The BEST New England Colonies Worksheets for any grade!

One of the BEST ways to learn about the rich history of the New England Colonies (for any grade level) is with interactive, engaging, and FUN worksheets!

Through the use of such worksheets, one can uncover the historical context of the colonies, explore their culture and beliefs, and gain a better understanding of the struggles they faced. Let’s take a look at how worksheets can help us uncover the history of the New England Colonies!

Exploring the New England Colonies With Worksheets

Worksheets are a great way for your students to learn about the history of the New England colonies; they provide an interactive way to explore the many different aspects of this region of the American colonies. Everything from the natural resources found in the New England colonies to the culture and lifestyle of early New Englanders. For example, as you teach your students all about the three distinct colonial America regions (New England, Middle Colonies, and Southern Colonies), venn diagrams are an EXCELLENT worksheet type to have your students compare and contrast the cultures and lifestyles of each of the three regions. For higher grade levels, you may want to consider going even deeper by using a venn diagram worksheet that compares and contrasts individual colonies to one another, for instance, two New England colonies, say New Jersey and New York, or maybe comparing and contrasting a New England colony to a Southern colony, for example, the Massachusetts Bay Colony and South Carolina.

Not to mention the numerous historically significant and influential figures of colonial New England. A reading comprehension worksheet that includes a short reading passage followed up by a few questions is a great way to help your students learn about these individuals. One such individual is the Puritan spiritual leader and religious reformer Anne Hutchinson. One of the many famous people of this time period, an interactive worksheet about Anne Hutchinson will help your students learn how she impacted the social and political landscape of New England and how her actions contributed to the development of a stronger colonial identity. After being essentially banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and through the encouragement of fellow influential colonial leader, Roger Williams, Hutchinson and her followers fled to what would eventually become the Colony of Rhode Island. Some of the other important leaders of colonial New England that would make for a great worksheet include William Bradford (the Pilgrim Fathers, signer of the Mayflower Compact, and governor of Plymouth Colony), and Thomas Hooker ("the Father of Connecticut," who played an integral role in the founding of the Connecticut Colony).

PowerPoint presentation screenshot of my 8th grade lesson on the New England colonies:

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History of the New England Colonies

From European colonists fleeing the Church of England, seeking religious tolerance, to the impact of the triangular trade on New England and the Salem Witch Trials, on up to the outbreak of the American Revolution, New England colonies worksheets are an outstanding way to help explore this integral time period of American history. This also includes the founding and establishment of the first English colony in 1620, Plymouth Colony, after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock (Plymouth Colony would later combine with the Massachusetts Bay Colony to create the Colony of Massachusetts). From there, other popular settlements were established in the colonies of New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, leading to the American Revolution. There are numerous primary sources on the history of the New England Colonies, such as the numerous early colonial maps of the region (and those of the New World itself!) as well as early artist depictions of the small farms dotting the landscape of the early New England area. There are also some GREAT resources for any social studies class available online when it comes to primary source readings. In particular when it comes to early colonial forms of self-government (growth of representative government) for example, the Royal Charter of 1662, which granted the colony of Connecticut the ability to create some of its own rules and laws and to elect some local government officials, as well as the Royal Charter of 1663 which guaranteed Rhode Island settlers freedom of religion. Immersive, engaging worksheets that challenge your students' critical thinking skills and incorporate writing exercises, timelines, maps, vocabulary, multiple-choice questions, etc. are an effective and efficient way to help your students learn about the New England colonies.

Specifically, by providing your students with a variety of history worksheets, students will gain a greater understanding of this time period, allowing them to see the significance of it in our nation’s evolution.

 New England colonies worksheets included with my 8th grade U.S. History curriculum bundle! (Teacher versions w/answer key shown)

The New England colonies were integral to the development of modern democracy, as they enshrined many of the core values that we still value today, such as freedom of religion and free trade practices. Similarly, Plymouth Colony was an important site of early democracy. Its founders created the aforementioned legal document known as the Mayflower Compact, which served as a model for the U.S. Constitution and many other documents. This compact established equal rights among colonists and guaranteed religious freedom. Plymouth Colony was also the first settlement to allow free trade practices, and its inhabitants were among the first to establish direct trading relations with local Native American tribes. These principles and ideals that Plymouth Colony enshrined are still vitally important in our world today and remain central to modern democracies around the globe.

Analyzing Historical Sources Using Worksheets

Analyzing historical sources using worksheets is an invaluable tool for understanding how history has evolved over time; worksheets can provide additional context and detail to help bring the past to life. Examining the early colonists' relations with Native American peoples can help students better appreciate the causes and effects of the various ensuing conflicts between colonists and Native peoples, plus the social and cultural changes that occurred as a result. As with the historical topics mentioned in the sections above, worksheets on the relations between New England colonists and Native people can be tailored to match any level of student learning, providing guidance for those just beginning their research on colonial-native relations as well as more detailed information for students with a more advanced understanding of this period of history (higher grade levels). Worksheets can help students understand the various facets of a historical source, including its author, purpose, context, and impact on society. They can also assist in analyzing how a particular source fits into the broader narrative of history. Additionally, history worksheets are an ideal choice for teachers and students alike to ensure the best learning experience when studying history. Not only do worksheets help students understand the various facets of a historical source—such as its author, purpose, context, and impact on society—but they can also assist in analyzing how a particular source fits into the broader narrative of history. By employing multiple choice questions and other assessment tools, students can further solidify their understanding of the material.

PowerPoint presentation screenshot of my 8th grade lesson on the New England colonies: 

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Assessing Student Understanding with Worksheets

History worksheets are an effective way to assess how well students have internalized new knowledge and provide instructors with:

• Important feedback
• An opportunity to identify any areas where students may need additional instruction or review
• A great resource to evaluate student comprehension and encourage further exploration of new topics

Worksheets can be a GREAT assessment tool for student understanding of the subject matter covered in history / social studies class as they allow for easy and quick evaluation of comprehension.

Keep in mind that well-curated worksheets, whether about the New England colonies or otherwise, should provide the opportunity for students to practice critical thinking skills by analyzing new scenarios and developing new hypotheses. For younger age groups (grade levels), such worksheets may also be used to help build language arts skills by helping kids learn new words related to early colonial American history. For older students, say, middle school and high school students, such worksheets should provide a challenge when it comes to their understanding and comprehension of different colonial and native cultures, terminology, daily colonial life, and the historical significance of the events and individuals of the early New England colonies. With such a range of topics possible during this time period, there’s something for every age level of student! From reading about each colony's government and economy, to learning about the different religions and traditions, worksheets can help students gain a better understanding of what life was like in the New England colonies. Moreover, town meetings were an important part of the colonial governments of the New England colonies. Through town meetings, people would come together to decide on town and town infrastructure issues, from building a road to deciding who would be able to govern. History worksheets can help students understand more about town meetings and gain an appreciation for how the colonists lived and understood self-governance.

Don't forget to utilize well-designed, immersive history worksheets for all your lesson planning needs!

If you're thinking there's no way I have time to create all of those resources or scour sites like Teachers pay Teachers every week to patch together a bunch of different resources from a bunch of different teacher authors - I HEAR YOU!!

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-Jillian (a.k.a. the "Lesson Plan Guru")