Teach the Boston Tea Party Interactively in a Way Your Students Will Love

Do your students think the Boston Tea Party was just a party with tea? Help your students understand the real story with this virtual field trip! This Boston Tea Party virtual field trip is designed to take a moment in early colonial America and transform it into an interactive and meaningful learning experience.

By focusing on the Boston Tea Party, your students get to walk through a pivotal moment in American history, examining the causes, the event itself, and its consequences in an engaging and interactive way.

Instead of lecturing or assigning textbook reading, students actively participate in a virtual field trip. They explore a replica ship using the built-in Google Earth links, watch short video clips, and answer response questions to connect the past to the present.

This activity helps students realize that the Boston Tea Party wasn’t just about tea—it was about identity, power, protest, and the birth of American resistance.

I've designed this activity to bring history to life while also doing a lot of the heavy prep work to save you time. And you'll find that it is much more meaningful than completing worksheets. This ready-to-go activity invites students to explore virtually, sparks curiosity, and gets your students to think critically.

This virtual field trip covers:

• Geographic location of Boston Harbor

• What was the Boston Tea Party?

• What Happened?

• Who Was Involved?

• Why Did the Colonists Protest?

• Who Cares About Tea?

• Smuggling Goods

• The Three Ships

• Griffin's Wharf

• The Types of Tea

• Robinson Tea Chest

• How Did the British React?

• First Continental Congress & Revolutionary War

I've designed this activity to support differentiation. You can conduct this virtual field trip whole group, or assign it individually, where students can explore and move through the slides at their own pace. The digital format makes it easier for students to engage with visuals, primary source images, and explore using the built-in Google Earth links.

From a logistical standpoint, because this is a fully digital resource, it works seamlessly whether students are in the classroom, remotely learning, or doing hybrid instruction. All they need is a device and internet access. Your role shifts from “deliverer of facts” to “facilitator of exploration.”

Ultimately, this activity is about making history vivid for students. The Boston Tea Party wasn’t a distant, dusty event. It was a decision made by people acting in a moment of crisis, and its ripple effects still touch us today. By giving your students a digital field trip through that moment, you can spark curiosity and help your students see that history isn’t just in the past.

This Virtual Field Trip Includes:

• Informational Text (build background knowledge)

• Response Questions (EDITABLE)

• Google Earth™ Links to 360-degree views

• Grading Rubric

• Everything is set up in Google Slides & ready to go!

Standards Alignment:

• Common Core Standards for Reading Informational Text

• Washington State Social Studies Standards for 5th-grade U.S. History

• National Council for the Social Studies Standards

Find this ready-to-go resource here: Boston Tea Party Virtual Field Trip