Circle books of Colonial Contrasts
Write Colonial Contrasts across the top of a red sheet of construction paper. This activity will demonstrate the ways in which the three groups of colonies differed from each other.
· Use one copy each of pages 38–40
· You may want to write your answers on the circles before you construct the circle books.
· Cut out the 12 circles and fold them vertically along the dotted lines.
· Use a glue stick to attach the right half of a New England Colonies circle to the left half of a Middle Colonies circle, and then attach the right half of the
· Middle Colonies circle to the left half of the Southern Colonies circle
· Glue the backs of the New England and Southern circles to the sheet of red construction paper and repeat the process for the remaining three sets of circles. You will then have four circle books glued together, each containing one panel for each colony and one title page.
· Above each of the circle books, write the following headings: Geographical, Economic, Educational, Political.
· List the answers on the corresponding circle book pages:
NEW ENGLAND COLONIES--
Geographical: mountainous; rugged coastline with bays; rocky soil; large trees; cold, snowy winters; shorter summers
Economic: many trees for shipbuilding; ports and harbors for fishing, whaling, and trading; wildlife provided furs; rocky soil made farming difficult
Educational: first public schools started in 1647 in Massachusetts; they then started in other
New England colonies
Political: men met at town meetings to pass laws; most direct form of democracy in colonies
MIDDLE COLONIES--
Geographical: harbors, bays, and rivers; rich soil; plains, mountains, hills; moderate climate
Economic: many farms, especially growing grain; mills and ironworks; ports for fishing and trade
Educational: no public schools; most children educated at home or at schools run by churches
Political: white male property owners elected assemblies; assemblies passed laws and voted on taxes
SOUTHERN COLONIES--
Geographical: curving coastline with bays and harbors; coastal plains and piedmonts; hot humid summers; long growing season; high precipitation
Economic: large plantations and small farms; tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton; slaves did most of
the work
Educational: no public schools, few private schools; tutors taught white children on plantations;
slave children forbidden to learn; parents taught children in backcountry
Political: king-appointed governors
Write Colonial Contrasts across the top of a red sheet of construction paper. This activity will demonstrate the ways in which the three groups of colonies differed from each other.
· Use one copy each of pages 38–40
· You may want to write your answers on the circles before you construct the circle books.
· Cut out the 12 circles and fold them vertically along the dotted lines.
· Use a glue stick to attach the right half of a New England Colonies circle to the left half of a Middle Colonies circle, and then attach the right half of the
· Middle Colonies circle to the left half of the Southern Colonies circle
· Glue the backs of the New England and Southern circles to the sheet of red construction paper and repeat the process for the remaining three sets of circles. You will then have four circle books glued together, each containing one panel for each colony and one title page.
· Above each of the circle books, write the following headings: Geographical, Economic, Educational, Political.
· List the answers on the corresponding circle book pages:
NEW ENGLAND COLONIES--
Geographical: mountainous; rugged coastline with bays; rocky soil; large trees; cold, snowy winters; shorter summers
Economic: many trees for shipbuilding; ports and harbors for fishing, whaling, and trading; wildlife provided furs; rocky soil made farming difficult
Educational: first public schools started in 1647 in Massachusetts; they then started in other
New England colonies
Political: men met at town meetings to pass laws; most direct form of democracy in colonies
MIDDLE COLONIES--
Geographical: harbors, bays, and rivers; rich soil; plains, mountains, hills; moderate climate
Economic: many farms, especially growing grain; mills and ironworks; ports for fishing and trade
Educational: no public schools; most children educated at home or at schools run by churches
Political: white male property owners elected assemblies; assemblies passed laws and voted on taxes
SOUTHERN COLONIES--
Geographical: curving coastline with bays and harbors; coastal plains and piedmonts; hot humid summers; long growing season; high precipitation
Economic: large plantations and small farms; tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton; slaves did most of
the work
Educational: no public schools, few private schools; tutors taught white children on plantations;
slave children forbidden to learn; parents taught children in backcountry
Political: king-appointed governors