What did the English settlers think of the Native Americans inhabiting the Chesapeake region of the United States? Learners analyze a series of documents and images to determine the English perception of the local inhabitants. A great...

High schoolers examine portraits by John Singleton Copley and discuss how the subject's appearance communicates important information about his or her life. They write a diary entry from the point of view of a portrait subject.

Learners prepare for and participate in a debate and mock trial regarding laws broken during the Boston Tea Party. Several primary documents and a homework chart are included.

Students discover the history of Colonial America by creating a class presentation.  For this U.S. History lesson, students utilize the Internet to research one of 20 topics in which they will create a PowerPoint or other type of...

Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.

Eighth graders use a web-site to examine the economic factors involving colonial ship- building.  In this shipbuilding lesson, 8th graders will build a set of tables that demonstrate how they have chosen to analyze cost, processing...

Eleventh graders explore who were the colonial families that populated Deerfield and what evidence can be gathered that reveals a part of their life stories to the researcher.

Students compare and contrast the colonies in British North America. As a class, they brainstorm a list of people, places and ideas associated with the Colonial Era. They discover the relationships and interactions between the...

Students examine the schools in colonial New England. They discover what a hornbook is and how it was used. They create their own hornbook and share them with the class.

Fourth graders listen as the teacher lectures about bartering. They work in small groups to define and create a skit about one term related to bartering. Students create an Economic Terms booklet. They review that tobacco was a cash crop...

In this social change and modernization worksheet, young scholars respond to 6 short answer questions and answer 6 multiple choice questions regarding these sociology topics.

Students research the main reasons for the colonists moving to the Pennsylvania colony. They analyze maps, label a bubble map, list similarities/differences of immigrants then and now, and create a colonial newspaper advertisement.

Students examine the expectations that colonists had for lives prior to the revolution. In this colonial America instructional activity, students read primary documents that feature the perceptions of white men and minorities during the...

Seventh graders examine life at the Jamestown settlement. In this colonial America lesson, 7th graders visit the noted Web site to analyze artifacts from the settlement. Based on their findings, students write descriptive pieces about...

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. After watching segments from the PBS history series, "Colonial...

Students take the sides of Patriots or Tories. In this colonial American lesson, students read primary sources that feature James Murray and Captain Jones. Students then write dialogues and limericks based on a fictional meeting of the 2...

Students view a video of Colonial House, a reality series where people lived according to the standards of European immigrants to the U.S. in 1628. In this colonial history instructional activity, students research changes in geographic...

Sixth graders research the Spanish influence on early colonial America and the process of establishing the present U.S. currency. They read and discuss an informational handout in small groups, and take a short quiz. Students then...

Students identify items made in Jamestown and draw conclusions about their economy. In this Jamestown economy lesson, students use the internet to complete a worksheet which required them to look at photographs of goods made in and...

Fifth graders explore the many decisions that early colonist had to make when coming to North America. In this royal charter lesson plan, 5th graders work in teams to create a proposal for the King of England to establish a new colony in...

Fourth graders create their classroom rules.  In this Mayflower Compact lesson, 4th graders listen to the Plymouth story and learn about the Mayflower Compact.  Students analyze the Mayflower Compact and create a class compact...

Students take a closer look at artifacts to learn about the people who used them. In this colonial America lesson, students examine photographs of everyday items used in colonial times and determine what the uses of the tools may be...

Fourth graders explore the events leading up to the Mayflower Compact. In this government lesson, 4th graders have a teacher-led class discussion on the importance of government, then complete a worksheet on the topic.

Sixth graders research the history of Huguenot Street and visit the street as a class field trip. They, in groups, present their research and observations in a skit format.