With graphic organizers galore, learners will follow the changes of church and state in early colonial America. They look at the differences between the pilgrims and the puritans in terms of beliefs and life ways. Myths and...

Should representation in the new United States government be based on population? This worksheet illustrates the details of this important quandary through an adaptation of speeches on the topic given at the Constitutional Convention....

Students gain comprehensive background knowledge of the Salem witch trials in preparation for reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible. They participate in a role-play activity designed to simulate a modern day witch-hunt.

Students define what it meant to be an American early on in the nation's history. In this American identity lesson, students examine the noted quotations and determine what was meant by each of the authors with regards to an American...

Students research the town of Deerfield, CT and its River God families to show how the middle class developed in the Connecticut River Valley.

Students explore the historical drama, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller looking for examples of society's mistrust of nonconformity and the injustice that can as a result of fear.

Beans, or legumes as they are sometimes called, are the topic for an integrated multi-subject lesson. Youngsters will read, write, observe, and research everything there is to know about beans. They read a bean story, conduct a bean...

Learners analyze the steps that lead to the Revolutionary War. They view an eye exam chart to illustrate how important it is to focus on your end destination and see how difficult it is to focus on over time and the retelling of a...

In this Thanksgiving reading worksheet, students read for information and answer true and false comprehension questions. Students answer six true and false statements.

Fifth graders become familar with the pilgrims and first Thanksgiving through essays about important people of the time.  In this Thanksgiving lesson, 5th graders choose an important figure from the time of the Pilgrims and write a...

Fifth graders develop a common currency. In 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...

Students examine excerpts of Thomas Paine's Common Sense. In this early American history lesson, students read Paine's pamphlet and analyze the information according the rubric provided.

In this lesson plan, 5th graders learn about the people who founded the New England colonies and the role that religion played in shaping them. Includes background information for the teacher. Students explore primary resource readings...

An outline of the important information to study on the establishment of the New England Colonies by the Puritans, first in the Massachusetts Bay area, and their evolution and expansion beyond that.

Provides background information and the complete text of the charter of the Massachusetts Bay 1629.

The Library of Congress profiles Massachusetts in this fact-filled article about the "Old Colony State."

Complete text of the Charter of Massachusetts Bay, 1629.

Slaves in Massachusetts had access to the court system, and in some cases, it helped them gain their freedom. Read the stories of several of them, and find out how the Fugitive Slave Law either helped or hindered them.

An overview of the Puritans who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the New Haven Colony and Rhode Island. The internal and external struggles with these colonies is discussed including the Salem Witch Trials, King Philip's War,...

Compares life in the three regions of the thirteen British colonies - the New England colonies (Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Connecticut), the Middle Colonies (New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey), and the...

The religious and civil conflict in England in the mid-17th century limited immigration, as well as the attention the mother country paid the fledgling American colonies. In part to provide for the defense measures England was...

Read about how the colony of Connecticut grew from an expansion of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. See how Thomas Hooker's idea of government resulted in a model of colonial charters, and find out how two very different settlements in...

Learn a little about Puritan beliefs and see the importance of religion and the clergy in Massachusetts Bay Colony.