The drawing shows George Washington moving his men during the battles in August 1776 for control of New York City.  The American army was forced to retreat, and the British held the city for the rest of the war.

   Students should work from the finished map shown with the link from this section's main index page.  Emphasize neatness from the beginning!

   Ask students to color the rivers, lakes, and the Chesapeake Bay first.  Use blue for the rivers, and light blue for the lakes and the bay.  Point out Lake Champlain - it's easy for students to miss it.
 
   Next, have students draw, with a red or orange color pencil, the approximate route of General Cornwallis in the last stage of the war.
 
   Explain how the pattern of fighting becomes more clear if the battles are divided into three time periods and areas.  Not all the action of the Revolution fits such a division, but most of it does.  An important skill in historical studies is the ability to find patterns, and judge how well the patterns fit the complexity of the real world.

   Tell students to very carefully draw the three color ovals with color pencils, matching the colors to the key.  The outline and shading must be done very lightly so the map places remain visible.