Pick
DOK 1 Paper
#1
Colony Region Map
Label New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. Add 2 facts per region.
Why this matters: Geography shaped colonial jobs, foods, and even beliefs.
How to succeed: Use color coding and a key.
Export & share
Life in the 13 Colonies: A Traveler's Journal
Grade 5Social StudiesC3.D2.His.1.3-5C3.D2.His.14.3-5
Trail Guide 🌲
You are a traveler visiting the colonies. Complete any 3 tasks. Each entry should include at least one primary or secondary source.Pick your path: Choose 3 activities — at least one from each color.
DOK 1 · Show what you knowDOK 2 · Dig deeperDOK 3 · Create & prove it
Pick
DOK 2 Either
#2
A Day in the Life
Write a diary entry from a colonist your age. Include chores, food, and worries.
Why this matters: History is made of ordinary days, not just famous names.
How to succeed: Use vocabulary from our word wall.
Pick
DOK 3 Either
#3
Whose Voice Is Missing?
Identify 3 groups our textbook chapter didn't fully cover. Why do you think their story is quiet?
Why this matters: Whose story gets told shapes what we believe about the past.
How to succeed: Be specific — name real groups, not just 'others'.
Pick
DOK 2 Paper
#4
Trade Route Poster
Illustrate one triangular trade route with 3 goods and 3 places.
Why this matters: Money moved history — and moved people, sometimes by force.
How to succeed: Include a short caption about what the trade cost people.
Pick
DOK 2 Either
#5
🌟 Interview a Colonist
With a partner, act out an interview between a modern reporter and a colonist. 10 Qs.
Why this matters: Asking good questions is a historian's superpower.
How to succeed: Use open questions, not yes/no.
Pick
DOK 3 Paper
#6
Primary Source Puzzle
Analyze one short colonial document. Answer: Who? When? Why? What surprises you?
Why this matters: Real historians work from primary sources, not summaries.
How to succeed: Underline hard words before you read carefully.
Pick
DOK 2 Paper
#7
Cause & Consequence
Pick 3 events. For each, list one cause and one effect on colonial life.
Why this matters: History is a chain — every event has a before and after.
How to succeed: Use complete sentences with 'because'.
Pick
DOK 3 Either
#8
Colonies vs. Today
Chart 5 ways daily life then differs from now. Which change surprised you most?
Why this matters: Comparing then and now shows what really lasts.
How to succeed: Try to compare specifics: food, school, jobs, rules.
Pick
DOK 1 Paper
#9
Colonial Trading Card
Make a trading card for one colonial figure or role. Front: image; back: 4 stats and 1 quote.
Why this matters: Summarizing forces you to pick what matters.
How to succeed: Choose stats that show impact, not just birth years.
Free-choice #5 (interview) works well as a warm-up performance the next day. Watch for oversimplification on #3 — model with one example first (e.g., enslaved Africans, Indigenous nations, indentured servants). Provide 2-3 short primary sources at Level D-K reading level for #6. Anchor chart: 'cause vs. effect' language from Tuesday's mini-lesson.
Teacher Notes
Free-choice #5 (interview) works well as a warm-up performance the next day. Watch for oversimplification on #3 — model with one example first (e.g., enslaved Africans, Indigenous nations, indentured servants). Provide 2-3 short primary sources at Level D-K reading level for #6. Anchor chart: 'cause vs. effect' language from Tuesday's mini-lesson.