About This Lesson
This introductory unit on American History will cover the time frame of 1492-1763. In this unit students will develop skills in: how to differentiate between a primary and secondary source, how to analyze a source (utilizing Origin, Purpose, Value, Limitation (OPVL)), how to implement active reading strategies, and how to answer a document-based question (understanding the question, sorting the sources, and developing a basic 5-paragraph essay). This will be completed through an in depth look at Colonial America, beginning with the cultures of native North America, a close look at the motives and interactions between Europeans and Native Americans, the events surrounding the initial colonization of Jamestown, a geographic understanding of the development of the Southern, Middle, and Northern Colonies how their individual economic, social, political, and cultural characteristics developed, understanding the major political developments that would later shape modern American politics.
