktown - October 19, 1781 

Students, you are in charge of choosing a significant battle of the American Revolution and presenting your findings. Below are directions which will provide guidance.  Good Luck!

Materials needed: Computer, the Internet, a library, and a desire to learn 

1. Research the significant battles and choose one to present.

Look at many different websites and decide which battle had the largest impact in your mind. You decide what battle you want to do and then educate yourself on that battle. Following are some online resources:

• http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/battles.html
• http://www.kidport.com/RefLib/UsaHistory/AMericanRevolution/Battles.htm
• http://www.harlingen.isd.tenet.edu/coakhist/amrev.html

2. Ensure that you verify the accuracy of the information that you find by identifying several sources that provide confirmation.

3. Develop a PowerPoint presentation using these guidelines:

     a. Limit text and bullet points

     b. Use high quality images that tell a story.

     c. Be clever with your use of colors.

     d. Choose the correct font types.

     e. Use animation sparingly.

4. Ensure that you meet all requirements of the rubric which is provided under the "Evaluation" tab.

 5. Provide your PowerPoint to your partner (partners will be pre-determined) who will provide input with regard to the elements in the evaluation criteria.

 6. Once you receive the input from your partner, make revisions to your PowerPoint.

7. Include all relevant information (who, what, where, why, and outcome).

 8. Include images which will enhance the text.

 9. Submit your final PowerPoint to the appropriate Drop Box. 

This Webquest learning event provided historical background about the American Revolution and an activity for students to learn through engagement about the significant battles that took place.  Not only were the presenters actively engaged, but their peers should have also been actively engaged by providing a peer review of the presentation.