Curated OER
The Colonization of the United States
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
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Triangular Trade
This activity has it all, primary source documents, an interactive trade game, clear teacher background information, and sailing to the West Indies chance cards. You will play, trade, and live out the experiences of early colonists in...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Franklin’s Philadelphia: Another Point of View
The impressive story of Benjamin Franklin, including his rise from a printer’s apprentice to a statesman, color upper-level scholars’ understanding of the possibilities of life in colonial Philadelphia. But not everyone had the...
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
Franklin’s Philadelphia: Another Point of View
While Benjamin Franklin enjoyed fame and success in colonial Philadelphia, that was not the experience of all coming to the British colonies. Young scholars trace the life of an indentured servant using a scholarly biography and reading...
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The First American Colonies
Fourth graders are introduced to the early colonial settlements of America by observing a map, filling in a map themselves and then researching information on their own.
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Myth-Conceptions
Young scholars examine the myths and misconceptions surrounding early European colonists in the New World. They analyze images, artwork, and media relating to the early colonists and discuss their accuracy.
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Rice Around the World
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...
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From a New Nation to a Divided Nation
Quiz your students or prepare them for the big exam with this presentation. Included are 24 multiple choice questions related to Early American Government, The Colonial Period, Westward Expansion, and State Formation.
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American Indians, European Settlers, and Colonial Arkansas
Students identify the interdependence among various ethnic groups in early Arkansas history. They illustrate timelines and visit historic sites. They make maps of the site and give class presentations.
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A Practical Experiment In Colonization
Role-play and simulation exercises are fantastic ways to help learners understand the reality behind many social and historical events. Pretending they are colonists, upper graders choose a location, create a history, establish laws, and...
Carolina K-12
Early American Settlements
What brought settlers from Europe to North America? By exploring primary sources, such as posters seeking recruits for the new lands, class members take a deeper look at these motivations. To finish, they present their findings to...
Reading Through History
Early History and Exploration Unit
We all know about Christopher Columbus, but who else explored the Americas, and specifically, the future United States of America? Learners find out these answers and more in a resource that includes four different reading sections,...
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The Mayflower Story Up-Close and Personal
Students gain a deeper understanding of what the early colonists experienced in search of a new life in America while giving them a taste of historical methodology. This is an engaging way to assess what your students know about the...
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Everything Was Up to Date in 1628
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...
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Jamestown: A Brief History
Eighth graders investigate the history of the United States by researching Jamestown. In this archaeological lesson, 8th graders attend a field trip to historical Jamestown in Virgina to discover key figures that formed our country....
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social studies: Life in Colonial America
Students explore the trials and tribulations early colonial life and note its successes. Through literature, Internet research, and interactive software, they engage in various activities to evaluate early social and cultural development.
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Religious Tolerance in Colonial Maryland
Students complete worksheets and analyze passages about religious tolerance in Colonial Maryland. In this religious tolerance lesson plan, students discuss Maryland as a colony and answer short answer questions about it.
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Conflict in the Frontier town of Deerfield
Students use primary sources to investigate, explore and represent varying perspectives on the 1704 Deerfield Raid. They consider the reasons Deerfield was at the center of English, French and Native American conflicts in the early 18th...
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Jamestown
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...
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Colonial Living: A Look at the Arts, Crafts, History, and Literature of Early Americans
Sixth graders examine the different aspects of life in Colonial America. At home, they make traditional colonial recipes to share with the class. In groups, they read a book about the purpose and act of quilting and create their own...
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Early Discovery & Settlement (5)
In this online interactive American history instructional activity, students respond to 21 matching questions regarding colonial America. Students may check their answers immediately.
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An Empire in the Balance
Eleventh graders investigate the role of New York state during the American Revolution. In small groups, they research a particular region within colonial America, analyze primary source documents, complete Document Analysis Sheets, and...
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What They Left Behind: Early Multi-National Influences in the United States
Students examine how the European voyages of discovery influence American culture even today. They map eighteenth century Europe's impact on the United States.
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Life on Plymouth Plantation
Third graders research life of Plymouth Plantation and write letters about life there home. In this Plymouth life lesson plan, 3rd graders complete a webquest as they gather information about the journey to America on the Mayflower and...