Introduction
Welcome Artisans! You have just moved to the colonies and in order to survive, you must decide on what your trade will be. Click on the video below before beginning your task!
(Insert Introduction Video Here)
Task
What's your skill? Read below to find out the different types of trades peformed by artisans during the colonial period. After you've read the brief overview of each type of trade, you must decide on which artisan you want to be. When you've decided on your artisan, you are to do some research. Be sure to have note paper handy! You need to find out the following things:
- What product or service you make?
- What type of clothes do you wear? (Do you have to wear anything specific?)
- Where do you work?
- What skills does your trade require?
- What materials and tools do you use?
- How useful is your trade to the society? Why?
After you've done this research, you are going to write a detailed synopsis of your artisan. Use the answers you found from the questions above to create your synopsis. Once you've written this, create a portrait of the artisan performing his/her trade.
Here is a list, along with a brief description, of the trades found during the colonial period.
Apothecary
More than druggists, the apothecary diagnoses and prescribes.
Basketmaker
Practical and beautiful handmade baskets carry all manner of loads.
Blacksmith
Crafters of hardware for homes and tools for fellow tradesmen.
Brickmaker
Molding, drying, and firing bricks for construction and repair.
Cabinetmaker
Fine furniture with exquisite detail represents high status.
Carpenter & Joiner
Indispensable builders in the age of wood.
Cooper
Creators of casks for everything from wine to gunpowder.
Foodways
Setting history's table using authentic recipes and methods.
Gardener
Fine gardens, tools, plants and colonial techniques
Gunsmith & Founder
Masters of forge, file, and wood.
Historic Farming
Middling farmers grow corn, tobacco and cotton using 18th-century techniques.
Milliner
Makers of shifts, gowns, aprons, hats and cloaks.
Printer & Binder
The colonial press is a powerful tool.
Shoemaker
A trade practiced in America since 1610.
Silversmith
A sculptor of silver, from first pour to final polish.
Tailor
Cutter and creator of bespoke suits for every sort.
Weaver
Weavers grow in prominence when embargoes ban imported cloth.
Wheelwright
Wooden wheels bound in iron are works of strength and balance.
Wigmaker
Ladies and gentlemen are crowned with the latest styles.
Process
Step 1: After you've read the Introduction and watched the video, read the task page. On the task page there is a list of questions you need to answer, be sure to copy these down on your note paper before beginning the WebQuest. Decide what trade interests you; the trades are listed on the task page.
Step 2: Once you've decided on a trade, write down your name and selected trade on a sheet of paper. This paper should be turned in to your teacher by the end of the first in-class work time. You should also write down your selected trade on your note paper.
Step 3: You will be given computer time to work on the WebQuest. Click on your trade and visit the websites provided. Be sure to answer all of your questions and don't be afraid to add facts that you find are important to your trade/artisan.
Step 4: Try to find a book about your trade/artisan during your next visit to the library; this will help you answer your questions. If you are unable to find a book, please notify your teacher.
Step 5: For homework, you are to create a rough draft of your synopsis. This rough draft will be turned in according to the due date given to you by your teacher.
Step 6: While you are waiting on your teacher to return your rough draft, begin working on your portrait of your chosen artisan.
Step 7: When you receive your rough draft, make any edits and corrections suggested by your teacher. Your final copy will need to be completed on the "What's Your Trade?" sheet. This needs to be neat!
Step 8: Turn in your "What's Your Trade?" sheet, along with your picture, to your teacher on the designated due date.
Step 9: Now it's time for you to show off your expertise and share with your classmates about the trade/artisan you chose!