Teaching
American History
For All
A series of lessons incorporating literacy strategies for
Mt Diablo Unified School District
5th, 8th, and 11th grade teachers,
in partnership with
University Of California- Berkeley
History-Social Science Project
5th Grade Lesson: New France
Laurie Rogers, MDUSD 5th Grade Teacher Leader
Lauren Weaver, MDUSD Grant Coordinator
Donna Leary, Grant Director, UCB H-SSP Director
Teaching American History for All
MDUSD/UCB H-SSP
5th Grade Lesson
Developed by: Laurie Rogers, Lauren Weaver, and Donna Leary.
Overarching Grant Focus Question:
How did definitions of citizenship change from the 17th century to the 20th century?
5th Grade Yearlong Focus Question:
How did Americans change from being colonial subjects to American citizens?
Unit Focus Question:
Why did the Europeans explore North America and what were the results of their
explorations?
Unit Working Thesis:
The European explorers’ search for a more direct water route to Asia resulted in new
lands, trade and resources and had an impact on the natives they encountered.
Lesson Focus Question/Writing Prompt:
Why did the French claim land in North America?
Lesson Working Thesis:
Reading Strategy Lesson:
Sentence Deconstruction
Writing Strategy Lesson:
Develop student practice worksheet for at least two of the following: thesis, evidence,
analysis
Suggested Amount of Time: 45 minutes
Textbook:
The United States: Making a New Nation, Reflection Series, Harcourt
School Publishers, 2007, p177
Other Resources:
Map of world as a reference
Context of the lesson in the unit:
This lesson is taught in the middle of the chapter on colonization of North America
students already know about Plymouth and Jamestown.
Procedure:
 Start by eliciting information from students regarding what types of people have arrived
in the New World. Where did they come from? Why did they come here? (Using a map
is helpful).
 Introduce strategy: This is not a strategy used on every reading, but when sentences are
long and complex, this helps you understand it better because we are going to
deconstruct, or break down the sentences into smaller pieces.
 Introduce reading: “New France” on p177
 Read paragraphs with students
 Ask students to put a squiggly line under the tough words or words that are important.
Hold a discussion and write down (on board/overhead) important vocabulary words and
have students help in defining them.
 Teacher Guided “Sentence Chunking”
o Read a sentence and model sentence chunking
o Circle the verbs and verb phrases
o Underline the nouns and noun groups that are the subject of the sentence
o Students work in pairs/ small groups. According to class ability, students circle
and underline part or all of paragraph #2 in pairs/groups
 Explain Sentence- Level Deconstruction Chart headers: Time Marker/Connector, Action
Words/
 Teacher-Guided
 Students practice in pairs for second paragraph
History-Social Science Content Standards: 5.2.4, 5.3.1, 5.3.2, 5.4.5
5.2 Students trace the routes of early explorers and describe the early explorations of
the Americas.
4.
Locate on maps of North and South America land claimed by Spain, France,
England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Russia.
5.3 Students describe the cooperation and conflict that existed among the American
Indians and between the Indian nations and the new settlers.
1. Describe the competition among the English, French, Spanish, Dutch, and Indian
nations for control of North America.
2. Describe the cooperation that existed between the colonists and Indians during the
1600s and 1700s (e.g., in agriculture, the fur trade, military alliances, treaties, cultural
interchanges).
5.4 Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic institutions that
evolved in the colonial era.
5. Understand how the British colonial period created the basis for the development
of political self-government and a free-market economic system and the differences
between the British, Spanish, and French colonial systems.
Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills:
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
4. Students use map and globe skills to determine the absolute locations of places and
interpret information available through a map's or globe's legend, scale, and symbolic
representations.
Historical Interpretation
1. Students summarize the key events of the era they are studying and explain the historical
contexts of those events.
2. Students identify the human and physical characteristics of the places they are studying
and explain how those features form the unique character of those places.
Reading/Language Arts Content Standards:
Reading:
1.1 Read aloud narrative and expository text fluently and accurately and with appropriate
pacing, intonation, and expression
2.3 Discern main ideas and concepts presented in non-fiction texts, identifying and
assessing evidence that supports those ideas
2.4 Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with
textual evidence and prior knowledge.
Writing:
1.0 Writing Strategies
Organization and Focus
1.2 Create a multi-paragraph expository composition.
1.6 Edit and revise to improve the meaning and focus of writing…
2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)
2.2 Write responses to literature: c. Develop interpretations that exhibit careful reading and
understanding.
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
New France
While Spain and England were building colonies in North America, France
was claiming more land in what are today Canada and the northeastern United
States. French claims to this region, which became known as New France, began
with Jacques Cartier. He explored the St. Lawrence River in the early 1500s and
began an important trading partnership with the Huron Indians.
French merchants wanted the wealth that came from the fur trade. The
French king wanted to increase his country’s power. He encouraged merchants to
start colonies in North America.
From: The United States: Making a New Nation, Reflection Series, Harcourt School Publishers,
2007, pg. 177
New France
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
Time
marker
Connector
While
Participants or
Doers
(nouns)
Spain and England
Action
Words
(verbs)
were
building
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
Questions or
conclusions
France
was
claiming
claiming=
French claims to this region, which became
known as New France,
began
New France=
(in the early
1500’s)
He (Jacques Cartier)
explored
exploration=
and
(Jacques Cartier)
began
trading=
colonies=
partnership=
What did Jacques Cartier and the Huron get from each other?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Time marker
Connector
Participants or
Doers
(nouns)
French merchants
Action
Words
(verbs)
wanted
The French king
wanted to increase
He (French King)
encouraged
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
Questions or conclusions
What was the item that the Hurons had that the French wanted? Why did the French want the item?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
New France
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
Time
marker
Connector
While
Participants or
Doers
(nouns)
Spain and England
Action
Words
(verbs)
were building
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
Questions or conclusions
France
was claiming
claiming=
began
New France=
(in the early
1500’s)
French claims to
this region, which
became known as
New France,
He (Jacques
Cartier)
explored
Exploration=
and
(Jacques Cartier)
began
trading=
colonies=
partnership=
What did Jacques Cartier and the Huron get from each other?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Time marker Participants or
Connector
Doers
(nouns)
French merchants
Action
Words
(verbs)
wanted
The French king
wanted to
increase
He (French king)
encouraged
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
Questions or conclusions
merchants=
What was the item that the Hurons had that the French wanted? Why did the French want the item?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
Time marker Participants or
Connector
Doers
(nouns)
While
Spain and
England
France
Action
Words
(verbs)
were building
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
colonies in North America,
Questions or conclusions
was claiming
more land in what are
today Canada and the
northeastern United States.
claiming=
with Jacques Cartier.
New France=
(in the early
1500’s)
French claims to began
this region, which
became known as
New France,
He (Jacques
explored
Cartier)
the St. Lawrence River
Exploration=
and
(Jacques Cartier) began
an important trading partnership
with the Huron Indians.
trading=
colonies=
partnership=
What did Jacques Cartier and the Huron get from each other?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Time marker Participants or
Connector
Doers
(nouns)
French merchants
Action
Words
(verbs)
wanted
Person or thing affected:
Outcome
(nouns)
the wealth that came from
the fur trade.
The French king
wanted to
increase
his (French king) country’s
power.
He (French king)
encouraged
merchants to start colonies
In North America.
Questions or conclusions
merchants=
What was the item that the Hurons had that the French wanted? Why did the French want the item?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Lesson Focus Question: Why did the French claim land in North America?
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________