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“I LOVE your products – especially the simulations. The Jamestown simulations pushed my students’ critical thinking and teamwork skills and taught them historical content in such a fun and creative way.” —Lindsay N.
“Fantastic resource! Going to save me a bunch of time. I love that I can use it for both my 5th and 8th graders with some simple modifications. ” —Emily A.
“Love that the unit is clear and straight to the point! Bought previous units and love the layout and that all the materials one will use are included. Easy to use with students and can be easily differentiated if needed. ” —Diana B.
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This Thirteen Colonies unit proves that history lessons don’t have to be boring! Included are 15 exciting lessons about the Southern, Middle, and New England colonies. Even better, I’ve made it as easy as possible for teachers to implement.
Why I created this unit
1. I believe that social studies should be your students’ favorite part of the day.
2. Teachers deserve excellent social studies resources (Can someone please tell our school districts?)
3. Planning complete units is tedious and time-consuming (um… I won’t even tell you how long it took me to create this). I want to save teachers precious time so they can focus on doing what they love—teaching!
Table of Contents
Week 1: The Southern Colonies
- Colonization Introduction—PowerPoint presentation & KL worksheet
- Jamestown Simulation—activity where students act like the settlers of Jamestown and make decisions about their survival with article and student worksheets
- History of the Southern Colonies—article about the history of each Southern colony and comprehension questions
- Life in the Southern Colonies—task cards about aspects of Southern life (religion, education, social classes, etc.), student recording sheet, and reflection
- All About the Southern Colonies Game—student information booklet, jeopardy questions, and jeopardy board (covers the Southern Colonies’ economy, geography, important people, Native Americans, & religions)
Week 2: The New England Colonies
- The Mayflower and Plymouth Colony—facts about New England, article about the Mayflower and Plymouth Colony, interactive timeline, and reflection
- Early American Constitutions—activity analyzing The Mayflower Compact and The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, simulation where students create their own constitution
- Puritan Life—artifacts about Puritan life (religion, education, social classes, etc.) and student recording sheet
- The Salem Witch Trials—article about the Salem Witch Trials, evidence activity, and student booklet about the important people in the Trials
- All About the New England Colonies Game—student information booklet and jeopardy questions (covers New England’s economy, geography, important people, Native Americans, & religions)
Week 3: The Middle Colonies
- New Amsterdam to New York—facts about the Middle Colonies, article about the British taking over New Amsterdam, two reader’s theater scripts, and comprehension check
- Fur Trading Simulation Game—article about colonial fur trading, materials to play a fur trading simulation game (name tags, goods for trading, rules, awards, etc.)
- The Quaker Way of Life—article about Quakers in the Middle Colonies, articles about different aspects of Quaker life (religion, education, social classes, etc.), rubric for student posters and presentations, and note taking sheet
- All About the Middle Colonies—student information booklet, and jeopardy questions (covers the Middle Colonies’ economy, geography, important people, Native Americans, & religions)
- Comparing and Contrasting the Colonies— sorting mats and cards to compare and contrast the Southern, New England, and Middle colonies
13 Colonies Unit Help For The Teacher
- Table of contents (also available in the preview)
- Suggested pacing guide
- 15 lesson plans
- Answer Keys (Of course!)
- Editable end-of-unit test and study guide
- Easy printing file with all student worksheets and articles
How can this unit be for grades 5th-8th?
The 13 Colonies unit articles are written at a 7th-8th grade reading level. If you teach one of those grades, your students will be able to complete the activities more or less independently. If you teach 5th or 6th grade, I recommend reading and analyzing the articles with your students. They will do great! Check out the reviews to see how teachers at your grade level have successfully used and loved this unit.
Important Customer Information
All of our products are digital and are non-refundable. Please view the preview and read the product description carefully before purchasing.
After purchasing, you should receive an email with the files within a few minutes of placing your order. If you do not receive the email, please check your spam folder. Need help? Contact me at becca@thecleverteacher.com. Please allow 24 hours for a reply.
Sharing isn’t always caring. I have created all of these products myself. Your purchase gives you permission to copy for your classroom only. If your teaching besties LOVE this unit and want to use it too, please direct them to my store. For more information, view my Terms of Use.
Copyright© 2019 The Clever Teacher
All rights reserved by the author.
Total Pages 173 pages
Answer Key Included
Teaching Duration 3 Weeks
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