Subject: Social Studies

Lesson Length: 45 - 50 mins

Topic: Colonization

Grade Level: 4

Standards / Framework:

Brief Description: Students will explore the first colonists who settled in their community.

Know Before You Start: It helps for students to be aware of their state geography. Students should know the terms: colonists, colony, immigration, settlers.

Hook:

  • Read and discuss the sample comic.
  • Show students a map of their state. Separate the map into sections based on the groups that settled there. 
  • Have students identify their community or region on the map.
  • It’s helpful to remind students of the indigenous groups that lived in these areas prior to colonization.

Activity:

  • Have students select a region on the map and explore the colonists that settled in that area. 
  • Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a one-to-two-panel comic that gives a general overview of these colonists.

Closure:

  • Have students print their comics and post them in the classroom in relation to the geographic layout of their state. 
  • Students can discuss any patterns they see and infer why certain groups settled in different areas.

Differentiation:

  • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
  • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.
  • Allow students to work in pairs or groups as needed.
  • Provide an outline of certain colonists to assist students as needed.

Resources:

  • Comic to print or display