Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, 1851. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
{Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons}
We have another full week of Mix-ins to share with you on this fine Monday! The following are a mix of resources about Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Day, 1776, and a look at a few key Revolutionary people. Once again we remind you that these are not required, but are fun optional learning activities you can do with your kids on home days if you so choose. Enjoy!
VIDEOS:
The Winter Patriots – A 27-minute documentary about the Crossing of the Delaware:
The Crossing – This movie, made in 2000, is available to watch in parts on YouTube. Here’s part 1:
The 10 Days That Changed The World, Washington's Crossing the Delaware – Here’s a 15-minute clip from this documentary about the crossing:
George Washington crosses Delaware River in annual Christmas Day Revolutionary War reenactment – a short video about this annual event:
George Washington: Truth Behind the River Ride – An ABC news clip showing what’s not quite right about the famous painting (pictured above), and what the actual crossing may have looked like:
Meet People from the Past – Here are several videos about Washington, viewed through the eyes of his family, friends, fellow revolutionaries and slaves.
Alexander Hamilton – Anyone who’s been listening to the “Hamilton” soundtrack will already know most of the information contained in this mini-biography, but it’s a nice overview of his life and contribution:
Thomas Jefferson by Ken Burns – Here’s a short clip from a longer documentary about our third president:
James Madison: Did You Know? – A “fun facts” type of short video from the History Channel about this man and how he shaped American history:
Ben and Me – A Disney short film:
Nathan Hale, American Spy… What His Sacrifice Means – This short bio is from the CIA:
Spies of the Revolution – If you’re patient enough to scroll through the videos using the right arrow, find the video called “Spies of the Revolution” to learn more about this fascinating subject!
Betsy Ross Makes a Flag – This 8-minute video is available to stream for free on Amazon Prime.
The Betsy Ross House – Hear from “Betsy” herself, and see a demonstration on how to make a 5-pointed star:
Patriotic Music – Here’s another interesting video from Colonial Williamsburg. Drum Major Lance Pedigo, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison give their thoughts about what makes music patriotic:
WEBSITES:
Washington Crossing the Delaware painting interactive – “Explore this interactive and see how historical accounts of the American Revolution differ from the way the artist portrayed the events and the reasons why the artist made some of those choices.”
Games about George Washington – Here you’ll find a tile game, a “Who Am I?” game, a crossword puzzle, and a word search, all about the first president.
Interactive Portrait of George Washington – Learn about George Washington’s famous portrait, then go here to solve the mystery of what’s missing from the picture.
Game: Help George Washington Cross the Delaware River
Washington Crosses the Delaware craft activity
Map of the Battle of Trenton (the battle fought after crossing the Delaware River)
People of the American Revolution – This is a list of links about various key people, with more info, photos, videos, etc.
Revolutionary First Ladies printable activity
Founding Fathers on US Currency printable activity
Photo Galleries of the American Revolution:
Flags of the Revolutionary War
Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Network – This is an Early American History podcast about America’s first spies, featuring the author of the book that the AMC series Turn is based on. This link is probably more interesting for parents than kids…
