SOCIAL STUDIES LESSON PLAN

TITLE: Colonization
CONTEXT

OF

LESSON

AND

UNWRAPPING

OF THE

STANDARD

The fourth grade students in Mrs. Roses fourth grade social studies class
have been studying the regions of Virginia over the past few months. They
have taken a thoughtful look at the industries and resources in each region,
as well as particular features of the five regions. In early November, the
entire fourth grade visited the Jamestown colony and they saw various
aspects of the colony that we will be studying throughout this unit. They
were introduced to the reasons why colonists came to America and the many
hardships they faced. They will be able to access this prior knowledge to
enhance their learning experience for the reasons for English colonization.
I have also conducted a pre-assessment of students knowledge through a
misconceptions interview. In the interview, I asked various questions about
colonization and what it was like living in Jamestown.
I plan to teach this lesson using an approach that requires the students to
put themselves in someone elses shoes. According to Piagets theory of
cognitive development, these nine and ten-year-old students are capable of
more rational thought as they enter the Concrete Operations Stage and have
become significantly less egocentric than they were in the previous stages
(T. Harris, personal communication, September 2014). They are actually able
to consider other perspectives in a more logical fashion.
The students will listen to a short read-aloud and then separate into expert
groups to discuss various fictional characters that are based on settlers that
would have been at the Jamestown settlement in small groups before
presenting to the whole class. I adapted this method from an activity we
completed in John Almarodes Teaching Children Science course in
September 2015.

UNWRAPPING

THE

VIRGINIA STANDARDS

OF

LEARNING

Virginia Standard of Learning VS.3a: The student will demonstrate

knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by
explaining the reasons for English colonization.
Big Idea
Countries increase their wealth and
power faster than other countries by

Essential Question
Why do countries colonize?

expanding their empires through

colonization.

LEARNING INTENTIONS
Understand
Know
Students will
Students will know:
understand
During the 1600s, there
that countries increase

was a period of
their wealth and power
intense global
through colonization
competition through
(social understanding).
expansion.
England wanted to
establish an American
colony to increase its
wealth and power.
England hoped to find
silver and gold in
America.
England wanted to use
raw materials from the
colonies that could not
be grown or obtained
in England
England wanted to use
raw materials to open
new markets for trade
Jamestown was
primarily an economic
venture
The stockholders of the
Virginia Company of
London financed the
settlement of
Jamestown
Jamestown, founded in
1607, became the first
permanent English
settlement in America

Do
Students will be able
to:
Draw conclusions and
make generalizations
about reasons for
early English
colonization in
America by
considering various
perspectives
Interpret ideas and
events about early
English colonization
from the perspectives
of colonists
Make connections
between economics
and the reasons for
English colonization in
America and the
settlement at
Jamestown

ASSESSING LEARNING
Task
Expert Group
Responses

Diagnostic Feature
Students in each expert
group will discuss and
respond in writing to
the following question
about their character
(King James,
gentleman, tradesman,
craftsman, or laborer)
based on what they
know, learned in school
or on the field trip, and
the description of the
character. Questions
might include:
Who am I?
Why did I come here
what did I want out of
settling in the New
World? (For King
James group: Why
did I want settlers to
go to Jamestown
what did I want out of
settling in the New
World?)
What skills did I bring
with me to
Jamestown? (For
King James: What
did I have to gain or
lose from this
endeavor?)
What types of jobs
might I have done
here?
How did the survival of
Jamestown depend on

Support
Some students may
have trouble during the
discussion or with
answering the various
questions. I will be
walking around and
talking with the groups
to deal with possible
misconceptions and
misunderstandings and
to guide their thinking. I
will ask open ended
questions to help bring
them back on track or
the help them see
aspects of their person
that they might have
missed.
Some individual
students might not
want to join this
discussion. This is a
group task so I will also
make sure that all of
the group members are
contributing and being
heard by asking specific
individuals questions.

me?
How did the economic
growth of the
settlement depend on
me?
During the whole group
presentation of the
characters, I will be
looking for the groups
to talk about the
economic benefits that
each person had in
settling in the New
World. Responses might
Observation sheet
include gold, silver,
finding or using
resources, trade, etc.

Exit Ticket

At the end of the class,

I will pass around an
exit ticket, where
students will answer
the Essential Question
with the information
they have gathered
from the lesson that
day.

Again, I will be listening

for key terms or ideas in
the presentation. I will
ask questions about the
character and
specifically ask why
they came to
Jamestown if that part is
not covered.
Some individual
students my feel
uncomfortable talking in
front of the class, so
they can choose not to
talk to the whole group
since they have already
participated in their
small group.
Some students may
have trouble
remembering or
spelling various terms,
so I will have a word
bank posted to help
them spell and
remember difficult
words. They also have
the option to draw a
simple picture with a
short caption.

MATERIALS
Learning Intentions, Success Criteria, Expert Groups, and Challenge
Expert Group cards (two sets of 22)
Expert Group location signs (5King James, gentleman, tradesman,
craftsman, laborer)
Description of characters and guiding questions handout (2 per expert
groupone for the first class and one for the second class
Checklists (2)

 Exit tickets (44)

MISCONCEPTIONS

OR

ALTERNATIVE CONCEPTIONS

From my pre-assessment misconceptions interview, I am aware that a variety

of students are unsure of how to describe or define a colony and
colonization. In an effort to combat those misconceptions, I will ask the
students to use what they learned on the Jamestown field trip to tell me what
is a colony and how that might related to colonization. I will also make
references to other colonize or hypothetical colonies to combat their
tendencies to only think of English colonies, rather than the general idea of a
colony.
Some students might believe that all of the colonists were hard workers and
contributors to the success of the first permanent settlement. The read aloud
and the reading passage will address that misconception with alternative
perspectives.

PROCEDURE
Time and
Name of
Event

What the Teacher

Will Say and Do

What the
Students
Should Be
Thinking
and/or Doing

Differentiatio
n of
Products,
Processes, or
Content

Lesson
Introductio
n
(2
minutes)

I will give each student

an expert group card
and instruct them to go
to their expert group
table.

The students
will come in and
find a seat at
their expert
group table.

Today we will be
learning about the
reasons for
colonization.
Remember colonization
means setting up a
group of people in a
new place, or colony,
away from home.
Colonies can be formed

The students
will activate
prior knowledge
from their most
recent social
studies unit on
the five regions
and from their
recent trip to
Jamestown or

As I mentioned
in the
misconception
s section, at
the time of my
preassessment
earlier in the
year, many
students were
unaware how
to describe or
define a colony
or colonization,
which is why I
will begin the
lesson by

anywhere. The
Portuguese set up
colonies in Africa, the
English colonized
America and other
places, and WE could
even set up a modern
day colony on another
planet like Mars!

from other
experiences.
They will use
that prior
knowledge to
offer potential
reasons for
colonization.

Does anyone have any

idea why the English
might have colonized
America?
(Take responses)
(Post Essential
Question)
Today, the essential
question we will be
dealing with is Why do
countries colonize?

Challenge
Explanatio
n
(3
minutes)

(Post Success
Criteria)
At the end of the day,
you should be able to
explain WHY the
English colonized
America by creating
Jamestown. The
important part is WHY.
There were many types
of people that came to
America to colonize
Jamestown. Their
overall goal was to get
rich by finding silver,
gold, and resources
that they could sell and
trade. We are going to
explore the this from
various perspectives or
viewpoints. The people
at your table are your
fellow experts. The

Students will
listen while I
introduce the
activity and
their expert
groups. They
will continue to
activate prior
knowledge
about
Jamestown,
hear reasons for
colonization
from the

defining a
colony and
providing
examples to
clear up any
confusion
about what we
will be talking
about. The
purpose of this
lesson is to see
colonization as
an economic
venture by
examining and
discussing
their expert
group
characters.

person in your group

with the blue square on
their card will read
aloud the description of
the person you are an
expert on, which may
be King James, a
gentleman, a
tradesman, a
craftsman, or a laborer.
Next, you will think
together and discuss
each question and the
person with the red
circle on their card will
write down your
answers to each
question. Later, your
expert group will share
your ideas with the rest
of the class so we can
talk about how these
relate to the reason for
colonization.

Small
Group
(8
minutes)

In about 5 seconds,
when I say go, you can
start.
(Say, Go!)
I will walk around the
room to make sure
students are on task.
They will have
character description
and aa sheet of paper
with guiding questions
for their particular view
point. Included will be
questions like:
Who am I?
Why did I come here
what do I want out
of this? (For king:
Why did I want
settlers to go to
Jamestownwhat did

perspective of a
colonists, and
continue
thinking about
why the English
colonized
America and
started the site
at Jamestown.

Students will
discuss the
questions
provided for
their expert
groups. They
will come up
answers and
explanations of
their
perspective to
give the rest of
the class to
provoke
discussion.
The person with

As there are
several lowerlevel readers in
the class, I will
write the
description and
questions in
simple, easy to
read questions.
I will make
sure on-level
readers get the
reader card.
I predesignated the
reader and

I want out of it?)

What skills do I bring
with me to
Jamestown? (For king:
What do I have to
gain or lose from this
endeavor?)
What jobs might I do
at Jamestown?
How does the survival
and economic growth
of Jamestown depend
on me?

Whole
Group
Discussion
(10
minutes)

Attention everyone!
Now that you have had
a chance to read about
your particular
characters and discuss
the questions in your
groups, each group will
share their character
with the whole group
by answering each
question about their
character. You have
about two minutes. Feel
free to ask questions
after each group has
presented. If we run out
of time for the group,
you can write down
your question and give
it to me as you leave.
(During and after
presentations, I will
facilitate the
question periods and
ask other groups to

the blue square

on their card
will read and
the person with
the red circle on
their card will
write.

writer write to
eliminate any
disagreements
about job
assignment.

Students will
think together
as a small
group to
explore
different
answers to the
questions and
give everyone
access to the
content,
promote idea
sharing, and
increase
understanding.
During this
The whole
time, students
group will
will present
present
their characters together so
perspectives
that individual
and reasoning
students dont
and respond to
feel singled out
questions.
our pressured.
They already
have their
answers
written down.

Closure
(5
minutes)

respond however
their character
would respond.)
Thank you for all of
your hard work today.
We got a good
introduction to reasons
for colonization,
particularly related to
English colonization.
Before you leave today,
I want you to fill out an
exit ticket for me to
answer this Essential
Question.
(Post Essential
Question)
On an index card that is
on your desk, write
your name and a short
explanation or drawing
a simple picture with a
caption. Think about
the different settlers
that we talked about
todayWhy did they
want the Jamestown
settlement? You are
welcome to talk with
your shoulder partner.
You can hand it to me
on your way out!

As we close the
lesson, students
will be tying the
lesson together.
They will use
their prior
knowledge,
what they have
heard about on
the field trip,
read, and talked
about to give an
explanation for
colonization
through words
or pictures.

Students have
a choice in the
assessment
product. They
can either
write or draw
the reasons for
English
colonization.

DIFFERENTIATION
Content

Process

Product

Interest

Readiness

In this lesson, I
have
incorporated a
read aloud and
groups to help
struggling
readers. I have
also incorporated
partner and
group
discussions so
that students can
help to fill in
each others
knowledge gaps.
I have also
defined some
bolded words in
the reading that
some students
may have
difficulty
understanding.

Some students
prefer writing
over drawing and
vice versa, so I
have given them
the opportunity to
choose the
format of their
exit ticket.
Some students
might not feel
comfortable
writing an
explanation, so
they can draw a
simple picture
with a short
caption about the
reason for
colonization.

RATIONALE
The traditional period of expansion and colonialism as competition on a
global scale is past in some ways, but it is a vital part of our nations history.
The United States, as we know it today, exists because, long before the
Revolutionary War, England was in a fierce competition with Spain and
Portugal to increase its wealth and power. The site at Jamestown was the first
permanent fruit of their endeavor. If it had not been for the bold settlers
seeking riches and wealth, the outcome might have been very different.
However, even as the settlement of the New World was exciting and
innovative, it was destructive. The attainment of land, money, and power
brought with it the massive massive loss of life, resources, and culture. In
particular, North America was once the home to hundreds of thousands of
indigenous people, but with new people came new diseases, wards, and
technology that wiped out entire Native American settlements and their
cultures, as well as plant and animal life that could not compete with the
imported life.
It is important for students to learn about colonization because it could
very well happen again. As technology advances and the search for life on
other planets continues, the possibility that human life may someday exist
outside of planet earth become more imaginable.

The decision to colonize the world and create settlements like

Jamestown was financially motivated, but it destroyed entire species and
civilizations and was as destructive as it was important. As students in the
classroom today are the decision-makers of tomorrow, it is important for
them to understand the impact that economically-motivated decisions can
have on them, their neighbors, society, and the world.

WHAT COULD GO WRONG WITH THIS LESSON AND WHAT WILL YOU
DO ABOUT IT?
My main concern with this lesson is the time frame. Since I am so concerned
with running out of time, I have included natural exit points in each section.
The time frames are rough estimates, so if I see that we are running behind
or out of time, I can easily adjust the times without sacrificing content. Also,
if we dont make it to the exit tickets, I will still have the checklists and I will
observe and listen for economic ideas in the group presentation.