Lesson Plans

The Battle of Lexington and Concord took place on the morning of April 19, 1775. At the time, no one knew this marked the beginning of an eight-year war for independence. However, in the immediate aftermath and the centuries that followed, artists created songs, poems, paintings, and more about this famous event. In this activity, you can explore Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Concord Hymn" and practice writing your own poems. 

Spies in the American Revolution used tools like cipher wheels to secretly pass messages that were crucial to the war effort. One of the most important spies for the Continental Army was James Lafayette, an enslaved man from Virginia that served as a spy for the Marquis de Lafayette.

Use this activity to learn about James Lafayette, cipher wheels, and spies in the American Revolution! 

Coats of arms have been used for centuries, especially by monarchs and prominent families in Europe. An important coat of arms present during the American Revolution was that of Louis XVI and his ancestors. As the King of France, his decision to aid the Continental Army was crucial to American victory. 

At the end of the First Continental Congress, delegates planned to reconvene with the Second Continental Congress the following spring in case Parliament did not respond. However, as war had broken out in Lexington & Concord, they also became the head of
the war effort. Explore some well-known and not-so-well-known delegates to the Second Continental Congress through this matching activity. 

Spies in the American Revolution used invisible ink to secretly pass messages that were crucial to the war effort. This activity teaches you to make your own invisible ink and write your own secret messages!