13 colonies map quiz
Map worksheet: The 13 Colonies: Original 13 States (modern borders). Instructions: Write the name of each numbered state. 13 numbered places to name: 1, north; 2, northeast; 3, northeast; 4, northeast; 5, northeast; 6, north; 7, center; 8, center; 9, center; 10, center; 11, center; 12, south; 13, southwest. Word bank: Connecticut; Delaware; Georgia; Maryland; Massachusetts; New Hampshire; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Pennsylvania; Rhode Island; South Carolina; Virginia.
No account needed for the maps. The 13 colonies quiz is free with an Eduaide account. Numbered quiz of the 13 states with answer lines and a word bank, Version B, and an answer key for each version.
How teachers use it
What the quiz looks like
The quiz numbers each of the original 13 states on a map drawn with today's state borders. Below the map are 13 answer lines and a word bank with every state's name. Version B prints the same map with the numbers shuffled, so students sitting side by side can't copy, and each version has its own answer key with the names written on the map and in a list.
Three ways to give it
As practice. Hand out the quiz with the word bank after students have labeled the 13 colonies map once. They match names to numbers, and you can see in a minute who still mixes up Maryland and Delaware.
As a test. Cover the word bank when you photocopy, and students write the names from memory. Give Version A to half the room and Version B to the rest.
As a warm-up. Project the quiz at the start of class for a week and have students write three answers each day. By Friday most of the class knows all 13.
Grading with the key
Each answer key shows every number with the state's name beside it on the map, and lists them in order at the bottom of the page, so you can grade from either. The keys for Version A and Version B are separate pages: check the version printed at the top of a student's sheet before you grade it.
Teach the borders, too
The map uses modern state borders, not those of 1775. Maine was part of Massachusetts, Vermont was disputed between New York and New Hampshire, West Virginia was part of Virginia, and several colonies claimed land far to the west. Students who know this are less likely to label Maine as a colony.
Standards it supports
- C3 Framework, Geography: D2.Geo.1.3-5, constructing maps of places, and D2.Geo.2.6-8, using maps to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and changes in their environmental characteristics.
- C3 Framework, History: D2.His.1.6-8, analyzing connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts.
- State standards for colonial America, often in grade 5 and middle school US history, where students locate the 13 colonies and group them as New England, Middle and Southern colonies.
What teachers ask about these maps
Is it free?
Yes. The blank and labeled maps download free, with no account. A free Eduaide account also unlocks the 13 colonies quiz, and no credit card is needed.
Do I need an account?
Not for the blank and labeled maps: download them straight from this page. The numbered quiz, Version B and answer keys need a free account, made with Google, Microsoft or your email.
Can I copy these maps for my class?
Yes. You may print, copy and share them with the students you teach and their families, in a school, a homeschool or a co-op. Please keep the map data credit at the bottom of each page, and don't sell the maps.
What is Version B?
The same map and word bank with the numbers in a different order, so neighbors can't copy. It has its own answer key.
Can I take the word bank away for a test?
Yes. Cover it with a sheet of paper when you photocopy, and students write the names from memory.
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