Oklahoma Social Studies 5.C.2.4.C
The Standard
- 5.C.2
- Compare the developments of the New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies.
- 5.C.2.4
- Analyze the forms of self-government in the colonies.
Examine early discussions on intercolonial cooperation exemplified by the Albany Plan of Union and Benjamin Franklin's “Join or Die” political cartoon.
Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (2026) · 5.C.2.4
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students explain why Franklin drew the colonies as pieces of a snake. They describe how a proposed joint council could help colonies work together during the French and Indian War.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student points to the snake's separate pieces as evidence of Franklin's call for unity. They explain that the Albany Plan proposed a joint council but was never put into practice. They do not confuse cooperation with independence.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think the cartoon called for independence from Britain. They may assume each snake piece represents one colony or that the Albany Plan became law.
How to Assess It
- Display the snake cartoon and tell students the Albany Plan proposed a joint council. Ask them to write two sentences: What problem does the cartoon show, and how could a council help?
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups paper snake segments labeled with the cartoon's colony abbreviations; have them assemble the image and label its message.
Ask students to write a two-sentence reply from a colonial delegate: Should your colony join a shared council, and why?
Give pairs cards reading 'shared council,' 'independence,' and 'unite for defense'; have them sort each as cartoon, plan, both, or neither.
Show a map of three towns sharing a river; ask students how a joint flood plan resembles the proposed colonial council.
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Related Standards
- USG.C.2.1.C
Analyze colonial ideas on liberty, the practice of self-government, and the influence of religious thought on foundational documents (e.g., Massachusetts Body o...
- 8.C.1.1.E
Examine the goals of the Albany Plan of Union and how it reflected colonial reactions to changing imperial economic policies.
- 8.C.1.1.F
Compare the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy with early attempts to unite the colonies.
- 8.C.1.3
Examine growing tensions between the North American colonies and Britain.
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