District 11 Educational Support Services
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Grade 5, Quarter 2:  Discovery, Exploration and Colonization

Overview

View the Video Introduction. This quarter, students will learn about early European explorers and their quest to explore the New World. This will include developing an understanding of the tools used, motivations and rationale for exploration, the impact of explorers on the areas explored, as well as the importance of each. Students will then study the establishment of the early settlements, to include physical characteristics of the areas settled, living conditions of settlers and the formation of early governments. Finally, students will demonstrate a clear understanding of the significance of Plymouth, Jamestown, Roanoke among the New England, Middle and Southern colonies along with the Mayflower Compact, the impact of slavery and life in Colonial Williamsburg.

 

Unit Rigor & Relevance Rating: Quadrant B Application - provides foundational understanding and awareness within a discipline and the ability to apply across disciplines.
For Teachers
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Daily Lessons

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Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

  • Chronology organizes people and events and helps explain historical relationships.
  • Societies are diverse and change over time.
  • Technology has changed societies throughout history.
  • Beliefs of individuals and groups have powerful effects on societies.
  • Maps, globes and other geographic tools show places events occur
  • Physical and human characteristics of places define regions.
  • People migrate and settle in different places for a variety of reasons.
  • Human activity changes and is changed by the physical environment.
  • Decisions must be made about the use of scarce resources.
  • Resources are used to produce and distribute goods and services.
  • The exchange of goods and services leads to trade and interdependence.
  • Individuals and groups make, enforce and apply rules and laws (government). 
  • Government involves people acquiring and using power and authority.
  • Rules, laws and governments develop and change over time.
  • People and nations interact politically.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

  • When and Why did Europeans explore the New World?
  • What new inventions helped guide explorers on their journeys?
  • Which early explorers had the greatest impact?
  • What impact did the explorers have on the New/Old World?
  • How did the beliefs of individuals and groups influence the formation of governments and societies?
  • How were the beliefs of individuals/groups in the colonies similar/ different?
  • How are maps used to show routes taken to the New World?
  • What physical characteristics aided/challenged inhabitants of the first colonies?
  • Why did people migrate and settle in these places?
  • In what ways were the New England, Middle and Southern colonies most alike?  Most different?
  • How did the environment affect human activities?
  • How did scarcity of resources lead to trade, exchange and interdependence with Native Americans?
  • What role did slavery play in colonization and settlement in different colonies and regions?
  • What were the key political challenges and successes of the first English colonies?
  • How and why were early colonial governments formed?
  • How have the ways people live changed over time?

Standards and Benchmarks

Standard History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.

Benchmark  A:  Students know the general chronological order of events and people in history.

Standard History 3:  Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.

Benchmark A:  Students know how various societies were affected by contracts and exchanges among diverse people.

Standard History 4:  Students understand how science, technology, and economic activity have developed, changed, and affected societies throughout history.

Benchmark A:  Students understand the impact of scientific and technological developments of individuals and societies.

Standard History 5:  Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.

Benchmark A:  Students understand how democratic ideas and institutions in the United States have developed, changed, and/or been maintained.

Standard History 6:  Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.

Benchmark B:  Students know how societies have been affected by religions and philosophies.

Standard Geography 1:  Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.

Benchmark A:  Students know how to use maps, globes, and other geographic tools to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Standard Geography 2:  Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.

Benchmark B:  Students know how and why people define regions.

Standard Geography 4:  Students understand how economic, political, cultural and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.

Benchmark B:  Students know the nature and spatial distributions of cultural patterns.

Benchmark E:  Students know how cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of the earth's surface

Standard Economics 2:  Students understand how different economic systems impact decisions about the use of resources and the production and distribution of goods and services.

Standard Economics 3:  Students understand the results of trade, exchange, and interdependence among individuals, households, businesses, governments, and societies.

Benchmark A:  Students understand that different economic systems employ different means to produce, distribute, and exchange goods and services.

Benchmark A:  Students understand that the exchange of goods and services creates economic interdependence and change.

Standard Civics 1:  Students understand the purposes of government, and the basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of government.

Benchmark C:  Students understand the principles of the United States Constitutional Government. 

Standard Civics 2: Students know how to use structure and function of local, state , and nationally government and how citizen involvement shapes public policy.

Benchmark D: Students know how public policy is developed at the local, state, and national levels.

Sample Units

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:  

Colonial America
This section is intended to supplement the curricula, textbooks, and materials you currently use for lessons on the colonial period. The teacher-developed resources in the section will enhance the classroom experience for both you and your students.

Lesson 1:  European Explorers
 Duration: @ 1 class period
    
Geography 4:  Students understand how economic, political, cultural and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.
District Indicator: Explain why people migrate and settle in different places.
Enduring Understanding: People migrate and settle in different places for a variety of reasons.
Essential Questions: Why did Europeans explore the New World?
Assessment:  History Alive!  Assessment 4 and/or journal about European explorers, explaining why they came to the New World and affects that occurred as a result.  Teacher created rubric for evaluation of journal.

Activities

  1. Explain the reasons early explorers came to the New World.

  2. History Alive!  Chapter 4: Why Europeans Left for the New World; Graphic Organizer Transparency 4; Interactive Student Notebook Reading Notes 4, pp. 16+19.

  3. Full Timeline PDF    Timeline 1     Timeline 2     Timeline 3     Timeline 4

Differentiation
Support: Provide students with a journal entry with key words removed.  Students choose from a word bank the best words to fill the blanks. 
Provide students with a time line of selected explorers for them to use as a reference.
Extension: Students research one explorer and write a journal of exploration based on the research. Provide students with a time line on which they place their selected explorer.


Lesson 2: Technology of European Explorers
Duration: @ 1 class period
 
History 4:  Students understand how science, technology, and economic activity have developed, changed, and affected societies throughout history.
District Indicator: Identify and explain changes in technology and how they changed history.
Enduring Understanding: Technology has changed societies throughout history.
Essential Questions: What new inventions helped guide explorers on their journeys?
Assessment: Create a new tool that might have aided explorers.  Explain how the tool works and how it might have been useful.

Activities

  1. Identify tools that assisted explorers and analyze how explorers used them.

  2. http://www.mariner.org/exploration/index.php  The Mariner’s Museum – online Exploration exhibit that allows students to learn about different explorers, their ships and their tools.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 4: Why Europeans Left for the New World; Interactive Student Notebook, Processing 4, p. 18.

Differentiation
Support: Discuss tools students use and what problems they solve (e.g. calculator).  Then have students match a historical problem with the item that was it used to solve.
Extension:  

Lesson 3: Rationale and Impact of New World Exploration
Duration: @ 2 class periods
History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
History 6:  Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
District Indicator: Organize events and people in history chronologically.
Enduring Understanding: Chronology organizes people and events and helps explain historical relationships.
Essential Questions: When did individual Europeans explore the New World?
Assessment: History Alive! Assessment 5 and/or ask questions about explorers using time line. For example, describe the positive and negative impact that Columbus had on Native Americans; Interactive Student Notebook, Processing 5, p. 22.

Activities

  1. Discuss reasons for and impact of New World exploration.

  2. Add early European explorations of the New World to the ongoing time line.

  3. Review Lesson 1 Explorer Research.

  4. History Alive!  Chapter 5:  Routes of Exploration to the New World;
    Full Timeline PDF        Timeline 1     Timeline 2     Timeline 3     Timeline 4

Differentiation
Support: Place names of explorers on sentence strips. Give one to each student. Have students arrange themselves in chronological order of exploration.  Keep reordering until correct.
Extension: Use Timeliner or Inspiration/Kidspiration software to create an illustrated, annotated timeline of exploration.

Lesson 4: Explorers’ Impact on the New World
 Duration: @ 1 class period

History 1:  Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major eras to identify and explain historical relationships.
History 6:  Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
District Indicator: Identify beliefs of individuals and groups and their effects on societies.
Enduring Understanding: Beliefs of individuals and groups have powerful effects on societies.
Essential Questions: Which early explorers had the greatest impact? What impact did the explorers have on the New/Old World?
Assessment: Students respond to the following prompt in writing: Which explorer (s) had the greatest impact on the New/Old World.  Give reasons to support your answer. Teacher created rubric to evaluate responses.

Activities

  1. Research/study/chart individual explorers and present to class.

  2. Identify and explain the importance of individual early explorers.

  3. Compare and contrast their achievements.

  4. Visit The Online Mariner’s Museum – online Exploration exhibit that allows students to learn about different explorers, their ships and their tools.

  5. History Alive!  Chapter 5:  Routes of Exploration to the New World. Explorer Simulation from Interact. 

  6. Review Lesson 1 Explorer Research.

  7. Full Timeline PDF    Timeline 1     Timeline 2     Timeline 3     Timeline 4     Explorer Data Chart

Differentiation
Support: Match explorers with impact.
Extension: Rank the explorers from greatest to least impact.  Justify the ranking. (Refer to Explorer Data Chart.)

Lesson 5:  Tools Showing Routes of the Explorers
Duration: @ 1 class period 

Geography 1:  Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
District Indicator: Use tools (maps, globes, photographs, graphs, charts, and databases) to locate information about places.
Enduring Understanding: Maps, globes and other geographic tools are used to locate information about places.
Essential Questions: How are maps used to show routes taken to the New World?
Assessment: Explore maps, globes, internet sources, atlases, encyclopedias and books to find maps of routes taken by explorers.  How are they alike?  Different?
 Compare/contrast graphic organizer such as a Venn diagram.

Activities

  1. Interpret maps of exploration, discussing map elements that are present and missing.

  2. http://www.mariner.org/exploration/index.php  The Mariner’s Museum – online Exploration exhibit that allows students to learn about different explorers, their ships and their tools.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 5:  Routes of Exploration to the New World.  

  4. Explorer Simulation from Interact; http://tutorial.teachtci.com/, Math with Maps and Globes Activity  sheet.

Differentiation
 Support: Provide students with an exploration map showing routes of explorers. Have them explain the route one or more explorers followed. Complete the History Alive website multiple choice Chapter Review.
Extension: Using a blank map, students plot the route of the explorers. Complete the Maps Tic-Tac-Toe Globe Activity. Complete one of the History Alive website multiple intelligences activities.

Lesson 6: Colonial America- Part 1:  Early Colonization
Duration:  @ 1 class period
Geography 4:  Students understand how economic, political, cultural and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.
District Indicator: Explain why people migrate and settle in different places.
Enduring Understanding: People migrate and settle in different places for a variety of reasons.
Essential Questions: Why did people migrate and settle in these places?
Assessment: History Alive!  Assessment 6 and/or Writing Prompt: What were the major reasons why people settled in the New World?  Teacher created rubric to evaluate response to prompt.

Activities

  1. View How Geography Affected the Exploration and Settlement of America (2:05)

  2. Explain why and where colonists settled in the new world. 

  3. Compare/contrast reasons for settlements, ways of governing and beliefs held.

  4. History Alive!  Chapter 6: Early English Settlements; Graphic Organizer Transparency 6; Transparencies 6 A-D; www.42explore2.com/colonial.htm

  5. View the Animated Hero Classics: James Bradley and the First Thanksgiving Video (27:00)

Differentiation
 Support: Orally, list or select from choices at least 3 reasons for colonial settlement.
Extension:  Using www.42explore2.com/colonial.htm as resource, create an advertisement for a colonial settlement.  Appeal to various reasons for migrating.

Lesson 7: Early Colonization (rules/laws): Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth
Duration: @ 2 class periods
History 6:  Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
Civics 1:  Students understand the purposes of government, and the basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of government.
District Indicator: Describe how and why rules and laws have been made and enforced.
Enduring Understanding: Rules, laws and governments develop and change over time.
Essential Questions: How did the beliefs of individuals and groups influence the formation of governments and societies?
Assessment: Students answer the following question: How were the rules and laws of the 3 colonies similar/ different?

Activities

  1. Learn about Jamestown through excavations in the Jamestown Video.

  2. View the Plymouth Versus Jamestown Video (2:30)

  3. Compare/contrast Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth.

  4. http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/  Click on Flash Games:  Jamestown--where to settle? why? type of structures to build. Kids get to make these decisions and ask colonists, Native Americans and the Settlement charter for advice!

  5. History Alive!  Chapter 6:  Early English Settlements. Discovery Simulation from Interact.

  6. Interactive Student Notebook, Preview 6, p.23 and Completion Activity p. 24.

Differentiation
Support:  Use a Venn diagram to compare/contrast two colonies.
Extension:  Use a 3-circle Venn diagram to compare/contrast all three colonies.

Lesson 8: Early Colonization (beliefs): Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth
 Duration: @ 2 class periods

History 6:  Students know that religious and philosophical ideas have been powerful forces throughout history.
Civics 1:  Students understand the purposes of government, and the basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of government.
District Indicator:  Identify beliefs of individuals and groups and their effects on societies.
Enduring Understanding: Beliefs of individuals and groups have powerful effects on societies.
Essential Questions: How were the beliefs of individuals/groups in the colonies similar/different?
Assessment:  Students answer the following question: How were the beliefs of colonists in the 3 colonies similar/ different? 

Activities

  1. View the Living in the Plymouth Colony Video (17:46) Why do you think the Pilgrims at Plymouth were called Separatists? The root word is separate. What had they separated themselves from? Discuss the answers to the video quiz at the end of the video.

  2. View the Roanoke Island Video (1:21)

  3. Compare/contrast Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth.

  4. http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/  Click on Flash Games:  Jamestown--where to settle? why? type of structures to build. Kids get to make these decisions and ask colonists, Native Americans and the Settlement charter for advice!

  5. History Alive!  Chapter 6:  Early English Settlements. Discovery Simulation from Interact.

  6. Visit: “The Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony:1620 Study Guide and Resources”, “History of Jamestown” and  Interactive Student Notebook – Jamestown, p.25, and Plymouth, p.26 completion activities.

Differentiation
Support: Use a Venn diagram to compare/contrast two colonies.
Extension: Use a 3-circle Venn diagram to compare/contrast all three colonies.

Lesson 9: Physical Characteristics and the People of the First Colonies
 Duration: @ 1 class period

Geography 2:  Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
District Indicator: Identify and describe human and physical characteristics of places, and use them to define regions.
 Enduring Understanding: Physical and human characteristics of places define regions.
Essential Questions: What physical characteristics aided/challenged inhabitants of the first colonies?
Assessment: Students complete a T – Chart showing similarities / differences of characteristics of the first colonies.

Activities

  1. View the Beyond the James: Appreciating Early American Colonies (5:14)
    View the Plymouth Plantation Video (15:00)
    View the New Plymouth Houses Video (2:46)

  2. Describe and compare the physical characteristics of the first colonies to include climate, soil, plant, land, and water forms.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 6:  Early English Settlements

  4. Explore these sites: Colonial America and The Colonial Period

Differentiation
Support: Sort a list of characteristics by colony.
Extension:  In small groups, create and make a presentation promoting the unique physical characteristics of a colony.

Lesson 10: Power and Authority in Early Colonization
Duration: @ 1 class period

Civics 1:  Students understand the purposes of government, and the basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of government.
Civics 2: Students know how to use structure and function of local, state, and nationally government and how citizen involvement shapes public policy.
District Indicator: Explain how people get and use power and authority.
Enduring Understanding: Government involves people acquiring and using power and authority.
Essential Questions: What were the key political challenges and successes of the first English colonies?
Assessment: Give scenarios that present political challenges for the English colonies and have students describe their solutions. Teacher created rubric to evaluate biographical sketch.

Activities

  1. Explain early concepts of government -- who had power and how they used it.

  2. History Alive!  Chapter 6:  Early English Settlements

  3. Visit: The Colonial Period and Outline of American History;  and the Mayflower Compact and Plymouth websites.

  4. View the Indentured Servants and Slaves Video (1:23)

Differentiation
Support: Identify the leader(s) in each colony.
Extension: Evaluate leaders of the colonies and whether they governed more through power or through authority. Create a biographical sketch of each leader.

Lesson 11: Forming Early Government
 Duration: @ 1 class period

Civics 1:  Students understand the purposes of government, and the basic constitutional principles of the United States republican form of government.
Civics 2: Students know how to use structure and function of local, state , and nationally government and how citizen involvement shapes public policy.
District Indicator: Explain how governments are organized at the local, state, and national levels and the responsibilities of each.  Describe ways that people and nations interact.
Enduring Understanding: Individuals and groups make, enforce and apply rules and laws (government). 
People and nations interact politically.
Essential Questions: How and why were early colonial governments formed?
Assessment: Students answer the following question: Why were early colonial governments formed?  Explain and/or write a class compact and compare it to the Mayflower Compact.

Activities

  1. Describe the Mayflower Compact and its impact on early colonial governments.

  2. Interpret part of the original Mayflower Compact to determine important elements.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 6:  Early English Settlements

  4. Visit the Mayflower Compact website.

  5. Interactive Student Notebook, Processing 6, p. 27, http://www.tutorial.historyalive.com/

Differentiation
Support: Identify one "problem" in the class that could be solved by a rule.  Then develop the rule.
Extension: Analyze the provisions of the Mayflower Compact.  Explain why each provision may have been included.

Lesson 12: Interdependence of Colonists and Native Americans
 Duration: @ 2 class periods
Economics 2:  Students understand how different economic systems impact decisions about the use of resources and the production and distribution of goods and services.
Economics 3:  Students understand the results of trade, exchange, and interdependence among individuals, households, businesses, governments, and societies.
District Indicator: Identify scarce natural, human and capital resources and evaluate decisions about how they are used.  Identify ways goods and services are distributed through trade, exchange and interdependence.
Enduring Understanding: Decisions must be made about the use of scarce resources.
The exchange of goods and services leads to trade and interdependence.
Essential Questions: How did scarcity of resources lead to trade, exchange and interdependence with Native Americans?
Assessment: Revisit the bartering activity completed during Quarter 1. Ask students to compare/contrast the economic interdependence of colonists and Native Americans in the 3 colonies.

Activities

  1. Describe the early economic interdependence of colonists and Native Americans.

  2. Role play with the students by creating an item of scarcity in the classroom.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 7:  Comparing the Colonies; Graphic Organizer Transparency 7, Interactive Student Notebook, Preview 7, p. 29, Reading Notes pp.30+31.
     Lesson Sheet     Work Sheet

Differentiation
Support:  Given one example of early colonial interdependence, students will identify the need each party had that was met by the other.
Extension: Compare an example of colonial interdependence with a current example.

Lesson 13: Colonial America- Part 2: Thirteen Colonies
 Duration: @ 1 class period

History 3:  Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.
History 5:  Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.
District Indicator: Describe cultural similarities, differences and interactions among various groups in both past and present. Describe how and why rules and laws (government) have been made and enforced.
Enduring Understanding: Societies are diverse and change over time. Rules, laws and governments develop and change over time.
Essential Questions: In what ways were the New England, Middle and Southern colonies most alike or different? How did the environment affect human activities?
Assessment: Students complete a Triple Venn Diagram, describing the similarities/ differences between the New England, Middle and Southern colonies.   

Activities

  1. Compare and contrast the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies (economy, government, motives for starting, and environmental impact on human activity).

  2. History Alive!  Chapter 7:  Comparing the Colonies, Assessment 7; Interactive Student Notebook, Processing 7, p. 32;

  3. Complete the History Alive Tutorial.

Differentiation
Support: Provide picture and/or word cards of characteristics. Students sort word cards --New England, Middle, Southern. Complete one of the multiple choice activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.
Extension: Complete one of the multiple intelligences activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.

Lesson 14: Slavery in Early Colonization
 Duration: @ 2 class periods
Economics 2:  Students understand how different economic systems impact decisions about the use of resources and the production and distribution of goods and services.
District Indicator: Explain how, why, and for whom goods and services are produced.
Enduring Understanding: Resources are used to produce and distribute goods and services.
Essential Questions: What role did slavery play in colonization and settlement in different colonies and regions?
Assessment: History Alive!  Assessment 8

Activities

  1. Explain the impact of slavery throughout the English Colonies.

  2.  Identify cause and effect relationships.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 8: Facing Slavery.  

  4. Slavery Simulation from Interact. Graphic Organizer Transparency 8, Transparencies 8A-8C, Interactive Student Notebook,

  5. Preview 8, p. 33, Reading Notes, pp. 34-36, Processing 8, p.37.

  6. Visit the History Alive Tutorial.

Differentiation
Support: Tell what work slaves typically did in each of the three colonial regions. Complete one of the multiple choice activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.
Extension: Explain how life in the colonies would have been different if there had been no slavery. Complete one of the multiple intelligences activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.

Lesson 15: How Have Peoples’ Lives Changed Over Time? 
 Duration: @ 1 class period

Geography 2:  Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
District Indicator: Describe ways humans change the physical environment and how the physical environment affects human activity.
Enduring Understanding: Human activity changes and is changed by the physical environment.
Essential Questions: How have the ways people live changed over time?
Assessment: History Alive!  Assessment 9 and/or Venn diagram of similarities/ differences of how peoples' lives have changed from colonial times to the present.

Activities

  1. Describe daily colonial life (education, social interactions, and occupations).

  2. Compare modern life to life in colonial Williamsburg.

  3. History Alive!  Chapter 9:  Life in Colonial Williamsburg; Graphic Organizer Transparency 9, Transparency 9, Interactive Student Notebook, Reading Notes, pp. 38+39.

  4. Visit: www.history.org, www.42explore2.com/colonial.htm, www.historyplace.com, www.pbs.org   www.americaslibrary.gov “America’s Story” and Colonial America, www.tutorial.historyalive.com.

Differentiation
Support:  Identify jobs that are basically the same today as in colonial Williamsburg. Complete one of the multiple choice activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.
Extension: Select several "problems" that existed in both colonial and current times (e.g. heating a home, school discipline, cooking).  Explain similarities and differences in how these problems were solved in both time periods. Complete one of the multiple intelligences activities on the History Alive! tutorial website.


 

Parent Resources

http://www.plimothplantation.com/  Click on "Kids"  for information and activities related to Plymouth Plantation

 http://www.mariner.org/exploration/index.php  The Mariner’s Museum – online Exploration exhibit that allows students to learn about different explorers, their ships and their tools.

 http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/  Click on Flash Games:  Jamestown--where to settle? why? type of structures to build. Kids get to make these decisions and ask colonists, Native Americans and the Settlement charter for advice!

Smithsonian Institute Resources

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