Student+Activities--Colonial+America

**Student Activities: Colonial America **


 * Monday: **


 * Labeling a Colonial Map: ** The purpose of this assignment is to test if you have learned where the New England, Middle and Southern Colonies are located. This should be a review and should not take more than ten minutes to complete.

**Instructions:** 1. You will receive a blank map of the original Thirteen Colonies. Without looking in a textbook or online, use a pencil to outline the New England, Middle and Southern Colonies. 2. After you outline, you may use colored pencils, markers or crayons to neatly color in each of the regions. 3. Neatly draw an arrow to a blank space on the paper and label each of the regions. 4. When you have finished write your name and date on your map, turn it in and begin the next assignment.


 * Creating a Venn diagram: ** This assignment involves researching economic and social aspects of the colonies and constructing a 3-way Venn-diagram using Microsoft Word and placing each fact in its correct spot.

**Instructions:** 1. Begin by using the internet and your textbook to research economic and social aspects of the thirteen colonies. I recommend these websites to get you started. 2. Take information you find and write it in your own words as a clear concise fact. Complete sentences are not necessary. (example: For the Southern colonies you could write “Relied on farming crops such as tobacco”) 3. Create a list of twenty clear facts that at least fill each possible bubble once. 4. Open Microsoft Word and construct a 3-way Venn-diagram (we have done this several times before) and label each main bubble (Southern, Middle and New England Colonies). 5. Type each fact in its correct location. 6. When you are finished type your name and date in the header and print it and turn it in. 7. Plagiarism will result in a loss of points.

**Tuesday:**


 * Create a Wikispace: ** For this assignment you will log onto your Wikispace and add a new page and create three brief biographies about important figures during the Colonial Era that I will assign to you. You will have 35 minutes to complete this assignment.

**Instructions:** 1. Begin by researching the three figure I assign to you in your textbook and online. This is a helpful website to get you started: Historical Figures 2. Open Microsoft Word and type three biographies about the important figures; they must be 100 words each. (I ask you to do it this way so you are able to check the word length of each biography) 3. After you are finished copy and paste the biographies onto a new page of your Wikispace titled “Important Colonial Figures”. You may change font color and size but it is not required. 4. Find a photo of each person, save it to the desktop and paste it into you Wikispace at the beginning of each appropriate biography. Make sure you title each biography with the person’s name. 5. Save your work and I will check each of your Wikispaces to grade them. 6. Plagiarism will result in a loss of points.


 * Plan character sketch: ** I will break you off into groups of three and four and assign your group a historical figure to cover in a short skit that I will record tomorrow on a video camera.

**Instructions:** 1. Decide as a group what kind of skit you want to create; it could be an interview or historical event that highlights the important person etc. 2. It may be useful to utilize the biographies you have already created for information as well as internet research and your textbook. 3. The skit must be between two to three minutes in length. 4. Be creative; as long as your facts are correct you can present them in a unique way 5. You will have a short period tomorrow to finish your planning before I film the groups in random order; you must be ready when I select your group. 6. Props and costumes are not required but you may include them for bonus points. 7. Every member must be involved in some way. 8. A script is not required but you can write lines for each other if you choose to. However, you will not be allowed to read off cards during your skit. 9. We will watch all of the videos as a class on the projector.

**Wednesday:**

**Finish character sketch planning:** You will have 10-15 minutes for this.

**Instructions:** 1. Follow the same instructions as yesterday to finish your planning and be ready to record your skit at the time I choose your group. 2. When your group is not recording your sketch you will be working individually on the next assignment.


 * Life during the colonial period: ** For this assignment you will create a PowerPoint about what life would be like for you if you were a settler during the Colonial Period. Research and begin your PowerPoint today and you will have twenty minutes to finish it tomorrow.

**Instructions:** 1. Begin by choosing if you would like to cover the Southern, Middle or New England colonies. 2. Find information about daily life using the internet and your textbook. Some helpful websites are: [|Southern Colonies] Middle Colonies New England Colonies 3. The PowerPoint you create should be ten slides long INCLUDING a title slide stating what region you are covering and a bibliography. (List the websites and sources you obtained your information from) 4. Your presentation should include at least five related graphics or pictures. Site these in your bibliography as well. 5. Transitions are not required but you may include them for bonus points. 6. If you have time you may change the font color and sizes. 7. Be creative; your information should cover different aspects of your hypothetical life as a colonial settler (personal, social, economic etc.) 8. Finish as much as possible today; if you do finish save it on your flash drive as “My Colonial Life” and read quietly. If you have forgotten your flash drive save your work to the desktop on the computer and remember which number laptop you were using. Tomorrow make sure to bring your flash drive to save it to. Remember, you are supposed to have your flash drive with you every day. 9. Plagiarism will result in a loss of points.



**Thursday:**


 * Finish PowerPoint **

1. Follow the same instructions as yesterday to complete your PowerPoint. 2. Once you have finished turn in your flash drive to me. 3. If you finish early start the next assignment.
 * Instructions: **

**Evaluation Paper (planning):** You are required to answer the prompt—“During the colonial era we have covered in class, which region (New England, Middle, Southern) do you believe had the most benefits for its settlers? What were they? Why was living in this region better than living in the other two? Use details and research to support your conclusions.”

1. This paper is to be two pages (double spaced) typed on Microsoft Word tomorrow. Today you will complete your planning page. 2. This paper is an opinion paper and there is no wrong answer. I would recommend choosing the region you have the most supporting information about. 3. You may use your textbook, notes and websites I have recommended before to create a planning sheet. 4. You will only be able to use the planning sheet as you write your essay. 5. Please do not begin writing your essay today or as homework; this is to be a fifty minute timed essay. 6. If you believe you have finished early I would recommend you continue researching; the more information you have for your paper, the better. 7. Your planning sheet does not have to be typed
 * Instructions: **


 * <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Friday: **

**Evaluation Paper:** There is only one assignment today; once again this is your prompt: During the colonial era we have covered in class, which region (New England, Middle, Southern) do you believe had the most benefits for its settlers? What were they? Why was living in this region better than living in the other two? Use details and research to support your conclusions.

**Instructions:** 1. You have fifty minutes to complete this essay. Remember to double space; it is to be two pages in length. 2. Grammar and spelling count. 3. Use the information on your planning sheet as an aid and expand on those ideas. 4. When you are finished write your name, date and title in the header and print your essay. Staple your planning sheet to the front of the essay and turn it in. 5. If you finish early you may read quietly, but I would highly recommend using all of your extra time to proofread and correct mistakes. Good luck.