Research Scenario
| The British colonies in North America began
as extremely diverse settlements. The colonies were settled by groups
with a variety of different religious, cultural and economic interests. These immigrants brought their "old ways" with them, and adapted them to their new lives. The development of the colonial America was influenced by geographical differences and by the influence of these immigrant groups, and the colonies evolved into three regional societies: the New England,
Middle and Southern colonies.
The Maryland Historical Society is
participating in archeological digs in Charleston, South Carolina, St. Mary's City, Maryland
and Boston, Massachusetts. Your class has been invited to join the digs. You will work in three groups, one in each region. Each group will choose
a "dig site," find artifacts and submit
a proposal for an exhibit to the Maryland Historical Society Museum (your class). Your exhibit will display your findings
and demonstrate how they reflect the contributions of different
social groups to the colonial society.
How did various social groups contribute
to colonial American society?
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Task and Product
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Each geographic region was composed of groups
of individuals who contributed differently to their society.
The class will divide into three regional research teams, one from each
region:
- New England
- Middle Colonies
- Southern Colonies
Each research team will research the contributions of these social groups:
- Women
- Children
- Slaves
- Indentured servants
Also, each research team will research
the contributions of at least three of the following groups:
- Quakers
- Farmers
- Apprentices
- Craftsmen
- Merchants
After you have researched the contributions
of these social groups, you will create at least three "artifacts".
The form these "artifacts" take is up to
you, but they must convey information about how your social group
lived. You will prepare your part of the presentation to share with the
Maryland Historical Society Museum committee (your class), explaining
how the "artifacts" you "discovered"reflect your group's contributions to the social, economic, and political
aspects of colonial society in that region. Your research group will combine
all "discoveries" into the final presentation. Your
group may make its presentation in the any of these formats:
- Power Point
presentation
- Brochure
- Poster
- Video
- Web page
- Any other format your teacher approves
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Assessments
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The following scoring
tools may be used or adapted by your teacher to evaluate your
research process and your presentation
of the final product.
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Research Process Assessments:
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Final Product Assessments:
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Questions
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Essential Question:
How did various social
groups contribute
to colonial American society?
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Subsidiary Questions:
Examples
- What jobs did slaves do?
- How did the Quakers influence politics in their region?
- What role did women play in the economy?
- What was daily life like for children?
Above are a few examples of questions you
might need to answer through your research. At the top of separate sheets of notebook paper
or index cards, write some additional questions about your social group's social, economic and political contributions to their regional society. Write as many questions as you can. Although you may not find information to answer
some of these questions, you may think of different questions
as you do the research. By the end of your research you should be able to
answer the essential question.
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Gather
and Sort
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Sort your research
findings using a graphic organizer, separate sheets of notebook paper,
or note cards containing your subsidiary questions. Be sure to avoid plagiarism
(see this PowerPoint slide show), and remember to cite your references. Check a research guide
for details about the proper citation of sources. For MLA guidelines
and examples, click
here.
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Organize
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 Analyze your research notes to determine the contributions of your group to colonial society.
- Have you taken sufficient notes to answer all of your subsidiary questions in detail?
- Can you eliminate facts which are not useful, are repetitive, or do not relate to your questions?
- Do you need to rearrange the information in different categories?
- Can you condense or combine the information?
- Do you need to develop new questions to adequately cover your topic?
Share your research findings on your social group with your regional group. Now you should have
sufficient information about the contributions of your social groups to their regional society to create your "artifacts" and presentation to the Maryland Historical Society.
Synthesize
your findings by creating the
first draft of your part of the group's presentation and your three "artifacts."
In the first draft of your written information, check for the following:
- Do you have enough supporting ideas and details to answer each of your questions?
- Do you have a fairly complete understanding of the important facts regarding your social group?
- Do you have sufficient details to inform an audience on the contributions of your social group?
- Which facts are the most compelling and would have the greatest impact on your audience?
- What new insights have emerged about your topic which could enhance your classmates' understanding of your social group's contributions ?
- How will you organize your information for the presentation?
- What plan of action will you follow in creating your "artifact" and preparing for your presentation?
- Have you decided which presentation format will best represent your information for your audience?
Create the final draft of your presentation and help your group to combine all individual presentations into one group presentation.
Evaluate the
effectiveness of your presentation.
- Does the presentation answer the essential question - How did various social groups contribute to colonial society?
- Does the presentation convey the information in a clear and interesting manner?
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Conclusion
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Presentation:
- Make your presentation to
your class.
- During the presentations,
use this copies of this chart to
record information that will help you to respond to the reflection question below.
Reflection:
Choose an individual from another colonial region and imagine that that person has moved into your colonial region. Briefly explain
how that person would thrive and/or struggle in
your region. Include at least three examples
from your research notes and your notes from the other regional
presentations.
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