Unit 3 Heritage: Life in a Colonial Town Lesson Plan
Day 1
Word Knowledge:
Synonyms
Suffix “ment’ and “ant’
Suffix “tion”
Compound words
Build Background
Selection Vocabulary
1st Read
Life in a Colonial Town
Pg. 2 to 7
Strategies: Predicting,
Asking Questions,
determining main idea
and details
Inquiry
Primary Source:
Colonial Map by John
Smith 7.15 Primary
Sources in the Classroom
Spelling and Grammar:
Silent letters & pronouns
Writing:
Mini lesson:
Writer’s Craft:
Figurative Language 1.4
TE 277H
LAH 286-289
CWB 94-95
Day 2
Word Knowledge:
Sentences
Day 3
Daily Oral Language:
Sentence Stems
Day 4
Review Vocabulary:
Word Chat
Day 5
Review Vocabulary:
1st Read
Life in a Colonial Town
Pg. 8 to 15
1st Read
Life in a Colonial Town
Pg. 16 to 21
1st Read
Life in a Colonial Town
Pg. 22 to 30
Lesson Assessment:
Standard – based
benchmark questions for
expository text
Strategies: Predicting,
Asking Questions,
determining main idea and
details
Inquiry
Primary Source: Diary of
a Woman in colonial times
Strategies: Predicting,
Asking Questions,
determining main idea and
details
Inquiry
Primary Source: Slavery
Strategies: Predicting,
Asking Questions,
determining main idea and
details
Inquiry
Primary Source:
Primer
Skills: Drawing
Conclusions
Skills: Drawing
Conclusions
Skills: Drawing
Conclusions
Spelling and Grammar:
Silent letters & pronouns
Writing: Description of a
part of one aspect of
colonial heritage – Circle
map
Spelling and Grammar:
Silent letters & pronouns
Writing:
Add opening and closing.
Oral rehearse and begin
draft by taking it off the
map
Mini Lesson
Writer’s Craft: Figurative
Language 1.4
Spelling and Grammar:
Silent letters & pronouns
Writing: draft complete.
Revise: Mini Lessons:
Writing in your own words
Use of synonyms
Combining sentences
Sentence Variety
Inquiry
Relating to Heritage
Theme –Difference b/w
information from primary
sources and secondary
sources.
Spelling and Grammar:
Silent letters & pronouns
Writing:
Edit and Rewrite
Lesson Plan Details
Green Section: Word Knowledge, Oral Language
diverse
common
conflict
compromise
colonization plantation
exploration revolution
settlement advertisement servant
attendant
silversmith meetinghouse craftspeople wheelwright
Although the colonies were diverse in origin, there were many things
that they had in common.
Native Americans and colonists had many conflicts over land but
compromise also took place in order to live in peace.
After exploration by Europeans, colonization along the coast of
America began.
Craftspeople, like silversmiths, wheelwrights, and blacksmiths, were
necessary to the livelihood of a colony.
Day 1
About the words
Line 1: Antonyms (1.3)
Line 2: words having the suffix “tion” – all nouns 1.4
Line 3: words having the suffix “ment” are things; “ant” are nouns that are persons 1.4
Line 4: compound words – can you figure out what the words mean by their 2 parts? 1.4
Day 2
About the sentences: Read and review sentences – notice that the suffixes determine the word type and correct
syntax is needed.
Day 3
Developing Oral Language: Using the following sentence stems, students complete the sentences.
The settlement was surrounded by a wall because …
Colonization was developed along the coast because ….
Craftspeople had to have skills because…
Some of the diverse groups in a colony were …
Day 4
Word Chat with Selection vocabulary
necessary: If it is necessary, put your thumb up. If it is not necessary, put your thumb down.
The doctor says I need to have an operation.
There is a party that I have the option to attend.
The colonist used the outhouse in the middle of the night.
apprentice: If it is an apprentice, put your thumb up. If it is not an apprentice, put your thumb down.
A person is paid for working at McDonalds.
A young man watches the wheelwright to learn how to fix the wheel.
The boy set the type just like Ben Franklin at the printing press.
Colonists: If it is colonists put your thumb up. If it is not colonists, put your thumb down.
The man and his family helped to start a new town in America.
The woman and her children moved from the farm to a new city.
The astronauts began a new city on the moon.
Day 1
Building Background and Activating Prior Knowledge:
2.2 Using the timeline on pg. 4-5 Review the events leading up to colonization of America. Review pg. 5: the map to
understand the New England, Middle and Southern Colonies.
Clues, Problems, and Wonderings:
2.1 Teach Global contextual clues of Expository Text: Title, Table of Contents, Chapter Headings, pictures and
captions, photos, graphs, charts, labels, glossary and index to assist the student in comprehending the text.
Review the table of contents and determine how the text is organized (Create the Tree Map)
Life in a Colonial Town
Origin
Clothes and Shoes – limited and
women/girls (long
Daily Life expensive,Children
Clothing
dresses, aprons, hats), men/boys
(breeches, stockings, buttons, vests
and jackets)
Food
Linguistic Patterns for clues: I think that this text describes a time of long ago because ____________________.
Making Clothes – wool (cut, carded,
I think that it must have been a lotspun,thread,
of work living
a colony
woven, in
cloth,
sewn), because __________________________.
dying wool,)
Linguistic Patterns for wonderings:
I wonder what some of the (customs, traditions) of colony life were. (theme connection)
I wonder how this relates to our unit on heritage?
Selection Vocabulary
colonists: people who live and work in a colony
necessary: an outside toilet
apprentice: someone who, while working for the expert, is learning a trade (or job)
primer: a book used to teach young children to read, typically containing simple stories and alphabets
carded: brushing wool between 2 pieces of rough board to fluff it up
Word Challenge
Tell children that words can have more than one meaning. For example, necessary can mean “an outside
toilet” or “essential - something needed to be done”
Literary Elements: Although plot (which is part of narrative) is the focus of week in OCR, you can introduce the idea
of potential problems or conflicts that may have arisen during the colonial era (between slaves and owners, colonies and
their mother countries, Native Americans and colonists, the environment and colonial progress). There are many places
where you can predict these possibilities within Life in a Colonial Town or investigate them further with the primary
sources.
First Read (4 days) (2nd read will happen as students reread to gather information (Main Idea and details) in order to
describe colonial life, during their writing time. The skill – Drawing Conclusions- will be practiced with the primary
sources.)
Focus Question: How were traditions maintained in a colony? How might these traditions cause conflict with Native
Americans that had lived in the area or Africans who were enslaved in the colony?
Other: Relate to Heritage
Day 1: Pgs. 2- 7 –Visual Tool during Reading – Tree Map
Focus Question: Pg. 2-7 How were the colonies established?
Life in a Colonial Town
Origin
Colonial Times
Starting a Colony – work
to be done (homes,
meeting houses,
planting, workshops)
A growing
town/economy –
communication with
Europe, craftspeople,
shops, trade/barter
Spreading the News –
town crier, newspapers,
post rider,
Clothes and Shoes – limited and
Children (long
Clothing
Daily Life expensive, women/girls
dresses, aprons, hats), men/boys
(breeches, stockings, buttons, vests
and jackets)
Making Clothes – Day
wool (cut,
carded,
1: Pgs.
2-7
spun,thread, woven, cloth, sewn),
dying wool,)
Food
Strategic Questions during Reading
Pg. 2-3 Discuss the table of contents and ask questions about
it.
Asking Questions: How do you think heritage played a huge
role for these people?
Pg. 4-5 Take some time to look over the map, timeline, etc. to
develop knowledge of how colonies began. You may also
look in your History textbook for building further background
knowledge.
Pg. 6 Read the heading “Starting a Colony”.
Predict all that it might entail. What would some of the
problems be in starting a town so far away from England?
Pg. 6 Asking Questions: How might Europe and the colonies
become dependent upon each other?
Day 2: Pgs. 8 - 15
Focus Question: How were the people dependent upon each other in a colony?
Life in a Colonial Town
Origin
Colonial Times
Starting a Colony – work to be
done (homes, meeting houses,
planting, workshops)
Clothes and Shoes – limited and
Children (long
Clothing
Daily Life expensive, women/girls
dresses, aprons, hats), men/boys
A growing (breeches, stockings, buttons, vests
town/economy and
– jackets)
communication with
Making Clothes – wool (cut, carded,
Europe, craftspeople,
spun,thread, woven, cloth, sewn), Day 2: Pgs.
shops, trade/barter
dying wool,)
Reading
A growing town/economy – Spreading the News –
communication with Europe, town crier,
craftspeople, shops,
newspapers, post rider
trade/barter
Houses – building
Spreading the News – town materials, fireplace,
crier, newspapers, post rider, toilet, wells, furniture
A Busy Day – tasks of
men, women,
blacksmiths, millers,
cooper, slaves
Food
8 – 15: Strategic Questions during
Pg. 8-9 Asking Questions: How were the craftspeople
dependent on each other? (discuss how money was not used and
the role of the different craftspeople)
Pg. 10-11 Predict: What other jobs were necessary for a colony
to survive?
Asking Questions: (meta-cognition) I wonder how hard it might
be to get news or important information on time? Why?
Asking Questions: Why were these different types of
communication necessary for the colonies?
Pg. 12-13
Asking Questions: Wow! I wonder how hard it would be to use
the necessary or gather water in the wintertime?
Predict: No baths, one or two sets of clothes, one room home,
long winters…
Pg. 14-15 Asking Questions: How were the roles of men and
women different? What was the role of the slaves in the
colonies?
Day 3: Pg. 16 - 21
Focus Question: How did schooling reflect the colonial beliefs?
Life in a Colonial Town
Clothes and Shoes – limited and
expensive, women/girls
Food
Origin
Children (long
Clothing
Daily Life
dresses, aprons, hats), men/boys
(breeches,
buttons,
vests
Colonial Times
A stockings,
Child’s Day
–
A growing
and jackets)
work, school, boys,
town/economy –
Starting a Colony – work to be communication with girls, apprenticeship,
Making Clothes – wool (cut, carded,
done (homes, meeting houses, Europe, craftspeople,
spun,thread,
cloth,
planting, workshops)
Goingwoven,
to School
– sewn), Day 3: Pgs. 16 – 21: Strategic Questions
shops, trade/barter
dying wool,)
during Reading
location (home/1A growing town/economy – Spreading the News – room schoolhouse),
communication with Europe, town crier,
seating, discipline,
Pg. 16-17 Asking Questions: What were the skills
craftspeople, shops,
heating
newspapers, post rider
learned by boys? by girls? What does this say about
trade/barter
colonial cultural values?
School Lessons –
Houses – building
Spreading the News – town materials, fireplace,
subjects, supplies,
Pg. 18-19 Asking Questions: How might having to pay
crier, newspapers, post rider, toilet, wells, furniture primer, girls vs. boys
for education have affected different children (poor &
education
wealthy)?
A Busy Day – tasks of
men, women,
Pg. 20-21 Asking Questions: How did the Primer
blacksmiths, millers,
lessons reflect colonial culture and beliefs? (what
cooper, slaves
parents and the church instilled in their children)
Day 4: Pgs. 22-30
Focus Question: How were colonists
Resourceful?
Life in a Colonial Town
Clothes and Shoes – limited and
expensive, women/girls (long
hats), men/boys Clothing
Origin
Children
Daily Life dresses, aprons,
(breeches, stockings, buttons, vests
Colonial Times
A Child’s Day –
Clothes and
A growing and jackets)
work,
school,
boys,
Shoes – limited
town/economy –
Making
– wool (cut,and
carded,
Starting a Colony – work to be communication with
girls,Clothes
apprenticeship,
expensive,
spun,thread, woven, cloth, sewn),
done (homes, meeting houses, Europe, craftspeople,
women/girls
wool,)to School –
planting, workshops)
(long dresses,
shops, trade/barterdyingGoing
location (home/1aprons, hats),
A growing town/economy – Spreading the News – room schoolhouse),
men/boys
communication with Europe, town crier,
seating, discipline,
(breeches,
craftspeople, shops,
heating
stockings,
newspapers, post rider
trade/barter
buttons, vests and
School Lessons –
jackets)
Houses – building
Spreading the News – town materials, fireplace,
subjects, supplies,
crier, newspapers, post rider, toilet, wells, furniture primer, girls vs. boys Making Clothes –
wool (cut, carded,
education
spun, thread,
A Busy Day – tasks of
woven, cloth,
men, women,
sewn), dying
blacksmiths, millers,
wool,)
cooper, slaves
Food
What Colonists Ate –
crops (corn, pumpkins,
squash),
hunting (rabbits,
squirrels, deer),
fishing (clams, oysters),
water (sickness, cider,
juices)
Cooking Food –
fireplace, pots, ovens)
Day 3: Pgs. 22 – 30: Strategic Questions during Reading
Pg. 22-23 Asking Questions: How did the colonial dress reflect social class, cultural values, and natural resources?
Pg. 24-25 Asking Questions: How was cloth making a communal job in the colonies?
Pg. 26 – 27 Predict: What might happen if the weather was especially cold during the growing season?
Asking Questions: How did the colonists use their surroundings for food?
Predict: Why do you think the colonists had a larger meal in the middle of the day?
Pg. 28-29 What are some of the uses of fire for the colonists and why should it not burn out?
What is the purpose of the griddle? What must you do first before flipping the pancake?
Workshop Activities:
Pg. 24 use a flow map to show the steps in making woolen clothing.
Use a double bubble map to compare school today with colonial times.
Use a bubble map to describe a woman, man, child or slave in colonial times.
Practice Fluency Passages
Primary Source Fluency Activities: Early America
2 choices: Young Ben Franklin pg. 173- 174 (Groups can practice in parts as seen on pgs. 175 – 179
The Little Pilgrim pg. 35- with questions on pg. 36
Poem: Escaped Slave - Practice on your own or as a group and take parts.
Reader’s Theater
Indentured In America by Teacher Created Materials
Spelling
Silent letters 277J (you may want to use these words or the words from the selection for spelling.
Silent letters in Life in a Colonial Town: wheelwright, high, night, neighbor, rhymes, school, foreign,
build, people, knee-length, clothes, sewn,
Grammar
See blue section 277F – 277J on possessive, reflexive, intensive, and indefinite pronouns
Use the Language Arts Handbook Pg. 344-345
A Grammar page using colonial words is included in the packet for teaching. (it matches TE 277G)
Writing: See New Martha Ballard Writing Lesson on Character Analysis:
Day 1 You can still do these figurative Language mini lessons and relate them to how you see them when describing a
character or person. Mini lesson on Figurative language to use with description. Some types of figurative language to
teach could be metaphors, similes, assonance, imagery, or symbolism. See TE 277H and the LAH 286-289 for more
information. Students can practice using Comprehension and Lang. Arts WB pg. 94-95. Also, create some figurative
language on Martha Ballard.
Similes:
Martha Ballard worked like a ___________. (a dog, a horse, etc.)
Martha Ballard was as quick as _________.
Metaphor: Martha Ballard is a _______ (saint, etc.)
Day 3 and 4:
Mini lesson: Figurative Language practice:
Simile: The wheelwright worked as fast as ____________________.
You could tell from the advertisement that the slave owner was as angry as _______________________.
The colonial women worked as hard as _____________________.
Metaphor:
The slave was a ____________ in the home.
The silversmith was a ___________ in the community.