Social Studies Curriculum

Grade 8 - United States History
Curriculum Guide

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Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)

Time Frame for Unit:

6 weeks

Content Standards:

National Standards for History:

Era 2 - Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)

Standard 1

1. The student understands how diverse immigrants affected the formation of European colonies.
2. The student understands the European struggle for control of North America.

Standard 2

1. The student understands the roots of representative government and how political rights were defined.
2. The student understands religious diversity in the colonies and how ideas about religious freedom evolved.
3. The student understands social and cultural change in British America.

Standard 3

1. The student understands colonial economic life and labor systems in the Americas.
2. The student understands economic life and the development of labor systems in the English colonies.
3. The student understands African life under slavery.

Alaska Content Standards: History

1. Understand that history is a record of human experiences that links the past to the present and the future.
2. Understand historical themes through factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions, cultures, people, and events.
3. Develop the skills and processes of historical inquiry.
4. Integrate historical knowledge with historical skill to effectively participate as a citizen and as a lifelong learner.

Brief summary of unit:

In the Colonization and Settlement unit students study the interaction of Native Americans, Africans, and Europeans. In this unit, the students will explore why so many free and indentured immigrants left their homelands. This unit includes the development of the political, religious, and economic institutions of the colonies.

Enduring Understandings:

The students will understand that:

1. Colonization is a method of conquest and expansion that has been used throughout history.
2. Settlement in the Americas had tremendous impacts on the indigenous peoples and in the worldwide political and economic climate.
3. Slavery and servitude have been implemented throughout history.

Essential Questions:

1. To what extent did colonists and indigenous societies influence each other?
2. How and why did geography have an impact on settlement patterns?
3. Why did the Americas attract Europeans?
4. Why did the colonists differ in the ways they established their social institutions of family, education, religion, government, and economy?
5. How did slavery develop and what was its impact in the colonies?
6. How did Europeans compete for control of the Americas?

Knowledge:

Define and apply the following terms and concepts:
Exchange, Protestant Reformation, The Great Awakening, The Enlightenment, Virginia Company, Russian Trade Company, Hudson Bay Company, Plymouth Rock, Mayflower Compact, Mason-Dixon line, mercantilism, French and Indian War, proprietary colonies, charter colonies, royal colonies

Explain the significance of:

• the formation of regional colonies
• Spanish, English, French, Dutch, and Russian colonial settlement and development from 1585-1753
• economic, political, social growth of the slave trade
• geography related to colonization and settlement

Skills:

The student will be able to …

• Trace the arrival of Africans in the European colonies in the 17th century and the rapid increase of slave importation in the 18th century.
• Analyze how various Native American societies changed as a result of the expanding European settlements and how they influenced European societies.
• Analyze the significance of the colonial wars before 1754 and the causes, character, and outcome of the French and Indian War.
• Analyze how family life, gender, race, age, and marital status affected life in the colonies.
• Identify the major economic regions in the Americas and explain how mercantilism and labor systems influenced patterns of economic activity.
• Analyze the forced relocation of Africans to the English colonies and their overt and passive resistance to enslavement.
• Analyze how Africans in North America drew upon their African past and upon selected European (and sometimes Native American) customs and values to develop a distinctive African American culture.

Assessment Evidence *

Performance Tasks:

• Research how colonists lived. Design a multimedia presentation about a typical family including social, economic, and political aspects of colonial life.
• Create a diorama or display that depicts what life in a colonial settlement might look like.
• Write a newspaper article that explains the development of government in the colonies (proprietary, charter, royal).
• Participate in a debate addressing the differing religious groups and explain the impact of religious freedom in the colonies.
• Create a map of Africa that shows countries that were major sources of slavery.

Other Evidence:

• Test on facts related to the Colonization and Settlement.
• Quiz on vocabulary terms.
• Working in small groups, research the causes of the French and Indian War. Hold a diplomatic council to try to prevent the war. Role-play representatives from the various groups. (McDougal p. 137)
• Respond to a writing prompt that compares the diversity of our nation today to diversity issues of colonial times.
• Written responses to the Essential Questions.
• Students self-assess their own involvement in class discussions and academic performances, and explain their patterns of participation.

Learning Plan*

Learning Activities:

1. Begin with a brainstorming activity in which students discuss what they would bring with them if they were leaving their home for a new land.
2. Introduce the Essential Questions and discuss the culminating unit tasks.
3. Introduce key vocabulary during the various activities and performance tasks.
4. Students read and discuss relevant sections from the sources (McDougal ch. 3-5) to support the learning activities and tasks.
5. Investigate how slavery in African societies differed from slavery and indentured servitude in the English colonies.
6. Chart or use a graphic organizer to show the social, economic, and political tensions that led to violent conflicts between the colonists and their governments.
7. Choose one of the performance tasks to assess student understanding
8. Conclude the unit with student self-assessment of their culminating activity.

* These are suggested activities. Other assessments, performance tasks, and learning activities may be implemented.

 

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