Colonial Simulation Menu from Inquiry Unlimited practitioner sited at Boston KidWeb at Joseph Lee School, Boston, MA

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An Original Colonial Simulation

Created by Inquiry Unlimited

Goal: To use problem solving skills and creativity without changing history.

featuring the collaboration of:

5th graders Cedar River Elementary School Maple Valley, WA	5th graders, Joseph Lee Elementary School Boston, MA

Note: In 1996, Carolyn Burt envisioned a classroom role playing collaboration based on the lifestyle and political times in the 13 original colonies. It was from her request on the Internet that the original collaboration occured in March, 1996. She also recruited a Californian educator, to assume the role of King Charles II. The interdisciplinary, educational value derived from this project is quite powerful!

The Colonial Simulation Project:

Aim: As our originally created 18th century characters, we prepared and reacted to tasks, challenges, and obstacles that our characters might have faced if they had lived during the 18th century. We used 18th century factual information about the lifestyle of the "real" colonists.

Option 1 - creative approach using the "real" Massachusetts Bay Colony experience

Challenge: How creative might one's characters be within the geographical limitations of "the real Boston" area without the temptation of changing history?

Option 2 - creative approach using the fictitious Newportia Colony based on a real middle colony in the Philadelphia area.

Challenge: How will one's creative characters in a creative setting mirror a real, universal colony in the area without the temptation of changing history?

Classroom support materials: What do you get?

Online timelines for background information: [1693-1766 | 1767-1791 ]

`Project Framework`

Massachusetts Bay Colony Boston, MA role players	Newportia Colony Maple Valley, WA role players	England an adult assuming the role of the interests in England
Note: Our original characters are based on life in the real Massachusetts Bay Colony.	Note: Our original characters are based on life in a fictitious Middle Colony in the Pennsylvania area.	Note: A balance to the simulation with messages from King Charles II and Parliament based on real events.
Task: Create a colony profile Massachusetts Bay Colony profile Background resources: [ charters ]	Task: Create a colony profile Newportia Colony profile Background resources:	King Charles II
Task: Create a colonial character Character profiles Background resources: [ colonial life \| apprenticeship]	Task: Create a colonial character Character profiles Background resources: [ colonial life \| apprentices]	Role: King Charles II and Parliament represent the obstacles of the 1700s governing and lawmaking bodies
Theme: Fire and minister loss Challenge 1M - (from Newportia to Mass Bay) Solution 1M - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Background resources:	Theme: Witchcraft hysteria Challenge 1N - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Solution 1N - (from Newportia to Mass. Bay) Background resources: witchcraft hysteria	Theme: Charters Edict 1MN - (colonial charter obligations) Theme: infringement Edict 2MN - Mass. Bay accused of infringement Response from Mass. Bay Background resources: charters
Theme: disease Challenge 2M - (from Newportia to Mass Bay) Solution 2M - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Background resources: smallpox; definition of smallpox	Theme: weather Challenge 2N - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Solution 2N - (from Newportia to Mass. Bay) Background resources:	Theme: aftermath of French and Indian War Edict 3MN - Troops to stay; restrictions on further colonial settlements westward Background resources: 1754 - Fr. and Indian War
Theme: triangular trade Challenge 3M - (from Newportia to Mass Bay) Solution 3M - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Background resources:	Theme: gunpowder blast destroys incoming merchant ship Challenge 3N - (from Mass. Bay to Newportia) Solution 3N (from Newportia to Mass. Bay) Background resources:	Theme: colonial discord about taxes Letter of support to the King from Newportian Loyalists Suggestion of treason detected by the King of the colonists Theme: Stamp Act Edict 5MN- Stamp Act Background resources: [Stamp Act\| events leading to Stamp Act]
Theme: Quartering Act and Sugar Act Solution to 4MN the Quartering Act from Massachusetts Bay to Parliament Background resources: Quartering Act	Theme: Quartering Act and Sugar Act Solution to 4MN the Quartering Act from Newportia to Parliament Background resources:Quartering Act	Theme: Quartering Act and Sugar Act Edict 4MN - Quartering Act Chastisement to Massachusetts Bay regarding merits of military discipline Background resources:
Theme: Declaration of Independence from Massachusetts Bay to King Background resources: Declaration of Independence	Theme: Declaration of Independence from Newportia to King Background resources: Declaration of Independence	Theme: Declaration of Independence response from the King Background resources: Declaration of Independence

HOW TO DO IT - - - PREPARATION ACTIVITIES

Massachusetts Bay	Newportia Colony
*Classroom preparation for a colony profile* Goal: Identify with Mass. Bay colonizers Activity: Use of primary sources to compare and contrast the 1600s maps of England and New England	*Character preparation*
*Classroom preparation for character preparation* Goal: Familiarity with the dress and daily problems of colonists Familiarity with apprentice system	under construction
Written experiences: 1. Who are you? Who are your family members? What is your family background? 2. Describe your experience at the fire in the Meeting House 3. Describe a celebration or tragic event that happened to your character or a member of your family	under construction
Art activities: 1. Design a sign for the store/shop of a family member 2. Design headstones and gravestones for a family member or friend	under construction
under construction	under construction

Project support

Project content: We will provide you with the framework, thematic challenges and obstacles, suggested primary and secondary resources related to the themes, creative reactions to each of the challenges and obstacles from our 4th and 5th graders.

Project support: We will provide you with a Teacher's Guide that includes classroom management and group discussion suggestions for each thematic challenge; multi-disciplinary activities and short projects related to each thematic challenge; suggested lesson plans for background preparation related to the upcoming thematic challenges.

Project materials: We will provide you with a disk which includes an online version of the project. The disk, installed on a networked server, will provide the opportunity for classrooms in the same school building to collaborate on the project. They would be able to get the thematic challenges online, prepare their responses, and send their solutions to their partner class to be printed out and shared. Should a participant teacher desire to create their own, online project, similar to that of Massachusetts Bay and Newportia on the original disk, an additional disk with template files will be available for new users to create their own "Colonial Simulation" disk.

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