Trade was a vital part of Maryland’s economy in the Colonial Era.

Credit: National Park Service

Home — MPT in the Classroom — The Dig — The Dig Lesson Starters — Commerce During Colonial Times — Teacher's Guide

Commerce During Colonial Times

Grade 4

This lesson focuses on two main ideas:

  • Understanding how commerce functioned in the early Historic St. Mary's City center
  • Understanding how goods were imported and exported along colonial trade routes

 

Procedure

INTRODUCTION (15 minutes)

Read the introduction to students and review new vocabulary. Students will watch the “The Dig: Historic St. Mary's Commerce” video clip. After the video, have a discussion around the essential questions and thinking questions aligned to the topic and video.

EXTENSION (15-30 minutes)

Complete extension activities with students, as you see fit.

ASSESSMENT (15 minutes)

Have students apply their newfound knowledge by completing a Summative CER on the lesson using evidence from the video and activities as support.

REFLECTION (10 minutes)

Have students complete a reflection.

Standards

Maryland Social Studies Standards and Maryland ELA Standards

Maryland Social Studies Standards

Content Topic- Native Cultures (Grade 4)

Students will evaluate the impact of geography on cultural development and interaction by:

  • comparing how societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa have shaped and been shaped by their culture and environment.
  • explaining how societies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Western Africa increasingly interacted after 1450.

Maryland ELA Standards

Grade 4

  • RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
  • Rl.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the text.
  • RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.
  • RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
  • RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears


Summative CER

Option 1:

Explain the factors Maryland colonists and merchants would consider when deciding which goods to import and export to ensure profitable trade. Use evidence and reasoning from the videos and activities to support your claim.

Option 2:

The growth of port cities, like Annapolis, Baltimore, and St. Mary’s City, was closely tied to shipping. Ports were busy centers of trade. Use evidence and reasoning from the videos and activities to explain how port cities contributed to the economic growth of colonial Maryland.


Reflection Questions

  • How do you think the exchange of goods and ideas between different continents and regions impacted the way people lived their daily lives?
  • We still have international trade, but it's different from colonial times. Can you think of similarities and differences between how goods were traded back then and how they are traded now?

Summative CER Rubric

No Response
Score Point 0 		Not There Yet
Score Point 0.5 		Beginning To
Score Point 0.75		 Yes
Score Point 1.0
The claim is missing The claim is incorrect or irrelevant. The claim partially takes a position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt. The claim takes an appropriate position on the topic or issue addressed within the prompt.
There is no type of evidence in the response The evidence is irrelevant or does not support the claim. The evidence partially supports the claim and demonstrates some understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources. The evidence supports the claim and demonstrates a strong understanding of the topic or text, using appropriate sources.
There is no use of words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence. Use of words, phrases and clauses fail to show or explain any relationship between the claim and evidence. Words, phrases, and clauses lack cohesion but partially clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence. Appropriate words, phrases, and clauses are used to create cohesion and to clarify the relationship between the claim and evidence.


References

 

This learning resource is a production of Maryland Public Television/Thinkport.