The second grade expedition, "PA: The Beginning of a Colony", was a study of major European explorers, European encounters with Native Americans, and William Penn and the establishment of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. The students engaged in various activities while learning the historical content. Some of these activities included conversation café, reader's theater, reader's and writer's workshop, webbing, creating a timeline, and participating in field work at Pennsbury Mansion and Bartram's Garden. Their final product was a showcase of various journals that were written from the perspective of explorers, Native Americans, and colonial Pennsylvanians.

Guiding Questions for "PA: The Beginning of a Colony"

• What is the need for exploration?
• What are the effects of exploration? Who benefits? Who suffers?
• What are the structures and/or systems necessary to sustain a colony?
• How do these structures and/or systems change over time?