Lesson Plan Title : Planning a New Town

Age Range: Grade 3 through grade 5 (Elementary School)

Overview and Purpose: Students practice their map drawing skills in this lesson. They work with a small group to create a new settlement that is similar how Plymouth is set up.

Objective: The student will be able to work with a small group to plot out a new settlement based on the information about how Plymouth was set up.

Resources:

Large pieces of drawing paper

Rulers

Pencils/pens/crayons/markers

Artist pictures and maps of what Plymouth looked like

Activities:

Divide the students into groups. Have them work together to research the facts about how Plymouth was set up. Explain to the students that they are going to create a sister colony. They should follow the same basic principles that the Pilgrims did, but they cannot copy the layout of the colony exactly. They need to include enough houses for 15 families, a common storehouse, and a common meeting house. Remind them to plan for outhouses, a cemetery, and gardens and to include a legend.

After they have created the maps of their towns, have the groups share with the class.

Wrap Up:

More advanced students can be challenged to draw the map to scale and to give the coordinates of their settlement.