Trace the "Steps" to the American Revolution

3.8 based on 12 ratings
Updated on Sep 11, 2014

There were quite a few developments that led up to the American Revolution, and it can be challenging to remember them all. The Hat Act, the Tea Act, the Stamp Act and the Boston Massacre are just a few of the events that paved the way for the colonists to revolt against England. Want to help your child keep them all straight? This project shows you how to create a visual representation of all the different steps—literally. Engage the whole family (or classroom!) in the activity by delegating different roles to everyone: tracers, fact checkers, writers, and coloring experts!

What You Need:

  • Social studies book
  • Paper
  • Pencil
  • Markers or colored pencils
  • Scissors
  • Tape

What You Do:

  1. Have the official "tracer" trace different left and right feet onto separate pieces of paper. Have him go around and trace all the members of the family, as it's fun (and helpful) to feature feet of different sizes on the paper.
  2. Next, invite your child cut out all the traced feet.
  3. On the inside of each traced foot, have her write a different event that lead to the American Revolution, using her social studies book as a guide. In each of the cut-out feet, be sure to include the date and a brief summary of what happened.
  4. Now, ask her to decorate the feet with small symbols or pictures. Use bigger feet to indicate more significant events and use smaller feet to show less important events.
  5. Tape the feet to the wall, the floor, or a window in chronological order.

This activity can be adapted to suit any series of steps leading up to a major event. You can even chart the history of your family "step by step"!

Daniella K. Garran is a seventh grade social studies teacher who lives on Cape Cod. She has published several articles about project-based learning. She spends summers working as an assistant director of a camp on the Cape.