Lexington and Concord

Tell the story of the first battles in 1775, and how militia used woods and stone walls against British lines.

Warm-up, learn, try it together, practice, then a quick check. About 15 minutes.

What children learn in Level 19

Before dawn on April 19, 1775, about 700 British soldiers marched west from Boston. Their goal was to seize weapons hidden at Concord.
At Lexington, local militia, called minutemen, stood on the town green. Shots rang out, no one knows who fired first, and the British moved on. These were the first shots of the Revolution.
At Concord, militia pushed the British back at the North Bridge. Then the long march back to Boston began.
Here's where the land mattered. The British used the road for speed, marching in long lines in bright red coats. The militia knew every wood and field. They fired from behind trees and stone walls, then ran ahead to do it again.
A poet later called it the shot heard round the world. The war had begun.

Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies:

SS4H1.c — Describe the major events of the American Revolution and explain the factors leading to American victory and British defeat; include the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown.
SS4G2.a — Explain how each force (American and British) attempted to use the physical geography of each battle site (Lexington and Concord, Saratoga, and Yorktown) to its benefit.