Thirteen Original Colonies
by Judie Haynes
The study of the colonization of the United States provides an excellent opportunity to introduce the concepts of American culture which may be unfamiliar to your student population. This lesson includes downloadable handouts.
The concepts of democracy and freedom may be different or non-existent in the cultures of your students. This is an good occasion to develop an understanding of religious freedom and self-government with second language learners.
Students do not have to know everything in the social studies curriculum on a particular topic. Try to pick high points which allow students to develop appreciation of values which characterize American culture.
Highlight the importance of immigration in the history of the United States and to link this information to students' own experiences. The more "hands-on" the activities are, the more the students will be engaged in learning. Graphic organizers are important to make information comprehensible to second language learners.
This unit is written to follow the TESOL Pre-K-12 ESL Standards: Standard 2, Goal 2.
Lesson topic
William Penn settles Pennsylvania
Proficiency/Grade level
Advanced Beginning and Intermediate Students in Grades 5-12.
Content Concepts & Skills
How the colonies were founded; location of the Middle Colonies; reinforce ideas of religious freedom; and self-government; linking causes and effects.
Vocabulary needed
religious freedom, persecuted, Quaker, political freedom, fundamental, Frame of Government, Lenape Indians, settlement, colonists, climate, worship, carpenters, coopers, clock makers, weavers, planned, soil.
Materials or Resources
- The Explore Series: Settling the English Colonies; Ballard & Tighe, Brea, CA: 1995.
- Colonial America by Elaine Keeley; Teacher Designed Learning, Inc. Fountain Valley, CA: 1992;
- Puritans & Pilgrims by Jane Pofahl; T.S. Denison & Company, Inc. Minneapolis, Minnesota: 1994
- Life as a Colonist by Bob Rybak; Frank Schaeffer Publications, Torrance, CA, 1994
Background Information
Discuss with students their trip to the United States and what they found when they arrived here. Review what the colonists who settled Jamestown and Plymouth found. This discussion is limited, of course, by the students' language level.
Instructional Sequence
- Review the location the New England Colonies and the Southern Colonies with students. Students brainstorm the main characteristics of each of these colonies which are written on the chalkboard.
- Find the four Middle Colonies on a map. Students label blank maps with the names of the four Middle Colonies. Have students match the four Middle Colonies with the U.S. states that are in existence today. Make connections between these states and the students' experiences: Visits to New York, Philadelphia, Delaware; relatives who may live in one of these states; where they are in relationship to students' state.
- Next, we review the information about Jamestown, the Pilgrims and the Puritans by completing Colony comparison chart together (download: Colony comparison chart,8k .PDF). We will add information on Pennsylvania and the Quakers at the end of the reading.
- Students review any unfamiliar vocabulary. They make flashcards, if necessary.
- Put steps William Penn used to found Philadelphia on the chalkboard. Have student write them in order.
- William Penn wanted the people already living in Pennsylvania to know about his colony.
- William Penn left for Pennsylvania.
- William Penn decided to start a colony.
- William Penn wanted to be friends with the Lenape. He wrote them letters.
- William Penn wanted everyone to have equal rights. He wrote the Frame of Government.
- William Penn needed people to come to his colony. He wrote letters to friends in Europe and England.
- Students need to see how one event effects another. Make a cause-and-effect chart together as a group. (download: William Penn cause-and- effect activity, 4k .PDF)
- Students brainstorm a list a jobs colonists would need to learn to do. Vocabulary includes: Miller, cobbler, blacksmith, cooper, carpenter, weaver, clock smith, farmer. Students write a letter telling a friend about a job and why the friend should come to Pennslyvania.
- William Penn planned Philadelphia. What would be the important places in a colony? (Church, town square, stores) Have students plan a colony of their own marking the important places. This is a good group activity.
- Comparing schools in the colonies of 1700s to the present day schools is another favorite activity. (download: Schools in 1700 vs. today, 8k .PDF)
- Compare Jamestown and Pennslyvania colonies. Use the Phrase Bank to help students. This could be an assessment of the students' understanding. (downloads: Compare Jamestown and Pennsylvania, 4k .PDF; Jamestown vs Pennsylvania word bank, 3k .PDF)
Activity Downloads
Note: To view the classroom activities, you must have Acrobat Reader intalled. Acrobat is a free application available from Adobe Systems.
Colony comparison chart (2k .PDF)
Compare Jamestown and Pennsylvania (4k .PDF)
Jamestown vs.Pennsyvlvania word bank (3k .PDF)
William Penn cause and effect (4k .PDF)
Resource Picks
Explore America
This American history series emphasizes the role of immigration, as well as religious and democratic values, in the development of the United States. Geography, economics, and literature are all tied to the history, then events are related to the students' own experiences.
History Wiz.com
History Wiz.com comprises a huge number of resources for students. Enhance your lessons with this impressive site .
Midnight Rider: Paul Revere Virtual Museum
This informative site is comprised of 5 Exhibit Halls including the real story of Paul Revere's Ride, the Longfellow poem, information on Colonial Boston and music from the Revolutionary War.
© 1998-2004 Judie Haynes, www.everythingESL.net
