Massachusetts Historical Society

Johnny Tremain and the Members of the Long Room Club

Developed by Ronald Blackington, Wareham Middle School, Wareham, Mass.

This series of lessons for middle-school students centers around the characters in Esther Forbes's novel Johnny Tremain, comparing them to members of the Long Room Club, the actual group on which Forbes's Boston Observers were based. Students will become familiar with Boston in the 1770s, and, using primary sources, discover what really happened at the Boston Tea Party. They will then break into groups, using primary sources to learn about the members of the Long Room Club, including John and Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, and examine their similarities to the characters in Johnny Tremain. Activities in this unit include presentations, oral reports, and mock meetings.

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