The Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts | FREE U.S. History Mini Reader Lesson for Grade 5+

This U.S. History Reading Resource “Mini Reader” is based on The Boston Tea Party & The Intolerable Acts and it tells the story of how colonists in Boston protested unfair British taxes in 1773. The British passed the Tea Act to raise money after wars and assert control, but colonists saw it as part of a pattern of "taxation without representation" that could make them economic vassals. Leaders like Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Paul Revere organized a secret plan, disguising as Mohawk Indians to dump 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor. King George III responded with harsh Intolerable Acts, closing the port and tightening rule. These events unified the colonies, sparking resistance that led to the First Continental Congress and the path to the American Revolution.

This resource is meant for grades 5-8 students and should take about ~20 minutes to read depending on your classroom's level. An extra ~25 minutes for prep, discussion, vocabulary or short answer comprehension questions should also be planned.

The Mini Reader is structured to create an engaging narrative, styled like a mini-novel with a strong plot and vivid details to draw students in. These sections encourage chunking and helps students build mental models and schema of the historical topic, making complex events easier to understand.
Introduction (setting the scene and hook)

• Rising Action (building events and tensions)
• Deeper Insights (explaining key concepts and motivations)
• Climax (peak event with suspense)
• Falling Action (consequences and reactions)
• Resolution and Reflection (tying to significance with thought-provoking questions).

This product includes a zip file consisting of:

Mini Reader Text ~1800 words (PDF, DOCX, Google Docs)

• Print Version (4 pages including 8 short answer questions)
• Digital Version (4 pages, text only, use slides worksheet)

Student Worksheet (PPT, Google Slides, PDF print)

• 5 Vocabulary Words
• 4 Short Answer Recall/Comprehension
• 4 Higher Order Application Questions

Teacher’s Guide & Answer Key (PDF, DOCX, Google Docs)

• Themes & Discussion Question Prompts
• Standards Alignment Guide
• Answer Keys for Vocab & Short Answer Questions

Multiple Choice Exit Quiz (Google Forms)

• 20 Multiple Choice Questions (Self-Grading)

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