Smithsonian Institution
A Ticket to Philly—In 1769: Thinking about Cities, Then and Now
While cities had only a small fraction of the population in colonial America, they played a significant role in pre-revolutionary years, and this was certainly true for the largest city in the North American colonies: Philadelphia. Your...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
What Was Everyday Life like in Colonial Virginia?
What was everyday life like in Colonial Virginia? To find the answer cooperative groups work collaboratively to read an informational handout and complete a graphic organizer. The speaker of the group then shares their new-found...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
What Was Everyday Life like in Colonial Virginia?
After reflecting on jobs people perform in the present day, scholars discuss what they believe jobs would have been like in Colonial Virginia during the American Revolution. Small groups then perform a jigsaw using informational packets....
Curated OER
Children in Colonial America
Students, in teams, race to find answers to questions about Colonial America using the Internet and print sources. They make charts that compare and contrast colonial times with the present.
Curated OER
Hidden Science in Colonial Living
Fifth graders evaluate evidence that indicates a physical change has occurred. In this colonial living lesson, 5th graders explore the science involved in the making of items used in colonial life, such as, bread, butter, soap, candles,...
Curated OER
Colonial Writing Project
Fourth graders write from the perspective of a child in the colonial period. In this writing lesson, 4th graders create a fictional character living in the colonial period and write about daily life from their perspective.
Curated OER
A Day During Colonial Times
Fifth graders participate in read aloud activities of three books about life in Colonial times. They compare their life to that of children of Colonial times using a Venn diagram. They draw a picture and write about what a day in the...
Curated OER
Colonial Migration
Students, in groups, create a student book for an assigned group of immigrants to the Colonial United States (Huguenots, Scots, Irish, Africans.) They create drawings for the book and rhyming text that depicts three struggles that...
Curated OER
School Life Today and in the Past at Freyberger School
Students compare and contrast school life today with that of Pennsylvania in the 1900's. In this school life lesson students create a description of a typical one-room schoolhouse. They think critically about attending school in a...
Curated OER
Children and Slavery Document Search
Students review the causes of slavery, the Middle Passage, triangular trade and the spread of slavery throughout colonies. They work in small groups and search documents in order to find the answers to a question and document packet.
Curated OER
The Settlement of the Chesapeake
Focusing on the Virginia and Maryland settlements in the 1600's, this presentation is a complete and thorough resource during a unit on Colonial America. It includes pictures, maps, and interesting discussion points for you to address...
Curated OER
Colonial Life
In this colonial life learning exercise, students read a 1 page article on colonial life, make a Venn diagram that shows how life for colonial children was different from and similar to theirs and discuss what part of colonial life they...
Curated OER
Comparing Chores - Past and Present
Students read "Sarah Norton's Day" and explore the responsibilities of colonial day children. As a group, students list the responsibilities they have at home. Using a Venn Diagram, they compare and contrast their chores and...
Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
Making a Patriot Inquiry: Are Independence, Freedom, and Liberty the Same Thing?
As part of a study of the American Revolution, class members engage in an inquiry-based lesson that has them watch a scene from the play Slave Spy, examine multiple primary source documents, and then discuss the similarities and...
Curated OER
The Architecture of New England and the Southern Colonies as it Reflects the Changes in Colonial Life
Students compare and contrast the various types of architecture in the Southern colonies. Using slides, they discuss how the homes were made and the materials used. In groups, they identify how the types of homes reflected the...
Curated OER
Entertainment During the American Revolution
What do people do for fun around here? Explore colonial period games, toys, and life with a look at entertainment during the American Revolution. Discover the games, sports, and songs that were popular during the time of the Revolution.
Teacher Vision
The Wampanoag Indians: A Thanksgiving Lesson
Spark some lively conversation about American holiday traditions and debunk accepted notions about the first Thanksgiving at the same time. After reviewing the mainstream version of the Thanksgiving story with your class, offer some...
Curriculum Project
Comprehension and Discussion Activities for the Movie Rabbit-Proof Fence
Lead discussion and thoughtful analysis as pupils view Rabbit Proof Fence, a drama based on true story about three aboriginal girls who ran away from Western Australia to return to their Aboriginal families in 1931. Here you'll find...
Curated OER
Seeking a Fortune in 18th Century Maritime Boston
Study the Revolutionary War era practice of recruiting seamen to prey upon the British shipping industry, and discuss the impact this practice had on the Colonial war efforts. Learners read and interpret recruiting advertisements for...
Curated OER
My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Curated OER
Changing Images of Childhood in America: Colonial, Federal and Modern England
Students compare and contrast maps of New Haven, Connecticut from today and the past. After taking a field trip, they draw sketches of the types of architecture and discuss how the buildings have changed over time. They read journal...
Curated OER
Parenting in the Movies:Examining Responsibilities in Modern American Films
High schoolers use films to identify the characteristics of a good parent. In groups, they research the different types of parenting methods used during colonial times, the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement. As a class, they...
Curated OER
Performance Standards/Competencies
Learners research how children dressed during Colonial times. Students design and create life-sized likenesses of themselves, dressing the paper dolls in colonial dress.
Curated OER
God's Weaving in Taylor's "Huswifery"
Eleventh graders trace Taylor's use of conceit or extended metaphor in his poem "Huswifery" where he compares the process of cloth making to God's salvation of man, and write a poem in which they compare a personal transformation with an...