An outstanding instructional activity on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some...

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...

Students use maps, the Internet, graphic organizers and discussion to explore the history of the Middle American Colonies. They consider how the colonies were founded and the ideas of religious freedom and self-government they embodied.

Students develop strategies to create a successful colony by analyzing the environment, individual rights, and responsibilities. They gain an understanding of the challenges faced by colonists.

Students explore the lifestyles of the American colonies. They conduct various activities according to their grade level including jigsaw research and creating a poster. Lesson includes primary source readings related to the topic.

Fourth graders create a flip book illustrating the 13 original colonies. They study the growth and development of each of the three groups of the original colonies. They use maps to observe and interpret geographic information and...

Two slide shows, viewed side-by-side, permit middle schoolers to compare and contrast the lives of the Pilgrims of the Plimoth colony and the Wampanoags. Four videos take learners on virtual field trips to the Plymouth plantation. And an...

Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...

Fourth graders recognize and can describe the settlers of Early America. In this American colonies lesson, 4th graders research using primary and secondary sources, Native Americans, Europeans, and African Americans role in the...

Pupils discuss the basic ideas about the government of the English colonists. They identify three kinds of colonial government developed in the thirteen colonies.

Learners 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...

Fifth graders are introduced to Earth day and study the nesting colonies of Midway.  In this Earth Day lesson students watch an online clip and see the effects our waste has on wildlife. 

Fifth graders determine which crops were grown in the 13 colonies depending on their climate and geography. They explore what crops are grown in the states created from the original colonies.

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

Eighth graders examine the impact of geography on a region. In this geography lesson, 8th graders study the themes of geography. Students write an open response to a question.

Students reflect on the Declaration of Independence.  In this U.S. History lesson, students read the Declaration of Independence then complete an activity and worksheet on the topic.

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...

Continued conflict in the Middle East makes this lesson relevant, and the inclusion of a critique of Lawrence of Arabia might increase student interest in a potentially challenging topic. The resource includes a solid...

Fifth graders, in groups, study the differences between the 13 Original Colonies, then explore the relationship between the Revolutionary War and the Civil War.

Students explore government systems. In this colonial America lesson plan, students consider colonial settlement needs as they design settlements that can sustain themselves and meet the needs of colonists.

Burrowing animals are busy! Get your middle school ecologists busy as well by having them create a scale model of a burrowing population. They also design a PowerPoint or poster to explain their models. 

Young historians trace the roots of African slavery and learn about the causes and effects of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade through a PowerPoint presentation and by reading and discussing excerpts from the book Copper Sun.

Students examine the reasons for and the results of the US Revolutionary War. They watch a PowerPoint presentation to review the immediate results of the war. They design a flag for the newly free colonies.

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...