Unit 1: Foundations and Identity - Mr. B's Social Studies

Who gets to define what an “American” is — and whose stories get told?

What makes up a person’s — or a nation’s — identity, and who gets to decide?
How did geography shape three very different ways of life in the colonial regions?
What did contact mean for the peoples on each side of the Atlantic?
The Triangle Trade built enormous wealth — who paid for it?

Signature project: “Symbols of My America” — students redesign the Statue of Liberty with their own symbols, images, and color to say what being American means to them, then explain every change one at a time in a one-page handout. Later in the unit they revise the design against what they have learned about the colonial regions and the people the record leaves out.

Activities

Symbol Exploration What does it mean to be “American”? Sixteen symbols in four sets — the traditional ones, symbols from different communities, working America, and everyday objects. Explore them in any order with a partner. Goes with the paper Symbol Exploration handout Colonial Trade Regions What does each region have, and what does it need? Explore the five trading regions on the map, match their goods, and complete your chart before the Triangle Trade simulation. Goes with the Colonial Trade Regions chart sheet The Triangle Trade Who gained, and who paid? A trading game in five regions: New England, the Middle Colonies, the Southern Colonies, the West Indies and England. Start here for how to play, then read about your region. Goes with your region’s reading and the Region Notes handout

Readings

Our class readings

Middle School

Advanced