A curriculum for use with disadvantaged students in grades 5-8 provides a variety of "hands-on" experiences through which students can explore the world of work as it existed during the Colonial period. Activities relate to food, clothing, communication, and tool production. They use a range of skills and abilities and can be performed on an individual basis, in groups, or as class projects. The first three chapters suggest activities to clarify the meaning of "bicentennial" and America's Bicentennial; review events of the Colonial period and the historical years, 1770-1782; and provide field trips to museums holding Colonial collections. Four chapters on Colonial occupations contain a total of 24 activities with explicit objectives, lists of materials needed, and directions for each activity. Students make beef jerky, maple syrup, and soap; dye thread; make ink by boiling maple bark, then use a quill to write letters; and fashion corncob pipes, cowbells, and candleholders. In order to compare Colonial and modern production methods, students visit textile mills, food processors, and radio stations. Separate bibliographies of children's books and teacher references are provided, as well as a list of 10 films and filmstrips. (AV)