Social Studies Chapter 6, Core Lessons 1-4: The Middle Colonies, Life in the Middle

Colonies, The Southern Colonies, and Life in the South

Plan for Monday, 2.16 and Tuesday 2.17 (if need be), 40 minute lessons
Iowa Core: SS.3-5.H.1 ! Essential Concept and/or Skill: Understand how and why
people create, maintain, or change systems of power, authority, and governance.
Understand groups and institutions work to meet individual needs and the
common good of all.
Understand that belief systems affect government policies and laws.
Understand the consequences of governmental decisions.
https://iowacore.gov/iowa-core/grade/5/social-studies/history/ss.3%E2%80%935.h.2
Reading Skill: This lesson plan covers four sections of our book. The four reading skills
in order are:
Section 1: Problem and Solution: Note the solutions that English landowners
found for the problem of governing their American colonies from far away.
Section 2: Cause and Effect: Take notes on what caused many people to come to
the Middle Colonies.
Section 3: Sequence: As you read, list the main events in the order in which they
occur.
Section 4: Compare and Contrast: Note the similarities and differences between
plantations and backcountry farms.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to complete an assigned reading and associated note taking
guide independently in order to gain an understanding about some basic
information about the English Colonies and the lives of those who lived there.
Students will be able to use comprehension skills in order to successfully
complete their assigned reading.
Students will be able to complete work independently.
Access Background Knowledge: Last time we read about life in New England. We
learned about how people lived in the New England colonies.
Preview Todays Chapter/Activity: Today we are going to learn more about what it
was like to live in the other colonies. We are going to do the first part of an activity called
a Jigsaw.
Introduce Jigsaw by relating it to a puzzle. There will be pieces that all come
together at the end. To start, each of you will read one section from the textbook
and complete an associated guided note sheet. Later this week you will be
responsible for taking the information you learned from your section and teaching
it to others. They will do the same for you. That way, you will learn about all the
information in this chapter but you will not have to read the whole thing by
yourself.
Ask for questions and clarify. This is a totally new activity so I will likely have to
explain it more than once.

Display student groups on board and have one student from each group pass out
the associated note taking guide to everyone else in their group.
o Grouping is done strategically. I will do my best to align students to
sections based on their reading level but many of my students are below
grade level for reading. Some groups will be small and some large because
of the second round of grouping I will need to do (for the teaching portion
of the Jigsaw activity). I want students to be able to accurately teach their
section and help others learn. Therefore, I want strong students in each
second set of groups. Some groups will have multiple people from each
section as a form of support.
While students work, assist individuals who have questions. Be sure to check in
with the below reading grade level students and others who seem to lack focus
during independent work time to ensure they are meeting the learning goal of
successfully working independently to complete a task.

2nd Day:
Tell students that today we will review the social studies section they read and
took notes about last week. Our goal is to make sure we are experts about our
sections so we can teach the other groups tomorrow.
Today you will get into small groups and review the section you read about by
using your book and notesheet from last week. You will work together to answer
a set of new questions but make sure you each fill out a sheet. This sheet will have
questions for every section but you just need to answer the questions for your
section. Your section will be highlighted. You will need this tomorrow so when
we leave today, put it in a safe place.
Once you finish, you can practice teaching others about your section. Remember,
you will be the teacher tomorrow.
Put groups (by table) on the board and have students get textbooks, move, and get
to work.
Section review and questions attached.
Informal Assessment:
As I walk around, I will monitor students progress. I will make note of those I
think need more support and I will use that information to create new groups for
the second half of the Jigsaw activity to be completed later in the week.
I will eventually (after the teaching portion of the Jigsaw) collect students work
to grade. I will use that to make instructional decisions (i.e. did they understand
the social studies content? If not, do they need more support in this content area or
did they struggle in reading and thus have trouble in social studies).
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