Development of a New Nation WebQuest

Social Studies SOL 5.3
Stacie Morioka, Lindsay Hamner, James Copenhaver
Radford University Teacher Education

Introduction
Have you ever stopped to think about what life was like some 250 years ago? There was no TV or telephones. There were no cars or airplanes. Some 250 years ago there was no United States of America but rather just 13 independent colonies that belonged to England. So how did the United State of America become an independent nation? How did we break away from England to form our own country and why did we? If it was not for the American Revolution the United State of America might not be what we know it as today…or even exist?

Explore the Revolution
You and a partner will be heading back 250 years to early colonial times to explore the reasons for the American Revolution, the battles that occurred during the Revolutionary War and what resulted from it in the end. Using the Internet source below, you will be completing the questions listed on this Web page as you explore the development of a new nation.

Where you will take your search
http://www.historychannel.com
In the search box type the following in it: American+Revolution.  When the ‘search results’ come back up click the second one on the list (American Revolution, the).

What you will be exploring
Read the informational summary of the revolution on this page. By clicking on the red, underlined words, which will lead you to a link, answer the following questions in your social studies notebook:

List the 13 colonies.
What did a government exercise under a mercantile policy?
What was the Stamp Act?
What were the Townshend Acts?
What did the Townshend Acts lead to?
Describe the Boston Massacre. What happened? Why did it happen?
Describe the Boston Tea Party. Why did it happen? What happened?
What were the Intolerable Acts?
What was the First Continental Congress? What did they do? Who was involved?
When did the first battle erupt? Where?
Who was George Washington? (Besides our first president)
What was the Declaration of Independence?
Describe the Saratoga Campaign.
What was Valley Forge? What happened?
Who surrendered? When? Where? Why?
Peace was reached when the ________________ was signed by ____________and ____________.

Analyzing information
What would you have done if you were in the colonies under England’s rule? What would you have done if you were England trying to control the colonies? Is there a compromise?

Finished...? Want more...? Think you know it all about the American Revolution...?
Go to the following Web sites to play some brain games about the American Revolution.
http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty & http://library.thinkquest.org/10966

Learning Strategies
Make sure that you have put this in your social studies notebooks in the American Revolution section. Write out questions if you want to for future reference. Explore more of the History Channel web page for more information about people and events of the Revolutionary War.

Completing your investigation
Today you should have explored events, people, battles, and other issues regarding the American Revolution. Using this information in the future we will be exploring the birth of our nation as we know it today. Just think… had this never happened, where would the United States be?