1. Where Did America’s First 13 Colonies Come From?
I. Subject Area: Applying Geography in U.S. History
II. Grade Level: 5th Grade
III. History Standard: 5.4 Students understand the political, religious, social, and economic
institutions that evolved in the colonial era.
Understand the influence of location and physical setting on the founding
of the original 13 colonies, and identify on a map the locations of the
colonies and of the American Indian nations already inhabiting these
areas.
Identify the major individuals and groups responsible for the founding of
the various colonies and the reasons for their founding (e.g., John Smith,
Virginia; Roger Williams, Rhode Island; William Penn, Pennsylvania;
Lord Baltimore, Maryland; William Bradford, Plymouth; John Winthrop,
Massachusetts).
IV. Time Sequence of Lesson: One class session
V. Learning Objectives:
Discuss how the first thirteen colonies came to exist.
Students will understand what country the ships came froom
Have students understand the history of the first colonies in the United States.
Have students incorporate the location of the 13 colonies of the United States into
maps.

2. VI. Assessment:
Map Handout
Teacher will grade map for accuracy.
VII. Materials, Resources, and Equipment:
Computer, Flash Drive, Projector.
Blank Map
Map with colonies listed.
VIII. Guiding Questions:
What are the 13 colonies?
Can you put all the correct colonies on a map?
IX. Instructional Strategies: Procedures and Activities:
1. Explanation of our History Standard.
2. Warm-up: Ask the class what they know about America’s past. Ask if they know
what the first thirteen colonies are.
3. Use the website, http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/13mapnew.htm
Show the class where the thirteen colonies were located.
4. Explain the countries’ that founded the colonies along the Atlantic Coast of
North America. (Britain).
5. Explain the Geographical order of the colonies.
From North to South
New England Colonies: Province of New Hampshire, Province of
Massachusetts Bay, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,
and Connecticut Colony.

3. Middle Colonies: Province of New York, Province of New Jersey,
Province of Pennsylvania, and Delaware Colony.
Southern Colonies: Province of Maryland, Colony and Dominion of
Virginia, Province of North Carolina, Province of South Carolina, and
Province of Georgia.
6. Using the website,http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/13mapnew.htm
the teacher will click on each colony to learn more about that colony.
7. After each colony has been clicked and reviewed by the class, students will be
given a map to locate and label the original thirteen colonies.
Students will place the colonies date of creation on their map.
Students will color code their maps according to their location. New
England Colonies (Green), Middle Colonies (Blue), and the Southern
Colonies (Yellow).
Using the computer and projector, the teacher will project a map of the
original thirteen colonies.Inform students they have ten minutes to fill in
and complete the map.
X. Closing/Reflection:
Can you name each of the colonies from North to South?
What are the geographical orders of colonies?
XI. Extension Activities: Take a blank map home and try filling in the thirteen colonies with
your parents.

4. Lesson Plan by: Nathalie Lupercio, Sarah King, Jordan Cadena.
In this lesson plan, students will understand the history standards that are being
presented. They will be able to learn the following objectives: Discuss how the first thirteen
colonies came to exist, understand the British ships thatarrived in the coast of America and
understand the history of the first colonies in the United States. By using the website provided in
the lesson plan the teacher can successful teach the history behind each colony along the East
coast of America.
Geography is being incorporated in this lesson plan by explaining the Geographical order
of the colonies from North to South. Once the students have an understanding of this concept and
of each colony, the teacher will present them with the blank map activity. In this activity,
students will have ten minutes to label each of the colonies by their appropriate name and date of
creation. Students will also have to color code their maps according to their location. New
England Colonies (Green), Middle Colonies (Blue), and the Southern Colonies (Yellow).
.