Lesson
3
The English Colonies in America
Overview
In this lesson, students learn about the similarities and differences among the
New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies. In a Problem Solving Groupwork
activity, students work in groups of four to create a Colonial Fair booth that promotes
one of eight colonies. Students then visit the booths and evaluate the pros and cons of
living in each colony. Afterward, students read about the colonies and reconsider their
initial evaluation. Finally, students apply their learning in a Processing assignment.
Objectives
Students will
• distinguish between New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies.
• understand the emergence of major regional differences in the colonies.
• work collaboratively to create a booth to promote the best features of a colony,
including the economic, political, and religious features.
Materials
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History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism
Interactive Student Notebooks
Graphic Organizer Placard 3
Student Handout 3 (one per group)
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Preview
Project Transparency 3: Colonial America in 1770. Explain that the early
English colonies are often divided into New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies
based upon unique characteristics of each region. Have students work in pairs to complete Preview 3 in their Interactive Student Notebooks. Afterward, have them share their
answers. Then, tell students that in this lesson they will learn about three New England
Colonies, two Middle Colonies, and three Southern Colonies. Information from this map
will help them understand the development of each colony.
Graphic Organizer
1 Have students read Sections 3.1 and 3.2 in History Alive! The United
States Through Industrialism. Remind students that important terms appear in colored
type (teal). Each term is defined in the Glossary. After students have completed the reading, ask, What are the three distinct regions into which the colonies can be grouped?
What was the climate like in the New England Colonies? How would you describe the
land in the New England Colonies? In the Middle Colonies? What was the climate like
in the Southern Colonies? How would you describe the land in the Southern Colonies?
What is a charter? What did assemblies do? Who was denied the right to vote in the
colonies? (Note: you may want to have students use the Prereading Handout on page xv
of the lesson guide to conduct a prereading of the chapter.)
2 Introduce Graphic Organizer Placard 3. Explain that the graphic organizer is a
spoke diagram. A spoke diagram is a visual means of organizing information. At the hub
of the spoke diagram is the main idea. “Spokes” projecting from the hub contain written
information and visuals that relate to the main idea. Ask, What do you see at the hub of
the spoke diagram? What state is shown on this map? What do you see on the spokes of
the diagram? What does this tell you about New Jersey? Tell students they will use this
graphic organizer to learn about 8 of the original 13 English colonies.
Problem Solving Groupwork
1 Arrange the classroom and
place students in mixed-ability groups of
four. Prepare a transparency that shows
students who is in their group and how to
arrange their desks.
2 Introduce the activity. Assign each
group one of the eight colonies described
in Sections 3.3 to 3.10. Tell students that
each group will create a sales booth to
encourage others to settle in their colony.
After they have created the booths, the
class will hold a Colonial Fair in which group members will visit all the booths in
search of the “best colony.” Explain that each group will have two teams. At the beginning of the fair, Team 1—the Advertising Director and the Copywriter—will stay at the
booth to make the sales presentation. Team 2—the Salesperson and the Graphic Artist—
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will visit all the other booths and complete part of Reading Notes 3. After Team 2 visits
all the booths, the teams will switch places, allowing Team 1 to visit the booths while
Team 2 makes the presentations.
3 Review the directions for Reading Notes 3 in the Interactive Student Notebook.
Explain that each group will complete the six required spokes for the diagram of their
colony before the Colonial Fair. During the Colonial Fair, students will complete three
spokes of the diagram for each of the other colonies based upon information they
receive at each booth. Then they will evaluate the desirability of settling in that colony
by placing a mark on the spectrum beneath each spoke diagram. They will complete the
spoke diagrams and rank their colonies on their Reading Notes at the conclusion of the
activity.
4 Review the steps for creating colonial booths. Give each group a copy of Student
Handout 3: Creating a Colonial Booth. Assign each group member one of the four roles.
(Note: Students can use the library to do additional research about their colony. There is
also good information available on the Internet, with links from the History Alive! Web
site.)
5 Monitor progress as groups create their booths. When a group completes a step,
initial that step before students move on. When groups are ready, provide them with
supplies with which to create their booths.
6 Conduct the Colonial Fair. Remind students to add three spokes to the spoke diagram and mark the spectrum on their Reading Notes to evaluate the colony as they visit
each booth. Explain that Team 1 will stay in the booth to make the presentations while
Team 2 visits other booths. Then, when Team 2 completes its visits, the teams will
switch places. Once students understand how the Colonial Fair will be conducted, use a
dramatic voice to invite students to the “annual Colonial Fair!” and begin the fair.
7 Hold a class discussion. After all students have visited all booths, ask the following
questions:
• In which colony would you most like to settle?
• In which colony would you least like to settle?
• Which factors were most important to you when considering where to settle?
Reading
1 Have students read Sections 3.3 through 3.10 and complete their
Reading Notes. Tell students that as they read, they should add three additional spokes
containing words and visuals about features of the colony to each diagram.
2 Have students reevaluate their choice of colonies. Tell students to rank the colonies
in order from 1 (best colony in which to live) to 8 (worst colony in which to live). Have
them enter the rank numbers in the corresponding boxes on their Reading Notes.
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3 Conduct a brief class discussion. After students complete their rankings, have them
stand next to the booth representing the colony they ranked as number one. Conduct a
discussion by asking these questions:
• Which colony did most students believe was the best colony in which to live? Why?
• Which colony did the fewest students believe was the best colony in which to live?
Why?
• Were any presentations at the booths misleading? If so, how?
Processing
Have students complete Processing 3 in their Interactive Student Notebooks.
Investigating Primary Sources
Ask students to read “The Mayflower Compact” on page 428 of History Alive!
The United States Through Industrialism and complete the corresponding assignment.
Assessment
Masters for assessment follow the next page.
1. D
2. A
3. B
4. C
5. A
6. B
8. B
9. D
10. D
11. D
12. A
13. B
7. D
14. The bulleted points can provide a rubric for this item.
Online Resources
Further resources for Lesson 3: The English Colonies in America can be found
at Online Resources for History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism at
www.teachtci.com/historyalive/.
• Internet Connections: The English Colonies in America
• Enrichment Essay: America, Land of Opportunity: The Origins of the Free Enterprise
System
Options for Students with Special Needs
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See page 336 for tips on adapting this lesson to meet the needs of
English language learners.
learners reading and writing below grade level.
learners with special education needs
advanced learners.
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Assessment
3
Fill in the bubble beside the best answer to each question.
1. What did the New England Colonies
have in common?
0 A. long, hot summers and mild
winters
0 B. broad rivers, swamps, and
wetlands
0 C. broad coastal plains with fertile
soil
0 D. harsh winters and rocky, hilly
land
2. The people who settled in the Middle
Colonies represented
0 A. many countries and cultures.
0 B. debtors from England.
0 C. Pilgrims and Puritans.
0 D. Africans escaping slavery.
3. What feature made the Southern
Colonies unique?
0 A. shipbuilding centers
0 B. large plantations
0 C. town meetings
0 D. Quaker communities
4. The Mayflower Compact, the
Fundamental Orders, and town meetings all showed the determination of
colonists to
0 A. build societies based on religious
freedom.
0 B. stop indentured servants from
coming to America.
0 C. govern themselves and solve their
own problems.
0 D. solve conflicts with Native
Americans peacefully.
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5. Virginians replaced indentured
servants with African slaves for all
of these reasons except:
0 A. Slaves were cheaper to buy than
indentured servants.
0 B. Africans were hard workers and
used to farming.
0 C. Slaves did not gain their freedom
after a few years.
0 D. Africans’ dark skin made it harder for them to escape to freedom.
6. In most colonies, laws were made by
0 A. church leaders.
0 B. an elected assembly.
0 C. the king’s governor.
0 D. large landowners.
7. Which generalization best sums up the
founding of the English colonies?
0 A. The English colonies were
founded by Puritans, Quakers,
and Catholics who wanted a
place to worship in peace.
0 B. The English colonies were
founded to provide a new start to
poor people throughout Europe.
0 C. The English colonies were
founded by business people who
planned to make money by selling land to settlers.
0 D. The English colonies were
founded by people with different
goals ranging from making
money to following their faith.
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Assessment
3
8. Which New England Colony is described
in Chart A?
0 A. Connecticut
0 B. Massachusetts
0 C. New Hampshire
0 D. Rhode Island
9. This colony was founded to be a
0 A. model of democratic government.
0 B. refuge for debtors and poor people.
0 C. moneymaking business venture.
0 D. safe place for Puritans to worship.
10. Which Middle Colony is described
in Chart B?
0 A. Delaware
0 B. New Jersey
0 C. New York
0 D. Pennsylvania
11. This colony was founded to be a
0 A. community based on the Bible.
0 B. refuge for debtors and poor people.
0 C. moneymaking business venture.
0 D. safe place for Quakers to worship.
12. Which Southern Colony is described
in Chart C?
0 A. Georgia
0 B. Maryland
0 C. South Carolina
0 D. Virginia
13. This colony was founded to be a
0 A. community based on the Bible.
0 B. refuge for debtors and poor people.
0 C. moneymaking business venture.
0 D. safe place for Jews to worship.
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Assessment
3
Follow the directions to complete the item below.
14. Design a billboard encouraging people to settle in one of the colonies you studied.
You may select any colony except the one for which you created your booth. Your
billboard should include the following:
• At least four colorful symbols or simple drawings to represent characteristics of
the colony. Pick the characteristics that would most likely attract settlers.
• A short caption (2-5 words) for each symbol or drawing that explains what the
symbol or drawing represents.
• A short, clever slogan that will help people remember why they should settle in
the colony you have selected.
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Student Handout
3
Creating a Colonial Booth
Work with your group to create an exciting, informative booth that uses a banner, a
brochure, a song, and a sales presentation to encourage others in the class to settle in
your colony. Follow the steps below.
____ Step 1: Review the roles. After your teacher assigns your role, read the information below. Make sure everyone knows her or his responsibilities.
Advertising Director: You will lead the group during Step 2 to make sure that everyone
understands key historical information about your colony. During Step 6, you will lead
the group to create a musical jingle for the sales presentation. As a member of Team 1,
you and the Copywriter will present your booth to your classmates.
Copywriter: You will lead the group during Step 3 to write a slogan and short paragraphs for the brochure, describing your colony’s best features. As a member of
Team 1, you and the Advertising Director will present your booth to your classmates.
Graphic Artist: You will lead the group during Step 4 to create the layout of the
brochure and to sketch visuals that show key features of your colony. As a member of
Team 2, you and the Salesperson will present your booth to your classmates.
Salesperson: You will lead the group during Step 5 to create a memorable sales presentation to convince others to settle in your colony. As a member of Team 2, you and the
Graphic Artist will present your booth to your classmates.
____ Step 2: Learn about your colony. Take turns reading aloud the information
about your colony in History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism. Be certain
to read the chart of information included for your colony. When you finish reading, the
Advertising Director should make sure that everyone in the group completes the spoke
diagram for your colony on his or her Reading Notes.
____ Step 3: Write a slogan that summarizes your colony’s most outstanding
feature. For example, for New Jersey, you might write, “New Jersey: Land of Great
Variety.” After you have brainstormed some ideas, have the Copywriter write your
slogan below.
Slogan:________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
This slogan will be used on your booth’s banner and brochure. Your brochure should
also include at least four short paragraphs that describe the best features in four of these
areas: People and Reasons for Settlement, Climate and Geography, Economy and
Occupations, Religion, and Government. Make sure that the information is easy to
understand and makes the colony sound like an appealing place to live. You may choose
to avoid mentioning undesirable conditions. After you have brainstormed some ideas,
help the Copywriter write the short paragraphs on a separate sheet of paper.
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Creating a Colonial Booth
Student Handout
3
____ Step 4: Sketch the layout and visuals for the brochure. Your brochure should be
visually appealing, informative, and creative. It must contain at least four visuals that
reinforce the ideas in your slogan and short paragraphs. After you have brainstormed
some ideas, have the Graphic Artist quickly sketch the layout of the brochure and the
four visuals in the space below.
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Student Handout
3
Creating a Colonial Booth
____ Step 5: Brainstorm ideas for a sales presentation. Each team from your group
will have three minutes to present your brochure to the students who visit your booth.
Make the presentation educational and entertaining. The presentation must include one
entertaining sales gimmick, such as distributing coupons or flyers that promote one of
your colony’s best features. In the space below, have the Salesperson outline the main
ideas and the sales gimmick to include in the presentation.
____ Step 6: Brainstorm ideas for a musical jingle. The sales presentation must also
include a musical jingle that promotes your colony’s best features. You may create your
own tune or use the tune of a well-known song or commercial. After you have brainstormed some ideas, help the Advertising Director write a four-line jingle in the space
below.
____ Step 7: Create the final brochure, your booth’s banner, and the sales gimmick.
Work together to create
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•
•
a brochure that is visually appealing and creative.
a colorful banner that is easy to read from across the room.
a sales gimmick that can be distributed to the entire class.
____ Step 8: Rehearse the presentation. Team 1 and Team 2 should take turns
rehearsing the sales presentation and song. The observing team should make sure that
the presentation is easy to follow, interesting to watch, and lasts no more than three
minutes.
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES
3
Before the Colonial Fair
1. Read about your colony in the appropriate section of History Alive!
The United States Through Industrialism.
2. Find the section of the Reading Notes for your colony.
3. Use the outline of your colony to create a spoke diagram. Add six spokes.
4. On each spoke, write notes describing a key feature of the colony and
draw a symbol or simple illustration of that feature.
During the Colonial Fair
1. As you visit each booth, find the colony in the Reading Notes. Add three spokes
to start the spoke diagram for that colony.
2. Use information from the presentation to record notes and visuals for key features
of the colony on the three spokes.
3. Mark the spectrum to show how much you would like to settle in that colony.
After the Colonial Fair
1. Read the section that corresponds to each colony.
2. Add three more spokes to each diagram. On each spoke, record notes and draw
a visual of a key feature of the colony.
3. Rank the colonies from 1 (best) to 8 (worst). Write your rankings for the colonies
in the corresponding boxes.
3.3 Massachusetts
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• religious refuge for Puritans
• harsh winters and warm summers
• rich pastures, forests
• government guided by rules of the Bible
• shipping
• lumber
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES
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3.4 Rhode Island
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• hot, humid summers
• cold, snowy winters
• religious freedom
• shipbuilding, fishing, whaling, trade
• flat, rocky woodlands
• coastal lowlands
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
3.5 Connecticut
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• Fundamental Orders—first written constitution
• seacoast
• forested hills
• farming (crops and livestock)
• shipbuilding, fishing, whaling
• cold winters, mild summers
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
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3.6 New York
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• great class differences
• elected assembly with the power to pass laws and set taxes
• cold, snowy winters; hot, humid summers
• fur trapping, lumber, shipping
• slave trade
• wetlands along the coast, forested
mountains
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
3.7 Pennsylvania
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• Great Law that promised that people of all faiths would be treated equally
• first democracy
• rolling hills and fertile soil
• farming (crops and dairy)
• cold winters; hot, humid summers
• merchants, tradespeople,
lumber, shipbuilding
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES
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3.8 Maryland
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• refuge for Catholics and members of other persecuted religions
• cold, rainy winters; hot, humid summers
• fertile land
• farming (crops, beef, dairy)
• Act Concerning Religion—
America’s first law
guaranteeing religious liberty
• lumber, shipping, fishing, iron
mining
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
3.9 Virginia
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• mild winters; hot, humid summers
• coastal lowlands
• wooded mountains
• plantations that grew tobacco
• slavery
• self-governing
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
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GUIDE TO READING NOTES
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Georgia
Notes and illustrations on the spoke diagrams will vary. Possible answers:
• refuge for debtors
• short, mild winters; long, hot, humid summers
• farming
• strict laws against alcohol
and owning slaves
• attacks by Spanish
• red-clay plains, forested mountains
Really want to live here
Really don’t want to live here
Rank
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