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New England Colonies
Heather Brooks
The colonies of New England developed differently from the colony of Virginia. The basis of the colonial foundations of New England depended more upon religion, whereas Virginia was founded primarily on economic aspirations. Yet the New England colonies did not focus their intent on religious toleration, but on the idea of creating a "moral society" after which others could model their own communities. Originally, they fled from religious persecution and planned to create a place where people could worship without being influenced by other religions or cultures. From the original New England colonies, however, other colonies developed that were more tolerant of other religions. Like the Virginia colony, the seeds of democracy took root and grew to create the foundation for the United States of America.
1. Transparency of a Frayer diagram. Avaliable at www.longwood.edu/staff/jonescd/projects/educ530/aboxley/peffiles/2.pdf or
www.seaford.k12.de.us/it/frayer.htm
2. U.S. History classroom text. I use The Americans by McDougal Littell but any standard U.S. History text will serve the purpose.
Citation:
Danzer, Gerald A., J. Jorge Klore de Alva, Nancy Woloch, and Louis E. Wilson. The Americans. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006.
3. Notebook paper.
4. Copies of handouts pepared by students to go along with activity.
5. Portions of Mary Rowlandson, Captivity Narrative (1682) from www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/rownarr.html a portion of the document with questions is linked to this lesson. It is titled Mary Rowlandson document.
6. Directions for group activity.
2/90 minute blocks
3
How did the colonies of New England develop and thrive?
Frayer Diagram
1. As students enter the room, display a transparency of a Frayer Diagram with the term "Massachusetts Bay Colony" in the center circle.
2. Give students about five minutes to diagram the term and then call on them randomly to fill in the blanks.
An example from The Americans by McDougal Littell:
Definition: A colony founded in 1630 by the joint-stock company, the Massachusetts Bay Company.
Characteristics: (must have 2) Many who settled there did so because of religious persecution
- other reasons for founding were political repression and economic conditions
- in the first year of the colony over 1,000 colonists settled there
- settlers were Puritan and non-Puritan
- Plymouth Colony was eventually incorporated into the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Examples: John Winthrop, Boston was capital, the Arbella, "City Upon a Hill"
Non-examples: Virginia Colony, Georgia, Proprietary Colony.
Citation for information used in Bellwork:
Danzer, Gerald A., J. Jorge Klore de Alva, Nancy Woloch, and Louis E. Wilson. The Americans. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2006.
Ask students to brainstorm words/terms relating to the New England Colonies and write responses on the board. Possible responses are: Pilgrims, Puritans, Salem Witch trials, Indians, First Thanksgiving, etc.
Display selected segments of Mary Rowlandson, Captivity Narrative (1682). Portions of this document with guided reading questions are linked to this lesson. The linked document is titled Mary Rowlandson document.
Have the class to read the document together. As they read, ask them to underline any words that they do not know the meaning. After the class has finished reading, discuss the words that are underlined. Then call on volunteers to discuss the answers to the five guided reading questions.
The entire Mary Rowlandson narrative is long. Even though portions with questions have been provided, please read through the entire and select segments that you think are most appropriate for your class. The entire document can be found at www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/rownarr.html
Other Documents to use as substitutes:
Mayflower Compact at www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/amerdoc/mayflower.htm
The Examination and Confession of Ann Foster at Salem Village at www.uoregon.edu/~mjdennis/courses/wk3_fosterandlaceys.htm
1. Divide the class into six teams. (The teacher can assign students to teams based on student work habits and performance or by having them number off one through six.)
2. Assign each team a topic from the following list: Founding of Plymouth Colony, Founding of Massachusetts Bay Colony, Trial of Anne Hutchison, Pequot War, King Philip's War, and the Salem Witch Trials.
3. Each team should create a skit to demonstrate the significance of their topic. The skit should be five minutes long and each person should be involved. To do this, the students should research their topic and discover the significant events, causes, results, etc. that relate to the event. They should then create a skit where they enact the event or the cause of a problem. For example: Plymouth Colony = the writing a signing of the Mayflower Compact - Have someone to read the document and then all the heads of households (male) sign the document or the first Thanksgiving. Massachusetts Bay Colony = reenact Winthrop reading "City Upon a Hill Sermon", Trial of Anne Hutchison = Have a Puritan question her about what she believed, Pequot War = reenact settler's clearing land and discussing how they view land differently than the Native Americans, King Philip's War = reenact Mary Rowlandson document, Salem Witch Trials = have girls on the stand being questioned about their beliefs and testifying to what they saw.
4. Each team should create a document that outlines the facts of their topic. They should ask the teacher to make copies of the document to pass out after the students perform their skit.
5. The students should perform their skits and allow for questions afterwards.
6. To determine the team's grade: The teacher should observe as the teams are working together, use the worksheet, the skit, and students' determination of grades in order to assign individual grades. Therefore, teacher observation, peer evaluation, worksheet, and skits will all be taken into consideration when determining final grade.
Directions handout will be linked to the lesson.
Grading Guidelines are also linked. The grading guidelines and scoring methods are suggestions. Please feel free to determine the grade and set the requirements that are most appropriate for your class.
Review Activity: Create a Game
1. Each student should develop five questions total from the six topics that the class has just researched. They need to ask one question per topic (one topic will be excluded). The questions can come from their textbook, skits, or handouts provided by the group on the New England Colonies.
2. The students should write their questions on a sheet of notebook paper and the answers to the questions on a separate sheet of notebook paper.
3. Each student should pick a partner and exchange questions. When both are finished, have them to trade and grade the other student'sgame answers. Have students to change partners and repeat as many times as time allows.
New England Colonies Skit Directions_LP3 Y3 Brook
Mary Rowlandson Document_3Y3 Brooks
Grading Guidelines _New England Colonies Lesson 3Y