Indiana Social Studies 5.G.9

Social Studies5th GradeGeography

The Standard

Describe the political and social organization of each region (i.e., New England, Middle, Southern) that comprised the 13 British colonies.

2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare how local decisions were made in New England, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. They describe the communities and work found in each region. They identify who held political power and who was excluded.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students match town meetings to New England, town and county offices to the Middle Colonies, and county courts to the Southern Colonies. They describe many church-centered New England towns, diverse Middle Colony communities, and Southern plantations and small farms. They know voting was limited and enslaved people lived in all three regions.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think every colony used town meetings and every colonist could vote. They may picture every Southern family living on a large plantation. Some assume slavery existed only in the South.
How to Assess It: Exit ticket: For each region, name one way local decisions were made and one feature of community life. Then name one group excluded from voting.

Lesson moves

Give pairs a three-region map and cards labeled town meeting, religious diversity, and county court; have them place each card and explain why.
Ask students to write two sentences comparing a New England town meeting with a Southern county court, including who could vote.
Read clues such as town meeting, many religious groups, and county court; students raise New England, Middle, or Southern cards and explain their choice.
Show a local government meeting agenda; students identify who makes decisions today and compare that with colonial town meetings or county courts.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 5.G.9, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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