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.
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.
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
