Rhode Island

Summary
A lesson on the state of Rhode Island. The reading is accompanied by true/false questions.

Objectives
• To introduce students to salient features about the state of Rhode Island and its history.

Suggested Grades
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade

Excerpt
Rhode Island, the smallest state in the United States, is one of the six New England states located in the northeast corner of the country. Rhode Island has just two neighboring states, Connecticut to the west and Massachusetts to the north and east. The Atlantic Ocean forms an extensive southern coastline for Rhode Island that is dominated by Narragansett Bay. The state includes large islands in the bay.

Early History
Native American people called Narragansetts, who spoke an Algonquian language, were the largest group inhabiting the area of Rhode Island and parts of Massachusetts around 1500 CE. This was a large society of about 20,000 individuals. Algonquians, as all the tribes in the area are called, were skilled at making boats and canoes for transportation and fishing as well as making bows and arrows for hunting.

Continued...