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May 2004

Colonial House
Companion site to the PBS hands-on-history series.
Grade Level: Pre-K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, Advanced, Professional

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/colonialhouse/

CONTENT:
Colonial House, a companion site to the PBS hands-on history series by the same name, explores life in the New World in 1628. It includes lesson plans and activities for use in grades 5-8.
AESTHETICS:
The site is well designed and user friendly with high quality photos, video, audio, and 360 degree panoramas..
ORGANIZATION:
The content is organized into four categories: Meet the Colonists, Behind the Scenes, Interactive History, and Media Gallery. Each is accessible from the top menu bar as well as embedded text links on the main page. Additionally a bottom menu bar includes a sitemap that outlines the contents of each section.

REVIEW:
Bring colonial life of the 1620s into your classroom with Colonial House. The website includes audio and video diaries of the twenty eight “colonists” who were brought together “in their New World on a period tall ship and struggled to create a functioning and profitable colony, like those of America's first settlers, using only the tools and technology of the era.” In addition to the information about the colonists and how the television program was made there is an interactive history section that offers quizzes, panoramic views of the colony, information about other areas of the New World in the 1700s, interactive educational activities and games. The teacher resources include standards-based lesson plans that contain comprehensive instructions for classroom implementation, downloadable student handouts, and suggestions for cross-curricular extensions. Included are interactive activities that engage students in exploring and understanding colonial life in the 1620s and a resource section with related Web sites and books.

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05/28/2004