Students meet the Native Americans, European settlers, and enslaved and free Africans who shaped colonial America, and look at why Europeans came to North America and how the 13 colonies grew. The lesson's through-line is courage: students identify how ordinary people showed it in a new and difficult world.
Essential question
How did individuals show courage in the colonial era?
Guiding questions
- How did Native Americans and European colonists demonstrate courage during the colonial era?
- How did the reasons for European immigration influence the development of the 13 colonies?
- How did enslaved and free Blacks resist the injustice of slavery during the colonial era?
Lesson at a glance
- Grade level: 4th–5th grade (written for grades 3–5)
- Time: about 225 minutes
- Downloadable lesson plan with student handouts
- Created by: Bill of Rights Institute
- Cost: free
This free resource was created by Bill of Rights Institute, an AFEEF member organization. Open the full lesson on the original site:
View Lesson (opens Bill of Rights Institute in a new tab)