Lesson Title
Grade Level
Lesson Topic
SC Standards and
Indicators
Common Core
Strategy(ies)
addressed
Founding the English
Colonies
4th grade
Teacher
Ashley Henson Snider
Duration of Lesson
2 days
Founding the English Colonies-A Comparison
4-2: The students will demonstrate an understanding of how the settlement
of North America was influenced by Native Americans, Europeans, and
Africans.
4-2.2 Compare the various European settlements in North America in terms of
economic activities, religious emphasis, government, and lifestyles.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why,
based on specific information in the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or
subject area.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology,
comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or
information in a text or part of a text.
Academic
Vocabulary
Lesson Materials
Needed (attached at
end of lesson)
Content Narrative
(What is the background
information that needs to
be taught to understand
the context of the lesson?
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or
quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or
interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information
contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
colony, colonist, settlement, economic, religious freedom, Jamestown,
Puritan, Pilgrim, Quaker
Note-taking guide, Social Studies textbook, Library of Congress website (see
links), United Streaming clips-“The Jamestown Colony” (5:35), “The Plymouth
Colony” (9:29), “Welcome to Massachusetts, 1627: The Pilgrims and Puritans
Begin a Colony” (3:38), “Puritans Found the Massachusetts Bay Colony”(
1:07), “William Penn and the Quakers” (2:19), CCSD SMART Lesson 4.2-2
Collected from the South Carolina State Department of Education Social
Studies Support Documents:
The English colonists built their settlements along the Atlantic coast of North
America motivated by religious freedom or economic opportunities. The
settlers of Jamestown, Virginia (1607) were originally searching for gold, but
Be sure to include
necessary citations)
soon began to plant cash crops such as tobacco. The Pilgrims who settled at
Plymouth (1620) and the Puritans that followed went to the northern part of
the coast to build religious communities. This region was called “New
England” and it was religiously homogeneous due to its founding being based
on a Puritan/Congregationalist theocracy. Rhode Island was founded as a
refuge for dissenters of this theocracy. William Penn gave Quakers the
opportunity to practice their religion freely and farm the land, while also
extending the same to non-Quakers. They settled in the colonies of
Pennsylvania and Delaware.
Lesson Set
Content Objective(s)
Literacy Objective(s)
Lesson Importance
Connections to prior
and future learning
The students will compare and contrast the settlements of Jamestown (VA
Company of London), Plymouth (Pilgrims), the Massachusetts Bay Colony
(Puritans), and Pennsylvania (Quakers).
Identify multiple points of view or biases and ask questions to clarify those
opinions.
Identify the locations of places, the conditions of places, and the connections
between places.
The interactions among peoples from 3 different continents created a
distinctly American culture. Students will compare the various English
settlements as part of the process of learning the contributions of Native
Americans, Europeans, and Africans during the colonial period.
In third grade, students were asked to summarize the motives, activities, and
accomplishments of the exploration of South Carolina by the Spanish, French,
and English (3-2.2).
Prior to this lesson, students learned about the Spanish and French
settlements in North America. (4-2.2)
In seventh grade, students will need to compare the colonial claims and the
expansion of European powers through 1770 (7-1.1).
In eighth grade, students will summarize the history of English settlement in
New England, the mid-Atlantic region, and the South, with an emphasis on
South Carolina as an example of a distinctly southern colony.
Anticipatory Set/
Hook (Engage)
Introduce the students to the topic by reviewing the settlement and
motivations of the Spanish and French settlements in North America.
Day 1-Introduce the Jamestown Colony and the Plymouth Colony with the
United Streaming clips “The Jamestown Colony” and “The Plymouth Colony.”
Day 2-Introduce the Massachusetts Bay and Pennsylvania Colony with the
United Streaming Clips “Welcome to Massachusetts, 1627: The Pilgrims and
Puritans Begin a Colony” (3:38), “Puritans Found the Massachusetts Bay
Colony”( 1:07), and “William Penn and the Quakers” (2:19)
Skill Development
Initial “explain” portion of the lesson. Introduce vocabulary, explain/demonstrate/model the skill
required for the literacy objective, introduce content components.
The content portion is only a brief introduction; the bulk of the student learning will take place during
the guided practice activity.
Day 1-Share America’s Library (Library of Congress) links about Jamestown
Introduce content
and Plymouth. These links contain basic information about each colony as
components
well as primary resources that provide great questioning opportunities.
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_jamestwn_1.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_subj.html
Day 2-Share America’s Library (Library of Congress) links about Massachusetts
Bay Colony (Puritans) and Pennsylvania (Quakers).
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_williams_1.html
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/colonial/jb_colonial_penn_1.html
“I do”
Skill from objective
Day 1-Use the note-taking guide, Social Studies textbook, and CCSD SMART
Lesson to gather information about the Jamestown Colony
introduce/explain/model
Day 2-Use the note-taking guide, Social Studies textbook, and CCSD SMART
Lesson to gather information about the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Guided Practice
This is the inquiry portion of the lesson, student-centered & often cooperative learning strategies
used, teacher acting as facilitator, also known as Explore.
Day 1-Students will work in groups and use the note-taking guide and Social
“We do”
Studies textbook to gather information about the Plymouth Colony
Activity Description
Include student “explore”
components and
opportunities for them to
explain their learning.
Checking for
Understanding“Informal”
Assessment
Day 2-Students will work in groups and use the note-taking guide and Social
Studies textbook to gather information about the Pennsylvania colony
As a class, go over all components of the note-taking guide to ensure that
students have filled in all information correctly.
Closure
Teacher will re-visit content and answer students’ questions developed during the Guided Practice
component. Summarize the lesson, clarify content, and revisit content and literacy objectives.
Respond to the following in your Social Studies Journal:
Content Solidified
Day 1: In your opinion, which group of settlers had the most difficult time
establishing their lives in America? Why?
Day 2: What did the Puritans learn from the Pilgrims before setting up their
colony in Massachusetts? Include several examples.
Independent Practice
“You Do”
Day 2-Students will work with a partner to make a Venn diagram comparing
and contrasting two colonies of their choice.
Summative/ “Formal” Assessment
Assessment
Teacher observation, end-of-unit test, Venn diagram
Differentiation
During Lesson
Struggling readers will work with the teacher to make Venn diagram.
Assessment
Struggling readers will receive a modified assessment.
Reflection
Lesson Reflection
(What went well in the
lesson? What might you
do differently the next
time you teach it?
Evaluate the success of
the lesson)
Overall, I found this lesson to be quite engaging for my students. The most
successful aspect of this lesson was the organization of the note-taking
guide and the compare and contrast Venn diagram activity. The next time I
teach this lesson, I may schedule a time in the computer lab so that each
student has a better view of the America’s Library website.
Materials Needed for Lesson
Lesson Materials and
Handouts