It’s back to school and back to the 1700s! These resources from Junior Scholastic and other Scholastic Classroom Magazines will bring history to life while building important knowledge about the American Revolution.

1.  Read About a True Teen of History

Junior Scholastic’s first issue this year includes the story of Sybil Ludington, a 16-year-old who risked her life during a nighttime ride to round up militia members. This story will captivate your students while teaching them about the 13 Colonies, the Continental Congress and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. A custom map with questions is included to help build students’ geography skills.

2.  Analyze a Primary Source

Analyze one of the most important documents in U.S. history with a Junior Scholastic Skill Builder that guides students to read excerpts from the Declaration of Independence. Footnotes define essential terms and explain key ideas, and students can answer questions independently or in pairs.

3. Take a Virtual Field Trip

Even if you don’t live near the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, your class can visit it with Lauren Tarshis, author of the I Survived series and editor-in-chief of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. Download a Classroom Kit for grades 2–8 and check out additional elementary teaching suggestions from Top Teaching blogger Genia Connell.

4. Act Out a History Play

Use the play “George Washington’s Spectacles” to bring events from 1783 to life. Assign roles and read the play aloud together as a class, encouraging students to use their voices, facial expressions and posture to convey their characters’ emotions.

5. Explore a Text Set

Text sets are collections of articles curated by the editors of Scholastic Classroom Magazines. Many teachers use texts sets for independent reading, while others use them for whole-class or small-group instruction. For middle school students, the Junior Scholastic America’s Founding text set includes articles about the American Revolution, history plays and primers on U.S. founding documents.

I hope you enjoy using these resources and that they bring the founding of the U.S. to life for your students. If you’re looking for more engaging articles about current and historical events, check out Junior Scholastic, the middle school Social Studies magazine. Start a free 30-day trial today.

—Jessica Warren is the executive education editor for Junior Scholastic. She previously taught middle school and high school in New York City.