Introduction
| I HOPE YOU FIND THIS WEBQUEST TO BE AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE. THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE DISCOVERIES ON YOUR OWN IS OFTEN AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO LEARN. TO HAVE THE CHANCE TO SHARE YOUR DISCOVERIES WITH YOUR CLASSMATES CAN ALSO BE EXCITING AND EFFECTIVE LEARNING EXPERIENCE. |
By examining life on the East Coast of North American in the 1600/1700’s we will begin to understand why the settlers came to the 13 colonies and how they lived over two hundred years ago. These people did not work in offices; drive a car to work, use phones or any type of digital device. Could you imagine your life without your cell phone, television or the ability to ride in a car to your destination? Needless to say life was very different for the settlers of the colonies.
People thought that if they sailed too far to the east they would fall off the edge of the earth in the late 1400’s so how were people convinced to go? Usually the three G’s apply here, which are for god (spread Christianity/religious freedom), gold (or any other form of wealth) or glory (who doesn’t want to be famous?). People were also looking for freedom of tyranny or the abuse of power and wanted to start a representative form of government. These reasons attracted people from all walks of life such as prisoners, indentured servants, slaves, merchants, priests and soldiers just to name a few.
Once the settlers arrived in the 13 colonies they set out to achieve their dream of a better life and relish in their new found freedoms. None of the settlers had exactly the same idea of a better life, but they would choose a region (New England, Middle and Southern Colonies) that fit that description of a better life and each region had its own idea about freedom.
Task
You will create an educational presentation on Life in the New England, Middle or Southern Colonies. You will be asked to present your work in a facual, yet interesting way. Your presentation will be shared with your classmates and teacher.
Process
Webquest Objective: Students will gain a deeper understanding of life in the American 13 Colonies and be able to answer the Essential Questions. Students will do this by using the provided online resources to create an eduucational presentation which will be shared with their classmates and teacher.
Essential Questions:
1. How did geography impact the way of life for people living in the New England, Middle & Southern colonies? Be sure to explain each geographic feature and how it impacted settlement and daily life.
2. How was life in each of the regions the same as the other regions? Different?
3. What is the mercantile system? How did this system lead to the development and importance of the colonies?
4. How did the geography and economy result in the growth of slavery in the colonies?
Follow the steps below to complete the Webquest and your Educational Presentation:
1. Each pair will randomly be assigned a colonial region; New England, Middle, or Southern.
2. Using Google Slides, each pair will create their educational presentation. You are required for covering all topics and including maps, graphs, pictures, etc. to support your research. View the PPT template to help guide you. If you would like to use another presentation tool, please speak with Mrs. Jimenez and be sure to explain why you would like to use the presentation tool.
3. You will use the webpages listed on the TASK page to do your research and gather information to answer the essential questions. You may only use other webpages with teacher approval.
4. You will use your research to create your Educational Presentation.
5. Each pair will share their presentation with the class. The presentations will be wathced and students will gether information for all three regions.