Activity Overview
Starting a unit or lesson with the key vocabulary that students will see in their readings or presentations aids in overall comprehension and retention. In this activity, students will create a storyboard that defines and illustrates key vocabulary related to the 13 Colonies.
Students will preview the terms and definitions and use whole class or small group discussion to demonstrate their understanding of each meaning. Then, they will create a Spider map of 3-5 terms at the teachers discretion. Each cell will contain a term, its definition and an illustration that depicts the meaning. When students define and illustrate each term, they master the application of it and retain it as part of their lexicon.
Vocabulary for Colonial America
Colonial Regions: Areas in North American where different industries and ways of life developed because of differences in climate, geography and natural resources.
Economy: The way that a particular region or country organizes the manufacture and exchange of things such as money, food, products and services.
Democratic: Relating to a form of government in which people have the power to rule themselves, often through elected representatives
Diverse: People of many different backgrounds
Indentured Servants: In Colonial America, individuals who agree to work for a period of time in return for the cost of coming to America. After their debt was repaid, they were to leave their servitude.
Grant: To give to something to someone of lower rank as a favor or privilege.
Assembly: A body of lawmakers
Industry:A group of businesses that produce certain goods or services
Plantation:In the 1700s, a large farm usually found in the Southern colonies on which cash crops are grown most often with the labor of enslaved people.
West Indies: Islands that lie between southeastern North America and northern South America, and separate the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. These islands were colonized by European powers like Spain and Great Britain in the 1500s and 1600s to the destruction of the indigenous populations that lived there. In the 1700s, European colonizers used enslaved people stolen from Africa to work their profitable sugar and coffee plantations. Sugar was used to make molasses and rum which was widely traded throughout colonial America and Europe.
Apprentice: A person who learns an occupation by getting experience under a skilled worker
Dame School: A school for girls where they learned prayers, the alphabet, knitting and sewing
Trade: A craft or an occupation that requires manual, artistic or mechanical skill
Craftsman: A person who works at a job that requires manual or artistic skill.
Politics: The activities of governments and the people who work in them
Slavery: A condition in which one human being was owned by another. An enslaved person was considered by law as the property of their enslaver. An enslaved person had their human rights denied and was forced to work for another person.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a spider map that demonstrates understanding of different words using both an illustration and a definition.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Using the provided list and/or terms provided by the teacher, choose 3 terms to define.
- In the title boxes, identify the key terms you have chosen.
- In the description boxes, write the definition of the term.
- Create an illustration for each term using appropriate scenes, characters, and items.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 7 Points | Emerging 4 Points | Beginning 1 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definitions | The vocabulary words are correctly defined. | The meaning of the vocabulary words can be understood but it is somewhat unclear. | The vocabulary word is not clearly defined |
| Illustrations | The storyboard illustrations clearly depict the meaning of the vocabulary words. | The illustrations relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words but it they are difficult to understand. | The illustrations do not clearly relate to the meaning of the vocabulary words. |
| Evidence of Effort | Work is well written and carefully thought out. | Work shows some evidence of effort. | Work shows little evidence of any effort. |
How to Teach Colonial Vocabulary in an Elementary School Classroom
Introducing Colonial Vocabulary
Begin the lesson by introducing the concept of Colonial America, briefly discussing its historical context. Display a list of key colonial vocabulary words on the board or a poster, including terms like “colonist,” “settlement,” “trading post,” “artisan,” and others relevant to the 13 Colonies. Use visual aids like pictures or videos to give students a concrete understanding of each term.
Creating Visual Flashcards
Provide each student with index cards, markers, and colored pencils. Instruct them to create a flashcard for each vocabulary word, writing the word on one side and drawing an illustration that represents the word’s meaning on the other. Encourage creativity and discussion about why they chose specific illustrations for each word.
Vocabulary Games and Activities
Organize interactive games to reinforce the vocabulary. This could include a matching game where students match words to the correct illustrations, or a 'Colonial Vocabulary Bee,' where students define or use the words in sentences. Divide the class into teams to make the activities more engaging and collaborative.
Applying Vocabulary in Context
For a culminating activity, ask students to use the vocabulary words in context. This could be a short written paragraph, a mini-story, or a few sentences about life in the 13 Colonies. Have volunteers share their sentences or stories with the class, highlighting the use of the vocabulary words.
Frequently Asked Questions about Vocabulary of Colonial America
What are some common words and phrases used in Colonial America?
In Colonial America, the vocabulary was a mix of English linguistic roots and terms adapted to the new environment and circumstances. Common words included terms related to daily life, such as "hearth" (the floor of a fireplace) and "churn" (a device for making butter). Occupational terms like "cooper" (barrel maker) and "smith" (metal worker) were widespread. Agricultural terms were also common, like "tobacco," a major cash crop, and "plantation," a large farm. Phrases unique to the period included "town meeting" (a form of local government) and "commonwealth" (a political community). Words reflecting the diverse religious landscape, such as "Puritans" and "Quakers," were also prevalent. This vocabulary provides a window into the economic activities, social structures, and cultural norms of the time.
Were there significant differences in vocabulary among the various colonial regions?
Yes, there were notable regional differences in vocabulary among the colonial regions, reflecting their distinct economies, cultures, and environmental conditions. For instance, in the Southern Colonies, terms related to agriculture and plantation life, like "indigo" and "rice," were common due to the prevalence of cash crop farming. In contrast, the New England Colonies, with their focus on shipbuilding and fishing, used terms like "schooner" (a type of sailing vessel) and "wharf" (a place for docking ships). The Middle Colonies, known for their grain production, had vocabulary related to farming and milling. Additionally, the diverse ethnic backgrounds of settlers in different regions brought linguistic variations, with some Dutch influence in New York and German in Pennsylvania, for example.
What are effective ways to design worksheets that reinforce the learning of colonial vocabulary?
To effectively design worksheets for colonial vocabulary, it's important to incorporate elements that engage students and connect terms to their historical context. Worksheets can include matching exercises where students pair colonial terms with their definitions or illustrations. Fill-in-the-blank or sentence completion exercises help reinforce word meanings in context. Crossword puzzles and word searches can make learning vocabulary more interactive and fun. For a deeper understanding, worksheets can include short reading passages from colonial texts where these terms are used, followed by comprehension questions. Including a creative writing section where students use the vocabulary in their own sentences or short stories can also be beneficial. These methods not only help in memorizing the terms but also enhance understanding of their usage and relevance in colonial life.
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