COURSE TITLE: Early American History
Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Unit: British Colonies in America
Abstract
This unit will introduce the thirteen British Colonies in America, their founders, their
causes for being founded, their respective geographic locations, resources, and
difficulties faced during their infancy.
Focus Questions
1. What were the religious, political and/or economic reason(s) each individual
colony was founded?
2. How did the geographic location and natural resources affect the founding of the
colony?
3. Who founded each colony and what were the benefits received and difficulties
faced by each colony as it was founded?
Key Concepts:
1. The British colonies were founded for a variety of reasons, with the primary
reasons being freedom of religion and economic opportunity (individual and
corporate)
2. The colonies frequently started small and had good relations with surrounding
Native American tribes, but as they grew they would usually create conflict over
land ownership and use.
Instructional Resources:
Harcourt Horizons, United States History: Beginnings. Harcourt Inc, New York, 2003
Indiana Academic Standards, Indiana DOE
< http://ideanet.doe.state.in.us/standards >2006
“Making the Thirteen Colonies: New England Colonies”, “Making the Thirteen Colonies:
Middle Atlantic Colonies”, “Making the Thirteen Colonies: Southern Colonies” United
Streaming < http://www.streaming.discoveryeducation.com > Ancient Lights
Educational Media 2003
Benchmarks
Assessment Tasks
Key Concepts
Students will:
• explain the religious, political, and
economic reasons for movement of
people from Europe to America. (SS
5.1.5)
• Identify and discuss instances of both
cooperation and conflict between
Native American Indians and European
settlers, such as agriculture, trade,
cultural exchanges and military
alliances, as well as later broken
treaties, massacres and conflicts over
control of the land. (SS 5.1.6)
• Identify and locate the 13 British
colonies that became the United States
and describe daily life. (SS 5.1.7)
• Identify the early founders of colonial
settlements and describe early colonial
resistance to British rule. (SS 5.1.8)
• Identify and explain ideas about
limited government*, the rule of law
and individual rights in key colonial era
documents. (SS 5.2.2)
• Give examples of how the British
colonies in America developed forms of
representative government, selfgovernment and democratic practices.
(SS 5.2.3)
• Explain how the Spanish, British and
French colonists altered the character
and use of land in early America. (SS
5.3.8)
• Identify the major manufacturing and
agricultural regions in colonial America
and cite ways that agriculture and
manufacturing changed between 1600
and 1800. (SS 5.3.9)
• Using historical maps; locate and
explain the conflict over the use of land
by Native American Indians and the
European colonists. (SS 5.3.10)
Students will:
1. Draw a map containing the
13 colonies, their capitol, and
showing natural resources and
surrounding Native American
tribes.
(SS 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 5.3.8, 5.3.9,
5.3.10)
• Historical Knowledge
• Colonization and
Settlement
•Foundations of
Government
• Geography
2. Create a Comparison Chart
of the colonies
Including:
•reasons for founding
•basic framework of
Government
•Founder
• general location (NE,MA,S)
• benefits
•difficulties
•relations with surrounding
people groups
(SS 5.1.5, 5.1.6, 5.1.7, 5.1.8)
3. Write an advertisement as
someone who is trying to
gather people to start a colony
in the New World.
(SS 5.5.1.5, 5.1.7, 5.3.8)
4. Draw a theoretical colony
including an explanation of the
setting and factors affecting the
survival of the colony.
(SS 5.1.5, 5.3.8)
5. Write a proposition to be
read at a town meeting on the
form of local government you
should have while addressing
the possible opposition.
(SS 5.1.8, 5.2.2, 5.2.3)
• Human Systems
Primary Assessments:
Pretest: Identification of 13 original colonies and geographic locations and identification
of primary reasons for immigration to the new world.
Comparison Chart of 13 colonies:
Students will create a chart including; founders and causes, location and resources,
relationships with other colonies and Native American tribes, and any difficulties or
advantages they had during colonial infancy.
Colony Creation:
Students will draw a fictional colony located ‘within’ the confines of the British Colonies
in America. They will describe what group of people they will be bringing over from
Europe, why they are immigrating, what they are looking for in a site to build a colony,
how the colony will be governed, what their colony will be doing economically to grow
and prosper, and how they will interact with the Native Americans in the area.
Posttest: Students will take a test over the thirteen colonies composed of multiple
choice, matching, short answer, and essay style questions.
Catalog of Lessons:
Pre Lesson: The New World
Students will receive a blank map of the thirteen colonies.
Lesson 1: Why New England
Introduce N.E. Colonies, specifically Plymouth and then the Mass. Bay Colony.
Teacher led discussion connecting early settlements with future colonies. Highlight
freedom of religion as a primary reason for immigration. Compare religious restrictions
in England to those in New England. Watch video “Making the Thirteen Colonies: New
England Colonies.”
Lesson 2: Why Not New England
In small groups discuss the hardships that Plymouth and the Mass. Bay Colony faced.
As a class, discuss how the relationship between colonists and Native Americans
changed from friendship to animosity. Evaluate the decision to move to New England
from comparative safety of England. Discuss why historical figures such as Roger
Williams and Anne Hutchison (etc.) wound up leaving the Mass Bay Colony.
Lesson 3: New England Patriots
Using the book, students will research individual colonies (finding data for the chart)
then share in groups of five, one student sharing each colony for the group.
Lesson 4: Why Southern Colonies
Introduce Southern Colonies, short teacher led discussion connecting the European
colony movement for land and resources with the Virginia colonies and the growth of
the Southern Colonies. Students will compare/contrast the climate conditions and
crops in Southern Colonies to England. Highlight Economic Opportunity as a primary
reason for immigration. Watch video “Making the Thirteen Colonies: Southern
Colonies.”
Lesson 5: Southern Struggle
As a class, discuss the hardships that Roanoke and Jamestown faced. Discuss the
interactions with Native Americans. Evaluate the resources available to the southern
colonies and the impact of tobacco on Virginia and European trade.
Lesson 6: Southern Style
Briefly introduce Agriculture as the primary economic activity, plantations, and the
incorporation of slavery as a source of labor and revenue. Analyze the proximity of the
Spanish colony and the safety of the colonists. Also understand that land possession
was a concern of Spanish Florida and how Georgia helped to establish English land
claims farther south limiting the growth of the Spanish colony.
Lesson 7: Why the Middle Atlantic
Introduce the Middle Atlantic as the gap between the Southern Colonies and the N.E.
Colonies, evaluate why other countries settlements were in the way of expansion, and
why possession of these lands was vital to England’s growth. Analyze how the growth
of the N.E. colonies southward and the Southern Colonies northward, would inevitably
bring conflict with New Sweden and New Netherland. Watch video “Making the
Thirteen Colonies: Middle Atlantic Colonies.”
Lesson 8: Good Bread
In reading and research have the students determine what resources were available to
the Middle Atlantic colonies and why they were also called the Breadbasket Colonies.
Have each student research a colony, join a group with other colonies and discuss
their colony and its strengths and weaknesses, founding history, and any other notable
historical references that the group may find interesting.
Lesson 9: Discuss the future of growth to the west. Bring into context the century + that
the colonies were loyal subjects to the crown without major problems. How colonial life
benefitted both the colonies and Britain. Recap the colonial development and review
important facts, events, relationships to aide in retention for upcoming test.
Provide time for completion of comparison chart for students of the 13 colonies.
Finally:
Look at conflict building between French, Indian, British, and Colonial interests (to
connect the next topic of study to this.)
Abstract:
This task is to assess their manipulation of factual data to compare and contrast the
thirteen colonies as they were created and started to develop. It will help prepare them
for the post test as they find out facts and knowledge about the thirteen colonies and
process that knowledge while turning it into a product that can be shared with others.
Prompt: an example of colonial data that shows what important information they are to
learn and remember will be show prior to the beginning of the projet.
Directions:
“The State of Indiana with its standards says that you must know certain information
about the beginnings of the 13 original colonies. You will therefore create a chart of
their own that shows the factual information answering the questions in the learning
goals of this unit.”
“You will include
- The founder(s) and their reasons for founding the colony
- A brief description of the location and resources of the colony
- A brief description of how the colony interacted with other colonies and
Native American groups around it.
- Any difficulties or advantages the colony had that affected its survival
Procedure:
Prepare a blank chart page that will contain columns and rows for each piece of data to
be included. Show the sample on the Smartboard and fill in a sample of a fictitious
colony.
Scoring Rubric for Comparison Chart of Colonies:
Product
Students will
create a
comparison
chart of the 13
British Colonies
in America.
Score
1
Creates a chart with
minimal information.
Including few (<2)
facts about each
colony.
2
3
Creates a chart with
less than adequate
information. Including
some (2-3) facts
about each colony.
Creates a chart with
adequate information.
Including (4-5) facts
about each colony.
4
Creates a chart with
detailed information.
Including (6+) facts
about each colony.
Abstract:
This task is designed to show the students understand and synthesis of the factual
data about the British Colonies and for them to use that to create a realistic yet fictional
colony of their own.
Directions:
“Students, you will be required to draw a map of their colony including geographical
and resource information. You will diagram what buildings will be found in and around
their colony. You will also write an explanation of your colony’s founding history
including who founded it and why, where your colony is located and how this affected
your colony’s resources. Furthermore, you will include a brief summary of your colony’s
governance, economic conditions, and your relationships (and attitudes) with other
populations surrounding their colony.”
Procedure:
Have each student draw a rough sketch of their colony, when the sketch is reasonable,
give each student a piece of 12 by 18 white paper to draw the colony on. Also give
each student a piece or three of lined paper to write their summaries on and a
paperclip to join the two.
Scoring Rubric for Colony Creation:
Product
Score
1
2
3
Map
is
of
poor
quality,
Map
is
legible
but
Map
is
legible
and
Create a colony
hard to read and
missing many
has all basic details
map
understand
important details
included
Create a colony
summary
Summary is present
but does not convey
information
Summary is present
and contains some
basic information
Summary is well
formed and includes
all basic information
4
Map is of high quality
and has more than
basic details included
Summary is well
formed and includes
lots of specific details