NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies - grade 4, unit 3 - ADA version

This is the WCAG 2.0 accessible version.

This is the third unit of the grade four scope and sequence, titled Colonial and Revolutionary Periods. It was developed by a team of NYCDOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with scholars of the humanities and social sciences as well as museum curators. Students will immerse themselves in the topic by discussing focus questions, reading and analyzing a rich collection of diverse primary and secondary sources, examining artifacts, and interpreting images, such as paintings and photographs, maps, and political cartoons.

This guide offers a multitude of perspectives on the motivations for colonizing other lands, and more specifically, the interactions among Native Americans, European colonists and African slaves in the early New York colony under Dutch and British rule. Topics and historical concepts of representative lessons in this unit include an examination of the concepts of “God, Gold, and Glory” by classifying the reasons different explorers came to the New World, a comprehensive analysis of daily life in New Amsterdam and slavery under both the Dutch and the British, and an exploration of the causes of the war with Great Britain and the important role New York played in the American Revolution. Lessons will also emphasize an analysis of different conflicts during the Revolutionary period, including the Battle of Golden Hill, the Boston and New York Tea Parties, and the Battles of Long Island and Saratoga.

To evaluate student mastery of content knowledge, cognitive processes, and critical thinking skills, this unit includes formative assessments, and a performance-based assessment activity, which has students working collaboratively to synthesize all they have learned by creating their own New York State seal that reflects their gained understanding of the colonial period in New York.

Please note: the complete set of NYCDOE K-8: Passport to Social Studies Core Curriculum materials include a wide-range of trade books and primary documents, in addition to this unit of study. In order to support rigorous social studies instruction and student inquiry, we recommend that teachers integrate these resources into their daily instruction and assessment plans.