Teacher+Resource+Page

**Teacher Resource Page** This website focuses on the Pilgrims and Puritans of the colonies. It is set up in a chronological format that is broken up into separate subheadings. I think it is important to use this resource because many people and students may confuse the Puritans and Pilgrims (separatists) and this highlights the historical differences well. Before anything is taught or learned about the colonies it is important to know why immigrants from Europe starting migrating to the Americas. The critical voice of the author is evident but they also utilize quotes from historical figures such as Bradford which provides a useful primary source as well.
 * Atkins, S. (2010). The American Sense of Puritan. //Virginia EDU.// Retrieved August 3, 2011 **

This link will take an instructor to the New England Colonies once again but also provides information about the Middle and Southern Colonies as well with the links at the top of the page. There is not much information on this page but I chose it because it compares the different colonies within each region and offers a source for quick facts if needed. It provides a picture of each of the colonies and under lists the founder, founding year and reason for formation. This would be useful in a situation if an instructor did not want to read through paragraphs of information but wanted to look up a specific fact, such as the location of plantations in the colonies.
 * Reuter, A. (2010). The New England Colonies. //The Thirteen Original Colonies.// Retrieved August 3, 2011 **

This resource focuses on the history of the New England Colonies. It does not separate different thoughts and idea under subheadings but is set up as a story in chronological order. It provides a lot of valuable background information about New England in a format that is easy to read and follow even though it is not broken apart. The author is very liberal with the use of adjectives when describing different events or historical figures. Although the voice of the author is evident and this was written in the 1800’s it still provides useful information for an instructor.
 * (2002). History of the New England Colonies. //The Public Bookshelf.// Retrieved August 3, 2011 **

I recommend this website because I believe it provides a good overview of life for settlers of the Middle Colonies. It is not difficult to read and separates different aspects under clear headings. It touches on subjects such as the racial makeup of the settlers and the use of different manners; I think it would be more beneficial if it went into more detail and compared them to the other colonies. Overall if an instructor is looking for a resource that just focuses on the Middle Colonies this one is useful.
 * (2010). Life in the Early Middle Colonies. //Rootsweb Ancestry//. Retrieved August 3, 2011 **

This resource focuses strictly on religion in the colonies and leading up to the American Revolution. I think this ties in well to the resource about Puritans and Pilgrims because it also references religious troubles in Europe and settlers reasons for coming to the colonies. This also references religious differences in the colonies and which groups suffered from persecution. This is a valuable resource for an instructor who specifically wants to know only about religion. Although it can be a controversial topic covered in schools it is important that a teacher is knowledgeable about the subject and the huge historical role it plays. This link touches on that importance.
 * (2010, January 27). Religion and Early American History. //Academic American.// Retrieved August 4, 2011 **

This link is about the history of slavery in America starting with the Colonial Period. Although the article does span beyond the American Revolution it provides enough information for an instructor to teach their students about the role slavery played in the Thirteen Colonies. The article is broken up into the roles slavery played throughout different aspects of Colonial life including on plantations and in a domestic household. This does not go into enough detail to know everything about slavery in the colonies but serves as a good starting point to link to other sites with information about slavery which is why I chose it.
 * (2011) . Introduction to Colonial African American Life. //The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.// Retrieved** **August 4, 2011**

This website provides valuable background information about the Southern, Middle and New England colonies provided in the drop down box at the top of the page. Although the pages may not go into specific details of events it does serve to provide background information necessary to answer general questions students may have about the era. Specific events are options in the drop box, but the website just provides a quick but useful summary of each one. Main points of each event are highlighted but not in overwhelming detail. The information is presented in a timeline format making it easy to follow and take notes on if desired.
 * (2011). The New England Colonies. //US History//. Retrieved August 2, 2011 **

This website focuses on one location in particular in the colonies: Jamestown, the first settlement in the first colony, Virginia. If an instructor is looking for a starting point for the colonies this one is a definite possibility. Facts are presented in a chronological format with link provided to other important events in the settlement’s history. This website is more useful for teachers who need a lot of information before they are prepared to start teaching about the colonies. Starting on this website will allow an instructor to easily branch off to other topics and historical figures.
 * History of Jamestown. //Preservation Virginia.// Retrieved August 4, 2011 **