The First Continental Congress U.S. History Mini Reader Lesson for Grade 5+

This U.S. History Reading Resource “Mini Reader” is based on The First Continental Congress and it tells the story of how delegates from twelve colonies met in Philadelphia in 1774 to respond to the Intolerable Acts and growing British control. After the Boston Tea Party, King George III and Parliament punished Massachusetts, closing the port of Boston and tightening rule. Colonists feared that if these punishments worked in Boston, other colonies would be next.

Leaders like Samuel Adams, John Adams, George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin answered the call for unity. The mini reader follows Abigail and Benjamin as they hear news of the Congress and watch how local families join boycotts and prepare for change. Inside Carpenters’ Hall, delegates argue over petitions, boycotts, and militias before agreeing on the Continental Association and the Declaration and Resolves.

These decisions did not yet declare independence, but they created a united front and set the colonies on a new path that led toward Lexington, Concord, and 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.

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Free Download! The Boston Tea Party & Intolerable Acts Mini Reader

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 ~1500 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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