Social Studies Worksheet · Grades 4–6
The Battle of Lake Erie Worksheet
A social studies worksheet about the Battle of Lake Erie, fought on September 10, 1813, for grades 4 through 6. Students read about why control of one lake decided the war on the northwestern frontier, how Oliver Hazard Perry built a fleet out of trees that were still standing a few weeks earlier, and what he did when his flagship was shot to pieces, then answer multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions.
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Subject
Social Studies
Grades
Grades 4–6
Skill Focus
The Battle of Lake Erie, us history
Lesson Length
20 minutes
Learning Objectives
Students will read about the Battle of Lake Erie and answer comprehension questions about why control of the lake decided the war in the west, how Oliver Hazard Perry built a fleet from standing timber, and what he did when his flagship was destroyed.
- Explain why control of Lake Erie decided the fighting on the northwestern frontier.
- Describe how the American fleet on the lake was built.
- Explain what Perry did after his flagship was disabled, and why it worked.
- Describe what the victory allowed the American army to do next.
Lesson Overview
About this worksheet
The war on the northwestern frontier was decided by a lake, and the reason is the sort of thing a map makes obvious. There were no roads through that country worth the name, so every soldier, cannon, and barrel of flour had to move by water. Britain had warships on Lake Erie and the United States had none, which is why an American army gave up Detroit in 1812 without firing a shot.
This worksheet follows what the United States did about it. A twenty-seven-year-old officer named Oliver Hazard Perry was sent to a small town in Pennsylvania and told to build a fleet he did not have. Shipwrights came overland, and the timber went from standing tree to ship’s hull in weeks. Green wood warps, which normally rules it out. These ships only had to last one season.
The battle itself turned on a decision students tend to remember for the rest of the unit. Perry’s flagship took the fire of the entire British line almost alone until four out of five men aboard were down and her guns had stopped working. He hauled down his battle flag, got into a rowboat, and had himself rowed half a mile through gunfire to a ship whose guns still worked. Fifteen minutes after he arrived, every British vessel had surrendered.
The flag he carried across that half mile read “Don’t give up the ship.” He had just given up his ship, and that is what won the battle. The passage draws the tension out rather than leaving the slogan to stand on its own, because on its own it describes the opposite of what Perry actually did.
Section A asks students to circle the best answer to four multiple choice questions. Section B asks students to write TRUE or FALSE for six statements about the passage. Section C asks students to fill in six missing words. A complete answer key is included on page 3.
How to Use This Lesson
Distribute the worksheet or display it for the class.
Have students read the passage about the Battle of Lake Erie.
Students complete Section A (multiple choice), Section B (true/false), and Section C (fill in the blank).
Review answers together using the included answer key.
Printable Resource
A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.
Free Member Resource · Printable PDF · 3 pages · Answer Key
The Battle of Lake Erie Worksheet
A social studies worksheet about the Battle of Lake Erie, fought on September 10, 1813, for grades 4 through 6. Students read about why control of one lake decided the war on the northwestern frontier, how Oliver Hazard Perry built a fleet out of trees that were still standing a few weeks earlier, and what he did when his flagship was shot to pieces, then answer multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-the-blank questions.
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