Would you go to Jamestown?
Grade Level: 4
Time Needed: Two blocks of time (first and last day)- first block, 35-40 minutes; second block, 30-40 minutes
Unit Essential Question: In early Jamestown, how did choices affect people’s lives?
Lesson Essential Questions: Who chose to start the Jamestown settlement and why? Would you choose to go to Jamestown? How do our choices affect our lives?
Virginia Standards:
Social Studies
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
e) make connections between past and present;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by
a) explaining the reasons for English colonization;
c) identifying the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of Londonin establishing the Jamestown settlement;
English
4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
b) Contribute to group discussions.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
4.7 The student will write effective narratives, poems, and explanations.
a) Focus on one aspect of a topic.
e) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation.
4.8 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and
sentence structure.
a) Use subject-verb agreement.
b) Include prepositional phrases.
c) Eliminate double negatives.
d) Use noun-pronoun agreement.
e) Use commas in series, dates, and addresses.
f) Incorporate adjectives and adverbs.
g) Use the articles a, an, and the correctly.
h) Use correct spelling for frequently used words, including common homophones.
NCSS Standards:
II, Time, Continuity, & Change
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time, so that the learner can:
b. demonstrate an ability to use correctly vocabulary associated with time such as past, present, future, and long ago; read and construct simple timelines; identify examples of change; and recognize examples of cause and effect relationships;
Materials Needed:
Goals/Objectives:
Activities/Instruction:
1. Show kids the “Jamestown Discovery” painting by artist Dale Glasgow from the following website: http://www.daleglasgow.com/landscapes.html (this would be a great addition to the classroom for the unit) or any paintings of the original settlers at Jamestown. Ask them what it reminds them of (they might talk about explorers like Christopher Columbus, etc.- this helps the teacher gauge how much they already know about the exploration of the Americas and possibly interactions with the Native Americans).
2. Tell the kids that this painting depicts Jamestown, Virginia. Ask if any students have ever heard of or been to Jamestown. Let children share information they know about the settlement.
3. Explain to them that 104 men were sent from England to Jamestown (the name the settlers gave it when they arrived, after the King of England, King James). King James I granted a charter (see image of actual document here) to send the Virginia Company of London (the financiers who hoped to profit from the economic venture) to start a settlement in Virginia. Explain that England was trying to increase its wealth and power like the Spanish; the main purpose of the settlement was to find silver, gold, natural resources (like timber, which was scarce in England) and to open new trade markets (if possible, have examples of the items they wanted to find so ELL students will be able to associate the item with the name as it is held up). While this was mainly an economic venture, a few settlers also hoped to spread Christianity to the native people in the Americas.
4. Tell kids "As you all know, our class question of the year is 'How do our choices affect our lives?' Well, there were many choices made about the Jamestown settlement that affected the survival of the colonists. We are going to be learning about those choices in our next unit about the early days of Jamestown."
5. Ask kids to pretend that they are living in England in the early 1600s. Teacher should pretend to be a member of the Virginia Company and should animatedly tell the students “Would you like to get rich off of gold and silver? Do you long for adventure? If so, do I have the chance of a lifetime for you!” Tell the students that people are needed to go to the Americas to start a new settlement there, and that there is a great possibility that there will be a lot of riches in it for the people who go. The Spanish have had great success finding riches in the Americas and now it is England’s turn! Tell the students that in order to start the settlement, they need people to go over and work at the settlement (the group will give them a free ride over in exchange for their labor) or people to go over and search for gold and help pay for the venture.
6. Have the students think about whether or not they want to go over and then have them write and/or draw their decision on a blank piece of paper with at least two reasons for why they made this decision. After they’ve all made their choices, have the students fold their papers and put them in an envelope with their name on the front. The students should illustrate the envelope with pictures of what they think settlement life will be like. The teacher collects the papers and envelopes for assessment and later after looking at them, seals the envelopes so they can't be opened until the end of the unit.
7. After collecting the envelopes, the teacher should explain that they will open the envelopes at the end of the week, after they’ve learned more about the settlement, and talk about if they think they made the right decision. Explain that the people who chose to go over knew very little about what lay in store for them, just like the students. Those that decided to be part of the venture went into it without knowing how their lives would be affected. Explain that the next lesson they would learn about choices that were made by the Virginia Company about who they picked to go and the effects of those choices.
NOTE: The second part of this lesson below is continued on the last day.
8. Now that they have learned about more about Jamestown, have the students open envelopes and reveal their choices and what they originally thought life would be like (the drawing on the envelope). Take volunteers to share their choices to the rest of the class. Students should explain the choice they made and why they originally made that choice.
9. Next, have students write and/or illustrate a reflection in their Social Studies Reflection journal about how they now feel about their decision and if they were right about life in the settlement. Do they think they made the right choice? How might their choice have affected their life? Was life at all like what they expected based on the speech the person from the Virginia Company (the teacher) gave on the first day? Why might they have presented the expedition that way?
10. After writing their reflections, talk in their small groups (groups of 4) about how their choice may have affected them had they actually gone to Jamestown. Have them talk about whether or not they would change their decision in light of what they know now.
11. After small group discussion or about 5 or 10 minutes, have the class come back together and share highlights from their conversations.
12. Explain that not all choices are life or death situations, some can be as simple as “I chose to save my money and now I can afford to buy a new bike.” Have students think about other times they have made choices that resulted in a certain outcome, either good or bad and then share examples as a class.
13. Remind kids that they learned a lot about how choices can affect people in this unit. Then introduce the assessment, found here, which they will have the next day.
Assessment:
The teacher does an initial informal formative assessment to see what the students already know about Jamestown. Teacher asks students to talk about a picture (of Jamestown) and settlers to see what it reminds them of. Teacher also directly asks what they already know about Jamestown. This assessment will give a broad sense of what the students know, though since not all students will respond, it won’t be possible to gauge what ALL of the students already know.
For another informal formative assessment to see what the children might know about Jamestown, the teacher collects the children's choices at the beginning of the unit. The teacher looks at their motivations behind wanting to go or choosing to stay in England. If students are aware of the early days of the settlement and the hardships the colonists faced, they would likely list these as reasons for not going. Most students will likely be motivated by the promise of riches and decide to go. After looking at the student work, teacher places them in envelopes and seals them.
This assessment also will serve as an assessment at the end of the unit to see if the children understand the consequences of their choice. The students will write a reflection in their journal at the end to discuss their choice and whether or not they think it was wise. They also discuss life in the settlement and whether or not they feel misled by the Virginia Company and its promises of wealth. Teacher can gauge whether the student realizes how dangerous choosing to go to the settlement was.
Time Needed: Two blocks of time (first and last day)- first block, 35-40 minutes; second block, 30-40 minutes
Unit Essential Question: In early Jamestown, how did choices affect people’s lives?
Lesson Essential Questions: Who chose to start the Jamestown settlement and why? Would you choose to go to Jamestown? How do our choices affect our lives?
Virginia Standards:
Social Studies
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
e) make connections between past and present;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by
a) explaining the reasons for English colonization;
c) identifying the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of Londonin establishing the Jamestown settlement;
English
4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
b) Contribute to group discussions.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
4.7 The student will write effective narratives, poems, and explanations.
a) Focus on one aspect of a topic.
e) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation.
4.8 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, spelling, punctuation, and
sentence structure.
a) Use subject-verb agreement.
b) Include prepositional phrases.
c) Eliminate double negatives.
d) Use noun-pronoun agreement.
e) Use commas in series, dates, and addresses.
f) Incorporate adjectives and adverbs.
g) Use the articles a, an, and the correctly.
h) Use correct spelling for frequently used words, including common homophones.
NCSS Standards:
II, Time, Continuity, & Change
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time, so that the learner can:
b. demonstrate an ability to use correctly vocabulary associated with time such as past, present, future, and long ago; read and construct simple timelines; identify examples of change; and recognize examples of cause and effect relationships;
Materials Needed:
- Access to internet and computer
- Projector or printout of painting
- Fools gold, silver, and “timber” for show
- Blank paper (one sheet for each child)
- Markers/crayons/pencils
- Envelopes (one for each child)
- Notebook paper (one sheet for each
child)
Goals/Objectives:
- Students will learn and be able to tell the reasons for the founding of the Jamestown settlement
- Students will consider whether they would choose to go to the new unknown land and start a new settlement and write or illustrate the reasons for their choice
- Students will revisit their initial choice on whether or not they wanted to go to the new settlement and using information learned during the unit, see if their choice was a good decision; students will participate in discussions regarding choices
- Students will demonstrate understanding of the choices that affected the settlers’ survival in Jamestown and write a letter about these choices as well as the effects they had and what could have been done differently to change the fate of the settlers who died
Activities/Instruction:
1. Show kids the “Jamestown Discovery” painting by artist Dale Glasgow from the following website: http://www.daleglasgow.com/landscapes.html (this would be a great addition to the classroom for the unit) or any paintings of the original settlers at Jamestown. Ask them what it reminds them of (they might talk about explorers like Christopher Columbus, etc.- this helps the teacher gauge how much they already know about the exploration of the Americas and possibly interactions with the Native Americans).
2. Tell the kids that this painting depicts Jamestown, Virginia. Ask if any students have ever heard of or been to Jamestown. Let children share information they know about the settlement.
3. Explain to them that 104 men were sent from England to Jamestown (the name the settlers gave it when they arrived, after the King of England, King James). King James I granted a charter (see image of actual document here) to send the Virginia Company of London (the financiers who hoped to profit from the economic venture) to start a settlement in Virginia. Explain that England was trying to increase its wealth and power like the Spanish; the main purpose of the settlement was to find silver, gold, natural resources (like timber, which was scarce in England) and to open new trade markets (if possible, have examples of the items they wanted to find so ELL students will be able to associate the item with the name as it is held up). While this was mainly an economic venture, a few settlers also hoped to spread Christianity to the native people in the Americas.
4. Tell kids "As you all know, our class question of the year is 'How do our choices affect our lives?' Well, there were many choices made about the Jamestown settlement that affected the survival of the colonists. We are going to be learning about those choices in our next unit about the early days of Jamestown."
5. Ask kids to pretend that they are living in England in the early 1600s. Teacher should pretend to be a member of the Virginia Company and should animatedly tell the students “Would you like to get rich off of gold and silver? Do you long for adventure? If so, do I have the chance of a lifetime for you!” Tell the students that people are needed to go to the Americas to start a new settlement there, and that there is a great possibility that there will be a lot of riches in it for the people who go. The Spanish have had great success finding riches in the Americas and now it is England’s turn! Tell the students that in order to start the settlement, they need people to go over and work at the settlement (the group will give them a free ride over in exchange for their labor) or people to go over and search for gold and help pay for the venture.
6. Have the students think about whether or not they want to go over and then have them write and/or draw their decision on a blank piece of paper with at least two reasons for why they made this decision. After they’ve all made their choices, have the students fold their papers and put them in an envelope with their name on the front. The students should illustrate the envelope with pictures of what they think settlement life will be like. The teacher collects the papers and envelopes for assessment and later after looking at them, seals the envelopes so they can't be opened until the end of the unit.
7. After collecting the envelopes, the teacher should explain that they will open the envelopes at the end of the week, after they’ve learned more about the settlement, and talk about if they think they made the right decision. Explain that the people who chose to go over knew very little about what lay in store for them, just like the students. Those that decided to be part of the venture went into it without knowing how their lives would be affected. Explain that the next lesson they would learn about choices that were made by the Virginia Company about who they picked to go and the effects of those choices.
NOTE: The second part of this lesson below is continued on the last day.
8. Now that they have learned about more about Jamestown, have the students open envelopes and reveal their choices and what they originally thought life would be like (the drawing on the envelope). Take volunteers to share their choices to the rest of the class. Students should explain the choice they made and why they originally made that choice.
9. Next, have students write and/or illustrate a reflection in their Social Studies Reflection journal about how they now feel about their decision and if they were right about life in the settlement. Do they think they made the right choice? How might their choice have affected their life? Was life at all like what they expected based on the speech the person from the Virginia Company (the teacher) gave on the first day? Why might they have presented the expedition that way?
10. After writing their reflections, talk in their small groups (groups of 4) about how their choice may have affected them had they actually gone to Jamestown. Have them talk about whether or not they would change their decision in light of what they know now.
11. After small group discussion or about 5 or 10 minutes, have the class come back together and share highlights from their conversations.
12. Explain that not all choices are life or death situations, some can be as simple as “I chose to save my money and now I can afford to buy a new bike.” Have students think about other times they have made choices that resulted in a certain outcome, either good or bad and then share examples as a class.
13. Remind kids that they learned a lot about how choices can affect people in this unit. Then introduce the assessment, found here, which they will have the next day.
Assessment:
The teacher does an initial informal formative assessment to see what the students already know about Jamestown. Teacher asks students to talk about a picture (of Jamestown) and settlers to see what it reminds them of. Teacher also directly asks what they already know about Jamestown. This assessment will give a broad sense of what the students know, though since not all students will respond, it won’t be possible to gauge what ALL of the students already know.
For another informal formative assessment to see what the children might know about Jamestown, the teacher collects the children's choices at the beginning of the unit. The teacher looks at their motivations behind wanting to go or choosing to stay in England. If students are aware of the early days of the settlement and the hardships the colonists faced, they would likely list these as reasons for not going. Most students will likely be motivated by the promise of riches and decide to go. After looking at the student work, teacher places them in envelopes and seals them.
This assessment also will serve as an assessment at the end of the unit to see if the children understand the consequences of their choice. The students will write a reflection in their journal at the end to discuss their choice and whether or not they think it was wise. They also discuss life in the settlement and whether or not they feel misled by the Virginia Company and its promises of wealth. Teacher can gauge whether the student realizes how dangerous choosing to go to the settlement was.