A Unit Study on Colonial America

A good entry level U.S. history unit study is one on Colonial North America. This list is far from all-encompassing, but it has enough information to get you started. For those of you in other countries reading this article, consider doing a colonial study on your own geographic area.

GENERAL RESOURCES:

From the Edupress Hands On Heritage series: Colonial American Activity Book (ISBN 1-56472-003-9). This is specifically designed for grades 2 through 5; however, the activities listed are such that they can be scaled up or down to suit almost any grade level. Also, the book is completely reproducible.

"Colonial Kids" by Laurie Carlson . If you haven't checked out any books by Laurie Carlson, I really suggest you take the time to look for them. They are handy to have, even if you don't use them specifically in a unit study. (For availability check your local bookstore or amazon.com)

Frank Schaffer Publications has two books worth a look:
Life As A Colonist by Bob Rybak
US History Part 1

(Frank Schaffer materials are available through most school supply stores as well as in the Frank Schaffer catalog available direct from the company.)

Teacher Created Matierals has a thematic unit series that is very helpful as the books even have sample lesson plans in them. One from their series is on Colonial America (ISBN 1-55734-597-X). (website: www.teachercreated.com) They are considered "cross curriculum" books in that they draw many subjects into the study including math, science, and language arts.

Two unit study books by authoress Amanda Bennett have good materials to incorporate into a unit study on Colonial America: "Thanksgiving" and "Pioneers." Both of these books are available through many book retailers, homeschooling catalogs and the Amanda Bennett website.

The Dover Coloring Book series has many books that would add flavor and fun to a study on Colonial America including: Colonial and Early American Fashions, Early American Crafts and Occupations, Early American Trades, Everyday Dress of the Colonial Period, Small Animals of North America, etc.

The Ben Franklin Book of Easy and Incredible Experiments.

Milliken Overhead Book Series now include a couple of books on the colonial period. These books have colored pictures on overhead plastics which can be used both for overhead projectors and in one-on-one studies.

"Colonial Days" from the American Kids in Hsitory series which illustrate the time period by following a fictional family through a year in their life. Crafts, foods, and daily living are covered.

Paperdolls are a good way of illustrating fashions of a time period. They are also useful in reinacting and simulations. Barnes & Nobles usually has a good selection in the children's book section. Also, amazon.com has several series to choose from. Making your own from catalog and coloring book pages is another good, hands on activity.

Recipe books that have updated versions of colonial recipes are an interesting addition to a unit study. Cooking gives you a chance to add science and math to your study.

Check the National Park websites for information on Colonial America. Check such sites as Colonial Williamsburg and Boston for activities and possible fieldtrips...maybe even a couple of virtual field trips...to add to your unit.

WEB SOURCES:

If you are reading this article you more than likely have at least a passing familiarity with using the internet. What follows is a long list of websites that either have information regarding the Colonial Period or have actual unit studies on this subject for you to use. At the time that this article was written, all web addresses had been checked for content; however, please check them again before allowing your children to view them.

Colonial America Discussion Port (a discussion board for colonial American topics)
http://classicals.com/federalist/ColonialAmericahall/wwwboard.html

The Town Crier (a discussion board where I picked up several ideas to include in my study)
http://earlyamerica.com/towncrier/towncrier2.html

Articles on religion in colonial America
http://xroards.virginia.edu/~CAP/PURITAN/purmain.html
http://lcweb.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel01.html
http://www.ifas.org/fw/9606/newengland.html
http://www.uscj.org/seabd/arlingaf/971123.htm
http://lonestar.texas.net/~mseifert/puritan.html

Coins of Colonial and Early America
http://www.coins.nd.edu/ColCoin/

A Colonial Family and Community
http://www.hfmgv.org/smartfun/colonial/intro/

Life in Colonial Williamsburg
http://www.history.org/life/life.htm

Colonial American History Resources (put together by a 5th grade teacher)
http://www.bham.wednet.edu/colonial.html

Cycles of US History -- Colonial History
http://www.seanet.com/Users/pamur/colo.html

The Puritans and the Scarlet Letter
http://trackstar.hprtec.org/main/display.php3?option=frames&track_id=1598

History and Culture (includes a useful timeline)
http://www.uncp.edu/home/canada/work/allam/16071783/history/history.htm

The following site has several good links to appropriate topics and study aides.
http://www.7cs.com/collectibles.colonial.html

Internet Historical Sourcebook with links to Colonial Documents
http://fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook07.html

Internet School Library
Colonial America K12 resources
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/colonial.htm

Middle School Media Links
http://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/rundlett/library/colonial.html

Colonial Soap Making
http://www.alcasoft.com/soapfact/history.html

Academic Info US History: Early America
http://www.academicinfo.net/usearly.html

Kid Info: Colonial America
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Colonization_Colonial_Life.html

Virtual Jamestown
http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vcdh/jamestown/maps2.html

North America 1600-1700 (timeline and links)
http://www.wfu.edu/Academic-departments/History/whistory/timeline/namerica/16-17.htm

Mr. Donn's Unit Study Links for Colonial History
http://members.aol.com/MrDonnHistory/American.html#COLONIAL

James Quest: Discovering Virginia's First Colony
http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/dept/cise/soc/resources/jvc/unit/webquests/

The Williamsburg Gazette: A Webquest
http://www.people.virginia.edu/~jlb4p/Webquest/studentpage.html

FICTION and NON-FICTION:

There are so many good books available for this time frame that I hesitate to single any out for specific mention. Also, you will need to adjust for whatever reading level you are teaching this subject at. Below are just a few that I have used personally.

"Prudence of Plymouth Plantation" by Colleen Reece

The Felicity books in the American Girl series

There are now several in the "Dear America" and "My Name is America" series that would well suit the Colonial time period.

"Give Me Liberty: The Christian Patriotism of Patrick Henry" in the Leaders in Action Series

The American Adventure Series (available at many Christian Bookstores in the Children's Fiction area) is a set of 48 books ranging in chronological order from the Mayflower era to post WW2. Several in this series help illustrate the story of the colonial period from the eyes of children.

Always remember to check your local library, as well as ask your librarian, for good selections that cover this time period. If the books are not immediately available from your library, its possible they can be borrowed through interlibrary loans. Amazon.com can be searched in the juvenile section and by topic.

I hope that in some way this has helped you gather info to teach this subject.

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