Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin
In this early American history worksheet, students respond to 9 essay and short answer questions about the life and accomplishments of Benjamin Franklin.
Curated OER
Settling the Plymouth Colony
Students label blank maps with the names of the New England Colonies. They explain the difficulties that the Pilgrims had and how hard they worked to survive in Plymouth.
Curated OER
Thirteen Original Colonies
Learners 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.
Curated OER
Settling the Plymouth Colony
Students use the Internet and graphic organizers to research the Plymouth Colony the experience of the Pilgrims. Students compare and contrast different colonies and develop a timeline showcasing their research.
Curated OER
English Perspectives
Students perform research in order to answer an essential question: How did the cultural characteristics, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors, and economic conditions of the French, English, and Indians contribute to the growth of inter-group...
Curated OER
Deborah Sampson
Fifth graders describe the major accomplishments of Deborah Sampson and her importance in American history. They list in chronological order the evets that took place in Deborah Sampson's life. They demonstrae their ability to...
Curated OER
New England News: All You Need to Know About the New England Colonies
Students explore the New England colonies inj this five lessons unit. The colonies of plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Connecticut are highlighted through a variety of techniques.
Curated OER
Anonymous Patriots: Songs of the Revolution
Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...
Curated OER
The Voice of Dreams
Students explore, analyze and study novel reflections on the American dream that the United States has held the promise of unlimited possibilities. They describe the concept of the American dream, listen to and record real stories of...
Curated OER
What is the (No) Establishment Clause?
Students research and discuss the Establishment Clause.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Divining America: Religion in American History
A collection of scholarly essays consisting of instructional guides accompanied by commentary. Designed to help teachers of American history bring students to a greater understanding of the role religion has played in the development of...
Henry J. Sage
Sage American History: The Puritans of New England
A description of religious strife and factions in the 17th Century. Provides a detailed and comprehensive account of the Puritans, their life and culture, as they migrate to America and establish themselves in New England.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Wilderness: The Puritan Origins of the American Wilderness Movement
Thoughtful history from the National Humanities Center of important figures in the early conservation movement in America: Bradford, Morton, Edwards, Thoreau, Emerson, Muir, and Leopold. Follow-up study suggestions include students...
Louisiana Department of Education
Louisiana Doe: Louisiana Believes: Social Studies: Grade 5: Religion in Colonial America
This sample task contains a set of primary and authentic sources about Puritans and the role religion played in the Puritan society of colonial America.
Read Works
Read Works: Pilgrims and Puritans Who Were the Pilgrims?
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about Pilgrims who eventually made their new home in America. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
University of Missouri
Famous Trials: The Trials of Mary Dyer (1659 & 1660)
Mary Dyer was on a spiritual quest to Boston, to Portsmouth, to Newport, and to the northwest coast of England, where she became an ardent member of a new religion - a Quaker, or a member of the Society of Friends. Determined to spread...
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Puritan and Quaker Utopian Promise
This unit explores the documented perceptions of Native Americans, religious faiths, physical challenges of new lands and how the combination of immigrants and Native Americans shaped the New World. Click on "Activities" for related...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Divining America: Puritanism and Predestination
The Puritans came to the New World in search of religious freedom. This National Humanities Center article tells what they did with that freedom. Site also offers topics for discussion with students.
Library of Congress
Loc: America's Story: Massachusetts
The Library of Congress profiles Massachusetts in this fact-filled article about the "Old Colony State."
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: American Passages: Utopian Promise: Anne Bradstreet
English immigrant in the New World, Anne Bradstreet became an acclaimed poet of Puritan New England. Click on "Anne Bradstreet Activities" for related artifacts and activities.
Encyclopedia Britannica
Encyclopedia Britannica: 300 Women Who Changed History: Anne Bradstreet
Basic biographical information about Anne Bradstreet, one of the first poets to write English verse in the American colonies. Content includes two of her poems: "The Prologue" and "To My Dear and Loving Husband."
Other
Religious Tolerance in Colonial America
Religious tolerance was an important but often misunderstood contribution of the colonial era. Tolerance developed only after time. Groups such as the Pilgrims and Puritans who left Europe to escape religious persecution often were...
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Evangelicalism as a Social Movement
Resource in which the author helps us understand Evangelicalism as a religious movement as well as a social movement that ultimately helped transfom American society. Links to online resources.
Other
American Journeys: French and English Approaches to Exploration [Pdf]
A lengthy lesson plan that examines French and English approaches to exploration and colonization in reference to religious factors. Using primary sources from French missionary Gabriel Sagard and Wiliam Bradford, first governor of...