5th Grade Integrated Early American History SS050404

Unit 4: Life in Colonial America Lesson 4

Lesson 4: Comparing the Colonial Regions

Big Ideas of the Lesson

One common feature of all three colonial regions was the importance of
port cities. These cities allowed goods to move to and from the Colonies.
The three colonial regions were different in many important ways.
Regional differences were the result of factors such as climate, natural
resources, economic activities, and settler populations.

Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson, students compare features of all three colonial regions. The lesson begins with a
review of colonial data with students writing conclusions based on the data. Students then practice
the summarizing by completing a chart. Next, students complete a Venn diagram and compare
their work with a partners work. Finally, students synthesize the data about the colonial regions by
creating generalizations.

Content Expectations
5 U2.3.2: Describe the daily life of people living in the New England, Middle, and Southern
colonies.
5 U2.3.5: Make generalizations about the reasons for regional differences in colonial America.

Common Core State Standards:

RI.5.3: Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events,
ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific
information in the text.

Key Concepts
generalizations
regional differences

Instructional Resources
Equipment/Manipulative
Chart paper
Overhead projector or document camera/projector

Student Resource
Bower, Burt, et al. Americas Past, Social Studies Alive Program. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers
Curriculum Institute, 2010 or a similar fifth grade social studies textbook. Pp.85-93.

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5th Grade Integrated Early American History SS050404
Unit 4: Life in Colonial America Lesson 4

Teacher Resource
Egbo, Carol. Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4). Teacher-made material. Michigan
Citizenship Collaborative, 2011.

Lesson Sequence
1. Divide students in pairs and give each pair a copy of the two Colonial Data sheets, located in
the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4). Have the pairs to compare the three colonial
regions by examining the data and then writing three conclusions based upon the data.
Provide students time to work and then have them share their ideas with the whole group.
Possible answers include:
The Middle and Southern Colonies were very dependent on farming. Food crops were
important in both regions.
Grain was by far the major export of the Middle Colonies.
The New England Colonies had the most diversity in exports.
The export that brought in the most money in the colonies was tobacco, which was
grown in the Southern Colonies.
The value of exports in the Southern Colonies was greater than that of the other two
regions.
More people lived in the Southern Colonies by 1750 than in each of the other two
colonial regions.
Although the New England Colonies were smaller in area, more people lived in that
region than the Middle Colonies.

2. Divide students into groups of four and give each group a copy of the Colonial Regions Chart,
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4). Tell groups to work together to
summarize important information about the three colonial regions by filling in the chart.
Encourage groups to use the charts they created in Lessons 1-3 for this activity.

3. Have groups share their charts with the entire class. Create a master list of characteristics of
the three colonial regions on chart paper. Note that a Completed Colonial Regions Chart with
possible answers has been included in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4) to use as
reference.

4. Give each student a copy of the Venn Diagram located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4,
Lesson 4) and display a copy of the diagram. Remind students that this type of diagram allows
you to compare three different things. Point to the center of the intersecting circles and explain
that in this section students will describe a characteristic shared by all three regions. Next,
point out where students will describe a characteristic shared by the New England and Middle
Colonies. Finally, point out where students would describe a characteristic unique to the New
England Colonies. Have students complete the diagram.

5. Place students in pairs and have partners share their Venn diagrams with each other. Then,
have students share with the large group. Note that a Completed Venn Diagram showing
possible answers has been included in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4) to use as
reference and for evaluating student diagrams.

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5th Grade Integrated Early American History SS050404
Unit 4: Life in Colonial America Lesson 4

6. Remind students that they have gathered a lot of information about the three colonial regions in
this unit so far. Explain that it is important now to synthesize all this information in an effort to
make generalizations about reasons for differences among the regions. Divide students in
pairs and ask each pair to come up with two reasons that would explain how the colonial
regions ended up being quite different.

7. Give pairs time to work and then match two pairs together to make groups of four. Have the
groups discuss the generalizations each pair came up with. T hen, discuss the generalizations
in the large group. Note that possible generalizations include:
Regional differences were the result of differences in climate.
Regional differences were the result of differences in natural resources.
Regional differences were the result of differences in economic activities.
Regional differences were the result of differences in early settlement patterns.
Regional differences were the result of cultural differences.

Assessment
An assessment has been included in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 4, Lesson 4,) in which
students answer multiple-choice questions. Answers to the Multiple Choice questions are as
follows: 1: B, 2:D, 3:A, 4:D, 5:B, 6:C. The Venn diagram created in Step 6 can also be used as an
assessment.

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