Jamestown and Plymouth

Task: Make a digital story on one of the following topics:

1. The earliest English settlement was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. One of the settlers was Captain John Smith, whose life is said to have been saved by Pocahontas. Find out more about Smith and the other settlers in Jamestown. Why did they come? What did they do for a living?
2. The first successful British colony, Plymouth, was established in Massachusetts Bay in 1620, in what is now New England. These settlers became known as the Pilgrims or the Pilgrim Fathers. Find out more about the Pilgrims. Why did they come? What did they do for a living?
3. Compare the first settlers in Jamestown with the settlers in Plymouth. Similarities? Differences?
4. The Pilgrims arrived on a ship called the Mayflower. Find out more about the ship and the passengers. Why do you think the Mayflower has had such a famous place in American history?

The American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence

Task: Share Information Orally

Make 7 groups of 4 and label the members a, b, c and d.

Group 1: Stamp Act 1765
Group 2: The Boston Massacre 1770
Group 3: The Boston Tea Party 1773
Group 4: The Battle of Lexington 1775
Group 5: The Declaration of Independence 1776
Group 6: The Treaty of Paris 1783
Group 7: The Founding Fathers 1787

In your groups: Find information about your topic and

• Discuss and agree on what is most important
• Prepare a presentation that can be shared with others by writing down key words. Each group member must have a copy.

Next: All a's, b's, c's and d's form new groups and share their information orally. Take notes.

Manifest Destiny and the Westward Move

Task: Mapping America

Use this digital Map Maker USA and the drawing tools to show the westward move and the new states. The map should show how new states gradually were added to the original 13 states and include the year of acceptance. Use the links at the bottom for more information.

The Civil War

Task: Write a personal letter from the point of view of one of the participants in the Civil War:

• A Confederate Soldier
• A Union Soldier
• Abraham Lincoln
• General Robert E. Lee
• General Ulysses S. Grant