Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
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...
Curated OER
Colonial Trades and Apprenticeships
Students examine and analyze culturally significant objects from colonial Boston. They construct a story around the life and work of Nathaniel Hurd from a list of keywords excerpted from a passage about Nathaniel Hurd. In addition, they...
Curated OER
Colonial Currency
Fifth graders develop a common currency. For this colonial currency lesson, 5th graders exchange beads, rice, coins, and paper bills for goods and services. Students explore web tools to research ways colonists used money, even if it was...
Power Show
Colonial North America
This 54-slide PowerPoint outlines the significant events in the history of Colonial North America, beginning in 1603 with the ascendance of James I to the throne of England. Designed to accompany a lecture on this time period, the...
Curated OER
The 13 Originals: Exploring the Who, When, Where, and Why Behind the 13 Original Colonies of Early America
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...
Curated OER
Native American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts
Eleventh graders examine how in this volatile period, colonial powers and Native groups competed for trade goods and land, coming into conflict repeatedly. They also explore primary and secondary sources.
Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association
A Research Project: A Discussion of the Recreating and Populating of a Colonial Village
Primary source research, secondary source readings, and discussion provide the understanding necessary for students to create a colonial persona, and simulate a situation appropriate for this person, time, and place. While the lesson...
Curated OER
Colonial Silver and Tea
Students examine silver pieces from colonial Boston in order to determine the social context of these objects. They compare signs of social status in colonial Boston with those of today by looking at the associated visuals.
Curated OER
Mapping Colonial New England: Looking at the Landscape of New England
Students understand the similarities and differences between English and Native American conceptions of the land and town settlement. They understand how the colony of Massachusetts developed and expanded. Students understand the...
Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students explore daily life and its influences in the late 1700s for two families in different colonies- Delaware and Massachusetts by becoming historical detectives. After gathering information from artifacts to make inferences about...
Curated OER
The Trading Post with the Most: Colonial Dorchester's Settlement and Economy
Eighth graders explore the Dorchester settlement, In this American colonial history lesson, 8th graders examine primary resources and maps from the Dorchester trading post in order to learn about its contributions to the Revolutionary War.
Curated OER
Lesson 11: Printed Materials (Ads and Broadsides) 1780-1820
Students use primary resources (gazettes, broadsides, advertisements) to consider life at the turn of the 18th century in Deerfield, Massachusetts. They infer observations about life in the nascent United States.
Curated OER
Road To Revolution
High schoolers examine events that occurred and explore the differing sentiments between the British and American colonists in the years leading up to the American Revolution. They view and discuss a video on the events then analyze...
Curated OER
Massachusetts Blacks in the American Revolution
Eighth graders examine the experiences blacks were having in Massachusetts before and after the American Revolution. They also discover that many blacks migrated to Canada in search of a better life.
Curated OER
The Boundary Dispute between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, 1677-1741
Learners research primary and secondary source documents to examine the separation of New Hampshire from the larger colony of Massachusetts.
Curated OER
Death and Dying in Puritan New England: A Study Based on Early Gravestones, Vital Records, and other Primary Sources Relating to Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Students examine the time in which the Puritans lived in colonial New England. In groups, they research the Puritans view on life and death and discuss as a class. They read gravestones, diaries and other primary sources to discover...
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...
Curated OER
Conflict and Compromise
Students examine opinions about the Boston Tea Party. In this colonial America lesson, students analyze several primary sources about the Tea Party and then write essays that reveal efforts to compromise as well as efforts to instigate...
Curated OER
The Emerging American Identity
Young scholars define what it meant to be an American early on in the nation's history. In this American identity lesson, students examine the noted quotations and determine what was meant by each of the authors with regards to an...
Curated OER
Planning for the Voyage - Pilgrim Study Unit
Students locate Plymouth, MA, Hudson River, Cape Cod, Holland and England on a map. They identify the reasons the Pilgrims came to the New World and explain how the investors and the colonists would each benefit from a new colony. After...
Curated OER
Indians and African Americans 1780-1820
Young scholars explain that opportunities for African Americans remained severely limited by slavery until 1783. They examine the 1783 Massachusetts abolishment of slavery and its impact.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Boston Massacre: You Be the Judge!
The importance of considering multiple perspectives of the same event is the big idea in this exercise that focuses on the Boston Massacre. Class groups examine photos of four depictions of the massacre, an English and an American...
Curated OER
Who was affected by North American Colonization and How?
Conduct research on various aspects of American Colonization and explore how different groups were affected, including those involved in the Salem Witch Trials. Your class will read books, write journals, participate in class discussion,...
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...