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Explore foundational American principles, such as liberty, self-governance, and democracy, through media-making with your middle or high school students this school year. PBS LearningMedia’s The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge draws on themes covered in The American Revolution, the landmark documentary series from filmmakers Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.
The American Revolution Classroom Collection is available now on PBS LearningMedia and features more than 35 media-rich classroom resources for grades 3-12 that examine how 13 colonies on the Atlantic Coast united in rebellion, won their independence, and established a republic that still endures today. Classroom resources were developed with teachers and vetted by leading scholars and designed to help build students' critical thinking skills and ability to connect the past to the present.
PBS LearningMedia's The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge, co-hosted with PBS Member Station KQED, invites students to make media to share their knowledge, ideas, and understanding of important Revolutionary ideals and historic events. The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge is not a competition, and all submitted student media projects will be published in an online showcase on the project page. Selected pieces from the showcase are welcome to be shared else, including by your school or your local PBS member station.
The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge elevates student voice through audio, video, or graphics-based projects to share what students know about the American Revolution and its legacies.
Watch this short video featuring KQED’s Almetria Vaba, to learn more about The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge and how you can introduce this activity into your classroom.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge?
The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge invites middle and high school students to reflect on what they have learned about the Revolutionary era, including the ways people at the time thought about individual and collective independence, democracy, and liberty. Your students will then create media to showcase their learning. Media formats to choose from include:
- Audio essay
- Podcast
- Mini-documentary
- Short film
- Photo essay
- Infographic
I’m a teacher! How do I get started?
The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge is open all year! Whenever it works best in your classroom, you will guide students to create a media project in response to one of the Challenge prompts. There are two types of prompts: First Person and Show What You Know.
First Person Project - Teacher Toolkit:
Your students will create an audio essay, short film, or photo essay in response to one of the following questions:
- What does freedom mean to you?
- What does democracy mean to you?
- What does being an American mean to you?
Show What You Know Project - Teacher Toolkit:
Your students will create a podcast, mini documentary, or infographic in response to one of the following questions:
- What is the meaning of freedom?
- What is the meaning of democracy?
- Identify an important battle or campaign in the War for American Independence. How did it play out and what impact did it have on the people who experienced it or on the course the war took?
You can explore the First Person Teacher Toolkit, Show What You Know Teacher Toolkit, and other support resources on The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge homepage, including The American Revolution classroom resources.
We’re done! My students have finished creating their media projects. How do they submit their work to the Youth Media Showcase?
After your students have completed their projects, submission is easy!
- Make sure that you have signed up for a free account on The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge webpage. Please make sure to fully complete your teacher profile when creating an account! Students should NOT create accounts.
- Once your teacher account is active, you will have a code to share with your students, which they will use to submit their projects.
- There are submission templates for each media type included in the Teacher Toolkit. The templates help students collect all of the submission requirements in one place.
- When your students are ready to submit their projects, they will click the “Submit Project” button on The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge project page.
Watch this The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge workshop recording to further explore how your students can connect the foundational principles of the American Revolution through media-making.
Where are student media projects featured?
All student work will be published on the Youth Media Challenge project page in the order submitted. Each student piece receives a unique URL that makes it easy to share more broadly in your school community. You will be able to find other The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge submissions by clicking the featured pieces on the project pages.
Local PBS member stations may also feature student projects on their websites or newsletters. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and how your students’ projects might be shared in the Publishing FAQ.
When should I introduce this project to my classroom?
You can participate in The American Revolution Youth Media Challenge whenever it fits best in your classroom schedule, as it is open all year long and submissions are accepted on a rolling basis. Some teachers use it as a powerful summative project after teaching the Revolutionary era; others wait until later in the school year.
Is there a submission deadline?
No, there is no submission deadline. Your students can submit their media projects on a rolling basis throughout the school year, as it works best in your classroom. This is a fun and engaging media project that strengthens both historical and media literacy skills and is designed to help students connect their understanding of the past to their experience in the present. It’s not a competition but rather a challenge that supports critical thinking and student civic voice.
Ready to get started?
Head to https://youthmedia.kqed.org/americanrevolution to start exploring how you can introduce The American Revolution Youth Media Challengeto your classroom this school year. If you need support or have questions on how to introduce media-making to your classroom, KQED offers free online professional development courses and workshops to support educators like you. For support with submitting to the showcase, please reach out to ymc@kqed.org.