Location, location, location!
Grade Level: 4
Time Needed: Two 50-60 minute sessions
Unit Essential Question: In early Jamestown, how did choices affect people’s lives?
Lesson Essential Questions: How did the location the settlers chose for the settlement affect their survival?
Virginia Standards:
Social Studies
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to
a) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source documents to understand events in history;
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
VS.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by
f) describing how archaeologists have recovered new material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown;
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by
a) explaining the reasons for English colonization;
b) describing how geography influenced the decision to settle at Jamestown;
f) describing the hardships faced by settlers at Jamestown and the changes that took place to ensure survival;
English
4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
b) Contribute to group discussions.
c) Seek ideas and opinions of others.
d) Use evidence to support opinions.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
4.3 The student will read fiction and nonfiction with fluency and accuracy.
a) Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b) Explain words with multiple meanings.
c) Use knowledge of word origins; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and multiple
meanings of words.
d) Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
4.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction.
d) Make simple inferences, using information from texts.
e) Draw conclusions, using information from texts.
f) Summarize content of selection, identifying important ideas and providing details for each
important idea.
g) Describe relationship between content and previously learned concepts or skills.
h) Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion.
i) Identify new information gained from reading.
4.6 The student will demonstrate comprehension of information resources to research a topic.
b) Collect information, using the resources of the media center, including online, print, and
media resources.
c) Evaluate and synthesize information.
4.7 The student will write effective narratives, poems, and explanations.
a) Focus on one aspect of a topic.
b) Develop a plan for writing.
c) Organize writing to convey a central idea.
e) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation.
f) Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry.
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.
Fine arts
Music
4.14 The student will exhibit respect for the contributions of self and others in a music setting.
1. Contribute to a group effort of making music.
2. Contribute to a group effort of listening to music.
NCSS Standards:
III, People, Places, & Environments
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments, so that the learner can:
c. use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, data bases, grid sys-tems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information;
h. examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of cit-ies, and ecosystem changes in selected locales and regions;
j. observe and speculate about social and economic effects of environmental changes and crises resulting from phenomena such as floods, storms, and drought;
Materials Needed:
Goals/Objectives:
Activities/Instruction
1. 1. Show John Smith’s map of Jamestown (either from online or a purchased copy) and tell students that they are going to be learning about why the settlers chose Jamestown for their settlement and how the choice of location for the settlement affected the colonists.
2. Split the kids into 4 heterogeneous groups for center activities. Assign each group a mascot (teams can be given mascot signs made from the food cutouts from the previous simulation): Turtles, Fish, Deer, and Raccoons. Have the Turtles go to center A, Fish go to Center B (centers A and B are the same), Deer go to Center C, and Raccoons go to Center D (centers C and D are the same).
3. Tell students they will have 20 minutes at each station to complete their work. Tell them to think about how the location choice affected the settlers’ lives as they do the work at each station and be prepared at the end of class for a class activity in which they’ll need to talk about why the site was chosen and all of the issues that were a result of this choice.
All directions for the centers are listed on the student sheets (below) but a summary of each one is provided:
Centers A & B) Students work with primary sources: John Smith’s map of Jamestown and Virginia and excerpts from the instructions that were given to the settlers on how to choose a location for the colony. The students analyze the text from the instructions and try to make sense of it, having group discussions, and then decide if the settlers followed the directions.
Center C & D) Students watch a video on the location choice from PBS called “Secrets of the Dead.” Two children will share a laptop and use headphones/headphone splitter so they don’t disturb other students with the audio. The video summarizes why the settlers chose Jamestown (ships could moor closer to shore, offered protection from enemies ships as the channels were too narrow to escape easily once being fired upon) but also discusses some of the issues that arose from the location (poor water quality caused many diseases and death, water was not good for growing crops). Students then discuss a set of questions about the video.
4. After each 20 minute block, have the Turtles go to center C, Fish go to Center D, Deer go to Center A, and Raccoons go to Center B. If the students do not finish their work for a particular center, work should be taken home for homework or done during free time.
5. Have the students come back together as a class and share what they found out about the location. A list should be written on the board and should include (teacher should cover any points the children didn’t pick up on during centers):
6. Write the choice up on the cause/effect chart (along the lines of "chose to settle in Jamestown where the water was contaminated/a lot of settlers died of diseases from the water contamination and mosquitoes")
7. Now show children the following video: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9958
8. Next, putting the children back into their groups, tell the children they are going to come up with a song about the location of Jamestown. They can choose to do it in either rap form or to the tune of Fara Shaka (the French song) or another tune if a student in their group can play it on an instrument. In their song, they should talk about why the settlers chose Jamestown for the location of their settlement and the problems that came with that decision. They must also incorporate dance moves or movement to emphasize certain words in the song. Play the tune of the song for the kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHsjfx5fmyU
To help the students get started, come up with a class example for the Fara Shaka song so they understand how to match the syllables of the words to the beats in the song. A sample might be "We chose Jamestown/ for our settlement/ to keep us safe/ from the Spanish/but the water's dirty/it gave us diseases/we're all sick/many have died"
Allow kids to start on song (continue next day).
9. On the second day of this lesson, let the students work on their songs for another 30 minutes, then have them perform in front of the class.
Assessment:
Teacher can collect worksheets from two centers for assessment and see if the children understood about the lessons they learned in their centers. They also talk about this in class so the teacher can gauge how the class as a whole understood the lesson.
The second possible assessment is the song assignment. The groups will be evaluated on the content, not on their ability to sing or write songs.
Time Needed: Two 50-60 minute sessions
Unit Essential Question: In early Jamestown, how did choices affect people’s lives?
Lesson Essential Questions: How did the location the settlers chose for the settlement affect their survival?
Virginia Standards:
Social Studies
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and responsible citizenship, including the ability to
a) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source documents to understand events in history;
b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;
d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
VS.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by
f) describing how archaeologists have recovered new material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown;
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America by
a) explaining the reasons for English colonization;
b) describing how geography influenced the decision to settle at Jamestown;
f) describing the hardships faced by settlers at Jamestown and the changes that took place to ensure survival;
English
4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
b) Contribute to group discussions.
c) Seek ideas and opinions of others.
d) Use evidence to support opinions.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary to communicate ideas.
4.3 The student will read fiction and nonfiction with fluency and accuracy.
a) Use context to clarify meanings of unfamiliar words.
b) Explain words with multiple meanings.
c) Use knowledge of word origins; synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms; and multiple
meanings of words.
d) Use word-reference materials, including the glossary, dictionary, and thesaurus.
4.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction.
d) Make simple inferences, using information from texts.
e) Draw conclusions, using information from texts.
f) Summarize content of selection, identifying important ideas and providing details for each
important idea.
g) Describe relationship between content and previously learned concepts or skills.
h) Distinguish between cause and effect and between fact and opinion.
i) Identify new information gained from reading.
4.6 The student will demonstrate comprehension of information resources to research a topic.
b) Collect information, using the resources of the media center, including online, print, and
media resources.
c) Evaluate and synthesize information.
4.7 The student will write effective narratives, poems, and explanations.
a) Focus on one aspect of a topic.
b) Develop a plan for writing.
c) Organize writing to convey a central idea.
e) Utilize elements of style, including word choice and sentence variation.
f) Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry.
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.
Fine arts
Music
4.14 The student will exhibit respect for the contributions of self and others in a music setting.
1. Contribute to a group effort of making music.
2. Contribute to a group effort of listening to music.
NCSS Standards:
III, People, Places, & Environments
Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments, so that the learner can:
c. use appropriate resources, data sources, and geographic tools such as atlases, data bases, grid sys-tems, charts, graphs, and maps to generate, manipulate, and interpret information;
h. examine the interaction of human beings and their physical environment, the use of land, building of cit-ies, and ecosystem changes in selected locales and regions;
j. observe and speculate about social and economic effects of environmental changes and crises resulting from phenomena such as floods, storms, and drought;
Materials Needed:
- Signs for each of the teams and for the table at each center (made from the animal/food cutouts from previous lesson)
- Center worksheets (one of each per child)
- White board or Smart Board to make class list of location-related issues
- Cause/effect chart from previous lessons
- Marker
- Projector
- Laptop
- Access to internet for videos
- Speakers
- 12-14 copies of John Smith’s map of Jamestown from 1612 (can be purchased online)
- Copy of Center 1 worksheet (below) for each child
- Notebook paper for each child
- Pencils
- Copy of Center 2 worksheet for each child
- Laptops from laptop cart (6-8, one for every two children)
- Headphones (12-16)
- Headphone splitter for laptop (one for every laptop)
Goals/Objectives:
- Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of why the settlers chose Jamestown for their settlement location and the effects of that choice by answering questions and having group discussions in centers
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of the location choice and effects of that choice by writing a rap or lyrics to a song
- Students will come up with an interpretive dance or individual moves to go along with their song to show why the settlers chose Jamestown as the settlement location and the effects of that decision
Activities/Instruction
1. 1. Show John Smith’s map of Jamestown (either from online or a purchased copy) and tell students that they are going to be learning about why the settlers chose Jamestown for their settlement and how the choice of location for the settlement affected the colonists.
2. Split the kids into 4 heterogeneous groups for center activities. Assign each group a mascot (teams can be given mascot signs made from the food cutouts from the previous simulation): Turtles, Fish, Deer, and Raccoons. Have the Turtles go to center A, Fish go to Center B (centers A and B are the same), Deer go to Center C, and Raccoons go to Center D (centers C and D are the same).
3. Tell students they will have 20 minutes at each station to complete their work. Tell them to think about how the location choice affected the settlers’ lives as they do the work at each station and be prepared at the end of class for a class activity in which they’ll need to talk about why the site was chosen and all of the issues that were a result of this choice.
All directions for the centers are listed on the student sheets (below) but a summary of each one is provided:
Centers A & B) Students work with primary sources: John Smith’s map of Jamestown and Virginia and excerpts from the instructions that were given to the settlers on how to choose a location for the colony. The students analyze the text from the instructions and try to make sense of it, having group discussions, and then decide if the settlers followed the directions.
Center C & D) Students watch a video on the location choice from PBS called “Secrets of the Dead.” Two children will share a laptop and use headphones/headphone splitter so they don’t disturb other students with the audio. The video summarizes why the settlers chose Jamestown (ships could moor closer to shore, offered protection from enemies ships as the channels were too narrow to escape easily once being fired upon) but also discusses some of the issues that arose from the location (poor water quality caused many diseases and death, water was not good for growing crops). Students then discuss a set of questions about the video.
4. After each 20 minute block, have the Turtles go to center C, Fish go to Center D, Deer go to Center A, and Raccoons go to Center B. If the students do not finish their work for a particular center, work should be taken home for homework or done during free time.
5. Have the students come back together as a class and share what they found out about the location. A list should be written on the board and should include (teacher should cover any points the children didn’t pick up on during centers):
- Chose to settle in Jamestown because it was on a narrow peninsula on the James River
- Had been instructed by the Virginia Company to go inland and find a place that could be easily defended should the Spanish attack
- The water was deep enough to dock their boats very close to shore and so they built their fort right on the river
- They thought the location would have good drinking water
- Swamp-land filled with mosquitoes and bad water
- Water was brackish and contaminated, made settlers sick
6. Write the choice up on the cause/effect chart (along the lines of "chose to settle in Jamestown where the water was contaminated/a lot of settlers died of diseases from the water contamination and mosquitoes")
7. Now show children the following video: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=9958
8. Next, putting the children back into their groups, tell the children they are going to come up with a song about the location of Jamestown. They can choose to do it in either rap form or to the tune of Fara Shaka (the French song) or another tune if a student in their group can play it on an instrument. In their song, they should talk about why the settlers chose Jamestown for the location of their settlement and the problems that came with that decision. They must also incorporate dance moves or movement to emphasize certain words in the song. Play the tune of the song for the kids: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHsjfx5fmyU
To help the students get started, come up with a class example for the Fara Shaka song so they understand how to match the syllables of the words to the beats in the song. A sample might be "We chose Jamestown/ for our settlement/ to keep us safe/ from the Spanish/but the water's dirty/it gave us diseases/we're all sick/many have died"
Allow kids to start on song (continue next day).
9. On the second day of this lesson, let the students work on their songs for another 30 minutes, then have them perform in front of the class.
Assessment:
Teacher can collect worksheets from two centers for assessment and see if the children understood about the lessons they learned in their centers. They also talk about this in class so the teacher can gauge how the class as a whole understood the lesson.
The second possible assessment is the song assignment. The groups will be evaluated on the content, not on their ability to sing or write songs.
center_1-primary_sources.pdf | |
File Size: | 119 kb |
File Type: |
center_2-video.pdf | |
File Size: | 191 kb |
File Type: |