Teacher Resources
Valley Forge
Inquiry Question
What does it mean to "professionalize" an army? What specific skills and behaviors did von Steuben teach?
Primary Sources
What Teachers and Students Use
The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 12-13
PRIMARY · University of Virginia Press
5 analysis prompts
Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States
PRIMARY · Styner and Cist (Baron von Steuben)
5 analysis prompts
Valley Forge National Historical Park: Official Site and Research Archive
INSTITUTIONAL · National Park Service
5 analysis prompts
General George Washington: A Military Life
SECONDARY · Random House (Edward G. Lengel)
5 analysis prompts
The Morale of the American Revolutionary Army
SECONDARY · American Council on Public Affairs (Allen Bowman)
5 analysis prompts
Downloads
Ready to Print
Student packet, teacher guide with answer key, and quiz — each formatted for classroom printing.
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Lesson Plan
In the Classroom
Learning Objectives
- 1Describe the condition of the Continental Army on arrival at Valley Forge in December 1777
- 2Explain von Steuben's training method, including the model company approach and standardized drill
- 3Analyze the evidence of transformation in soldiers' performance at the Battle of Monmouth (June 1778)
- 4Evaluate the role of individual leadership in institutional change
Explore Further
Valley Forge in the Knowledge Graph
The lesson packet draws from these pages. Use them to extend the lesson or give students primary source context.
Comparative Study
Connected Towns
The corroborate prompts in the student packet point to these towns. Teachers can assign cross-town comparisons.
Germantown
SHARED EVENT
The Battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777) preceded the Valley Forge encampment by just nine weeks. Washington's army retreated after Germantown and marched directly to Valley Forge. The two sites represent the failure and subsequent recovery of the Continental Army during the same campaign season.
Philadelphia
GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY
The army watched British-occupied Philadelphia from their winter camp at Valley Forge.
Morristown
COMPARISON
The two great winter encampments that tested and transformed the Continental Army.
Assessment
Valley Forge in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history. · 5 questions · Answer key in Teacher Guide PDF
What makes Valley Forge significant in Revolutionary history?
multiple choice
Primary sources are documents or objects created during the time period being studied.
true false
Name one event that occurred in Valley Forge during the Revolutionary period and explain its significance.
short answer
+ 2 more in the full quiz PDF
Ready to Print?
All three documents below — student packet, teacher guide, and quiz — are formatted for letter-size classroom printing.