Social Studies

In this interactive lesson, students investigate how Haudenosaunees and Cherokees experienced the American Revolution and how their interactions with colonists shaped those experiences. Building on their understanding of various causes of the War for Independence, students evaluate the importance of land in the conflict from Native perspectives. Students explore the essential question: how did Native nations, including the Haudenosaunee League and the Cherokee Nation, experience the American Revolution, and to what extent was land central to their experience of it? (Grades 9-12)

About the Author
Meghan Selway is a freelance educator, former museum educator, 15 year classroom veteran teacher, professional development leader for teachers, and curriculum developer. She’s worked with school districts across California, PBS Learning Media, C-SPAN Education, the California History Project, the Autry Museum, and more. Her passion is to provide teachers with the resources and support to create lifelong learners in today’s youth.

From PBS LearningMedia

Learn what life was like for young children and everyday people before, during, and after the American Revolution through the experiences of Betsy Ambler, a young girl who came of age during the war. Students explore the challenges that children and families faced and how their lives were altered by the American Revolution. By engaging in this interactive, students consider the following essential question: how did everyday young people, such as Betsy Ambler, experience the American Revolution? (Grades 3-8)

From PBS LearningMedia

In this interactive lesson, students step into the Founding Era to explore multiple perspectives and hopes for American democracy. Students identify the hopes and ideas for American democracy for different groups and individuals such as the Haudenosaunee, Phillis Wheatley, James Forten, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, George Washington, and Benjamin Rush. They also explore the key principles of American democracy each group or individual championed and examine how each group or individual’s desires revealed the limitations of democracy during this time. (Grades 6-12)

Students synthesize their knowledge by writing a response to the essential question: What did democracy mean to Americans during the Founding Era?

About the Author: About the Author:
Passionate about fostering critical thinking, media literacy, and informed citizenship, Mary Kate Lonergan spent 16 years teaching middle and high school social studies before taking her current role, where she serves as the Social Studies Curriculum Specialist at Fayetteville-Manlius Central Schools. She emphasizes media literacy as a core element of the social studies curriculum. Lonergan is a KQED Media Literacy Innovator, acts as a Teacher Collaborator and consultant with Ithaca College’s Project Look Sharp, and served as a mentor-coach with the Media Education Lab’s MediaEd Institute. As a PBS certified media literacy educator, Lonergan has developed social studies and media literacy-centered lesson plans featured on PBS LearningMedia, including other Ken Burns films.

From PBS LearningMedia

PBS aired The American Revolution, a six-part, 12-hour documentary series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt about the people who waged and witnessed a war that changed the world. Weaving together a wide variety of perspectives from soldiers, civilians, and leaders — famous and forgotten, young and old, native and newcomer, enslaved and free, rich and poor, Loyalist and Patriot — The American Revolution tells how, against all odds, 13 British colonies on the Atlantic Coast united in rebellion, won their independence, and established a republic that still endures.

PBS LearningMedia’s The American Revolution Classroom Collection harnesses the power of visual storytelling to bring the film’s insights, perspectives, and understandings to teachers and students in grades 3-12. Part of the Ken Burns in the Classroom hub, this robust collection offers more than 35 free, media-rich, and curriculum-aligned resources, designed by teachers and subject matter experts.

The American Revolution PBS LearningMedia One Sheet provides an overview of what is included in the collection.

A detailed educator guide has been created to accompany the collection. The guide makes it easier to navigate this expansive collection and provides specific details about each resource so that educators can assess the best ones for implementation in their unique classroom settings.

Explore the Guide HERE

The Educator Guide includes:

• An introduction to The American Revolution Classroom Collection, including how the collection was developed
• List of the curriculum writers and expert advisers, most of whom also consulted on the film
• A planning checklist providing guidance on how to bring the resources into your classroom, ensuring alignment to your curriculum
• A quick guide to the full list of classroom resources, including links to all resources by topic coverage area with relevant grade bands and other details

When: Wednesday, March 25, 7-8pm ET

Description:

Join PBS LearningMedia and the Museum of the American Revolution as we share new classroom resources for teaching the lasting influence of the American Revolution. Participants will explore how the Declaration of Independence’s impact extends beyond 1776 and the United States and continues to inspire global citizens today.

PBS LearningMedia will investigate the importance of the Declaration of Independence in the Revolutionary Era through the Ken Burns in the Classroom The American Revolution Collection, followed by a walkthrough of the Museum of the American Revolution’s new exhibit, The Declaration’s Journey, and a discussion of the Declaration’s global impact. You will leave with a deeper understanding of the consequences and legacies of the Revolutionary Era and ideas for sparking curiosity within your students as they connect the past to the present. From March 25, 2026.

Watch the Webinar On-Demand

Organized by PBSLearningMedia Events

Description:

Watch the archive to discover classroom-ready civics resources to support teaching the America 250 anniversary in this fast-paced virtual resource slam and Q&A. From Wednesday, March 11, 2026, from 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

What you’ll do

• Explore a wealth of resources from leading education organizations, including: Center for Civic Education, Facing History & Ourselves, KQED, National Writing Project and PBS LearningMedia.

What you’ll get

• Practical ideas and resources you can use right away to teach this landmark anniversary
• A copy of the presentation deck

Organized by KQED Education Events

More About The American Revolution NYS Resource Guide from the NY State Library: To support this statewide initiative, the Office of Standards and Instruction at the New York State Education Department has developed the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution Resource Guide, a comprehensive instructional resource designed to help educators explore the complex and inspiring history of the Revolution and the founding of the nation. 

It features interdisciplinary, standards-based learning experiences, including adaptable resources, instructional prompts, and project-based learning ideas. A defining feature of the guide is its emphasis on experiential learning, with each instructional prompt paired with opportunities for students to engage directly with New York’s rich collection of Revolutionary War sites.

The resource also aligns with NYSED’s strategic priorities, including the Portrait of a Graduate, by fostering critical thinking, creativity, and real-world problem solving. At the high school level, the activities are further connected to the Seal of Civic Readiness, reinforcing civic engagement.

Primary sources make lessons and presentations come alive for students or participants. Materials shared provide inquiry and context clues to increase awareness and tell a story. Historical context within a narrative of primary source items prepares students to make connections for deeper understanding. 

When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026, from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Description: As part of Civic Learning Week 2026, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) will host a webinar on the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution New York State Resource Guide

The webinar will explore how to use the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution New York State Resource Guide to support interdisciplinary, standards-aligned instruction and civic engagement.

The guide includes instructional prompts, project-based ideas, and experiential opportunities tied to New York’s Revolutionary history.

All educators across grade levels and content areas are encouraged to attend.

For questions, contact the Office of Standards and Instruction at P12StandardsInstruction@nysed.gov.

Learn more about the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution NYS Resource Guide