📖

The Thirteen Colonies Take Shape

Colonial America Begins

Day 28of 180
Week 6of 36
25Minutes
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🖨️ Download Worksheet (PDF)
🎯 What You'll Learn

Learning Objectives

1

Identify the locations of the thirteen original colonies on a map

2

Understand the three regional groups of colonies

3

Recognize how God guided early settlers

📖 Scripture Connection

Proverbs 3:5-6

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

— Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB)

Just as early settlers trusted God's guidance in exploring new lands, children can learn to trust God's direction in their own journey

📦 Materials Needed

  • Large United States map
  • Colored stickers
  • Colored pencils
  • Blank outline map
  • Scissors
  • Glue stick
📚 Step-by-Step

Lesson Plan

1Opening (5 min)

Gather students and show large map of United States. Ask what they know about the first colonies.

💭 Review Question: What do you think it was like to travel to a new land long ago?
2Teaching (10 min)

Explain how the thirteen colonies were grouped into three regions: New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies

📌 Key Talking Points:
  • New England Colonies: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire
  • Middle Colonies: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware
  • Southern Colonies: Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia
💬 Discussion Questions:
  • Why do you think people wanted to start new communities?
  • How might it have been difficult to build a new home in an unknown land?
3Activity: Colony Mapping Adventure (8 min)
hands-on

Students create their own thirteen colonies map with regional color coding

📝 Instructions:
  1. Give each student a blank US map outline
  2. Demonstrate how to draw simple colony borders
  3. Color each region differently (blue for New England, green for Middle, yellow for Southern)
  4. Label each colony carefully
🔄 Variations:

Simpler: Pre-draw colony borders for students to color

Challenge: Students research and add one interesting fact about each colony

4Closing (2 min)

Review what we learned about the thirteen colonies

📝 Review Questions:
  • How many colonies were there?
  • What are the three colony regions?
  • Why did people come to these new lands?
🙏 Prayer:

Dear God, thank you for guiding the early settlers and helping them build new homes. Help us trust in Your guidance today.

Coming up: Tomorrow we'll learn about what life was like for children in colonial times!

💎 Memory Verse

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in Yahweh with all your heart”

— Proverbs 3:5 (WEB)

🎯 Activity: Hand motions: Point to heart, then raise hands upward when saying 'Yahweh'

👨‍👩‍👧 For Parents

Teaching Notes

📚 Background:

Early American colonies were diverse regions with unique challenges and opportunities

💡 Teaching Tips:
  • Use colorful visuals to keep child's attention
  • Encourage curiosity about historical exploration
  • Connect historical journey to personal faith journey
🤔 Common Struggles:

Children might find map-making challenging or get confused about colony locations

👀 Signs of Understanding:

Ability to distinguish between colony regions and show basic map understanding

🚀 Want More?

Extension Activities

  • Create a 3D colony map using clay or paper
  • Draw pictures of different colonial landscapes
  • Research one interesting fact about a specific colony

Ready for Tomorrow?

Great job completing today's lesson!

Continue to Day 29 →Back to History & Social Studies