Project- Colonial Inventions
Standards covered:
Social Studies:
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SS4H3: Colonial Life
SS4CG2: 1st Amendment
SS4E1: Economics
Science:
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S4P3G: Simple Machines
Math:
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M4N2d: Round decimals to nearest whole #
M4N3: Multiplying 2-3 by 1-2
M4N4: Division
M4D1: data and graph analysis
Writing/Reading/ELA
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ELA4W2: Persuasive writing (states clear position)
ELA4W3: Uses research and tech to support writing
ELA4LSV2: Listening/speaking view points
ELA4R1: Comprehension
Activities:
1.
Start the project by diving class into teams of 4. (try to get one person on each team with a cell
phone, itouch with texting, or DS/DSi. Then discuss some of the struggles of Early Colonial life.
Technology Option: Students can text in answers on poll everywhere, they can share answers by
sending on DS to other groups or if none of that technology is available, we can list them on the board.
2.
Tell them that each team is starting a new company with the idea to produce and sell a tool
that will make colonial life easier or better. Then hand out the 3 graphs of the demographics of
their consumer market. One graph will show their consumers graphed by region of coloniesNew England, Mid-Atlantic, and Southern Colonies. The second graph will show their consumers
based on types- large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, indentured servants, slaves, and
Native Americans. The final graph will be a graph of their consumers’ struggles. Each graph will
be a different type- line, bar, pie. They will need to analyze their graphs to pull out important
information that they will want to consider when developing a tools. Some of the data is
irrelevant. Discuss consumer choices and how they are made- based on price, needs, etc.
3. Within their teams, they will design their tool. It can be a modern day tool that wasn’t around
back then or it can be an invented tool. The only requirement is that it contains at least one
simple machine (lever, pulley, wedge, inclined plane, screw, wheel and axle). They will need to
sketch it out, create a blurb about how it works, and list the materials they would need to
produce it. Then I will look at the list and assign a price for each piece of material needed. They
will then need to figure out the total cost to produce (rounded to the nearest whole number)
and given their budget, how many they can produce.
Technology Option: Students can sketch it on paper, a drawing app, or drawing program on
computer.
4. We will gather together and discuss price point- high vs. low prices, higher individual profits vs.
quantity sold, etc. They will then need to come up with a price to sell their product at.
5. While they are coming up with their price, I will take one person from each team and have them
“leak” their teams product to an opposing team, giving info about what the product is and who
their target market is.
Technology Option- Leaks can be created from someone that has a DS, Cell phone, or itouch. If
none are present, they can use a laptop to post on a blog.
6. The teams will then split (2 and 2). ½ will be working on their advertisement of their productcan be a podcast, video, poster, up to them on how they want to use their technology. The
other ½ will be making a smear advertisement for the opposing team’s product. These can be
created in any form as well.
Technology Option- advertisements can be made with any type of technology. I will provide flip
cameras if a team does not have video access and wants to make one. Laptops will also be provided
so no matter what technology the team has, they have options.
7. When finished, all advertisements will be displayed (one regular advertisement for each team
and one smear advertisement).
8. We will gather together to discuss the first amendment’s freedom of speech and whether they
believe it is fair or right to be able to say bad things about people or products. They will then
research real cases that involved the first amendment and what the decisions were. Within
their team they will write a persuasive piece to me (the judge) using facts about either the first
amendment or cases they have read about to get me to rule in their favor. I can award damages
(which can be used to produce more of their product) or just order the smear ad to be taken
down. If they are not persuasive and do not include evidence, the smear ad will stay up for all
consumers to see.
Technology Option- Internet access required here.
9. Each student in another 4th grade class will have been given a role to play (ex: farmer from a
mid-Atlantic colony) and some money. That class will come over and see the advertisements,
any smear ads, and the sketches of the products. They will then purchase whatever they want.
They can buy multiple items, one item, or choose not to buy anything at all if they don’t find
something that suits their needs. The teams can only sell the amount of products that they
were able to produce on their budget. The winning team will be the team that makes the most
profit. After all the sales have concluded, the consumer group (other 4th grade class) will share
how they made their decisions on what to buy- their needs, price, quality of product,
advertisements, and smear ads.
Wrap up- we will gather together and discuss how colonial life would have been different if they had
access to these new tools. What tools in the future will they possibly have to fix some of our needs
now?