Concepts:

A study of the founding of the new societies in America can provide insights into the reasons why we find so many different English dialects, sectional rivalries, attitudes toward government, social status, and other cultural traits throughout American history and today. In some ways it also provides a basis for explaining the persistent American emphasis on rugged individualism, lingering ethnocentric and xenophobic behaviors, and many other features of the modern United States exemplifying the governmental and societal notion of e pluribus unum -- from many, one. Ironically, following the students' study in Unit II of European encounters with Indians, studying the relationships of the colonies to the European nations that founded and oversaw them may give students a more sensitive and empathetic understanding of the Indian perspective on European colonization and on later wars and rebellions of Indians against the colonial and American governments. Lastly, the colonial era presents a wealth of documents -- sources traditionally used by historians -- so that students may emulate historians' methods of inquiry in testing their own theses about the period.

It should be noted that the major content and concepts of this unit and others are similar to those found at the middle school, reinforcing the spiraling nature of the CROSSROADS Curriculum.

Teacher Note:

This unit's set of content and experiences anticipates Unit IV in two respects. It provides the basic information needed to understand the complex concepts subsumed within the study of the American Revolution. It also provides an opportunity for students to become comfortable with the requirements necessary to play a role successfully.

Lesson 1
A Crossroads Resource: Traveling between the Colonies
Lesson 2