Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students research how early colonists lived. They investigate late 17th century colonist's lives from Massachusetts and Delaware. Using their research, students write historical fiction in the form of friendly letters between the two...
Curated OER
A Lesson to Accompany "Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a Paper Money Economy"
Students examine the role of money in the colonial economy by participating in a trading activity. In this colonial economy lesson plan, students complete an activity to learn about colonial trade and what happens when there is a lack of...
Curated OER
Colonial American Trade, Currency, and Economy: The instability of a colonial economy
Students view an image of Nathanial Hurd's "Table of Conversions." They will work in small groups to complete a worksheet. Students participate in a discussion about colonial Boston's economy. This lesson plan is a precursor to a visit...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Differences Among Colonial Regions
Classes look at and analyze primary source images to explore the differences between the colonial regions during the Revolutionary era. They break into groups to tackle each region and then present their findings to the class. A final...
Curated OER
Jamestown's Economy
Students identify items made in Jamestown and draw conclusions about their economy. For this Jamestown economy lesson, students use the internet to complete a worksheet which required them to look at photographs of goods made in and...
Curated OER
Colonial Currency
Fifth graders develop a common currency. For this colonial currency lesson, 5th graders exchange beads, rice, coins, and paper bills for goods and services. Students explore web tools to research ways colonists used money, even if it was...
Curated OER
The Colonial Workers Web
Students explore how workers, both today and in colonial times, worked within their societies to produce specialized goods and services and became interdependent. They explain how people became less self sufficient in their economic...
Council for Economic Education
Trade in Colonial America / NAFTA
Learners learn the how trade impacted the colonial economy. They analyze the the benefits of NAFTA and learn the advantages to both the United States and Mexico.
Curated OER
Jamestown's Economy
Learners examine goods made and used by Native Americans and colonists at Jamestown. They complete a worksheet noting characteristics of the objects. They answer questions to make generalizations about scarcity and trade.
Curated OER
A Lesson to Accompany "Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a Paper Money Economy"
Young scholars investigate the role of money in the colonial economy. In this colonial economy lesson, students participate in a trading activity, read the booklet "Benjamin Franklin and the Birth of a Paper Money Economy," participate...
Curated OER
Early Colonial Labor Force: Indentured Servants and Slaves
Students study the labor force used during Colonial America. In this Colonial America lesson, students discuss labor types used in the colonies. Students read about indentured servants and the use of African slaves. Students use the...
Curated OER
What can money tell us?
High schoolers study the physical presence, imagery and written text on a reproduction of colonial currency. They apply their research to a modern day quarter to compare and contrast two coins. In addition, they design their own colonial...
Curated OER
The Trading Post with the Most: Colonial Dorchester's Settlement and Economy
Eighth graders explore the Dorchester settlement, In this American colonial history lesson, 8th graders examine primary resources and maps from the Dorchester trading post in order to learn about its contributions to the Revolutionary War.
Curated OER
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
Fifth graders describe the changes in King George III's policy toward the American colonies by sequencing key events between the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. They explain the colonial reactions to command decisions...
Curated OER
An Empire in the Balance
Eleventh graders investigate the role of New York state during the American Revolution. In small groups, they research a particular region within colonial America, analyze primary source documents, complete Document Analysis Sheets, and...
Curated OER
Bossy Britain Upsets Colonists
Students examine the causes of dissatisfaction that led to the American Revolution. Then they make a Flap Vocabulary Book and glue on a map of the thirteen colonies and make a title page called "Road to War in it." Students also...
Curated OER
American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. In this early American history lesson, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American history prior to...
Curated OER
English Settlements in North America, A Royal Charter from the King
Fifth graders develop a colony to be evaluated by the teacher in the role of a "Royal Inspector". In this social studies lesson plan, 5th graders design aspects of a successful society by planning forms of government, politics, and an...
Curated OER
Politics and Economics of Land Settlement in Colonial North Carolina
Tenth graders examine the political nature of land settlement in North Carolina. In this geography instructional activity, 10th graders analyze primary sources. Students discover North Carolina industries during colonial times.
Curated OER
Was the Stamp Act Fair?
Elementary and middle schoolers examine and evaluate different perspectives concerning events leading to the American Revolution. In this case, they hone in on the Stamp Act. They research controversial bills, laws, or events of the time...
Curated OER
Rice Plantation
Eighth graders study the importance of rice as a cash crop and the crop's dependency on slave labor during the settlement of coastal South Carolina. They explain the importance of the rice plantations to South Carolina's colonial economy.
Curated OER
A Day at the Market
Students describe role of market place in 18th-century Virginia, explain how trade and economy were part of young person's educational process,
take part in the classroom marketplace, and compare shopping in colonial times and as part...
Curated OER
Tobacco Road
Young scholars discuss the meaning of the word economy and and what colonists used to pay for goods when gold and silver were scarce discovering that the people used tobacco for trade. They then divide into groups of four and pretend...
Curated OER
Having a Great Time - Wish You Were Here
Fourth graders explore colonial life in America.