Introduction
SS4H3 b: Describe colonial life in America as experienced by various people, including large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, indentured servants, slaves, and Native Americans.
EQ: What was it like for the various social groups to live during colonial times in America?
Colonial life in America was very difficult for the hopeful settlers who came to escape poverty, persecution, and to gain religious freedom. Later came the adventurous explorers and those sent by European Nations to begin business ventures in this uncharted new land.
They eventually settled into the original 13 colonies now known at the States of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Georgia.
The colonies were made up of different groups of people whose lives varied depending on their SOCIAL position.A big book publishing company president has just asked YOU to be on a special team to write a very important book about the life of the American Colonists, called "Who's Who in the Colonies?" Good thing that you have become an expert in writing! You will research, write, and publish your book.
Task
I hope you're ready to work, because the book company really wants that book soon! To start you off, you know that colonial life was different for different types of people. Each of you will choose a point of view to write from. This will be the "Who's Who" page that you will create. Get ready to explore a new world through someone else's eyes!
The roles are:
- The large landowner: Things sure are busy for you taking care of all of that land! We want to know all about your life as one of the wealthiest men in the colonies!
- The farmer: Your land might not stretch as far as the eye can see, but you're still a busy guy. Tell us all about how you live taking care of the land that's yours with your own hands.
- The woman: Young or old, teenaged or middle aged, life was quite different for you than it was for a man in those days. You will talk about what your life is like in the colony you live it, and what your day to day life is like (among many other things!)
- The artisan: When we need to shoe the horses, or buy a piece of jewelry for our wives or husbands, we turn to you. How do you get so good at what you do?
- The slave: You live a life of long hours and thankless jobs. People want to know, just what is your life like?
- The Indentured servant: Consisted of men and women who did not have money for passage to the colonies and who agreed to work without pay for the person who paid their passage. They were free at the end of their contract. How hard was it to live as a slave/servant for a specific amount of time?
- The Native American: When the British staked their claim to the east coast of the modern United States, they could not have dreamed of the complexity of the peoples they were soon to encounter. Before Europeans arrived in North America, Native peoples inhabited every region of the U.S. How hard was it when the European people moved in on your lands?
Process
Click on your Colonial Group to search for information.
Evaluation
Conclusion
First of all, if you participated in the project, worked together as a group, and were able to publish your Who's Who in the American Colonies book, then thank you! For those of you that finished the project, I am proud to report that the president of the publishing company was very happy with receiving the completed copy. He thinks it will become a best-seller in no time!
If you worked together, followed the instructions step-by-step, and used your group planning times wisely, then you should have had no problem getting things done by their due dates. Also, you should have had no problem completing this project and learning a LOT!
The American colonies are the foundation of the United States of America, and it's important to know about the people: how they acted, what they did for a living, how they felt about each other, and how they each played a very special part in building the beginnings of America. Hopefully you learned a lot of new things not only by researching the colonist you chose, but also about every other type of colonist from your group members and their research.
Last, but not least, I hope that you had fun and will continue to explore more about Colonial America long after this project is over.
Credits
Who's Who in the Colonies: http://teacherweb.com/WQ/ElementarySchool/Colonists/ap8.aspx
Kid Rex search engine: www.kidrex.com