“I’d give Diffit a **very explicit prompt** so it builds an actual student project packet rather than turning this into another long reading assignment. Since your original materials emphasize regional economic differences, labor systems, the Middle Passage, and transatlantic trade, those should remain the backbone. ### Copy/Paste This Into Diffit ```text Create a student-friendly TWO-DAY GROUP PROJECT for a 9th-grade College Prep U.S. History class called: "Mapping the 13 Colonies: Geography, Economy, Labor & Trade" IMPORTANT CLASS CONTEXT: This is for a 9th-grade College Prep class that includes ESL students. Keep directions clear, concise, scaffolded, and visually organized. Use short sentences and accessible vocabulary while maintaining accurate historical content. This should NOT be primarily a reading assignment. Students will work in groups of 3–4 to create a large poster-map using poster paper, markers, colored pencils, and classroom resources. BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How did geography, economics, labor, and trade work together to shape the 13 Colonies? -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 1: PROJECT OVERVIEW -------------------------------------------------- Begin with a short introduction explaining: The 13 Colonies developed different economies because they had different geography, climates, and natural resources. These economies also influenced the types of labor colonists used. Eventually, the colonies became part of a larger Atlantic trading system connecting North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Explain that students will create ONE large map/poster that shows these connections. Include a simple "Your Mission" box: Your group will create a map that shows: Geography → Economy → Labor → Trade Explain that students should use labels, arrows, colors, symbols, and small illustrations instead of writing long paragraphs. -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 2: DAY 1 — BUILD THE 13 COLONIES -------------------------------------------------- Title: DAY 1: Build Colonial America Directions: STEP 1 — Draw and Label Draw the Atlantic coastline of the 13 Colonies. Correctly label ALL 13 colonies. STEP 2 — Identify the Three Regions Divide/color-code the colonies into: NEW ENGLAND COLONIES - Massachusetts - New Hampshire - Rhode Island - Connecticut MIDDLE COLONIES - New York - Pennsylvania - New Jersey - Delaware SOUTHERN COLONIES - Maryland - Virginia - North Carolina - South Carolina - Georgia STEP 3 — Geography For EACH region, add 2–3 labels describing important geography or climate. Examples might include: rocky soil fertile soil warm climate cold winters rivers forests coastline STEP 4 — Economy For EACH region, identify 2–3 important economic activities. Students should use small pictures/symbols when possible. Examples: fishing shipbuilding trade farming wheat/grain tobacco rice indigo plantations STEP 5 — Show Cause and Effect Students must use ARROWS to show how geography influenced the economy. Model: Rocky Soil + Coastline ↓ Fishing + Shipbuilding + Trade Warm Climate + Fertile Soil ↓ Cash Crops ↓ Plantations Include a DAY 1 CHECKPOINT: Before leaving class, your group should have: ☐ All 13 Colonies labeled ☐ Three regions identified ☐ Geography for each region ☐ Economic activities for each region ☐ Arrows showing geography → economy -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 3: DAY 2 — CONNECT THE ATLANTIC WORLD -------------------------------------------------- Title: DAY 2: Connect the Colonies to the World Explain that the colonies were not isolated. Their economies became connected to Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean through Atlantic trade. STEP 1 — Expand Your Map On the same poster, add and label: EUROPE WEST AFRICA CARIBBEAN / WEST INDIES These do not need to be detailed maps. Simple outlines are acceptable. STEP 2 — Draw the Trade Routes Draw arrows across the Atlantic Ocean showing the movement of: - Manufactured goods - Raw materials / cash crops - Sugar and molasses - Enslaved Africans Students must LABEL every arrow. STEP 3 — The Middle Passage Clearly label the MIDDLE PASSAGE. Provide this definition: Middle Passage — the forced voyage of enslaved Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. Students should clearly show which trade route represents the Middle Passage. STEP 4 — Connect Economy to Labor Students should identify the major labor systems used in the colonies: - Family/free labor - Indentured servitude - Enslaved labor Students should especially show the connection: Southern Cash Crops ↓ Plantations ↓ Large Demand for Labor ↓ Increasing Reliance on Enslaved Labor Include a short LABOR CONNECTION BOX for students to complete: Why did plantation owners increasingly rely on enslaved labor? Sentence starter: Plantation owners increasingly relied on enslaved labor because ______________________________ __________________________________________________________________. STEP 5 — Mercantilism Include a simple definition: Mercantilism — an economic system in which colonies supplied resources and trade that helped make the mother country wealthier. Students add a small box to their poster titled: "HOW DID BRITAIN BENEFIT?" Students complete: Britain wanted the colonies to ______________________________ because _________________________________________________. -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 4: FINAL POSTER CHECKLIST -------------------------------------------------- Create a large, student-friendly checklist. OUR POSTER HAS: ☐ All 13 Colonies correctly labeled ☐ New England, Middle, and Southern regions identified ☐ Geography for each region ☐ 2–3 economic activities for each region ☐ Labor systems identified ☐ Geography → Economy connections shown with arrows ☐ Europe labeled ☐ West Africa labeled ☐ Caribbean / West Indies labeled ☐ Atlantic trade routes drawn ☐ Goods/products labeled on trade arrows ☐ Middle Passage clearly labeled ☐ Labor Connection completed ☐ Mercantilism/Britain Connection completed ☐ Pictures, symbols, and/or colors that help explain the information Include a small "QUALITY CHECK" box: Don't just tell us WHAT happened. Use your map to show WHY things were connected. -------------------------------------------------- PAGE 5: INDIVIDUAL BIG-PICTURE REFLECTION -------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: This page is completed INDIVIDUALLY after the group poster is finished. BIG PICTURE QUESTION: How did geography, economics, labor, and trade work together to shape the 13 Colonies? Students must use at least THREE specific examples from their group's map. Provide approximately 10–12 lines for students to write. Include an optional sentence-starter box for students who need support: Geography affected the colonies because... This caused colonists to... One important economic activity was... Colonists needed workers because... The colonies were connected to Africa and Europe through... One example from our map is... Overall, geography, economics, labor, and trade were connected because... -------------------------------------------------- VOCABULARY SUPPORT -------------------------------------------------- Include a small student-friendly vocabulary box somewhere in the packet defining: Geography Economy Cash Crop Plantation Indentured Servitude Enslaved Labor Triangular Trade Middle Passage Mercantilism Keep each definition to ONE simple sentence. -------------------------------------------------- DESIGN REQUIREMENTS -------------------------------------------------- Make this look like an actual student project packet rather than a textbook chapter. Use: - Large headings - Numbered steps - Checkboxes - Short directions - Bold important vocabulary - Tables or boxes when helpful - Plenty of white space - ESL-friendly sentence starters - Simple examples/models Do NOT create long reading passages. Do NOT overwhelm students with excessive historical details. The purpose of the project is for students to VISUALLY understand this chain: GEOGRAPHY ↓ ECONOMY ↓ LABOR ↓ ATLANTIC TRADE Students should finish the project understanding that the different environments of the 13 Colonies helped create different regional economies, those economies created different labor demands, and colonial production became connected to a larger Atlantic trading system involving Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. ``` One small change I especially like here is making **“Geography → Economy → Labor → Atlantic Trade”** the recurring visual throughout the packet. It gives your CP/ESL students a mental framework for the entire project. Instead of remembering dozens of disconnected colonial facts, they have one chain they can keep returning to. I’d also have Diffit create the **five-page packet exactly in that order**: overview → Day 1 → Day 2 → checklist → individual reflection. That should make it something you can essentially print, hand out, give each group poster paper, and start.”