ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBonos Thinking Hats

ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBonos Thinking Hats
Stephanie DAnza
Geography/The Thirteen Colonies
5th Grade
Thirteen Original Colonies

ETE 335
Elementary Social Studies Lesson
deBonos Thinking Hats

Goals:

Students will identify the geographical features of the 13

colonies as well as the history behind the three overall
regions.

Objectives:
Students will be able to identify a colony from the three
regions.
Students will be able to distinguish one colony from the
other.
Content/Knowledge:
Students will be growing their knowledge in identifying the
colonies and each region.

Process/Skills:
Skills learned through this lesson:
Identifying the colonies on a map of the United States, regions,
and the spatial reference from other countries.

Values/Dispositions:
Students will be grasping information through online
resources as well as visuals used throughout the
activities.

ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBonos Thinking Hats
Rationale:
The significance of this lesson is for students to
recognize the importance of their surroundings and how
our country came to be.

Standards:
Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions and Culture
SS.G.1.5: Investigate how the cultural and environmental
characteristics of places within the United States change over
time.
Human Population SS.G.2.5: Describe how humans have utilized
natural resources in the United States.

National NCSS Themes

People, Places, and environment
Culture

Objective

Objective
Students will research as many facts as they can about the 13
Colonies. Students will be handed a sheet with a numbered list
and whoever gets to the end (with reliable factual information)
wins the contest.
Computers will be used for this activity when researching
information on the colonies.
Resources: Computer, sheet of paper, pencil.

Intuitive

Intuitive
Students will journal about how they would feel if
America, at the time, was being separated into
three regions also known as the 13 Colonies.
The students will have a discussion within their
group (groups of four) and will go around giving
each other time to discuss their point of view.
Resources: Journals, pencil.

Positive/Strength
s

Positive/Strength
Students will brainstorm positive ideass
about the thirteen
colonies individually on a notecard.
Students will then be paired up into partners and describe
some of the positives on the event and what it brought for
America.
Resources: Paper, notecard.

Negatives/Weaknes
ses

Negatives/Weaknes
ses
Students will then list any negatives that
occurred during the
process of the thirteen original colonies.
Students will write these negative ideas on the other side of their
notecard. Students will then share these ideas with a new partner
in the classroom.
Resources: Pencil, notecard.

Creative

Creative
The class will have a debate on the thirteen original
colonies and whether it assisted America as a country or
not. Students can refer to their notecard if need be.
The teacher will pose questions as the debate
continues to assist students in thinking outside of the
box.
Resources: Notecards, pencil.

Thinking About
Thinking

Thinking About
Thinking
Students will list what they
enjoyed learning about

from the thirteen colonies on a poster board.

The teacher will hang the poster on the wall and
students can look back and read some of the ideas
and/or concepts to retrieve some of the facts.
Resources: Poster board, markers.

ETE 335

Elementary Social Studies Lesson

deBonos Thinking Hats
Visual Learning, Assessment, and Online
Resources:
Assessment:
1. I will assess my students through journals,
presentations, discussions, and how their
thoughts are transferred through their work
using materials.

Online Resources:
1. http://del.icio.us/sdanza/Geography