Students learn about the last European country to establish a colony in North America, England. They learn about the first English settlement, known today as the "Lost Colony." Then they explore the reasons for British colonization, including a primary source document. Finally, they consider why the British colonies were able to survive where the Spanish, French, and Dutch failed.
Students view an image related to the Pilgrims and read an introduction that explains early English attempts at colonization, including Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth. They review the lesson objectives and respond to a class wall prompt about what might cause a new colony to fail or succeed.
Teacher MovesExplain that students will investigate why some early English colonies failed while others survived. Highlight key vocabulary (joint stock company, Pilgrims) and review the objectives. Use student wall responses to surface ideas such as location, leadership, supplies, and relationships with Indigenous peoples, without correcting misconceptions yet, and selectively share responses that hint at reasons for early colonial failures.
Students read The Lost Colony to learn about England’s first serious attempts to establish a settlement at Roanoke, focusing on the colony’s purpose, the actions taken by the English, and the outcomes of both attempts. They complete a graphic organizer using text evidence to describe the purpose, actions, and outcome of the first colony, then respond on a class wall explaining how English actions led to Roanoke’s eventual failure.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to use specific evidence from the reading as they fill in the organizer, drawing attention to factors such as geography, leadership, supply problems, and interactions with Indigenous peoples. Afterward, guide students from recall to explanation by reviewing organizer entries and asking questions like “What do you notice about the decisions the English made?” and “How did those choices affect the colony’s chances of survival?” Encourage cause-and-effect language and model sentence starters (e.g., “One action that led to failure was…”). Have students read and respond to classmates’ wall posts, and highlight a few strong examples that clearly connect actions to outcomes.
Students read Early English Colonies: Jamestown and Plymouth to learn who founded each colony, why it was founded, and what happened to the settlers, with attention to economic profit and religious freedom as motivations. They complete one graphic organizer for Jamestown and another for Plymouth, describing each colony’s purpose, settlers’ actions, challenges, and outcomes. Then they answer a class wall prompt explaining how the purpose of a colony impacted its outcome, using at least one example from the reading.
Teacher MovesRemind students to distinguish between each colony’s founding goals and what actually happened. As they work, prompt them to notice how different purposes (profit vs. religious freedom) led to different strategies, challenges, and results. After organizers are complete, have students compare Jamestown and Plymouth using their charts, then discuss wall responses as a class. Share one or two exemplar answers that clearly show cause-and-effect thinking, such as how Jamestown’s focus on profit contributed to early struggles, to model strong explanations.
Students read the primary source excerpt Reasons for Colonization by Richard Hakluyt to examine how an English leader argued for colonization, focusing on themes like increasing trade, spreading religion, and strengthening England. They then respond to three discussion walls: identifying Hakluyt’s reasons for colonization, explaining how the first colonies reflect the benefits he describes, and connecting his reasons to the purposes of the first English colonies.
Teacher MovesExplain that this scene is an optional extension and preview key vocabulary before reading. Direct students to look for Hakluyt’s main arguments rather than getting stuck on difficult wording, and encourage them to summarize his ideas in their own words, possibly reading aloud in pairs or small groups. After students post to the discussion walls, share one or two exemplar responses that clearly connect Hakluyt’s reasons to the founding purposes and outcomes of Jamestown and Plymouth.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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