No one could say that life in colonial America was easy, yet shipload after shipload of newcomers from all over Europe arrived daily, each person filled with dreams of a better future. Against the backdrop of the French and Indian War, our literature provides glimpses into everyday life and adventure in the colonies. As we explore common values and behaviors of the time through George Washington’s writings, alongside compelling issues like indentured servitude and cultural differences, students are challenged to discuss and apply concepts within the framework of family ideals. At the same time, since successful colonies were so closely linked to an area’s normal conditions, study of the atmosphere, climate, soil, and weather follows naturally. Building further on the settlement theme, research and mapping states in the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions is enhanced by learning about igneous rocks, and the fun of regional cooking, great games and hands-on activities!

Package Contents

In addition to the core resources, the Growing Pains unit uses the following materials:

• Growing Pains teacher manual
• Growing Pains Student Notebook pages (three grade levels in downloadable .pdf format)
• Abigail Adams
• Ambush in the Wilderness
• The Courage of Sarah Noble
• The Matchlock Gun

You will need to print student pages from the included PDF download file. For your convenience ready-to-use printed student pages are available for each grade. The six weeks of student notebook pages are only $15 for each grade level. (Hint: preprinted student pages save time, pre-planning, and wear on your printer/toner cartridges.) We really want to make life easier for you—if you buy all six units at once we'll give you one of them free!

Projects and games in the Growing Pains unit include:

• Barometer
• Anemometer
• Weather Vane
• Candle Dipping
• Watercolor Activity
• The Newcomer Game
• Editor's Toolkit
• Growing Pains Bingo