Student Resources:

• Colonial World Interactive Timeline 
• Map A Location and Events Handout OR Map B Location and Events Handout 

Engage 

• Write the words “location” and “place” on the board.  
• Ask students to explain the difference between the two words. 
  • Teacher Note– If students have taken a geography class, they will likely recall these as two of the five themes of geography.  
• If students need help, you can ask guiding questions such as: 
  • Which uses latitude and longitude? 
  • Which is described by physical features like mountains or rivers? 
  • Which would discuss the culture of people that live there? 
• Ask students to give an example of each, such as “our town is located 45 miles north of…” and “our city’s population is…” 
• Tell students “Today we will learn how place affected three events in early colonial history. Remember that place includes the human characteristics of an area as well as the physical.” 

Explore

• Access the Colonial World Interactive Timeline and read the Mayflower Compact event description.  
• Use an atlas or device to find Cape Cod and label it on their map.  

Scaffolding Note: There are two maps available for use in this lesson. Map A is the original version. Map B is scaffolded with map hints and a word bank for the fill-in- the-blank questions.

• Help students with the reflection question “How does the Mayflower Compact reflect the principle of self-government?”  
• Review the word “place” with students, it can be a room, building, town or country, a physical area with human and physical characteristics.  
• Complete the fill in the blank questions to answer how place affected the signing of the Mayflower Compact.  
• Repeat for Bacon’s Rebellion and the Salem Witch Trials timeline events, labeling Virginia and Massachusetts, answering the reflection questions and fill in the blanks.  

Assess & Reflect

• Using the two additional blanks on the student map handout, ask students the following reflection questions: 
  • Which event was most influenced by its place? Why?
  • In what other ways could physical place influence events of a region? Explain at least one example.

Extend (Optional)

• Have students research a local event—past or ongoing—that was or is influenced by its location. This could be a festival, a historical event, a natural disaster, or any significant occurrence. Students can then create a timeline entry like the ones used in the lesson, including the date, a caption, and a description that explains how the location shaped the event. 
• Alternatively, students can write fill-in-the-blank sentences about their event and share them with classmates to complete.