A LOOK AT COLONIAL AMERICA A Second Grade Unit

1. A LOOK AT COLONIAL AMERICAA Second Grade Unit

2. Grade 2: Connecting History to our World Today: Colonial America and the Early Nation • Colonial Laws and Rules • Diversity Within the Colonies and Colonial Ways of Life (families, homes, foods, gender roles, education, etc.) • Colonial Leaders • The Geography of the Colonies • The Colonial Economy (Jobs, Goods and Services, Surpluses and Shortages)

3. Key Perspectives Addressed: • Cultural Heritage • Students will learn about Early Americans and their ways of life. • Time, Place and Space • Students will learn about the geography of the colonies and the time period in which the United States was founded. • Diversity and Difference • Students will learn about diversity within the colonies as well as societal differences between past and present times.

4. Background Information:What do we know about Colonial America? • It relates to the 13 original British colonies in North America before their independence in 1776.

5. Background Information:Where was Colonial America? • The 13 original colonies were located on the Eastern coast of North America.

6. Connecticut (1635) Delaware (1638) Georgia (1733) Maryland (1634) Massachusetts (1620) New Hampshire (1622) New Jersey (1618) New York (1624) North Carolina (1653) Pennsylvania (1623) Rhode Island (1636) South Carolina (1670) Virginia (1607) Background Information: The 13 original colonies consisted of:

7. Background Information:Who came to the colonies and lived there? • Puritans from England came to America because they wanted religious freedom. • They traveled on long voyages by ship. • Native Americans had already been living there.

8. Connecting Colonial America to our Community Today • Cultural perspective can be given to where our nation is today by allowing students to explore the lives and society of our ancestors. • Learning about a different time period, students are able to grasp history and envision the timeline that has led to where our nation and society is today. • Children will compare and contrast their roles in our community with the roles of children in colonial times in their community.

9. Standards:Colonial America is covered by: • Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science: • Goal 16: History • Goal 17: Geography

10. 16.C.1a (W) Identify how people and groups in the past made economic choices (e.g., crops to plant, products to make, products to trade) to survive and improve their lives. 16.C.1b (W) Explain how trade among people brought an exchange of ideas, technology and language. 16.A.1a Explain the difference between past, present and future time; place themselves in time. 16.B.1 (W) Explain the contributions of individuals and groups who are featured in biographies, legends, folklore and traditions. State Goal 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations.

11. 17.A.1b Identify the characteristics and purposes of geographic representations including maps, globes, graphs, photographs, software, digital images and be able to locate specific places using each. State Goal 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, especially in the United States.

12. Part of the Curriculum. Integrates well with literature. Can be approached in an inventive manner. Rationale

13. Teach students map skills. This will benefit them in locating not only the early colonies, but also in reading present day maps. Immerse students in different customs/costumes of the times so that they can experience the cultural differences. History is made more relevant when students learn about the people and their ways of life. Instructional Strategies and Rationale for Strategies:

14. Pilgrims of Plimoth takes a historical look at the daily life of the people commonly referred to as Pilgrims. This book will be used to introduce students to the real-life children of Colonial America. Daily activities, community life, chores, outfits, and families can be looked at. Literacy Link:Pilgrims of Plimoth By Marcia Sewall

15. A research book providing background on the time period and information on culture, geography, economy, and history. Optional classroom activities are included as recipes, games, time lines, and biographies found in the book. This can be the introduction to maps and how they will be used to chart Colonial America. Literacy Link:Your Travel Guide to Colonial America By: Nancy Day

16. Instructional Style: Teacher-Directed This lesson will introduce students to the topic of Colonial America. The teacher will read a book aloud to students, Home and Child Life in Colonial Days by Alice Earle (for example) and then lead a discussion where children’s lives in Colonial America are compared to today. Teacher will direct students’ attention to family life and expectations. There are more children in each family and they are expected to do many many chores to help out. They start their real jobs by age 8. ISBE Standard: 16.A.1a Unit SketchLesson 1: Colonial Ways of Life

17. Instructional Style: Teacher-Directed Students will compare education and toys by observing from last lesson’s literature. Education was far less important, especially for poor children or girls. Many schools were taught by ministers and only covered practical topics. Their toys are made of corn or hopscotch or cat’s cradle. Students can make their own cornhusks dolls to compare the colonial toys to their toys today. Cornhusk doll directions: www.teachersfirst.com/summer/cornhusk.htm ISBE Standard: 16.A.1a Unit SketchLesson 2: Colonial Ways of Life cont.

18. Instructional Strategy: Guided Inquiry Students will look at the laws and rules for Colonial America. They will compare what was expected of colonists and what is expected of us today. The laws found at: www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h315t.html can be discussed and how these slave/discriminating laws are different from life today. After laws are presented to the students, a comparison should be led by classroom discussions that can be recorded on the board by the teacher. ISBE Standard: 16.A.1a Unit SketchLesson 3: Colonial Laws and Rules

19. Students will learn about famous colonial leaders that made contributions to society during their time. Students will also explore the importance of how their contributions have affected America even today. Description: In groups, students will choose a famous leader and make an informative poster. They will use computers and library books for research. Students will share their posters with the class (oral presentations). Examples of some leaders: John Cotton, Benjamin Franklin, Anne Hutchinson Instructional strategy: Teacher directed Materials: websites (http://cpcug.org/user/billb/hutch.html,http://earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/index.html) Assessment: Rubric for group poster (content, appearance, group participation), oral presentation- participation from entire group ISBE Standard 16.B.1 Unit SketchLesson 4: Colonial Leaders

20. Students will learn the geography of the early colonies and compare them to the states now. Description: Students will be given large pieces of paper that are pieces of a large puzzle of the thirteen colonies. They will be given directions on where to place the pieces that will eventually show the colonies. After this, they will have a worksheet that they will label using the large puzzle map as a guide. Materials: worksheets with the map of the colonies, large pieces of paper to make a puzzle map Assessment: individual assessment on following directions, maps are properly labeled ISBE Standard 17.A.1b Unit SketchLesson 5: Geography of the Colonies

21. Students will learn to connect the geography of the colonies to its economy. Description: After discussing major aspects of the colonies’ geography, students will label their colony maps and color them. Discuss important points like: waterways and their importance, geographical barriers, and climate. Students will write these important points and what they learned on another sheet of paper. On a larger piece of construction paper, the map and their writing will be pasted on as a final project. Materials: maps of colonies, construction paper, writing paper, markers, pencils Assessment: final product: following directions, content ISBE Standard 16.C.1a, 17.A.1b Unit SketchLesson 6: Colonial Economy

22. Students will learn about the importance of trade during colonial times and how it affected the culture in terms of new ideas, technology, language, etc. Description: Students will role play and have parts to play in order to understand the concept of trade. Each student will play a particular part, and the class will have a time to trade with one another. After this, there will be a discussion on how trade can affect ideas, language, etc. Students will then write things they learned, especially about the role they played. This will be done in their journals. Materials: materials for costumes, index cards with roles & descriptions, journals, Pilgrims of Plimoth By Marcia Sewall Assessment: monitor children’s role playing, journals- content, relevance to the lesson. ISBE Standard 16.C.1a, 16.C.1b Unit SketchLesson 7: Trading During Colonial Times

23. Websites: www.teachersfirst.com/summer/cornhusk.htm www.pbs.org/wgbh.aia/part1/1h315t.html http://cpcug.org/user/billb/hutch.html, http://earlyamerica.com/lives/franklin/index.html Books Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall Your Travel Guide to Colonial America by Marcy Day Home and Child Life in Colonial Days by Alice Earle Unit Sketch:Bibliography

24. Formative: Group Poster/Participation Oral Presentation Maps Correctly Labeled Summative: Journals Throughout the Unit Role Playing is Accurate of Information Attained Throughout the Unit Unit Sketch:Unit Assessment Plan

25. “Trading During Colonial Times” Colonial America Lesson Plan

26. Essential Question: How did trade affect colonial culture, language, ideas, etc.? Key Concepts: Diversity and Difference, Cultural Heritage, Time, Place and Space Enduring Understandings: In this lesson, students will be able to describe how trade affected the lives of the colonial people in America. Colonial America Lesson Plan

27. Standards Alignment: Illinois Learning Standards for Social Science 16.C.1a (W) Identify how people and groups in the past made economic choices (e.g., crops to plant, products to make, products to trade) to survive and improve their lives. 16.C.1b (W) Explain how trade among people brought an exchange of ideas, technology and language. Colonial America Lesson Plan cont.

28. Lower proficiency levels: These students may be given simpler parts to play during the “trading time.” They can also be given more time to write in their journals. Higher proficiency levels: Challenge students to write as the character that they played. This will challenge them to think deeply as well as challenge them with their creative writing skills. Adaptations:

29. Teacher literature: Wealth of a Nation to Be by Alice Hanson Jones The Economy of British America by John J. McCusker and Russell R. Menard Children’s literature: Pilgrims of Plimoth by Marcia Sewall Other materials: Simple costumes for children, index cards w/ roles & descriptions, journals, pencils Materials:

30. Procedures: Begin the lesson by asking the students what they have learned about the economy during colonial times. Have a short discussion about trading and ideas they may have about it. Read Pilgrims of Plimoth and discuss the book. Let the students know that they will be colonial people acting out the trading process during colonial times. Hand out index cards.Let the children choose their costumes. Students will then act out their parts and “trade” with one another. Colonial America Lesson Plan cont.

31. Procedure cont. Walk around the classroom to make sure students are on task. Help them with playing out their roles if needed. After the role playing, have the students sit at the rug and share their experiences with the class. this is a good time to ask them questions about how trade affected the culture during colonial times. Allow them to think deeply about this particular topic. Have them think as if they were living in colonial times. Students will return to their desks and write reflections about what they learned in their journals. Colonial America Lesson Plan Cont.

32. Assessments: Observe and make notes while walking around the classroom to see if students are on task, following directions, and playing their roles the best they can. Look at the reflections made in their journals. Is what is written related to the lesson? Is it well-written? Is it creative? Colonial America Lesson Plan cont.

33. Process The process of developing this unit was more involved than we thought it would be. There were so many people and resources to investigate and talk about to mold the shape of our unit, that the process could’ve taken much longer if we had time. One of the hardest parts of the process was picking out books that were accurate, especially in the ways talked about in our class. Content The subject of Colonial America is a very fun topic to teach in elementary grades. Since this topic is the everyday lives of our ancestors, there are many aspects of life that can be relived and acted out to improve learning. It was fun to research different parts of colonial life that weren’t taught to us as children. Reflections:

34. Future In the future when preparing units on any topic and for any grade, it will be important to leave a lot of time for researching content as well as instructional options. There are many books available on a lot of topics and it is important to consider many books and choose the best one to portray an accurate view of historical events to students. There are so many opportunities to engage students in Social Studies lessons in active and involved ways. These ways are worth the extra work if information will remain with students for years to come. Reflections cont.