COLONIAL AMERICA UNIT PLAN
Description of the School and Students:Public School 24 is located in West 236th Street in Riverdale, New York. P.S. 24 is in a calm neighborhood right outside of the Bronx. The middle school of the district is located right across the street from this elementary school. P.S. 24 is an urban school made up of students from all different backgrounds and cultures. The students this unit was developed for are members of the middle class and all speak English, although it is a second language for some. There are thirty students in the class between the ages of nine and ten.
Content Overview:
The New York Colony was captured from the Dutch in 1664 and included New York City and most of present day New York State. The English renamed the region New York, in honor of King Charles II’s brother, James, the Duke of York. When the British took control of New York, about 9,000 people of many diverse backgrounds, speaking 18 different languages, called it home.
New York City was a small seaport town. Initially, the British government allowed the Dutch to continue to work, worship and live as they always had. The colonists were able to vote to choose their laws and their leaders. However, in 1685, these rights were taken away from them when New York became a “royal colony” when the Duke of York was crowned King (James II) of England. As the importance of the New York as a merchant port grew, and the agricultural areas of Long Island and the regions further up the Hudson River developed, the economy expanded and diversified. Many colonists in New York became rich in the fur business trading with the Native Americans.
Following the French and Indian War, Great Britain began to take firmer control of its colonies since British leaders needed to settle war debts and wanted to protect their newly acquired lands. Though few members of Parliament understood colonial issues and ideas, amassing an empire left Great Britain with huge debts and many in England thought the colonists should help pay those debts. This led Parliament to impose the Sugar, Stamp and Quartering Acts on the colonists.
Great Britain’s actions angered many colonists. From the beginning, New York led the protests in the colonies. Having become accustomed to a certain lifestyle under the Dutch, they could not believe that Parliament wanted to govern them without their consent. Colonists began to speak about British tyranny and to question the authority of Parliament in colonial affairs. On the site of what is now Federal Hall in New York City, representatives of several colonies met in the Stamp Act Congress to discuss an appropriate response to Great Britain. They wanted the Stamp Act repealed. When news of these colonial protests reached Great Britain, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act and passed the Declaratory Act instead, which stated that Parliament had the power to make laws to control the colonists.
The Townshend Acts, passed in 1767, imposed duties on certain goods the colonies imported from Great Britain. Knowing that the duties would have to be enforced, Parliament made an example of New York, which was at the time the headquarters for British troops. Because New York refused to obey the Quartering Act, their assembly was not allowed to pass any more laws until the colony complied with the act. The colonists were incensed by Great Britain’s open challenge to their right to self-govern. Sons of Liberty in New York and New England vowed to protect this right and once again colonists raised the cry of “no taxation without representation.”
Colonial boycott of British goods caused Britain’s colonial trade to drop which hurt the country financially. By imposing taxes on British imports such as glass and paint, Parliament inadvertently created the climate, motivation and opportunity for the colonists to develop their own industries. Because the taxes backfired, British merchants urged Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts and Britain agreed, dropping all the Townshend duties except the tax on tea. For a short time, the colonists and the British were able to put aside their disagreements and British goods flowed once more into colonial ports.
By 1771, just eight years after the end of the French and Indian War, the colony of New York was home to about 168,000 people. Many New York colonists were farmers. As New York City grew larger, people opened inns, shops and markets. The city became an important trading center. Colonists shipped many of their goods from New York City to Europe. The city quickly became a trading center for the American colonists. New York communities were built around meeting houses where church services and town meetings were held. Because colonial leaders welcomed people from different backgrounds, people of many religions came to New York.
In May 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists instead of going through the colonial merchants, but the import tax on tea still had to be paid. Even with the import tax, the East India Company could lower their tea prices below what was charged by colonial merchants and smugglers. Britain thought they were helping both the company and the colonies. However, the colonists felt that the unfair price advantage given to the company would drive colonial tea merchants out of business. Their resentment of the Tea Act astonished Parliament. Soon the colonists refused to buy tea and sometimes even shipped it back to Britain. On the evening of December 16, 1773 a group of colonists calling themselves “Sons of Liberty” disguised themselves as Native Americans and threw 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor! This event became known as the Boston Tea Party. The Sons of Liberty also boarded ships in other colonies, including New York, and destroyed more shipments of tea.
The colonists did not have to wait long for British reaction to the Boston Tea Party. British leaders were fed up and felt it was time to bring the American colonies under control. In March 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws, called the Coercive Acts. The colonists thought these acts were unbearable and called them the “Intolerable Acts.”
That same year, delegates from the colonies met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress. While some delegates wanted to move cautiously, others expressed a desire for bolder actions. Still other delegates were loyal to the British Empire and continued to respect the British government. The colonial congress urged people to arm themselves and ready their militia. They sent a letter to King George III asking him to stop punishing Boston and restore peace between the colonies and Britain. The delegates also agreed to stop colonial trade with Great Britain until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.
By the time the delegates left Philadelphia and returned home, most of them not only questioned Parliament’s right to tax them, but also its right to rule them. This was a revolutionary point of view. While the delegates avoided declaring independence, they hoped the king would listen. Colonial protests continued and in April, 1776, Governor William Tryon dissolved the New York assembly. New York endorsed the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776 and was declared the independent state of New York. New Yorkers celebrated their decision by tearing down the statue of King George III in Bowling Green.
Americans were fighting for a different form of government, a republic, in which citizens elect representatives to manage the government on their behalf. However, in the beginning, the Continental Army had too few soldiers, low morale, and a lack of money, gunpowder and supplies. It took the talents of General George Washington, who insisted on organization and discipline, to hold things together.
George Washington moved the patriot headquarters to New York City. British forces under the command of General William Howe were gathered on Staten Island near New York Harbor. In response, Washington sent part of his troops across the East River from Manhattan to defend Brooklyn Heights in the Battle of Long Island. Though Washington’s army was divided and outnumbered, and the patriots were defeated, Washington was able to move his troops back to Manhattan Island.
After the British won the Battle of Long Island, they paraded through the streets of Manhattan to celebrate their victory. Washington’s troops were defeated by the British again and again throughout the fall of 1776. They retreated across New Jersey. At this point, the British had full control of New York City, Long Island, and southeastern New York. New York City became the headquarters for the British army and remained under English control until the end of the American Revolution. The economy suffered as men went off to fight, leaving behind their families, farms and businesses. Everyday supplies were hard for most colonists to get because they were being sent to the soldiers who were fighting the war. New York’s money became almost worthless. About one-third of the battles in the American Revolution were fought in New York State. The colonies’ first great victory came in 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York. The British wanted to end the war by splitting New England from the other colonies along the Hudson River. British general John Burgoyne moved his troops south from Canada. General Howe was supposed to move his troops north from New York City, but he took his soldiers to Philadelphia instead. General Burgoyne’s men were left to fight the patriots alone. On September 19, 1777, Burgoyne’s men attacked Saratoga, which was on the Hudson River near Albany. The British were outnumbered by patriots, but Burgoyne did not retreat until the patriot army surrounded his troops and captured almost 6,000 British soldiers. This was the turning point in the war. France began to openly send desperately needed money and supplies to the colonies. Spain and the Netherlands allied with France against the British and they too sent aid.
The war for independence lasted more than five years with Americans enduring great hardships. On September 28, 1781 the French and American troops surrounded Yorktown. The British could not retreat by sea and they surrendered. While the British still controlled New York City and did not leave the city until after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, except for a few minor skirmishes, the Revolutionary War was over. Americans had won their independence and the right to form their own government.
Rationale: This unit will be implemented to give the students a better understanding of Colonial America through the American Revolution. This unit will help the students to understand historic events that took place during this time period as well as influential Americans who contributed to our country, as we know it today. Since many of the events during colonial times took place in New York State, it is important for the children to know what happened in our own “backyard.” The students will be educated about when and why different acts and laws were passed that we still follow today. The will be learning to compare and contrast their own lives to the lives lived by colonial people many years ago. The unit brings in many different subject manners and will be taught through teacher direction, student interaction, projects, technology, and a variety of books.
NYS Learning Standards:
History of the United States and New York State
-Key Idea 1.1: The study of New York State and United States historyrequires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are united by many values, practices, and traditions.
-Key Idea 1.2: Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.
-Key Idea 1.3: The study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.
-Key Idea 1.4: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence, weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence, understand the concept of multiple causation, and understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.
-1.1a: Know the roots of American culture, its development from many different traditions, and the ways many people from a variety of groups and backgrounds played a role in creating it.
-1.2c: Distinguish between near and distant past and interpret simple timelines.
-1.3a: Gather and organize information about the important accomplishments of individuals and groups, including Native Americans, living in their neighborhoods and communities.
-1.4a: Consider different interpretations of key events and/or issues in history and understand the differences in these accounts.
-1.4c: View historic events through the eyes of those who were there, as shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
Speaking
- Ask questions
- Summarize, with assistance
- Describe a problem and suggest one or more solutions
- Speak loudly enough to be heard by the audience
Listening
- Acquire information and/or understand procedures
- Collect information
Reading
- Read and understand written directions
Technology
Standard 5: Computer Technology
Key idea: Computers, as tools for design, modeling, information processing, communication, and system control, have greatly increased human productivity and knowledge.
- Students will:
§ Use the computer as a tool for generating and drawing ideas.
§ Control computerized devices and systems through programming.
Objectives:As a result of this unit students will be able to…
- Identify and explain important historical events that occurred during colonial times
- Identify and list contributions of important colonial leaders
- Identify and explain the numerous acts passed by the government during this time
- Answer questions about how colonial people met their wants and needs
- Compare and contrast life current day to life in colonial times
- Recite definitions of a variety of Colonial America vocabulary words
- List important events and people that came from New York in Colonial times
- Illustrate what life might have looked like in Colonial America as well as depict what might be going on in actually pictures from the colonial period
Content Outline:
I. Colonial New York
a. captured from Dutch in 1664
b. named after Duke of York
c. New York was a small seaport town that underwent a number of drastic changes before becoming the New York we live in today
II. Acts Passed During Colonial Times
a. Sugar Act
b. Stamp Act
c. Quartering Act
d. Intolerable Act
e. Townshend Act
f. Tea Act
III. Boston Tea Party
a. a new tax on tea lead to a colonist revolt
IV. Revolutionary War
a. French and Indian War
b. Colonies under British control- lead to boycott of the British by the American colonies
c. First Continental Congress
d. British under control of General William Howe while Patriots were under control of General George Washington
e. Battle of Saratoga
f. British surrender
g. 1783- America gained its independence from the British
V. English Language Arts/Literacy
a. content vocabulary
b. creative writing assignments and journal entries
c. read alouds (example: The Scarlet Stockings Spy)
d. compare/contrast essays
VI. Math
a. examining colonial currency
b. exchange rates during colonial times
c. simulation of purchasing colonial goods
d. creating graphs using colonial statistics (example: population of colonies)
VII. Science
a. natural resources- what they were and how they were used
b. close focus on Benjamin Franklin and all of his inventions
Activities:
1.) Lesson Plan 1 attached. (Vocabulary Word Study)
2.) Lesson Plan 2 attached. (Colonial Trading Cards)
3.) Lesson Plan 3 attached. (How did colonists meet their wants and needs?)
4.) Nine Men’s Morrice: an interactive game that was played by children in Colonial America. Students will be paired up and receive a playing board and playing pieces. They will also receive a set of directions.
5.) Colonial Recipe Book: Students will find colonial recipes and recreate them. They must also convert ingredient portions so as it would be enough to feed the whole class.
6.) Students will visit http://history.org/visit/tourthetown to take a virtual tour of Colonial Williamsburg.
7.) Make a horn book. A hornbook was a page of writing that was fastened to a wooden frame. The writing was covered with a translucent sheet of animal horn. The handle of the hornbook had a hole so that the hornbook could be warn around a child's neck or fastened to his belt with a length of rope or twine.
Directions: Cut out the hornbook shape from a piece of brown poster board. Punch a hole in the handle. Thread a length of yarn through the hole and tie the yarn's ends. Write the alphabet using berry ink on a piece of paper. Glue this to the hornbook. Cover the paper with a clear piece of plastic.
Resources:
- Smartboard
- http://www.history.org/kids/
- http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/ss/43guide.pdf
- Dry erase board
- Classroom computers
- Related videos (included in lesson plans)
- Related books (included in lesson plans)
- Classroom set of text books
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/colonialtimes.htm
- http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/revolutionarywar.htm
Assessment:
The assessment for this unit will be a culminating project. The students will be working together in their groups to make a classroom Colonial America timeline. Each student will be given a blank sheet of white paper. Each group will be assigned a different range of years within the colonial period. Then, each student will write an important event that happened during their group’s range of years or contribution of an important leader during that time on his or her piece of paper. They must include the date as well. They will then draw and color an illustration for their sentence. The classroom set of textbooks, trade books, and any other resources we used during this unit will be available for student use. They can use the resources to look up relevant information and facts for the timeline. After they have finished, they will put their papers in order by date within their groups and then as a whole class. This timeline will be hung on display.
Content Overview:
The New York Colony was captured from the Dutch in 1664 and included New York City and most of present day New York State. The English renamed the region New York, in honor of King Charles II’s brother, James, the Duke of York. When the British took control of New York, about 9,000 people of many diverse backgrounds, speaking 18 different languages, called it home.
New York City was a small seaport town. Initially, the British government allowed the Dutch to continue to work, worship and live as they always had. The colonists were able to vote to choose their laws and their leaders. However, in 1685, these rights were taken away from them when New York became a “royal colony” when the Duke of York was crowned King (James II) of England. As the importance of the New York as a merchant port grew, and the agricultural areas of Long Island and the regions further up the Hudson River developed, the economy expanded and diversified. Many colonists in New York became rich in the fur business trading with the Native Americans.
Following the French and Indian War, Great Britain began to take firmer control of its colonies since British leaders needed to settle war debts and wanted to protect their newly acquired lands. Though few members of Parliament understood colonial issues and ideas, amassing an empire left Great Britain with huge debts and many in England thought the colonists should help pay those debts. This led Parliament to impose the Sugar, Stamp and Quartering Acts on the colonists.
Great Britain’s actions angered many colonists. From the beginning, New York led the protests in the colonies. Having become accustomed to a certain lifestyle under the Dutch, they could not believe that Parliament wanted to govern them without their consent. Colonists began to speak about British tyranny and to question the authority of Parliament in colonial affairs. On the site of what is now Federal Hall in New York City, representatives of several colonies met in the Stamp Act Congress to discuss an appropriate response to Great Britain. They wanted the Stamp Act repealed. When news of these colonial protests reached Great Britain, Parliament repealed the Stamp Act and passed the Declaratory Act instead, which stated that Parliament had the power to make laws to control the colonists.
The Townshend Acts, passed in 1767, imposed duties on certain goods the colonies imported from Great Britain. Knowing that the duties would have to be enforced, Parliament made an example of New York, which was at the time the headquarters for British troops. Because New York refused to obey the Quartering Act, their assembly was not allowed to pass any more laws until the colony complied with the act. The colonists were incensed by Great Britain’s open challenge to their right to self-govern. Sons of Liberty in New York and New England vowed to protect this right and once again colonists raised the cry of “no taxation without representation.”
Colonial boycott of British goods caused Britain’s colonial trade to drop which hurt the country financially. By imposing taxes on British imports such as glass and paint, Parliament inadvertently created the climate, motivation and opportunity for the colonists to develop their own industries. Because the taxes backfired, British merchants urged Parliament to repeal the Townshend Acts and Britain agreed, dropping all the Townshend duties except the tax on tea. For a short time, the colonists and the British were able to put aside their disagreements and British goods flowed once more into colonial ports.
By 1771, just eight years after the end of the French and Indian War, the colony of New York was home to about 168,000 people. Many New York colonists were farmers. As New York City grew larger, people opened inns, shops and markets. The city became an important trading center. Colonists shipped many of their goods from New York City to Europe. The city quickly became a trading center for the American colonists. New York communities were built around meeting houses where church services and town meetings were held. Because colonial leaders welcomed people from different backgrounds, people of many religions came to New York.
In May 1773, Parliament passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East India Company to sell tea directly to the colonists instead of going through the colonial merchants, but the import tax on tea still had to be paid. Even with the import tax, the East India Company could lower their tea prices below what was charged by colonial merchants and smugglers. Britain thought they were helping both the company and the colonies. However, the colonists felt that the unfair price advantage given to the company would drive colonial tea merchants out of business. Their resentment of the Tea Act astonished Parliament. Soon the colonists refused to buy tea and sometimes even shipped it back to Britain. On the evening of December 16, 1773 a group of colonists calling themselves “Sons of Liberty” disguised themselves as Native Americans and threw 342 chests of tea into Boston harbor! This event became known as the Boston Tea Party. The Sons of Liberty also boarded ships in other colonies, including New York, and destroyed more shipments of tea.
The colonists did not have to wait long for British reaction to the Boston Tea Party. British leaders were fed up and felt it was time to bring the American colonies under control. In March 1774, Parliament passed a series of laws, called the Coercive Acts. The colonists thought these acts were unbearable and called them the “Intolerable Acts.”
That same year, delegates from the colonies met in Philadelphia at the First Continental Congress. While some delegates wanted to move cautiously, others expressed a desire for bolder actions. Still other delegates were loyal to the British Empire and continued to respect the British government. The colonial congress urged people to arm themselves and ready their militia. They sent a letter to King George III asking him to stop punishing Boston and restore peace between the colonies and Britain. The delegates also agreed to stop colonial trade with Great Britain until Parliament repealed the Intolerable Acts.
By the time the delegates left Philadelphia and returned home, most of them not only questioned Parliament’s right to tax them, but also its right to rule them. This was a revolutionary point of view. While the delegates avoided declaring independence, they hoped the king would listen. Colonial protests continued and in April, 1776, Governor William Tryon dissolved the New York assembly. New York endorsed the Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776 and was declared the independent state of New York. New Yorkers celebrated their decision by tearing down the statue of King George III in Bowling Green.
Americans were fighting for a different form of government, a republic, in which citizens elect representatives to manage the government on their behalf. However, in the beginning, the Continental Army had too few soldiers, low morale, and a lack of money, gunpowder and supplies. It took the talents of General George Washington, who insisted on organization and discipline, to hold things together.
George Washington moved the patriot headquarters to New York City. British forces under the command of General William Howe were gathered on Staten Island near New York Harbor. In response, Washington sent part of his troops across the East River from Manhattan to defend Brooklyn Heights in the Battle of Long Island. Though Washington’s army was divided and outnumbered, and the patriots were defeated, Washington was able to move his troops back to Manhattan Island.
After the British won the Battle of Long Island, they paraded through the streets of Manhattan to celebrate their victory. Washington’s troops were defeated by the British again and again throughout the fall of 1776. They retreated across New Jersey. At this point, the British had full control of New York City, Long Island, and southeastern New York. New York City became the headquarters for the British army and remained under English control until the end of the American Revolution. The economy suffered as men went off to fight, leaving behind their families, farms and businesses. Everyday supplies were hard for most colonists to get because they were being sent to the soldiers who were fighting the war. New York’s money became almost worthless. About one-third of the battles in the American Revolution were fought in New York State. The colonies’ first great victory came in 1777 at the Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York. The British wanted to end the war by splitting New England from the other colonies along the Hudson River. British general John Burgoyne moved his troops south from Canada. General Howe was supposed to move his troops north from New York City, but he took his soldiers to Philadelphia instead. General Burgoyne’s men were left to fight the patriots alone. On September 19, 1777, Burgoyne’s men attacked Saratoga, which was on the Hudson River near Albany. The British were outnumbered by patriots, but Burgoyne did not retreat until the patriot army surrounded his troops and captured almost 6,000 British soldiers. This was the turning point in the war. France began to openly send desperately needed money and supplies to the colonies. Spain and the Netherlands allied with France against the British and they too sent aid.
The war for independence lasted more than five years with Americans enduring great hardships. On September 28, 1781 the French and American troops surrounded Yorktown. The British could not retreat by sea and they surrendered. While the British still controlled New York City and did not leave the city until after the Treaty of Paris was signed in 1783, except for a few minor skirmishes, the Revolutionary War was over. Americans had won their independence and the right to form their own government.
Rationale: This unit will be implemented to give the students a better understanding of Colonial America through the American Revolution. This unit will help the students to understand historic events that took place during this time period as well as influential Americans who contributed to our country, as we know it today. Since many of the events during colonial times took place in New York State, it is important for the children to know what happened in our own “backyard.” The students will be educated about when and why different acts and laws were passed that we still follow today. The will be learning to compare and contrast their own lives to the lives lived by colonial people many years ago. The unit brings in many different subject manners and will be taught through teacher direction, student interaction, projects, technology, and a variety of books.
NYS Learning Standards:
History of the United States and New York State
-Key Idea 1.1: The study of New York State and United States historyrequires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are united by many values, practices, and traditions.
-Key Idea 1.2: Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.
-Key Idea 1.3: The study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.
-Key Idea 1.4: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence, weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence, understand the concept of multiple causation, and understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.
-1.1a: Know the roots of American culture, its development from many different traditions, and the ways many people from a variety of groups and backgrounds played a role in creating it.
-1.2c: Distinguish between near and distant past and interpret simple timelines.
-1.3a: Gather and organize information about the important accomplishments of individuals and groups, including Native Americans, living in their neighborhoods and communities.
-1.4a: Consider different interpretations of key events and/or issues in history and understand the differences in these accounts.
-1.4c: View historic events through the eyes of those who were there, as shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.
English Language Arts
Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.
Speaking
- Ask questions
- Summarize, with assistance
- Describe a problem and suggest one or more solutions
- Speak loudly enough to be heard by the audience
Listening
- Acquire information and/or understand procedures
- Collect information
Reading
- Read and understand written directions
Technology
Standard 5: Computer Technology
Key idea: Computers, as tools for design, modeling, information processing, communication, and system control, have greatly increased human productivity and knowledge.
- Students will:
§ Use the computer as a tool for generating and drawing ideas.
§ Control computerized devices and systems through programming.
Objectives:As a result of this unit students will be able to…
- Identify and explain important historical events that occurred during colonial times
- Identify and list contributions of important colonial leaders
- Identify and explain the numerous acts passed by the government during this time
- Answer questions about how colonial people met their wants and needs
- Compare and contrast life current day to life in colonial times
- Recite definitions of a variety of Colonial America vocabulary words
- List important events and people that came from New York in Colonial times
- Illustrate what life might have looked like in Colonial America as well as depict what might be going on in actually pictures from the colonial period
Content Outline:
I. Colonial New York
a. captured from Dutch in 1664
b. named after Duke of York
c. New York was a small seaport town that underwent a number of drastic changes before becoming the New York we live in today
II. Acts Passed During Colonial Times
a. Sugar Act
b. Stamp Act
c. Quartering Act
d. Intolerable Act
e. Townshend Act
f. Tea Act
III. Boston Tea Party
a. a new tax on tea lead to a colonist revolt
IV. Revolutionary War
a. French and Indian War
b. Colonies under British control- lead to boycott of the British by the American colonies
c. First Continental Congress
d. British under control of General William Howe while Patriots were under control of General George Washington
e. Battle of Saratoga
f. British surrender
g. 1783- America gained its independence from the British
V. English Language Arts/Literacy
a. content vocabulary
b. creative writing assignments and journal entries
c. read alouds (example: The Scarlet Stockings Spy)
d. compare/contrast essays
VI. Math
a. examining colonial currency
b. exchange rates during colonial times
c. simulation of purchasing colonial goods
d. creating graphs using colonial statistics (example: population of colonies)
VII. Science
a. natural resources- what they were and how they were used
b. close focus on Benjamin Franklin and all of his inventions
Activities:
1.) Lesson Plan 1 attached. (Vocabulary Word Study)
2.) Lesson Plan 2 attached. (Colonial Trading Cards)
3.) Lesson Plan 3 attached. (How did colonists meet their wants and needs?)
4.) Nine Men’s Morrice: an interactive game that was played by children in Colonial America. Students will be paired up and receive a playing board and playing pieces. They will also receive a set of directions.
5.) Colonial Recipe Book: Students will find colonial recipes and recreate them. They must also convert ingredient portions so as it would be enough to feed the whole class.
6.) Students will visit http://history.org/visit/tourthetown to take a virtual tour of Colonial Williamsburg.
7.) Make a horn book. A hornbook was a page of writing that was fastened to a wooden frame. The writing was covered with a translucent sheet of animal horn. The handle of the hornbook had a hole so that the hornbook could be warn around a child's neck or fastened to his belt with a length of rope or twine.
Directions: Cut out the hornbook shape from a piece of brown poster board. Punch a hole in the handle. Thread a length of yarn through the hole and tie the yarn's ends. Write the alphabet using berry ink on a piece of paper. Glue this to the hornbook. Cover the paper with a clear piece of plastic.
Resources:
- Smartboard
- http://www.history.org/kids/
- http://schools.nycenet.edu/offices/teachlearn/ss/43guide.pdf
- Dry erase board
- Classroom computers
- Related videos (included in lesson plans)
- Related books (included in lesson plans)
- Classroom set of text books
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/colonialtimes.htm
- http://library.thinkquest.org/J002611F/
- http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/revolutionarywar.htm
Assessment:
The assessment for this unit will be a culminating project. The students will be working together in their groups to make a classroom Colonial America timeline. Each student will be given a blank sheet of white paper. Each group will be assigned a different range of years within the colonial period. Then, each student will write an important event that happened during their group’s range of years or contribution of an important leader during that time on his or her piece of paper. They must include the date as well. They will then draw and color an illustration for their sentence. The classroom set of textbooks, trade books, and any other resources we used during this unit will be available for student use. They can use the resources to look up relevant information and facts for the timeline. After they have finished, they will put their papers in order by date within their groups and then as a whole class. This timeline will be hung on display.