Teacher Resources
Valley Forge
Students examine how Baron von Steuben transformed the Continental Army through systematic training, exploring what professional military training means, how it was implemented under difficult conditions, and why the transformation mattered at the Battle of Monmouth and beyond.
Grade Range
6-8
Duration
2 class periods
Included
3 Resources
What's Included
Everything
You Need
- 5 primary sources with analysis prompts
- Quiz with answer key (5 questions)
- 3 printable handouts
Lesson Overview
Students examine how Baron von Steuben transformed the Continental Army through systematic training, exploring what professional military training means, how it was implemented under difficult conditions, and why the transformation mattered at the Battle of Monmouth and beyond.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to "professionalize" an army? What specific skills and behaviors did von Steuben teach?
- How do you train an army when conditions make training almost impossible?
Primary Sources
5 Sources for Analysis
PRIMARY · TIER1
The Papers of George Washington: Revolutionary War Series, Vol. 12-13
University of Virginia Press
PRIMARY · TIER1
Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States
Styner and Cist (Baron von Steuben)
INSTITUTIONAL · TIER1
Valley Forge National Historical Park: Official Site and Research Archive
National Park Service
View SourceSECONDARY · TIER1
General George Washington: A Military Life
Random House (Edward G. Lengel)
SECONDARY · TIER1
The Morale of the American Revolutionary Army
American Council on Public Affairs (Allen Bowman)
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
Assessment
Valley Forge in the American Revolution
Answer the following questions based on our study of Revolutionary history.
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 questions in the full packet
Ready to Print?
The full teacher packet includes cover page, lesson plan, all primary source worksheets, quiz, answer key, and standards alignment — formatted for classroom printing.