Looking for help covering the American Revolution in your homeschool? You’ve come to the right place! I’ve got 100 ways to help you learn about the people, places, and events surrounding it.
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The following is a list of books, videos, websites, activities, and unit studies to help you explore the American Revolution with your kids.
Studying the American Revolution in your homeschool? Here are 100 ways to help you learn.100 Ways to Study the American Revolution
Online American Revolution Resources
It’s no surprise that there are lots of American Revolution resources available online, but it may be a bit surprising that many of them are free. Take a look at some of my favorites:
1. DK Find Out’s American Revolution – This interactive site allows users to click through scenes to learn the details surrounding people, places, and events from the American Revolution.
2. Mission US Game – From Crown to Colony – My oldest loved exploring the American Revolution through this free game!
3. Boston Tea Party Interactive – Here’s a fun way to learn about this significant event from the revolution.
4. Mr. Nussbaum’s American Revolution page – There’s plenty to do here, but I especially like the interactive map. You can find it and a great timeline once you scroll down a bit.
5. American Revolution Profile from Ducksters – There’s a wealth of information on this site. It includes a timeline, articles on specific events, biographies, and battles, and activities.
6. Road to the Revolution Game – This is a fun interactive way to review events from the revolution.
7. Best for grades 6-12, We the People looks at the Constitution, compares original drafts of the Preamble with the final version, and evaluates the reasons for the changes.
8. Colonial Settlements – This interactive site from PBS Learning Media is an interesting way to learn about daily life for the colonists during the American Revolution, military perspectives, and who controlled the rest of the world during the time of the war.
9. George Washington’s Revolutionary War Bed – This is a great look at daily life on the battlefield during the revolution.
10. Have Fun with History’s American Revolution page – There’s lots of info here organized by topic, but there’s also a section with short videos.
American Revolution Biographies
There are more key figures in the American Revolution than I can possibly list here and there are tons of kid-friendly biographies available on those figures. Even so, hopefully these will give you a good starting point for learning about them.
11. George Washington – Choose from Who Was George Washington?, d’Aulaire’s George Washington, or I Am George Washington to help your kiddos learn about America’s first commander in chief.
12. Ben Franklin – Ben and Me, d’Aulaire’s Ben Franklin, and Who Was Ben Franklin? are all good reading options for this important leader in American history.
13. Thomas Jefferson – Want to dive into Thomas Jefferson’s role in the American Revolution? Who Was Thomas Jefferson?, Thomas Jefferson for Kids, and Meet Thomas Jefferson are all good places to start.
14. Betsy Ross – Who Was Betsy Ross? and Betsy Ross: Designer of Our Flag are good choices for learning about the woman known for making the first American flag.
15. Paul Revere – Choose from Who Was Paul Revere? and Paul Revere: Boston Patriot to learn more about the silversmith and his contributions to the revolution.
16. Molly Hays – Want to explore the life of a Revolutionary War hero that often goes unnoticed? Molly Pitcher: Young Patriot and They Called Her Molly Pitcher both tell the story of an American soldier’s wife who made a big difference for the troops around her.
17. Martha Washington – Check into Martha Washington: America’s First Lady and Martha Washington: On My Own for learning about America’s first First Lady.
18. John Adams – See the American Revolution through the eyes of the second president while reading John Adams: Young Revolutionary or The Revolutionary John Adams.
19. Abigail Adams – Who Was Abigail Adams? and Abigail Adams: Girl of Colonial Days are good biographies for learning about America’s second First Lady.
20. Alexander Hamilton – Alexander Hamilton is another founding father whose name comes up when studying the American Revolution. Alexander Hamilton: the Outsider, Who Was Alexander Hamilton?, and Alexander Hamilton: From Orphan to Founding Father are all good choices for learning more about this key revolutionary figure.
Picture Books and Historical Fiction
Picture books and historical fiction are also good ways to explore the American Revolution. Here are some reading suggestions to consider:
21. Johnny Tremain
22. Liberty! How the Revolutionary War Began
23. I Survived the American Revolution
25. When Washington Crossed the Delaware
26. Liberty or Death
29. Katie’s Trunk
Nonfiction Books
There are also lots of nonfiction options for learning about the American Revolution with your kids. Here are a few of them:
31. If You Were a Kid During the American Revolution
32. The American Revolution for Kids
33. You Wouldn’t Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party
34. DK Eyewitness Books: American Revolution
35. Answering the Cry for Freedom: Stories of African Americans and the American Revolution
37. Everything You Need to Know to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook
38. What Was the Declaration of Independence?
39. If You Were There When They Signed the Constitution
40. What Was the Boston Tea Party?
Revolution-themed Art & Craft Ideas
Perhaps you’ve got kiddos who like to get creative when they learn. If so, check out these American Revolution-themed arts and craft ideas.
41. A watercolor resist version of the first American flag – This is an easy art idea to go along with your studies. Have your kids draw out the first American flag with a white crayon or oil pastel. Next, they can paint the flag with blue and red watercolor paints. That’s all there is to it!
42. How to draw a cartoon George Washington from Art for Kids Hub – Here’s a step-by-step drawing tutorial for a cartoon version of George Washington.
43. How to draw the Liberty Bell from Art for Kids Hub – Here’s another step-by-step tutorial, but this one is of the Liberty Bell.
44. Draw and Write Through History: Pilgrims, Pirates, and Patriots – This isn’t exclusively connected to the American Revolution, but it’s for older elementary and middle school students and includes several related drawing tutorials and copywork exercises. ($)
45. Our Anthem Activity – This mentions Australia’s national anthem as the primary example, but the “Star Spangled Banner” could easily be used in its place to emphasize the connection between the anthem and the post-Revolution tension between America and Great Britain.
46. Star Spangled Banner Activity – Here’s another art activity inspired by our national anthem. Bonus: this one includes a writing prompt.
47. While it’s not exclusively about the American Revolution, you can explore American Revolution themes through several of the projects in my Historical ARTchives course. These projects are available through Masterpiece Society Studio membership and include the Preamble to the Constitution, a presidential portrait of George Washington, and the Grand Union Flag. ($)
Looking for something that doesn’t require membership to access? These Chalk Pastels American History Video Art Lessons could be a good fit. ($)
48. Great Colonial America Projects – This book of crafts isn’t exclusive to the Revolutionary War, but it focuses on colonial American in general. ($)
49. Washington Crossing the Delaware Interactive – This art appreciation activity provides insight on the famous painting. Teaching tips and background information are both included.
50. Draw Write Now: United States, From Sea to Shining Sea, Moving Forward – Similar to Draw and Write Through History mentioned above, this book has lots of good drawing tutorials and copywork exercises centered around early American history. This one is especially good for younger learners who aren’t quite ready for the detailed drawings or longer passages in Draw and Write. ($)
51. This Liberty Bell craft from Adventures in Mommydom looks cute, easy, and fun for younger learners!
52. I saved it for the last part of this section, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our Hamilton Mixed Media Art tutorial. It’s a fun way to work Hamilton: an All American Musical into your American Revolution studies.
American Revolution Curriculum Options
Want to go all in with your study of the American Revolution? Here are some homeschool curriculum options to help you study the American Revolution:
53. Early American History literature packs from Beautiful Feet Books – While it’s not exclusively related to the American Revolution, these literature-based curriculum packs are a wonderful way to explore American life before and after the nation was born. ($) Note: you can read about our experience with these literature packs here.
54. Beautiful Feet Books’ Early American and World History pack – We’re using this for 9th Grade History and have found it to be an awesome curriculum choice thus far. Again, it doesn’t exclusively cover the American Revolution, but it also addresses happenings all over the world and how they laid a foundation for the birth of America. ($)
55. The Giant American History Timeline – This fantastic worksheet-style timeline book covers early American history through post Civil War America. That said, the section on the Revolutionary Period is comprehensive enough to use as a stand-alone resource. ($)
Want more info on this American history timeline approach?
See our Giant American History Timeline review to learn more about this comprehensive resource and why it could be a huge help for learning about the American Revolution.
56. Notgrass American History – I haven’t personally used the American history resources from Notgrass History, but I have friends who adore them. As for the details, their Our Star-Spangled Story bundle is designed for grades 1-4 and includes 90 lessons. ($)
57. Time Travelers History Study CD: American Revolution includes lesson plans and activities that cover the establishment of the nation, the rise of conflicts, the battles of war, and many of the influential people involved. ($)
American Revolution Videos
58. American Revolution in 9 Minutes – This one is exactly what it sounds like and it’s worth watching, for sure!
59. Liberty’s Kids – You can watch some of these videos for free on YouTube, but it’s worth buying the entire series on DVD. ($)
60. LEGO Battle of Bunker Hill – It’s not perfectly accurate, but a fun watch for your LEGO lovers.
61. Valley Forge, 1777 Cartoon – This short video spotlights the horrible winter conditions American soldiers faced as they camped at Valley Forge.
62. Ben and Me – Here’s a cartoon spotlighting the life of Ben Franklin.
63. What If the United States Lost the Revolution? – An interesting look at what things could be like if the American Revolution ended differently.
64. Bet You Didn’t Know: American Revolution – This quick video is a look at some lesser-known Revolutionary War facts.
65. Crash Course: Prelude to the Revolution – This engaging video dissects what was happening in the colonies before the American Revolution.
66. Crash Course: Who Won the American Revolution – This Crash Course video looks at specific battles from the war.
67. Revolution’s Last Legacy – This short video from The History Channel discusses how the American Revolution shaped the political principles of the United States.
American Revolution Unit Study Ideas
Revolutionary War on Wednesday Resources
68. This group of American Revolution resources goes along with Revolutionary War on Wednesday from the Magic Tree House series. The book alone is a great way to give younger readers an idea of what it might have been like as George Washington crossed, but the other resources build nicely on the book.
69. American Revolution Fact Tracker – This is the nonfiction companion to Revolutionary War on Wednesday, but it can be read without the Magic Tree House story if preferred. ($)
70. Magic Tree House Teaching Resources – You can find Revolutionary War on Wednesday and Fact Tracker resources on the Magic Tree House website. You have to scroll down the page a bit, but four free resources are listed.
71. Revolutionary War on Wednesday Audiobook ($)
72. Teaching with Magic Tree House ($)
Other Unit Study Resources
73. American Revolution Unit – This unit from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus has tons of valuable information to help you study the revolution and includes a lapbook.
74. American Revolution Unit Study from Adventures in Mommydom – I especially like the hands-on ideas in this one.
75. Cindy from Our Journey Westward shares how she covered the American Revolution in her homeschool in this unit study.
76. The American Revolution unit from Learning American History Through Literature has TONS of awesome ideas for studying Colonial America and the Revolution itself. Though this is technically a history curriculum, each historical era is formatted much like a typical unit study. This allows you to choose the literature, films, hands-on options, and other activities you’d like to use for your time covering the American Revolution.
77. Daughters of Liberty – I love Heart and Soul Homeschooling’s article about women in the American Revolution. It’s super helpful for unit study purposes!
More American Revolution Resources
78. This Famous Figures of the American Revolution is a fun way to add interactive elements to your study. ($)
79. Story of the American Revolution Coloring Book – This coloring book would be great to have around during read aloud time. ($)
80. Looking for an unforgettable Declaration of Independence lesson? This Declaration of Independence from Mom activity will do the trick!
81. History Pockets: The American Revolution – History Pockets offers students the chance to learn about the revolution through projects, timelines, crafts, and more. ($)
82. Are you familiar with the Big Fat Notebooks series? If not, you’ll want to have Everything You Need to Ace American History in One Big Fat Notebook if you’re exploring the American Revolution with a middle school kiddo. ($)
83. Heroes and Heroines of the American Revolution Coloring Book – Here’s a coloring book dedicated to men and women who made great contributions to the revolution. ($)
84. See Totally History for a virtual Revolutionary War timeline to go along with your study.
85. Education.com has tons of American Revolution resources available for free. There’s a lot to choose from there, but the worksheets and games are a good place to start.
86. While these aren’t exclusively related to America’s first presidents, this American Presidents pack from Homeschool Mastery Academy makes a great companion to your study. It can also be used as a stand-alone activity for writing, language arts, unit studies, or history. ($)
87. Professor Noggin’s American Revolution – This trivia-based card game is another fun way to learn about the American Revolution. ($)
88. 25 Patriotic American Classical Music Pieces – This list from SQUILT is the perfect way to add music appreciation to your American Revolution study.
89. American Revolution freebies from Homeschool Share – You can find all kinds of helpful printables here: lapbooks, notebooking pages, timelines, games, and more!
90. When on Earth? – My kiddos love this book! It’s chockfull of world history, but includes a spread about the American Revolution. ($)
91. Quotes from Goodreads – a list of quotes from different authors and notable figures about the American Revolution.
92. Looking specifically for quotes from key women from the American Revolution? This Quotable Women of the American Revolution will be a great help.
93. Interactive 3D Maps: American History – This collection isn’t only for events from the American Revolution, but it does include a few. ($)
94. Revolutionary War Sites – Anyone up for a road trip? This article includes 12 different historical sites connected to the Revolutionary War.
95. Speaking of road trips, you can also explore the American Revolution while you’re living it up in Walt Disney World. Do this by viewing the Hall of Presidents show and spending time in Liberty Square while you’re in Magic Kingdom. 🙂
96. Way Back When in History is a fun game for exploring American history. It covers the Constitution, colonial America, and the American Revolution along with the Civil War ($)
97. Looking to add some gameschooling to your study? Brian Power Boy has a great overview of the printable American Revolution games and timeline from Homeschool in the Woods.
98. Knowledge Box Central’s American Revolution lapbook – This comprehensive lapbook is designed for 3rd-6th grades and includes student instructions and a teacher/study guide. ($)
99. This Spies in the American Revolution lesson is a fun way to explore the revolution.
100. This Causes of the Revolutionary War Escape Room would be a fun way to review this component of the American Revolution in a group setting or with siblings. ($)
Can you make drawings about the american revolution.
impressive list! pinned