Class 7 students recently completed an in-depth, multi-step project exploring the 13 Colonies and the development of America as an emerging nation. During this unit in their history class — which focuses on the country’s founding up to the Civil War era — students deepened their understanding of early American history through research, presentations and a map-making project. Throughout the process, students honed their critical thinking analysis skills in non-fiction reading, annotating texts, synthesizing information, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, themes, connections and much more.
At the end of January, students selected a colony to study and began what would be an immersive and engaging exploration. The girls read and annotated scholarly texts and conducted thorough research, taking organized notes to learn more about their chosen colony and the historical time period.
As students progressed in their research, Class 7 history teacher Lisa Moy introduced key vocabulary and an essential question that framed their projects and guided their thinking: How did geography affect the economy, and the colonists’ jobs and lives?
During this initial phase, students strengthened their critical thinking, note-taking, reading and annotating skills — all of which support learning across their other classes, as well.
Students explored the reasons for colonization and settlement while examining how geography influenced the economy and daily life in the New England, Middle and Southern regions.
After completing their extensive research, the students organized their findings using personalized note-taking systems, including color coding, sidebar annotations and other organizational strategies to highlight key ideas. They then moved on to the presentation portion of the project. Many worked collaboratively to develop their presentations, identifying main ideas and supporting evidence to share with the class.
Each group created an impressive slideshow that highlighted the history, major themes, symbols and important cause-and-effect relationships that shaped their colony’s development.
Presentations began with a review of a table of contents to introduce the topics. Students then showcased the “web” of their colony that they created to outline its major themes. For example, students discussing Connecticut included the Puritan religion, geography and climate. The colony’s forested hills and sea coast contributed to an economy built on crops, livestock, farming, fishing and whaling.
The girls also examined the purpose behind the establishment of each colony and analyzed how the settlements functioned. To deepen their analysis, pairs researched the colony’s official seal and interpreted the visual metaphors present in the imagery. Many of the seals, they discovered, contained symbols representing liberty, peace, tyranny or womanhood. Some groups also chose to explore how the seals evolved over time.
The cause-and-effect portion of the presentation was especially significant. Students identified key historical conditions and the outcomes, which led to the further exploration of challenges faced by colonists and the solutions they developed. One group, for example, explained that the rocky soil and harsh climate in New Hampshire made farming difficult for settlers. As a result, colonists in the area relied more heavily on fishing and trade.
Images, maps and graphics were incorporated into the students’ presentations, helping them to illustrate their research. One, as an example, included a map showing regional geography, climate and indigenous tribes in the area. Each student also incorporated a personal connection to their colony, explaining why they chose it — with some having visited the area or having family from there.
This project also helped the girls to hone their public speaking skills by practicing how to present information confidently and engage their audience.
Ms. Moy and the class shared thoughtful feedback with each presenting group, highlighting aspects that stood out and discussing elements that were particularly effective. Students also shared that the experience helped them develop skills they are now applying in their other classes.
The project, however, did not end there! To further deepen their understanding of the colonies as a whole, students created detailed maps of all 13 Colonies. Each was unique — some were hand-dyed with coffee, others were made on cream colored paper and finished with carefully burnt edges to resemble historical maps. Several incorporated 3D elements to help make them come alive. Each map included a custom key highlighting important facts that students explored in their research and presentations.
Today, these maps cover the bulletin boards on the sixth floor, transforming the hallway and showcasing Class 7’s research and creativity. The exhibit conveys not only the history of the 13 Colonies but also the hard work, collaboration and curiosity that students brought to this project. “I love seeing my students grow as learners and the confidence they feel from having accomplished something hard,” Ms. Moy said. “I teach them how to think and not what to think. I teach them skills in order to help them achieve their own dreams.”
