 |
Colonial Geography |
|
Colonial Geography |
Set:
Objectives:
2. Students will analyze the geographical patterns of the four groups, locate these patterns on a map, and answer questions relating to these patterns.
3. Students will work in groups focusing on a particular country/ nationality or interest group and analyze the differences and similarities between the groups by answering questions.
Rationale:
Involvement of Learner:
Explanation:
A.
1. Teacher will state purpose of lesson (from "Rationale" paragraph).
2. Instructor will give a brief overview of student moving patterns just discussed.
3. Instructor will begin by dividing the students into groups of four. The students in these groups can be divided any way the teacher decides. Once in the groups, the tasks of the four students will be assigned either by the teacher or by one another as the following:
Another student will be the time keeper. It is this student's job to keep track of time within the group and to keep the group on-task.
Another student should be assigned the task of map location. This person will find the location of the settlements on the map and also show the class where the group is most likely to settle in later years.
And the last student will be assigned as the group spokesperson. This person may speak for the group when answering the questions, or encourage the group to all work together to answer the questions at the end.
4. Once divided, teacher will pass out the relevant information about colonization patterns listed in "section B." The instructor may also take the time after students have read the material in "section B" to allow students to research colonization patterns in their groups on the Internet as well as through library resources in order to supplement the information provided.
5. The instructor will have these questions written on the board for the groups to answer:
a. Where did your group settle?
b. Why did they choose that area to settle?
c. Where do you think your group will settle in the near future? Why?
B.
Instructor will divide the class into the four following groups:
Group 1:
The Spanish
The Spanish explored the southern Americas and conquered the existing native cultures there as early as the 1500's due to Christopher Columbus's exploration years earlier. The Spanish explore North America as early as 1513, looking for the fabled "fountain of youth." The fountain was obviously never found, but the Spanish were the first to have colonies in north America. Coming in from the south, the Spanish were occupied with looking for gold and other minerals, which were more plentiful in the southern Americas. However, the Spanish were also concerned with doing missionary work toward the native Americans, converted them to Catholicism.
In 1528, a ship of Spanish explorers arrived in Florida. Only four ultimately survived, but those four survivors set off in 1535 to explore the western half of north America. Using the help of natives, these men went from the Gulf all the way to the Pacific, but it was the Florida settlement that remained a permanent Spanish north American colony.
Group 2:
The English at Jamestown
After the Roanoke disaster on the islands of what is now North Carolina, the Virginia Company established another colony in 1607 at Jamestown, located at the mouth of the James river. The Virginia Company established Jamestown in hopes to turning a quick profit, but when there was no gold or other useful minerals to be found, the colonists discovered crops as a way to raise revenue for the Virginia Company. Tobacco was finally discovered, marking Jamestown as a permanent settlement.
As early as 1624, colonists began to turn to westward expansion. The colonists explored the region of Virginia up to the Blue Ridge Mountains and even settled up to the mountains, though the region was sparsely populated. Colonists wanted to stay next to the James or other rivers as a means to bring the tobacco crop quickly to the Atlantic for transportation back to England. The colonists stayed in Virginia on the James river for many years.
Group 3:
The English Puritans
The Massachusetts Bay Company charter was finally granted to the Puritans and in 1620, the Puritans found the Plymouth Colony in the northwest of what is now the eastern coast of Massachusetts. The Puritans wanted the charter to be their own so that they would have no ties at all the England. The Puritans saw English Anglican religion as "impure" due to the role of the monarchy within the church, and therefore wanted to establish a colony in the New World which was pure and sinless as a way of ushering in the millennium of peace.
The Puritans were persecuted in England and wanted a colony far away from the economic ties to England. In Plymouth, Massachusetts, the Puritans first set up their colony consisting of church members. Since Plymouth was always considered a permanent colony, the Puritans wasted no time in learning to farm from the natives and establishing their church. In 1630, some Puritans moved into the Boston area, north of Plymouth, and later Providence in Rhode Island, south of Massachusetts, was another Puritan settlement.
Group 4:
The Dutch Settlements
Unlike the southern colonies such as Jamestown and the northern Puritan colonies, the "middle colonies" of north America were settled by the Dutch in the 1620's. The settlement of "New Amsterdam" in 1625 which was later called New York was started due to economic possibilities. The Dutch had the port of Manhattan Island, an envy to England because of its excellent harbor, and used the Hudson river as a means to establish trade. The Dutch established a fur trade and good relations with the native Americans, but some of the Dutch became farmers.
Due to the economic rivalry between the Dutch and the English, the Dutch did not have time to expand past their initial settlement. The English took over New Amsterdam in 1674 and the duke of York renamed New Amsterdam. Manhattan still was used as a cultural melting pot as English, Dutch, Germans, French, and Africans settled in the New York area. After getting the grant to the land from the Dutch, England's King James II gave a portion of the land to his political allies. This land became New Jersey, a settlement south of the New York territory.
1. After dividing the class into the four groups with the information given, the instructor may decided to allow students to conduct further research. After research is finished, the teacher will have a map of north America at the front of the class.
2. The instructor will ask each group individually to come to the front of the room to present their findings and the student assigned to the maps will show on the class map where their settlements were located.
3. Keeping the students in their groups, the instructor will have the groups answer the following questions:
a. Where did your group settle?
b. Why did they choose that area to settle?
c. Where do you think your group will settle in the future? Why?
C.
1. After each group answers the questions, discussion will follow from the Closure questions located below. The instructor may keep the groups in place or bring the class back together, but all students should participate.
Closure:
A. Literal Questions
1. Which groups settled for economic reasons?
B. Interpretive Questions:
1. Do you think the groups who were interested in economic gains settled where they did by accident or on purpose? Why do you think they chose the sites they did and the sites they may move to?
2. Why do you think the Puritans chose the site for settlement that they did?
C. Evaluative Questions:
1. How does the each settlement's expansion effect the purpose of the colonists?
2. Do you think expansion for your group would allow for gains, either economically or socially? Why?
See Bibliography for sources:
Morgan, Edmund S., [1975]. American Slavery, American Freedom. W.W. Norton and Company, New York, New York.
This page was last updated on and is maintained by the UVA's Program in Social Studies Education.
URL for this page: http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu.