Boston

Tea Party
color by number

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 Y o u m ay a l s o l i k e

Click on the image

Grab everything you need for your Revol utionary War Unit. This
American Revol ution BUNDLE includes 22 di fferent activities. From the
Boston Tea Party to the Battle of Bunker Hill, there's something for
every type of learner!

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 Overview
This Boston Tea Party Color by Number and Text Marking acti vity has your
students searching for text evidence from the reading passage and coloring in
answers. This is a highly engaging reading comprehension acti vity. Great
addition to your American Revolution unit.

Topics incl ude: British Parliament, No Taxation without Representation, Sons of

Liberty, Tea Act, Stamp Act, Intolerable Acts

Students read about the Boston Tea Party, answers questions, mark the text
for evidence, and color the picture according to thei r answer. Students will
examine the nonfiction reading passage multi ple ti mes and mark thei r
answers accordingly.

This is a great cross curriculum acti vity that also practices Language Arts
skills and citing evidence. You can use this Boston Tea Party acti vity for
antici patory sets, unit review, sub plans, extension acti vities, early-finishers, or
independent work. You choose what works best for you. No prep, j ust print &
go!

This is a fun, color ful acti vity that allows students to show comprehension
mastery while relaxing, learning and coloring in thei r answers. Hang the
finished product in the hall for teachers and students to stop and admi re.

What’s Included:
✔️ 1 Word Design
✔️ 12 Questions
✔️1 Reading Passage – Lexile – reading level - 810L – 1000L
✔️ Text Marking Di rections

What do you need?

Crayons, markers or colored pencils (Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple)

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 Directions
Print pages 5-9 for each student. These pa ges
incl ude the reading passa ge, 12 questions and text
marking as well as the picture to col or.

Ensure each student has crayons, markers or

col ored pencils.

Collect the finished product and hang them as a

display. The good news is that i f students get an
answer wrong, you will still have col or ful pages to
hang around the room!

If ti me permits, go over the answers found on

pages 10-11.

L e x i l e – r e a d i n g l e v e l - 810L – 1000L
Grade level Lexile Level
4 740-900
4 790-940
5 830-1010
5 880-1010
5 920-1010
6 925-1070
7 970-1120
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 Name:

Boston tea party

The Boston Tea Party was a major event that happened in Boston,
Massachusetts on December 16, 1773.
After the French and Indian War, which was fought between the
col onists and Britain a g ainst New France for control of America, Britain was
in a l ot of debt (they owed money). Since the war was fought for the
col onists, Britain believed it was fai r to tax them to help pay for money they
owed for providing troops and supplies. However, the col onists believed in
thei r motto “no taxation without representation,” which meant they shouldn’t
be taxed by Britain when they had no representation in the British
government (Parliament).
Although the col onists didn’t think the taxes were fai r and voiced thei r
opinions, Britain continued to i mpose many new taxes incl uding a tax on tea.
Protests started as tensions grew. A group of Patriots in Boston, who called
themselves the Sons of Liberty, started protesting the taxes and laws. The
Sons of Liberty, originally called the Loyal Nine, was a secret society of
American col onists who wanted to fight taxation by the British government.
The Loyal Nine was originally org ani zed to protest the passing of the Stamp
Act, a tax on printed goods. One protest that occurred in 1770, led to violence
when British soldiers fi red into a crowd of col onists, killing fi ve men. This
event became known as the Boston Massacre.
After the Boston Massacre, Britain repealed, or removed, most of the
taxes. However, they did not remove the tax on tea, since British col onists
drank a l ot of tea each year. In response, the col onists made the decision to
boycott (refuse to buy) British tea and instead, smuggle (sneak in illeg ally)
Dutch tea.
After col onists started boycotting tea, Britain l ost a substantial amount
of money on tea that was never bought. In response, Parliament passed the
Tea Act, which all owed Britain to have a monopoly (to have full control) on tea.
This meant the col onists could not buy tea from any other country or place
© Think Tank
and had to pay the high tax on tea to Britain. The new law all owed the British-
owned East India Company to bring tea in thei r shi ps di rectly to the col onies
from China. Because the shi ps did not stop in England fi rst, they avoided the
tax on goods and could sell thei r tea slightly cheaper to the col onists.
On December 16, 1773, the Sons of Liberty had a meeting and decided
they would not all ow the incoming tea from Britain to leave the shi ps, be sold
or used. Patriot leaders incl uded John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Samuel
Adams. However, when col onists refused to buy tea, the Governor would not
all ow the three shi ps to return to Britain without unl oading.
That night, a group of men disguised as Nati ve Americans boarded the
three East India Company shi ps sitting in the Boston Harbor filled with tea.
There were 180 men and they di vided themselves into 3 groups. They threw
342 cases of tea into the water, about 90, 000 pounds. The three British shi ps
were named the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and the Beaver. The British
government and King George III knew the protestors were not actually
Nati ve Americans despite thei r disguises, but many of the people who
partici pated were never known or revealed, and so they all went without
consequences.
As punishment for the Boston Tea Party, Britain passed the Intolerable
Acts (also known as the Coerci ve Act) in hopes of keeping thei r control and
getting the col onists to stop rebelling. These acts incl uded laws such as
cl osing the Boston Harbor until they paid for the l ost tea and removing thei r
rights for free elections in the col onies. The British Royal Navy sent warshi ps
to patrol the area and made sure no one went in or out. However, instead of
gi ving up, the col onists ended up uniting stronger than ever in thei r pursuit
to freedom. The col onies worked together and sent supplies to Boston,
because thei r harbor was cl osed, and continued to stand strong a g ainst
Britain. The Boston Tea Party, among other events, led to the Revol utionary
War in 1775.

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 Name: _________________________
Boston Tea Party
Answer the questions below. Then on the coloring page, color each numbered section with the corresponding
color. Follow the directions provided to cite evidence in the reading.

Text Answer Answer

Questions Answer A
Text Evidence
A B
How many cases of tea were Find proof in the reading and 342 432
#1 thrown into the Boston Harbor? UNDERLINE it in BLUE RED ORANGE

What year did the Boston Tea Find proof in the reading and 1770 1773
#2 Party occur? CIRCLE it in GREEN PURPLE STRIPES BLUE STRIPES

The British were in debt as a Ci vil War French &

Find proof in the reading and
#3 result of which war? YELLOW Indian War
BOX it in RED
ORANGE

Who was a leading member of Find proof in the reading and Jefferson Hancock
#4 the Sons of Liberty? BOX it in YELLOW RED GREEN

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The British-owned ____ India
Find proof in the reading West East
#5 Company brought tea di rectly to
and CIRCLE it in ORANGE BLUE PURPLE
the colonies from China.
Loyal Nine Loyal Seven
What were the Sons of Liberty Find proof in the reading and
#6 ORANGE GREEN
originally known as? UNDERLINE it in PURPLE
STRIPES STRIPES
 Boston Tea Party
Answer the questions below. Then on the coloring page, color each numbered section with the corresponding
color. Follow the directions provided to cite evidence in the reading.

Text Answer Answer

Questions Answer A
Text Evidence
A B
#7 At the ti me, who was the King Find proof in the reading and King James II King George III
of England? UNDERLINE it in BLUE BLUE YELLOW

The three British shi ps were the Find proof in the reading and Discovery Dartmouth
#8 Eleanor, Beaver and the ______. CIRCLE it in GREEN GREEN STRIPES PURPLE STRIPES

Printed goods
The Stamp Act placed a tax on Find proof in the reading and Glass and tea
#9 YELLOW
__________. BOX it in RED RED STRIPES
STRIPES
150 180
How many colonists boarded Find proof in the reading and
#10 ORANGE BLUE
the shi ps to dump tea? BOX it in YELLOW

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POLKA DOTS POLKA DOTS
Quartering Act Intolerable Acts
Which act closed the port of Find proof in the reading
#11 RED PURPLE
Boston? and CIRCLE it in ORANGE
STRIPES STRIPES
The Boston Tea Party was just 1775 1778
Find proof in the reading and GREEN RED
#12 one event that led the
UNDERLINE it in PURPLE STARS STARS
Revolutionary War in ____.
 12

4 5 6
2 7 1

10

11

7 2 3

12

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8 3 5 9 1
10 11
 Name: _________________________
Boston Tea Party
Answer the questions bel ow. Then on the col oring pa ge, col or each numbered section with the corresponding
col or. Foll ow the di rections provided to cite evidence in the reading.

Text Answer Answer

Questions Answer A
Text Evidence
A B
How many cases of tea were Find proof in the reading and 342 432
#1 thrown into the Boston Harbor? UNDERLINE it in BLUE RED ORANGE

What year did the Boston Tea Find proof in the reading and 1770 1773
#2 Party occur? CIRCLE it in GREEN PURPLE STRIPES BLUE STRIPES

The British were in debt as a Ci vil War French &

Find proof in the reading and
#3 result of which war? YELLOW Indian War
BOX it in RED
ORANGE

Who was a leading member of Find proof in the reading and Jefferson Hancock
#4 the Sons of Liberty? BOX it in YELLOW RED GREEN

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The British-owned ____ India
Find proof in the reading West East
#5 Company brought tea di rectly to
and CIRCLE it in ORANGE BLUE PURPLE
the colonies from China.
Loyal Nine Loyal Seven
What were the Sons of Liberty Find proof in the reading and
#6 ORANGE GREEN
originally known as? UNDERLINE it in PURPLE
STRIPES STRIPES
 Boston Tea Party
Answer the questions bel ow. Then on the col oring pa ge, col or each numbered section with the corresponding
col or. Foll ow the di rections provided to cite evidence in the reading.

Text Answer Answer

Questions Answer A
Text Evidence
A B
#7 At the ti me, who was the King Find proof in the reading and King James II King George III
of England? UNDERLINE it in BLUE BLUE YELLOW

The three British shi ps were the Find proof in the reading and Discovery Dartmouth
#8 Eleanor, Beaver and the ______. CIRCLE it in GREEN GREEN STRIPES PURPLE STRIPES

Printed goods
The Stamp Act placed a tax on Find proof in the reading and Glass and tea
#9 YELLOW
__________. BOX it in RED RED STRIPES
STRIPES
150 180
How many colonists boarded Find proof in the reading and
#10 ORANGE BLUE
the shi ps to dump tea? BOX it in YELLOW

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POLKA DOTS POLKA DOTS
Quartering Act Intolerable Acts
Which act closed the port of Find proof in the reading
#11 RED PURPLE
Boston? and CIRCLE it in ORANGE
STRIPES STRIPES
The Boston Tea Party was just 1775 1778
Find proof in the reading and GREEN RED
#12 one event that led the
UNDERLINE it in PURPLE STARS STARS
Revolutionary War in ____.
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