Nicole Whitney

The Timeline of the history of Connecticut

Day 5

Duration: 45-50 minutes

Social sciences: History, geography
Concepts: Region, State of Connecticut, History
Vocab:
Native American-a member of any of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
Traders-a person who buys and sells goods
Settlers-a person who settles in an area, typically one with no or few previous inhabitants.
Colonists-a settler in or inhabitant of a colony.
Settlements-a place where people establish a community.
Charter-a written grant by a country's government by a company, college, or city is created and
as well as its rights and privileges
Pequot-a member of an American Indian people of southern New England.
Mohegans-a member of an American Indian people formerly inhabiting eastern Connecticut.
Chronological-of a record of events) starting with the earliest and following the order in which
they occurred.

Skills: Students will be able to identify different major events from the reading and then put
them in chronological order.
Goals: The students will create a understand ley events in Connecticuts history.
Outcomes/Objectives:
1. Students will be able to identify major dates and events in a reading and put them in
chronological order.
2. Students will be able to identify key vocabulary words in the reading.
Standards
7.3.4.A Identify the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria:
Population, Culture, Settlement, Economic activities, Political activities
8.3.4.A Differentiate common characteristics of the social, political, cultural and economic
groups in United States history.
NCSS.1.2 THEME TWO -- Time, Continuity, and Change: Social Studies teachers should
possess the knowledge, capabilities, and dispositions to organize and provide instruction at the
appropriate school level for the study of Time, Continuity, and Change. Teachers of social studies

at all school levels should provide developmentally appropriate experiences as they guide
learners in the study of time, continuity, and change.
NCSS.1.2.b ...have learners apply key concepts from the study of history such as time,
chronology, causality, change, conflict, and complexity to explain, analyze, and show
connections among the patterns of historical change and continuity;

Anticipatory Set
The teacher will start the lesson by going over the vocabulary words on the board. The students
will write each word and its definition in their journals.
Next each student will receive a fact sheet about the two Native American tribes they will be
reading about in their passage during the lesson as well as the teacher will show a video about
the famous Pequot war.

Procedure:
1. After the anticipatory set, the teacher will then hand out the History of Connecticut
reading.
2. The teacher will the divide the class into groups of four. Each group will then be given a
piece of poster paper, pencils and highlighters.
3. The teacher will then explain that they will be reading about the history of the
Connecticut today and in this reading it explains in chronological order the major events
of Connecticuts history. The students job is to read the reading together and highlight
the main events of Connecticuts history on the reading and then record the date and
event on their piece of paper.
4. The teacher will then read the first paragraph for the students and then do the first event
for the class so they can see an example. The first Europeans we saw landing on
Connecticut shores were Dutch traders who sailed up the Connecticut River around the
year 1614 This would be the first section the students should high light and record on
their paper as a group.
5. Give each group about 15-20 minutes to complete the reading and recording the
information. Each student should have a chance to read out loud. The teacher will walk
around the room to help anyone with questions as well as assess the students ability to
find the dates and events, high light and record them properly on the paper as well as
their reading skills.
6. When a group is finished they may complete a crossword puzzle about Connecticut.
7. When each group finishes the class will come together create a timeline to hang in the
classroom.

8. Before the timeline is created the teacher will go over timeline skills by going over the
following steps. As a class they will answer these questions
a. Timelines have titles, what should the title of the timeline be based off the subject
we are covering?
b. We should look at the dates from beginning to end to find out how much time we
need to cover?
c. When we look at the events thats written on the timeline, how are they connected
or related to each other. To be answered when the timeline is complete.
9. Each group goes one at a time to present something they found and the teacher will show
the students a set of pictures. The group can pick which picture they think belongs to that
event. The major events that should be on the timeline are located in the teacher notes and
the pictures printed out ahead of time.
10. When each event is written on the class timeline the teacher should take to see if any of
the students have any questions or thoughts on the event.
11. The students will also fill out their own timeline to keep in their binder.
12. After the timeline is finished then each student will return to their seat to answer the
following questions in their journals. Write the questions on the board.
a. Who were the first Europeans to sail up the Connecticut River? What year?
b. What town was the first crop planted?
c. What Native American tribe did the settlers have a conflict with? Why?
d. Why was the charter important?
e. Where did the settlers hide the charter?
Differentiation:
For ELL students they will be given the reading is a simpler format with the same information
they should be collecting for the timeline or the major events and dates will be underlined.
For students who struggle to read at a fourth grade level they may be placed in a group with
more advanced readers who may help them with the reading.
Enrichment: For gifted readers they can read a separate hand out that goes into more detail about
the Pequot war.
Closure:
Once the students have finished their journal entries, the students will then write on a piece of
paper, one event and date they learned about. This will be the exit ticket the teacher will collect.
Formative assessment:
As the students are working and reading in their groups the teacher will walk around the room to
assess the students reading and ability to record information in chronological order. Also when
the class is working to complete the timeline as well, the teacher will note which groups have a
better understanding.
Summative assessment:

The teacher will collect the journals, timelines and exit tickets for assessment. The vocab will
also be written in the journals for assessment as well.

Students Materials

History of Connecticut reading

Poster Paper
Highlighters
Pencils
Timeline worksheet
Journals
Crossword puzzle for when the groups finish
Native American tribe info work sheets

Teacher resources/Materials

Classroom timeline
Pictures for timeline already printed out and labeled on the back.
Laptop with you tube video up and ready to play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8LPeaW_QDo Stop at 12:21.

Teacher Notes
Dates for timeline
1. First Europeans land on Connecticut shores were Dutch traders in 1614
2. 16 English settlers from the Mass. Bay Colony planted the first crop in Wethersfield
3. 1636, Reverend Thomas Hooker traveled from Mass with colonists where they founded
the town of Hartford.
4. In 1637 there was conflict between the settlers and the Pequot Indians.
5. 1637, Captain John Mason defeated the Pequot Indians.
6. 1639, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut was written by Thomas hooker, John
Hayes and Roger Ludlow
7. 1660, Colonists became uneasy with their legal standing with England
8. 1662, Gov. John Winthrop went to England to talk to King Charles II and returned with a
royal charter.
9. Oct. 1687 English Governor Edmund Andros came to CT to take away the Charter and
colonists legal rights. Captain Wadsworth of Hartford hid the Charter in an oak tree.
These Native Americans gave something else to Connecticut - its name. The name Connecticut
comes from a Native American word "Quinatucquet," which meant "Beside the Long Tidal

River." and was commonly used from the early 1600's. Do you know how long the Connecticut
River is? (Answer 360 miles from Vermont to Long Island Sound) I have flown over it many
times
References
KIDS: History. (n.d.). Retrieved January 4, 2016, from http://www.ct.gov/kids/cwp/view.asp?
a=2573&q=329084
Mifflin, H. (2004) Exploring the East. In Houghton Mifflin social studies (4th. Ed.,P.100). Boston,
MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Technology

Laptop
Smart Board

Reflection on Planning
This lesson plan was a bit difficult to create since I was limited on information and historical
events in Connecticut. It took me a while to get an idea of what I wanted the students to learn. I
realize that making timelines and putting things in chronological order is an important skill to
have.

Current Event Assignment

http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/12/31/horrors-native-slavery-new-englandrevealed-new-book-162844
United States/ New England
This is connected to the groups instructional unit because there was a lot of information
regarding the Native American tribes that resided in Connecticut and we briefly talked about the
Pequot war so the students had an idea of events that transpired. This article goes more in depth
of the results of the war and how its effects currently. I want students to understand that as
amazing our history is and how much we have accomplished as settlers, the result of us coming
to America did not benefit some groups of people in a positive way.
Rose, C. (15, December 31). Horrors of Native Slavery in New England Revealed in New Book.
Indian Country Today Media Network.

History of
Connecticu

Hi, I'm the Colonial Robin, and I'm going to tell you about the colonial history of the great
state of Connecticut as seen by the robins. In fact, I wear these colonial clothes to remind
you of our proud past, and all that has gone into making our state what it is today. My
robin ancestors passed down these stories to me, and now I can tell them to you. Let's start
when the first settlers came to this land.
Early Connecticut History
Before the first settlers came to Connecticut, robins lived here along with Native American
tribes. The two major tribes in Connecticut History are the Mohegan and Pequot. We watched
them hunt and fish in the woodlands and streams. They made many trails to allow them to travel
between villages to trade you can still hike many of these trails today.

The first Europeans we saw landing on Connecticut shores were Dutch traders who sailed
up the Connecticut River around the year 1614, and landed near Hartford. By the year 1633, they
had purchased land from the Pequot Tribe and made a permanent settlement.
By 1615, we saw many English settlers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, exploring
throughout the Connecticut Valley area. They were impressed with the beauty of the countryside
and decided to stay. It was in the town of Wethersfield that they planted the first crop.
The English settlers gave us the name "Robin," because our red breasts reminded them of
a character in many of their poems, songs and stories called "Robin Redbreast." We knew that we
were a member of the thrush family, but we didn't mind being called robins.
In 1636, one of the most famous early Connecticut settlers, the Reverend Thomas
Hooker, traveled from Massachusetts with a group of colonists. They founded the town of
Hartford which soon became an important center of government and trade.
Many of the settlers bought land along the river from the Mohegan Indians. When we
returned to Connecticut each spring we saw new settlements and villages from Saybrook to
Windsor. Their fields provided lots of food for our new chicks.
By 1637, trouble began between the settlers and the Pequot Indians. The Indians wanted
to take the lands that had been purchased from the Mohegans. In that year, Captain John Mason
led the colonists to victory over the Pequots.

Because they wanted to create a plan for the type of government they wanted, Thomas
Hooker, John Haynes and Roger Ludlow wrote a document which has been called the first
written constitution. This was the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Many historians have said
that this was the basis for the United States Constitution. It was adopted in 1639 by Freeman of
Hartford, Wethersfield and Windsor. At the same time, the first Governor, John Haynes, was
chosen.
By 1660, the colonists had become uneasy about their legal standing with England. The
colonies were still under English rule then, but there were many disagreements about land
claims. Governor John Winthrop went to England in 1662 to talk to King Charles II. He returned
with a royal charter. This document was important because it gave the colony a legal basis and
the approval of the King.
The colony continued to grow peacefully for the next 20 years, but every spring when we
returned our nests, we heard more and more that the colonists were unhappy about the rule of
England. They became afraid that they would lose their charter and their lands. England was far
away, and the colonists wanted to decide their own government, future and way of life.
In October of 1687, the English Governor, Sir Edmund Andros, who had been appointed
by King James, came to Connecticut to take away the charter and the colonists' legal rights. A
large assembly was called to discuss the situation, and the charter was put on a table. Suddenly,
someone put out the candles, and in the darkness the charter was taken away. Captain Wadsworth
of Hartford is credited with taking the charter and placing it in a hollow spot in a large oak tree.
This tree became known as the Charter Oak. I like to think that some of my ancestors who had
not yet left for the winter, sat in the branches of the tree and guarded the charter.