Students explore how women shaped the Revolutionary War by examining their diverse roles and evaluating biographies of key figures. They analyze primary sources, interpret contributions, and consider how these efforts influenced independence and aided in the war effort.
Students read an introduction explaining that women contributed to the Revolutionary War in many ways beyond the battlefield, then review the lesson objectives. They examine an image of Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler burning her wheat fields and read a caption about Abigail Adams as an early advocate for women’s rights. Students closely read an excerpt from Abigail Adams’s 1776 letter urging John Adams to “remember the ladies,” then respond to two discussion prompts on a shared wall about the warning she gave her husband and what the quote suggests about women’s lives in colonial society. They read classmates’ posts and add a thoughtful idea or question to at least one response.
Teacher MovesIntroduce the focus of the lesson on women’s contributions during the Revolution and review the objectives with students. Use the images and the Abigail Adams quote to highlight that women were politically aware and advocating for greater rights even without formal power. Facilitate the wall discussions by prompting students to infer women’s expectations and frustrations from the quote, asking follow-up questions that push them beyond paraphrasing. Optionally, draw on the full letter text (from teacher resources) to provide additional context as needed before unlocking the next scene.
Students view an image of colonial women at a spinning wheel and read background text explaining that women supported the American Revolution in many ways on and off the battlefield. They read The Roles of Women in the American Revolutionary War to learn about different roles women held during the war. Using a drawing tool, they create or insert an image that represents the role that stood out to them most and write a caption explaining their choice with details from the text. Afterward, they reflect on why women’s efforts mattered to the war and respond on a shared wall to explain what made these contributions important to the success of the Continental Army.
Teacher MovesFrame the scene by emphasizing that women’s roles were varied and essential to the war effort. Support students as they work with the article, prompting them to connect specific textual details to their drawings and captions. Lead a share-out where students explain their chosen roles and why they found them significant, ensuring that all major roles from the text are discussed. During the wall discussion, press students to move beyond listing roles and instead analyze how women’s actions supported soldiers and the broader cause, using questions like “What might have happened without this kind of support?” before transitioning to the next scene.
Working in small groups, students read and preview biography summaries in Significant Women of the American Revolution. Each group selects four of the seven women and completes a concept map, using one stem for each woman to describe her specific contributions to the Revolutionary War and the fight for independence. After completing the organizer, students individually respond to a poll selecting which woman’s actions they believe were most important to the war effort.
Teacher MovesSet up groups and clarify that the goal is to understand concrete examples of women’s contributions and their impact. Monitor group work on the concept map, prompting students to be specific about each woman’s actions and why they mattered. Lead a whole-class discussion where groups share key contributions from the women they studied, and guide students to consider why some women are remembered in history while many others are not. After the poll, invite students to justify their choices with evidence from the biographies and, if desired, facilitate a Philosophical Chairs–style debate to encourage evidence-based reasoning and respectful disagreement.
Students read an introduction to Phillis Wheatley as an enslaved African woman and early published poet whose work connected personal experience with ideas of liberty. They analyze an adapted excerpt from one of her poems through two hot-text questions: first, selecting the line that best describes her personal experience of being enslaved, and second, selecting the line that expresses her hopes for freedom. Then they watch Phillis Wheatley: Pioneering Black Poet to learn more about her life, accomplishments, and influence during a time of slavery and revolution. After viewing, they contribute to a word cloud by adding words or short phrases that capture their thoughts about Wheatley’s achievements and their impact.
Teacher MovesExplain that this scene extends learning by focusing on how ideas and writing could shape Revolutionary-era thinking. Support students with the challenging language of Wheatley’s poem by reading the excerpt aloud and, when appropriate, having them reread lines independently. Review responses to the hot-text questions, drawing attention to emotionally powerful or significant phrases and discussing how word choice conveys Wheatley’s experiences and hopes. After the video and word cloud, highlight recurring ideas students generated (such as bravery or trailblazing) and guide a discussion about how Wheatley’s position as an enslaved poet and her themes of liberty may have influenced colonial attitudes toward freedom and independence.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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