"The present state of North Carolina": Making decisions
In this lesson, students read an excerpt from John Lawson's 1709 book A New Voyage to Carolina and use a graphic organizer to decide whether they would have emigrated to Carolina as a result of reading Lawson's book.
A lesson plan for grade 8 Social Studies
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- Primary source: The present state of Carolina [people, climate] Excerpt from John Lawson's 1709 A New Voyage to Carolina describing (and mostly praising) the European and native inhabitants, weather, and natural resources of Carolina, as well as what settlers should bring with them from Europe. Includes historical commentary.
Related pages
- Provisions for Carolina: Comparing lists: In this lesson, students will compare and contrast two historical documents: A list of recommended provisions for colonists traveling to Virginia in 1622, and a similar list of recommended provisions for colonists traveling to Carolina in 1709. Students will infer what has changed and what has stayed the same between the publication of these two documents.
- A free school in Beaufort: Excerpt from the will of James Winwight, 1744, leaving money to build a free public school and hire a teacher. Includes historical commentary.
- Merrie olde England?: Many residents of Elizabethan England did not enjoy the abundance that accompanied Queen Elizabeth’s reign. The dawn of the age of exploration gripped people’s imaginations and caused many to dream of travel, and the New World offered the promise of a fresh start without the problems of the old country.
Related topics
- Learn more about North Carolina, colonial, history, and migration.
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Students will read an excerpt of a primary source document, John Lawson’s A New Voyage to Carolina, and use a decision-making chart to decide whether they would have emigrated to Carolina based on his descriptions.
Learning outcomes
Students will:
- gain experience reading and analyzing a primary source document
- engage in critical thinking
- understand historical factors related to European settlement of Carolina
Teacher preparation
Materials needed
- Computer with internet access for each group of students or one computer with an LCD projector
- A copy of the decision-making chart for each student (or one for each group)
Time required for lesson
½ hour or one class period
Activities
- Bell-ringer activity: Ask the students to imagine a time they had to make an important decision. How did they make that decision? What factors did they think about before deciding? Have several students share their experiences.
- Explain that they will read a primary source document, an excerpt from John Lawson’s book A New Voyage to Carolina. Have the students access (or project) “The Present State of Carolina.” Ask students what they need to consider before reading the document. [author, date, audience, reason it was written] Don’t, at this point, mention that this was most likely an advertisement unless the students read it in the sidebar and bring it up.
- Tell the students that they are to imagine that they have the opportunity to immigrate to Carolina in the early 1700s and they will use Lawson’s book to help them decide whether or not they should go. (You may choose to have students do this activity in groups of two or three.)
- Give each student (or group) a copy of the decision-making chart. Remind students about the meanings of “pro” and “con” and that one excellent way to make difficult decisions is to think about the good and bad aspects of the choices.
- As they read the article they should make notes on the chart about what they would like and not like about each of the categories. Allow students several minutes to read the article and make their notes.
- Ask the class how many of them would be traveling to Carolina according to their decision chart. Have several students share their reasoning. If there are several students who have indicated that they would not be moving, this could lead to excellent classroom discussion.
- If it has not already been discussed, ask the students to read the sidebar. Does this information change their decision? Why or why not? In what ways might Lawson have exaggerated?
- Discuss with the class the questions that are listed in the sidebar.
- Processing assignment (could be homework): Have the students draw a poster that could be used in conjunction with the Lawson excerpt that would draw people to immigrate to Carolina. For an extra challenge, instruct the students to avoid using any words other than “Carolina.”
Assessment
- The class discussion will allow you to gauge the comprehension of the students. Include student participation in your assessment.
- Students or groups should have a complete decision-making chart with examples from the reading. Since this activity is based on the opinions of the students, answers for the chart will vary.
- The processing assignment should include visual representations of some of the attributes of Carolina that would encourage immigration. You may consider extra credit for those students who use only the word “Carolina.”
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 8
- Goal 1: The learner will analyze important geographic, political, economic, and social aspects of life in the region prior to the Revolutionary Period.
- Objective 1.01: Assess the impact of geography on the settlement and developing economy of the Carolina colony.
- Objective 1.02: Identify and describe American Indians who inhabited the regions that became Carolina and assess their impact on the colony.
- Objective 1.03: Compare and contrast the relative importance of differing economic, geographic, religious, and political motives for European exploration.
- Objective 1.05: Describe the factors that led to the founding and settlement of the American colonies including religious persecution, economic opportunity, adventure, and forced migration.
- Objective 1.07: Describe the roles and contributions of diverse groups, such as American Indians, African Americans, European immigrants, landed gentry, tradesmen, and small farmers to everyday life in colonial North Carolina, and compare them to the other colonies.
