Grade 5 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 9, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
America Will Be

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 9, Lesson 1: The Land of the Middle Colonies (pp. 208-212)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Interdependence Rich farmland and navigable rivers in the Middle Colonies made it possible to trade and farm.

Display a map of the United States and point out Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and New York. Ask students to look at the physical features of the area and discuss what they think the land was like for colonists who settled there. Have them discuss climate, farming possibilities, and transportation opportunities.

Review with students what they learned about William Penn in Chapter 6 and the Iroquois in Chapter 4. Create a K-W-L chart on the board. Fill in the Know column with what students already have learned about Penn and the Iroquois. Fill in the second column with what students Want to learn about these topics. Finally, complete the chart by filling in what students Learned about the topics after reading the material.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Divide the class into two groups. In their own words, have one group write a treaty between William Penn and the Delaware. Have the other group write a treaty between the Dutch and English fur traders and the Iroquois, also in their own words. Remind students to consider the different situations found in Pennsylvania and New York.
Ask students to create pamphlets advertising settlement in the Middle Colonies to individuals in Europe. Encourage them to include drawings and "testimonials" to help convince people to come to the area.

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