Colonies Teacher Resources

An outstanding instructional activity on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some...

Your young historians will race to discover as much information as they can about the thirteen colonies, and will then work with partners to design an advertisement that will attract people to settle in a particular colony. 

Discover the stories behind each of the thirteen stripes on the American flag with this straightforward presentation. Complete with learning objectives, discussion questions, and solid information about each of the original thirteen...

Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...

A fabulous collection of seven lessons on the New England Colonies is here for you. In these lessons, pupils participate in a variety of activities which will broaden their knowledge of the colonies. They study the geography, culture,...

Discuss the lives of artists in the Lyme Art Colony in the 1900s with this resource. Young historians write and perform a short scene depicting individuals who lived in the Griswold boardinghouse, used by the colony artists. They use the...

Teach your class about colony collapse disorder and foster discussion about causes and solutions for the honeybee problem. Class members read and discuss an article and participate in one of two detailed activities about pollination and...

Step into the amazing world of ants as this video explores the surprisingly complex social structure that makes up the foundation of every ant colony. The truly amazing ability of these tiny creatures to share information without any...

Learners research the main reasons for the colonists moving to the Pennsylvania colony. They analyze maps, label a bubble map, list similarities/differences of immigrants then and now, and create a colonial newspaper advertisement.

Students 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.

High schoolers research one of the original 13 colonies using the included worksheet. They also record their findings on a poster board to use during a class presentation. Students then take notes on the presentations using the...

In a quick mini-lesson, young pupils act as detectives to investigate the mystery surrounding the "disappearance" of the colony of Roanoke. 

Students record information in a database about the three American colonies. They are comparing and contrasting them. They are to log into a given database and fill in the corresponding sections. Once it is filled in the similiarities...

Explore the earliest American cities in this presentation, which details the demographics, geography, and characteristics of New York, Pennsylvania, and the Carolinas, among others. These slides help to fill in the gap between the...

Here you'll find a simple graphic organizer that learners can use to categorize the political, economic, and social motivations behind the establishment of the thirteen colonies.

Compare and contrast the goals, types of government, interactions with Native Americans, and other important features of the Spanish, British, and French colonies in the Americas with this graphic organizer.

In this colonies worksheet, students answer the questions about the Middle, Southern, and New England Colonies. There are 14 questions to answer.

In this American colonies worksheet, students unscramble the letters in 20 words to spell vocabulary pertaining to the thirteen original colonies. There is a word bank provided.

In this primary source research worksheet, students examine a copy of "Do Not Tax the Colonies," (not included) and respond to 6 short answer questions regarding its content.

How much did the geography of North America play a role in the formation of the thirteen colonies? Lead fourth, fifth or sixth graders on an adventure in cartography. Young historians create a map of colonial America, including major...

Even a cumulative review can include main ideas, key events, supporting details, and critical thinking. An excellent 8th grade history review is yours for the taking. It includes topics that range from the thirteen colonies to post Civil...

Students research how early colonists lived. They investigate late 17th century colonist's lives from Massachusetts and Delaware. Using their research, students write historical fiction in the form of friendly letters between the two...

Using the nonfiction book African Americans in the Thirteen Colonies, learners read segments about the origin and perpetuation of slavery in the colonies. Reading comprehension is assessed as the class discusses the text, and explores...

In this middle colonies instructional activity, students examine their knowledge through ten fill in the blank questions that relate to the aforementioned topic.