---
title: Our First Colonists
description: Students will explore the first colonists who settled in their community.
image: https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/our_first_colonists-001.png
---

**Subject: Social Studies**

**Lesson Length: 45 - 50 mins**

**Topic: Colonization**

**Grade Level: 4**

**Standards / Framework: **

- [C3: D4.2.3-5](https://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/2017/Jun/c3-framework-for-social-studies-rev0617.pdf)

**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](https://share.pixton.com/qkx7agi) to print or display

**Suggested Content:**

- [![](https://img.pixton.com/content-pack/1629218926116380672/thumbnail.png) American Revolution ](https://content.pixton.com/american-revolution)

Assign Activity

## Related Ideas

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/laying_the_foundation-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/laying-the-foundation)

### [Laying the Foundation for the States](https://ideas.pixton.com/laying-the-foundation)

Students will identify significant figures and understand why their state was founded and established.

[![](https://ideas.pixton.com/hubfs/cultural_events_in_my_state-001.png)](https://ideas.pixton.com/cultural-events-in-my-state)

### [Cultural Events in My State](https://ideas.pixton.com/cultural-events-in-my-state)

Students will explore different cultural events throughout their state and learn why they are important.

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### [Name That Region](https://ideas.pixton.com/name-that-region)

Students will learn how the colonial regions; northern, middle, and southern differed economically by exploring the advantages of their locations and what they exported.