Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 2, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 2, Lesson 1: An Emerging American Identity (pp. 48-53)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture In the 1700s, an increasingly varied population living and working together began to create a distinct American culture.

Point out to students the ways that, despite their cultural differences, immigrants to the colonies also shared many experiences in common, dealing with a new climate, carving farms out of forests, etc.

Discuss with students the ways in which England's distance from and neglect of its colonies strengthened the American identity. Be sure to talk about the increasing political power of the colonial assemblies.

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

Ask students to list three changes in the colonies during the first half of the 1700s. Encourage students to mention a wide range of changes: population growth and diversity, new words and tools, new ideas in religion, and greater independence in government.
Have students create a mural showing life in the colonies during the early 1700s.

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