As a way to further engage the students in their exploration of the Colonial America unit resources, I thought I would have the students contribute notes to a shared Google Doc. What ensued was unmitigated chaos; this was far too large a leap from small group Google Docs collaboration. I whipped up a Google Form, linked it to my Web page, and we were back in business.
During this lesson, the students: gained further confidence in navigating to the resources from my Web page; sharpened their search strategies; honed their skills in gathering information in multiple formats and media; and, practiced good digital citizenship by posting notes in their own words.
I took the information from the students and threw it into a Wordle. I am excited to show the students both of these versions of the same data and am interested to hear which one they think better conveys the information.
Here is some of what they shared in the Google Form:
I learned that the colonies considered themselves British citizens
The English colonies mostly farmed and fished and they practiced their religion.
In the early 1600s, the King of England had to give permission to settlers to colonize the new world.
The first colony English successfully settled was in Virginia
I have learned that the very first permanent settlement was Jamestown.
That during the French Indian war Britain Attacked French settlements all over the world, not just in the U.S.A and Canada
women didn't get educated or were less educated. They were expected to do house work with the mother. children had to start working at age 5 or 4. everything was made by hand.
That children had big jobs at a very young age. Also women were less educated than men. When women went out, the oldest girl had to take care of her siblings.
Jamestown was the first Virginia colony.
Britain Defeated France in the French/Indian War.
that the southern colonies used slaves very early
- In the early 1600s the king of England had to give the settlers permission to colonize in the new world.
- the first successful colony that the English settled was in Virginia.
- The settlers in Virginia built wooden shelters and forts.
- life was hard for all the settlers when they arrived.
- of the 104 settlers 66 died in the first year.
i learned that the British won the war
The settlers in Virginia built wooden sheds and forts.
Life was harsh for the settlers.
Of 104 settlers 66 died in the first year.'
farming and fishing was very big in the thirteen colonies and they had to scavenge for food in the beginning of the settlement. Things also came apart when the Pilgrims and new explorers came because the Natives Americans there did not like the new settlers on their land.
- at first, living in America was very hard
- nobody had time to think about school
- boys had to help with the farm, and they learned how to harvest crops at a very early age
- girls helped with the house by sewing clothes, making soap, and watching the younger boys
I learned that by 1700, over 2 million people lived in the colonies.
The king of England had to give permission to the settlers before it became a colony.
traveling was done in the winter and summer because muddy road in the fall and spring made it hard to travel.
I learned that girls do all the boring housework while boys chopped down trees or caught food. Back then things were so stereotypical.
most colonist that arrived were wealthy men and women
Southern colonies had many plantations and slave trade
The middle colonies were the bread basket, and produced paper, textiles and iron
The New England Colonies shipped almost everything, free religion, small farmers, fishing.
I have learned that there were many kinds of people who came to America
Girls and boys had to learn to do the tasks their parents did at a young age.
Boys and girls also had to learn different tasks from farming to sewing.
I learned that everyone who went to the u.s was looking for a better life.
native Americans introduced corn to the settlers
When the British put these unreasonable laws on the settlers, They got mad and declared war. And the Indians were mad too.
It only takes a few days to make a longhouse
Before elementary school, kids went to preliminary school at a teachers house. After that, boys would go to elementary school, and girls would stay home to learn how to cook and sew.
Dinner is in the middle of the day, most important meal, lots of pork
Colonists used salt to keep meat from spoiling
I learned that when the colonists came to New England, they had tons of diseases, not much food or shelter, not a lot of clothes and they were not used to the weather.
The shirt was used as a sleeping gown,and it was long
Socks up to the knees
Young teens courted each other on idea of marrying
The biggest meal of the day was dinner, and it was served at noon.
Blacksmiths didn't just forge metal. Some also worked as veterinarians or dentists! They made many things including horseshoes, pots, pans, candle holders, lanterns, locks, keys, and scythes. To make these things they used lots of tools including sledge hammers, chisels, flatters (flat hammer), tongs and ball peen hammers.
It was a struggle to find any food
they needed help from Native Americans
in Jamestown so hungry, they had to eat the flesh of the dead
- people who wear working wore clothes that were comfortable
- rich people would wear fine fabrics
- they did not wear underwear...
- boys wore stays till they were sick but girls wore them their whole lives
- elbows and ankles were considered ugly
- girls and boys wore dresses
- boys only wore dresses until they were 6
- men wore wigs
- American Indians were nearly naked
-food was scarce
-food was a major part of each persons day
-the searched for gold/riches
- NO gold! : (
-they were cannibals?!?!?! when in need
- the natives showed them pumpkins
-colonists ate skin, ears,brains, and blood of pigs
Groups struggled to find food so they made it
Skilled hunters (Native Americans)
Many of the first pilgrim settlers where men and women
The English brought barrels of food with them
Colonists searched for gold and riches
By 1610 the colonists had run out of food
they began to eat the flesh of those who had died out of severe starvation
-they came for many reasons
-met Indians
-first Africans arrived in 1619., slaves lots of them
-wore clothes custom to their job
-did not wear underwear
-girls wore stays, even when they were sleeping
-small children boys and girls wore dresses
-1700 fashionable to wear wigs
-children's shoes were made 2 sizes too big they wrapped wool around their feet until they grew into them
school was the last thing people thought of. Survival was #1. Children as young as 4 had to help Other girls watched brothers work.Boys and girls did different work. Girls did what mothers did. Work was by hand. Girls made soap to clean. Boys did what fathers did. Wood work like hunting. Some children did education like reading. It was a slow process. Books were expensive. Most only owned a bible.Colonial children didn't have paper so to learn they rhyme. As colonies became more stable there were schools set up. The type of colony you lived in depended up what school you would go to. The New England colonists sent their children to school to learn to read and write. Some of the first schools were called "dame schools" (Women) It was very little money to go. Got taught to read and write also simple mathematics. Some only served some children when others served a lot.
In most of the colonies, it was a struggle for food because there were no grocery stores so they ate dead flesh off of dead bodies and people. They had no choice. Also, there were many Quakers that tried to make peace.
In the early times colonial children went to school, Children under 5 years old had work to do, mothers had plenty of house work, the older girls watched the younger children, boys and girls didn’t learn the same task, girls learned to spin yarn food also had to be made food, girls also made soup, boys learned to chop down trees they also learned to fish and hunt, in England hunting was a sport for wealthy landowners, colonial mothers taught their children how to read, books were expensive, most families only had the bible later on the mothers got educational books called primers, colonial children learned to learn by rhyming, colonial rhymes had religious meanings and some death, as the colonies became more steady the children went, it was very important to the penitents that they learn how to read the bible. But other kids went to school to learn to read and write.
Girls were not very privileged with gift of learning
I learned that school was not important in the colonial period. Survival came first. I also learned that girls and boys were not expected to learn the same thing. Boys were in charge of hunting and girls were in charge of taking care of the house and kids. Lastly, I learned that hunting was new to the explores. Before the settled in their colonies, they were not used to going to get their own food in the wilderness.
feeding a family was hard in colonial times
I learned that wild animals, wilderness and disease threaten their lives. Ive also learned that children as young as 5-4 had to start working, on the farm, the house, etc
In the early 1600 the king of England gave permission to settlers to colonize the new world. There were two types of characters, a royal character and a proprietary character. The colonists harvested crops and other natural products like timber and fur. They shipped the products back to England for money. The first colony that was successfully settled was Virginia.
-Ben Franklin wanted turkey to be nations symbol
-residents of colonial America could neither read or write
Most English settlers came to make money and grow valuable crops.
There were many people hungry and sick and died because of that but it didn't stop the colonists from coming.
The king had to give the colonists permission to come to the new world.
There were two types of colonies one type was where the king would control the whole colony and the second type of colony was where individuals would control the whole colony.
it was a struggle to find food in the winter
Europeans brought barrels of food
Corn was the main food that they ate
Woman used a tool called mortar
When the colonist came here they didn't know what corn was
The biggest meal was dinner
They brought pigs to the new world
Slaves were fed nations
Rich families ate two courses at dinner
-Books were very expensive
-A lot of children didn't have good education
-Kids didn't have books or paper
-Many families only had a copy of the Bible
-Dame was another name for Woman
-A law said every town had to hire a teacher
-First public schools were called common schools
-Mostly only boys went to school
built home out of pure wilderness, disease, wild animals, nature disasters threatened lives worked hard to get food, shelter and clothing survival comes first, school wasn't a problem. no school-early colonial times, find food take care of animals and survive clean house young children had work to do, made a fire, gathered fruit, farm work. mothers did housework older girls took care of younger siblings sexist time period girls helped around the house, boys farmed mothers taught how to read, learned by rhyming words
Europeans brought barrels of food
Colonist used all of their food by the winter
corn was the main food
Men dying of starvation
ate the flesh of people who died
women made corn bread
before coming to America Europeans had no clue what corn was
native Americans tough Europeans how to cook pumpkin
dinner almost always had a meat
Europeans brought pig to new land
food depended on how wealthy you were
slaves go only corn and parts up pig that no one wants
rich people had at least two meals a night
breakfast and supper were only eaten if there was enough food to eat
people who wanted meat for supper had to hunt to eat the food
They had to develop ways to feed themselves
Had to learn a lot from the American Indians
Came hopping to find gold and other riches but found none
The colonists originally fought for Great Britain in the war.
Government of England not respecting the colonists.
