Module 1: American Beginnings - 1607 to the 1750s

Part I - Characteristics of Colonial Regions

Throughout this module, you have learned about the Southern, New England, and Middle colonies. As you have progressed through each topic, you have completed the Quick Facts about the Colonies Template to help you organize your ideas. Make sure you have completely filled out each cell with as much detail as possible. You may need to revisit a topic to complete the chart.

Once you have completed the Characteristics of Colonial Regions Template, please submit your work to the dropbox.

Part II - Character Profile Presentation

The colonization of the New World was a time filled with exploration, war, religious freedom, and constant change. This exciting period in history is often portrayed in movies and on television. Did you know that screenwriters often conduct hours of research before writing a script to ensure it is historically accurate? They must combine their creative and historical thinking skills together to develop a compelling story.

For this assignment, imagine that you work as a screenwriter on a team that is developing a television series about the colonization of America. Your team has brainstormed a list of characters that will be featured in the series. Your task is to develop a historically accurate profile of one of the characters in a format that you can present to your team. A character profile identifies a character's distinguishing qualities. In television and film production, screenwriters use character profiles during script writing to develop realistic characters and avoid continuity issues in the story. Follow the steps below to complete your character profile presentation.

1. Select one of the following characters:
   • One of the first colonists to arrive at the Jamestown settlement.
   • A Pilgrim who has just arrived from Europe aboard the Mayflower.
   • A Puritan who has just arrived from England aboard the Arabella.
   • An enslaved African who was taken from his or her homeland and brought to the New World through the Middle Passage.
   • A Quaker who is seeking both religious freedom and economic opportunity.
   • An American Indian who has encountered colonists in New England.
   • You may choose another character not included here, with approval from your instructor.
     
     
2. Determine distinguishing qualities of your character by responding to each of the questions in the Character Profile Research Template. Conduct research to ensure that your character is a historically accurate representation of a person from the colonial period.
   
   
3. Prepare a brief presentation about your character that summarizes your research and includes a visual. Your presentation can be in any format that you choose, such as a slide deck, poster, or infographic. Your instructor will provide an opportunity for you to share your work with your classmates.

Before you begin, access the Character Profile Presentation Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

Reflection

After presenting your character profile to your classmates, take a moment to reflect on the following questions. Respond to each of these questions in a brief four to five sentence paragraph.

• If you lived during the colonial period, would you want to be your character? Why or why not?
• How has researching, developing, and presenting a character profile improved your overall understanding of the characteristics of people who lived during the colonial period?

 

Once you have completed this assignment and reflection, please submit your research template, character profile presentation materials, Works Cited document, and reflection paragraph to the dropbox.

 

Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.