Young scholars, in groups, create hypothetical financial plans for a colonial Maine family living on the frontier.

Students study the history of Liberia prior to and after the influx of immigrants of African Americans. They investigate the cultural differences between the African Americans and newly-arrived Liberians.

Third graders draw pictures to show the life of early colonists and how they set the standard for rice farming. In this rice farming lesson plan, 3rd graders read about how and when Americans set the standards for growing and producing...

Students examine the life and lifestyles of New England colonists in the year 1628, and then investigate what life was like in their own area during the same time period. They watch segments from the PBS hands-on history series COLONIAL...

Students explore why the Americas attracted Europeans, why they brought enslaved Africans to their colonies, and how Europeans struggled for control of North American and the Caribbean.

Students analyze African American burial grounds. In this African American history instructional activity, students draw conclusions about African American communities in early New York and consider how archeology made it possible to...

Learners listen in on American historical events. In this colonial America lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to watch video segments that detail slavery and participate in an Incidents in the Life of a...

Young scholars identify the major geographic features of colonial New England. They explain the essential parts to a map and interpret journals to plot a journey. They discover the connection between geography and life.

Students explore American history through hands-on use and demonstration of musical material culture representing early colonial America. They compare the music of colonial America to modern music.

Students assess the impact of human activity on the environment. After reading the book, "A River Ran Wild," they role-play and discuss how people changed the river. Students write stories about living along a river from the point of...

Learners study the thirteen colonies: geography, economics, politics, and religious groups. They explore early colonial life, and create a travel brochure, travel guide of the 13 Colonies, and word search.

Fourth graders work to solve one of the major problems facing the Jamestown settlers, the best location to settle upon arrival in Jamestown. Students discuss and review the past European and American events that lead to the...

Fourth graders review their prior knowledge from the previous lessons of this unit on Jamestown. After reading a novel, they examine and discuss the life of Pocahontas. Using the internet, they answer comprehension questions and write...

Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, pupils compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...

Social studies learners explore slavery in the American colonies from 1607 to the Revolutionary War. In groups, they explore a PBS website and a virtual museum. Using these websites and other online resources, students create their own...

Students use the Constitution and Declaration of Independence to investigate the apparent contradictions between slavery and freedom. The activity looks at the reasons for the incorporation of slavery into early colonial life even with...

Students read excepts from various government documents on the issue of slavery in America. Using the internet, they research a topic related to slavery of interest to them and present to the class their findings. They examine the life...

What better way to get your class interested in history than to embody important historical characters and make events come to life? Stage a realistic mock trial of the British soldiers accused of murdering five Bostonians after the...

Eleventh graders research and discuss the different points of view of colonists in terms of taxation, as well as how these viewpoints helped lead to the revolution.

Second graders increase their baseline knowledge of primary and secondary sources and the likenesses and differences of them with regard to a selected historical event.

Young scholars review the causes of slavery, the Middle Passage, triangular trade and the spread of slavery throughout colonies. They work in small groups and search documents in order to find the answers to a question and document packet.

Sixth graders write a historical fiction narrative. In this interdisciplinary lesson, 6th graders read the historical fiction Henry Spelman: The Powhatan Indians' English Boy. Students write a piece from the point of view of the main...

First graders listen to and discuss historical fiction and bigraphies from the early American time period. They role-play, draw, write stories and dress up to re-create events from these historical characters.