Lesson
Self-Governance in the British Colonies
Guiding question
What practices and institutions did colonists create to govern themselves?
How did self-government lead to the development of unique colonies in America?
Guiding Questions
- What practices and institutions did colonists create to govern themselves?
- How did self-government lead to the development of unique colonies in America?
Objectives
- Students will investigate primary sources for common themes and divergent themes.
- Students will use annotation skills to make connections between multiple sources.
- Students will make inferences based on conclusions drawn from primary sources and reasoning.
Materials
Student Resources:
- Colonial Charters Primary Source Set
- European Colonial Charters Primary Source Set
- Optional: Thesis Deconstructed DBQ Graphic Organizer
Teacher Resources:
Lesson Components
ActivityColonial Charters Excerpts Primary Source for Middle School
Analyze excerpts from colonial charters to understand their purpose and meaning.
ActivityEuropean Colonial Charters Middle School Primary Source Set
Make inferences based on conclusions drawn from primary sources and reasoning.
Lesson plan
Click a phase to open it
More Information
Facilitation Notes
- This activity is designed to build on our Colonial Charters lesson plan. Students will again use the colonial charters, with additional sources, to evaluate self-government in the colonies compared to the charters and governments of other nations on a scale ranging from most salutary neglect to more direct rule.