Introduction to the 13 Colonies

Economic, Social and Political overview of the New England, Mid-Atlantic and Southern Colonies

Planning this mini-unit

Introduction to the 13 Colonies is the second mini-unit of Unit 1: The American Colonies. This mini-unit is taught after “Age of Exploration” first mini-unit in Unit 1: The American Colonies and before “Forming Colonial Identity” last mini-unit of Unit 1: The American Colonies. Click HERE to get a copy of my pacing guide.

Pacing

Teachers should plan three to five days to teach this unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for 2-3 days. An effective way to structure this unit includes:

Openers

Colonial Regions
Guess the Colonial Region
Mayflower Compact
Slavery in the Colonies
Massachusetts Colonial Law

This FREE resource includes 5 openers to use in order to supplement this unit. Begin each class with an opener question. Opener questions can be found on this webpage as an image (see “opener questions” at the bottom of this webpage) or free on TpT (

see link). Give students 3-5 minutes to complete the opener question and allow 5-10 minutes for class discussion. Instead of openers, teachers may use this as an end of class check for understanding.

Lessons

After the opener, begin the Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides).

TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. To do this, click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide.
TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their students’ needs and individual learning targets.

After teaching a concept, take a break from the lecture and show a quick review video to reinforce the concepts. Suggested videos to enhance the lesson are on this webpage.
Mix up your unit by having the students complete the PROP (Point, Reason to lie or distort, Other sources, Public/private) analysis. For a free resource that reviews PROP, click HERE.
1. TIP TEACHER: Group students together to complete this activity. This strategy sparks conversation and encourages critical analysis. Discussed as a class.
Review additional suggested activities found on this webpage:

5. Print the Prove It activity included in the Google Slides lesson at the end of the unit. Students read statements and determine if they are true or false. If the statement is false, they correct it. This lesson encourages students to review their note-taking guides

key terms to know

People to Know

Pocahontas
John Rolfe
William Penn

Key Terms

Joint-Stock Company
“Starving Time”
Indentured Servants
House of Burgesses
Middle Passage
Triangle Trade
Puritans
Pilgrims
Mayflower Compact
Quakers

Places

Roanoke
Jamestown
New England Colonies
Mid-Atlantic Colonies
Southern Colonies

1. What were the motivating factors for England and English settlers to establish settlements in the New World?

2. What challenges did early settlers face, and how did they overcome those challenges?

3. How did the Southern colonies grow their economy, society, and political systems?

4. How did slavery affect those enslaved and the Southern economy?

5. How did religion shape the New England colonies?

6. What were the different elements of early democracy in the New England colonies?

7. How did the Mid-Atlantic colonies grow their economy, society, and political systems?

8. How did the New England colonies grow their economy, society, and political systems?

Google Slides & Note Taking Guides

Click image for link to source

P.R.O.P. Checking for Understanding DIGITAL Worksheet

38 Slides (editable) with graphic organizer note-taking guide and summative assessment worksheet. This Google Slides provides an economic, social and political overview of the New England, Middle-Atlantic and Southern Colonies.

This Google Slides:

Editable
Has checks for understanding/thinking questions throughout the Google Slides
Interesting and varied graphic design
A variety of different sources to catch your students’ attention and engage them with the content: maps, charts, primary sources, quotes, timelines, etc.
Major Concepts Reviewed:
1. Southern Colonies
  1. Roanoke
  2. Jamestown
  3. Starving Time
  4. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Confederacy
  5. Indentured Servants
  6. The Growth of Slavery
  7. Middle Passage
  8. Economic, social, and political aspects
2. New England Colonies
  1. Pilgrims
  2. Puritans
  3. Mayflower Compact
  4. Economic, social, and political aspects
3. Mid-Atlantic Colonies
  1. Quakers
  2. Proprietary Colonies
  3. Diversity in the Middle colonies

Note-Taking Guide with a Teacher’s Key:

Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document, or handwrite)
Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
Great for IEP, 504, EL students or students who need modifications
Helps students be accountable for information during lecture
Comes with print and digital notetaking guides.

Post-Notes Analysis Worksheet with a Teacher’s Key:

Works with Google Classroom (students can type in a document or handwrite)
Includes ideas on how to use this in your lesson
Has a True/False checking for understanding
Includes a document that connects to information from the slides.
Comes with print and digital post-notes analysis guides.
Students are asked to ” Prove It,” “Analyze It” “Personalize It” and “Explore Limitations.”

Helpful Videos for Your Students