USF's WebQuest
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WebQuest Title: Life in the American Colonies
Author: Jennifer Pekarthy
Date: March 18, 2003
Dear Colleague:
This unit is designed as a continuation on the study of the Original Thirteen Colonies. The previous unit covered early colonization, focusing on the reasons Europeans left for America and how these reasons affected settlements. Challenges of colonization were covered, with an emphasis on the settlements of Roanoke, Plymouth, and Jamestown. Finally, the founding of each of the thirteen colonies was covered and discussed.
"Life in the American Colonies" is the next unit which will examine the three regions of colonies: New England, Middle, and Southern. The unit will begin with an overview of the thirteen original colonies. A handout will be given to the students that covers quick facts about the founding of each colony. This will be followed by a mapping activity, where students will utilize an atlas to label an outline map of the thirteen colonies and surrounding geographic features. A class discussion will be held on growth of the three colonial regions based on natural resources, physical geography, and the types of crops or farming that emerged. An outline will be given to the students to provide an overview of life in the colonies, focusing on how the identities of the three colonial regions began to develop. A Powerpoint presentation will follow, with images of colonial life in the eighteenth century. The final lesson of the unit is a WebQuest, where students will design a brochure for European settlers to come to America based on different using internet resources as well as information from previous lessons. The unit will conclude with student presentations of their WebQuest assignment.
Goals/Objectives:
Days:
6 Days (90 minute blocks)
Content:
The content for this will focus on the development of the colonies and the aspects that influence colonial life. Students will learn the similarities and differences between individual colonies and the three colonial regions.
Methods:
Within this unit, the class is involved in cooperative learning, group discussion, direct instruction using PowerPoint, and the culminating WebQuest activity.
WebQuest Summary:
Goals/Objectives:
Students will use the internet to research colonial development.
Students will understand the social, economic and geographic influences on the culture of a colony.
Days:
4 Days (90-minute blocks), 3 Days for WebQuest and 1 Day for Presentation
Content:
Students will explore several websites which will further their understanding of how the Thirteen Original Colonies developed. At these sites, students will learn how social and economic conditions and religious intolerance in England helped to form the cultures of the colonies. Finally, students will look at physical geography and climate of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies to understand why the colonists settled where they did.
Methods:
Students will explore the internet to gather material and produce a persuasive brochure which will be presented to the class.
Unit Information:
Background Resources
Teacher Background Resources http://www.eduplace.com Printed outline map of Thirteen Colonies from this site. http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/ Crossroads: K-16 American History Curriculum
http://sunshinestatestandards.net/ Standards for the State of Florida http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/listssprimala.html Using primary sources for Social Studies
Webquest Teacher Resources http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi "America's Library", Library of Congress site http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquest.html The Webquest Page http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colonial.htm Colonial America 1600-1775, K-12 Resources
Student Background Resources http://www.timepage.org/spl/13colony.html TimePage provides information on important dates and events of the thirteen original colonies. http://www.earlyamericanimages.com/ The Early American Digital Library, which features images of America's historic past. http://www.usahistory.info/colonial/ History of the United States, Colonial Life http://www.usgennet.org/usa/topic/colonial/ Links on Colonial America, provided by USGenNet (United States Genealogy Network, Inc.) Webquest Student Resources http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colonial.htm Colonial America 1600-1775, K-12 Resources http://www.pbs.org Provides narratives and perspectives of history based on primary sources http://www.apva.org/ngex/index.html "Jamestown Fort: Rediscovered", National Geographic Society sponsored site on the first permanent English settlement. http://www.history.org/history/ Colonial Williamsburg...Where History Lives http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/ Library of Congress exhibit, "Religion and the Founding of the American Republic"
Unit Lesson Sequence
Day 1 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Review A brief overview will be given of the previous unit. Students will be given a handout that lists the facts of each individual colony. 13 Colonies fact sheet Mapping Activity Using their textbooks or classroom atlases, students will be asked to identify the thirteen original colonies and surrounding geographic characteristics on an outline map. 13 Colonies map Class Discussion Discuss with students the differences in resources and crops grown in NE, Middle, & Southern colonies.
Day 2 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Lecture/Presentation Students will copy outline from board or overhead. Powerpoint presentation will be given on Colonial Life in the 18th Century. Direct students to take additional notes from the lecture. Life in the English Colonies Handout
Day 3 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)WebQuest Day 1 of WebQuest: Students will be divided into groups of four and begin WebQuest. computers
Day 4 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)WebQuest Day 2 of WebQuest: continued research and development of brochures computers
Day 5 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)WebQuest Day 3 of WebQuest: students should be finishing up brochures computers
Day 6 Back to Top
Lesson Plan Outline
Method (Attention Getter, Lecture, Callout Group, etc) Content/Key Ideas/Concepts/Facts
Materials
(Transparencies, audio, handouts, etc)Presentations Brochures designed from WebQuests will be presented by each group of students.
After the class has finished with this unit the students will have an understanding of how geographic characteristics impacted the settlement and growth of thirteen original colonies. Students will be able to identify the similarities and differences between the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Students also will understand how economic and social factors, in addition to geographic conditions, influence the settlement of a colony.
Credits/References:
U.S. History textbook "The American
Journey" (Glencoe-McGraw Hill, 1998) was utilized for an overview of the
colonial period. For website creation, "Microsoft FrontPage
2000" (Thomson Learning) was used, and for online resources, "Social
Sciences on the Internet" (Merrill-Prentice Hall, 2001) was
referenced. Other websites are cited above in the Teacher Resources
section.