The New England Puritans

 Just as the society around us shapes the way we think and act, so did it shape the people of Salem, Massachusetts in the 1600s. Look at the websites listed below, and, on a Google doc answer the questions about life in Puritan New England. Note that many of the websites contain interactive images. Click on the images to open them, and mouse-over the image to discover more about it.

Below, you will find the links and questions.  Copy the links and questions to a Google Doc, research and answer 12 of the questions, share with me-  Do not share until you have finished the assignment.

Section One:

The Puritans

The Puritan Idea of the Covenant

New Groups: A Great Migration

Working: "To 1 day work at my house"

Beliefs: A City upon a Hill

1. What values that we now consider 'American' were contributed by the Puritans?
2. In the 1920s, how did people remember the Puritans? Define the word 'caricature' and explain how it relates to the Puritans.
3. To what extent did Puritans condemn alcohol consumption, artistic beauty, and poetry?
4. What did the Puritans believe was the primary purpose of government?
5. What did the Puritans think about the separation of church and state?
6. What is a 'separatist'? Were the Puritans 'separatists'? If not, describe their philosophy regarding the Church of England.
7. What is a 'covenant'? Explain the function of 'covenants' in the way the Puritans saw the world.
8. Did Puritans believe in tightly knit communities and families, or did they value families that were dispersed?
9. Describe some reasons why Puritans came to America from Europe.
10. What were some of the strategies New England colonists used to deal with the labor shortage?
11. Describe some of the religious beliefs of the Puritans.

Section Two

Gender Roles: Beliefs and Gender Roles

Education: Print and Protestantism

Customs: Possessions Reveal Social Standing

Getting Things: Importing Status

Child Life: Fleeting Mortality

1. Look up the word 'Patriarchal' on line. Define what it means, in your own words.
2. What were some of the responsibilities of men in the 1700s in Colonial New England? What were some of the responsibilities of women?
3. Explain how the story of Adam and Eve was used to perpetuate prevailing ideas about men and women.
4. Were schools important in New England? Did people know how to read?
5. Were there as many schools in other parts of America as there were in New England?
6. Did wealthy people tend to spend a lot of money? What are some of the things you think they would buy?
7. What does 'conspicuous consumption' mean?
8. Why did so many children die at young ages in colonial New England?

Section Three

The Land 1680–1720

Agriculture: Agriculture and Community

Public Space: The Meeting House

1. According to your reading, what did most Europeans think of the North American Landscape?
2. What were some early colonial industries?
3. What was the center of public and religious life in New England?
4. Describe the common field system.
5. What were some results of European fences, mills, grass, and livestock being brought to New England?
6. Explain how a mill worked.
7. What were the criteria that a committee would use to "seat" the meetinghouse?
8. Who was allowed to vote? What did they vote on?

The Pilgrims

Today you will take a field trip to Plimoth Plantation, where you will learn about the Pilgrims who settled in the Massachusetts area in 1620.  You will be reading some primary documents and learning about the Wampanoag People.  

When finished with the activity, you will write a historical fiction story.  Begin by creating a fictional character that is either a member of the Wampanoag people or an English colonist.  Your story should be about events leading up to and including the Thanksgiving feast.  Remember, this is your chance to be creative, but your story must have been possible based on the facts you discovered on the website.
Click on the following link to get started:  Plimoth Plantation

If you are at home today, there is a google doc that gives you instructions on how to navigate the site. In addition, you will need to create a KWL chart.  The chart should have 3 columns:
What I think I know, What I would like to know, and What I learned.
This can be created on a google doc or simply written on lined notebook paper.
Google Doc Instructions

The "Starving Time" in Jamestown, Virginia

Click on the following link to read the primary documents and answer the questions in the hand-out:

Primary Documents

Cracking the Case

Based on your analysis of the documents and citing evidence to support your answer, please write a paragraph or two answering the following question: So what happened that caused the "starving time" in Jamestown colony? Within your analysis, please indicate whether you were satisfied with the evidence and list any additional questions that have been left unanswered through your investigation.

On The Trail With Captain John Smith

National Geographic: On the Trail with John Smith

History Globe:  Jamestown Adventure

Jamestown Millionaire  win a million dollars- then show me

Jamestown Hangman

Jamestown Java Games

Jamestown Interactive Exploration



Jamestown: First Successful English Colony in America 

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On This Site • American History Glossary • The First European Settlements in America • Colonial Times

Explorers had been landing in America for some time before English settlers arrived in what is now Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. But it was in that spot on the James River that English colonization began and with it, the history of America. 

James I was king of England at that time, and he had granted approval for a group of businesspeople to settle in this new land. They were part of the Virginia Company, and they got the go-ahead in 1606. By December of that year, the expedition was ready.
In all, 214 people set sail for America. They reached it on May 14, 1607. Very soon after they landed, the English found themselves under attack from Algonquins, a Native American tribe who had been living in that area for some time and who didn't exactly welcome new settlers. The English managed to drive off the attackers, who came back every now and then. The English, however, were there to stay.
Under the leadership of Captain John Smith, the English built a fort and other buildings designed to protect their new colony. They also found friendly Native Americans, like Powhatan, who was willing to trade with them. 
The terrible winter of 1609 convinced most of the settlers to abandon their new life, however. Only 60 of the 214 settlers survived this harsh winter, which was also hard on Powhatan's tribe and other neighboring Native Americans.
(It is this Powhatan, also, whose daughter Pocahontas eventually married John Rolfe.)
One of the main crops grown by the English settlers was tobacco, which they sold to Native Americans and to people back in England, beginning in 1612. Tobacco became a very popular crop because it was easy to grow and because it brought in so much money.
Once the money started flowing in regularly, the Jamestown colony grew, as did other settlements in Virginia and in other states along the eastern seaboard.
America's first elected assembly, the House of Burgesses, met in Jamestown for the first time on July 30, 1619. This group boasted many famous members through the years, including Patrick Henry, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson.
The year 1619 also saw another significant development: the first arrival of black workers on boats from Africa. These men and women were originally indentured servants, who worked a plot of land for a few years and then got to keep the land as owners. (The slave trade didn't get into full swing in this part of America until the 1680s.)
Jamestown was also the capital of Virginia and remained so until 1698. 

This article is from a site called   "Social Studies for Kids".  The article can be found online athttp://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/jamestown.htmhe

Maya, Aztec, Inca Scavenger Hunt

Inca, Maya, and Aztec Internet Scavenger Hunt

Copy the following page onto a google doc.  Answer the questions, then print.

Inca

Incas

1. How long did the Inca society last?

2. Who was at the top of the Inca society? Who was at the bottom of Inca society?

3. In terms of religion, the Incas were ________________________. Which god was the most important?

4. Who led the Spanish army that conquered the Incas? When? How many Spanish and Inca soldiers fought?

Mummies of the Inca

5.  The first Inca mummy was found in the year ___________.

6.  What was the purpose of Inca mummies of sacrifice?

7.  What was the sacrifice called?

Quechua Language

8.What is “Quechua”?

9. Quechua is spoken by how many people?

Mayan

10. Name the gods in Maya Society.

11. What reasons are given for the collapse of Maya Society?

12. Of what did the Maya calendar mark the movement?

13. Were reading and writing considered important in Maya society? What evidence supports your answer?

Internet Resources: Maya Gods

                                Reading and Writing

                                Reason for “Collapse” of Maya Civilization

                                Maya Calendar

Aztec

14. What is the Aztec calendar made of? What do the pictures on the calendar represent? How many days per month and how many months per year does the calendar have.

15. Who conquered the Aztecs?

16. List five Aztec gods and Goddesses. What did each of these gods represent?

17. How was Aztec society divided?

18. What language did the Aztecs speak?

19. Who was educated in the Aztec society? What did boys learn primarily? What did girls learn?

How were teachers regarded?

Internet Resources: Aztecs: Calendar and Religion

                                Aztec Gods and Goddesses

                                Aztec Culture

                                

Archaeology: Missing Mayans

click on the following link, collect clues, then write your answer to the question- use evidence to support your answer!

Why did the Mayan city of Copan collapse?

Use archaeology to discover how a great civilization disappeared!

Should we celebrate Columbus Day as a U.S. Holiday?

On Monday, October 13 (Columbus Day), Mrs. Atwood would like to designate a portion of the school day to celebrating Christopher Columbus.  She has asked the teaching staff to develop activities in order to help students understand why we celebrate Columbus Day.

Mrs. Atwood will be in our class this period to have a discussion about it.  She wants your input!

Get into your groups, discuss some talking points before she arrives- and let's have a substantive conversation with her.


 When Mrs. Atwood leaves, you will write a letter informing her of why we should or should not have a special day designated to celebrating Christopher Columbus.  Please write your letter in formal style:  Dear Mrs. Atwood, introduce who you are and why you are writing, etc.  Make sure you sign it!  Mrs. Atwood will receive every letter!

The Columbian Exchange

Historical Fiction Story

This week we are writing historical fiction stories. Students choose a European expedition to the New World. After reading, they create a fictional character to either place in the expedition as a European, or to be a member of a real Native American Indian tribe that came in contact with that expedition. Students include elements of the Columbian Exchange as well as create a story line for their character.

First, students read about the Columbian Exchange, then collect and categorize good and bad things traded between Europeans and Native Americans. These items might include plants, animals, technology, disease, ideas, etc.

Reading for the Columbian Exchange can be found here:
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec4/Unit_2/Unit_IIQ3R1.html

Use the benefits and drawbacks sheet to collect information about the Columbian Exchange:
http://ericir.syr.edu/Virtual/Lessons/crossroads/sec4/Unit_2/Unit_IIQ3R2.html

The second step is for students to choose a European expedition from our study last week.

The third step is to create a character page. A picture of the character is drawn, personal background information about the character should be included. Two statements must be completed on this page:
1) My main character wants _____________________ more than anything else in the world.
2) My main character wants to avoid ___________________ more than anything else in the world.

The fourth and final step is to actually write the historical fiction story.
The benefits and drawbacks sheet; the character page; and the story are due on Friday.