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Primary Source Set Jamestown

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Teacher’s Guide

To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides: Analysis Tool and Guides

After five grueling months at sea, a small group of soldiers, laborers, and aristocrats from England completed a 3000-mile journey across the Atlantic and stepped off their ship to greet an unfamiliar new land. The year was 1607 and the land they chose to live on became the first permanent settlement of the British in North America.

Historical Background

From england to asia.

At the dawn of the seventeenth century in Europe, explorers and their patrons focused on the centuries old goal of finding a Northwest Passage from Europe to East Asia. Though it was already well known that there was a significant landmass—the Americas—in the Atlantic Ocean, sailors and explorers were often charged with finding water routes around it. Such was the case as the year 1606 drew to a close. The English monarch King James I granted a charter to a private company known as the Virginia Company to build a settlement in the Chesapeake Bay area of North America. As in other attempts at settlement, two of the primary goals were to find gold and to find a water route to Asia. The original Jamestown was also intended to be strategically located far enough from the James River that it would not be in the firing range of ships belonging to hostile powers such as Spain.

A City on the Swamp

On December 20, 1606, around 100 members of the Virginia Company sailed across the Atlantic. They reached the Chesapeake Bay in April 1607, and they established a settlement on an island up the James River on May 14, naming it “James Towne” after the current monarch, James I, as was the habit of English settlement. Initial hostility between the colonists and a confederation of native groups led by Chief Powhatan led the settlers to establish forts. Nonetheless, the two groups often engaged in trade, which provided a source of food for Jamestown when settlers were only beginning to clear land for agriculture.

A lack of basic hygiene combined with food shortages and cold weather to cause a number of deaths. By the autumn of 1607, it was apparent that colonists had not worked enough to ensure a stable food supply. Many of those who came with the Virginia Company were aristocrats who refused to demean themselves with agricultural labor. Moreover, Jamestown was in a swampy location, which gave rise to epidemics and disease.

Chief Powhatan supplied the English with food, which likely prevented the settlement from collapsing altogether, but only about 40% of the settlers had survived the harsh winter when additional colonists arrived at the beginning of 1608. John Smith was among the colonists who secured food, and thus the colony, through trade and exploration. During 1607, he devoted his energies to repelling attacks and also explored and mapped the area. In December, he was captured and taken to Chief Powhatan. The chief released him on friendly terms after four weeks. Smith later claimed that this was by the efforts of Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, but there is no evidence to support the claim.

Smith, elected president of the local council in September 1608, imposed a more rigid structure. One of the main rules under his regime was “He who does not work, will not eat.” Laziness, particularly among well-heeled colonists, put the settlement in such a precarious position that Smith believed they must be compelled to work to increase the food supply. Though the settlement endured the winter and well into 1609, some of Smith’s contemporaries chafed at his strict leadership. Smith left Jamestown in October 1609 to seek medical treatment in London after receiving a gunpowder injury. He never returned to Jamestown, and the settlement experienced a winter known as the “starving time” during which only a few dozen colonists survived. Many of the survivors abandoned Jamestown.

Jamestown Reemerges

The arrival of Lord De La Warr with supplies and new colonists revived Jamestown after its near abandonment in June 1610. De La Warr’s ships intercepted many fleeing settlers, a number of whom decided to remain in Jamestown under his governorship. The settlement experienced a much more stable period in the years after De La Warr’s arrival, largely from the efforts of John Rolfe, who arrived with the new settlers in 1610. Rolfe is credited as a pioneer in Virginia’s tobacco industry, successfully introducing and cultivating tobacco, which became a major export to England. He also ushered in a period of peace between settlers and natives when he married Powhatan’s daughter, Pocahontas, in 1614. In 1619, two major events foreshadowed later developments in American history. On July 30 the General Assembly, a representative body which in 1634 became the House of Burgesses, convened in response to an order by the Virginia Company to establish a government for the entire colony, making it the first of its kind in North America. That same year, a Dutch trader introduced what may have been the first African slaves to the continent.

Though the settlement to this point had been essentially a business venture administered by the equivalent of a private corporation, the 1620s brought major changes to the colony. The native people became increasingly frustrated with the encroachment of settlers on what they considered to be their lands. In 1622, attacks made on various colonial plantations left 300 dead. Jamestown was spared, but this episode discredited the administration of the Virginia Company. Jamestown was in many ways a losing business venture. In 1624, James I revoked the Company’s charter and designated Virginia as a royal colony.

The town thrived for several decades in the seventeenth century, but declined in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. In the twentieth century, however, archaeologists uncovered several of the settlement’s buildings, and today visitors can view many of the homes and belongings of the people who first brought Jamestown into being.

Suggestions for Teachers

Compare two or three maps created at different times. What differences can you see? How do they compare to a current map of Virginia or the eastern United States?

Put a series of maps in chronological order based on clues on the items; distribute the bibliographic information so students can check accuracy.

Create a time line of explorations of North America.

Compare various images of Pocahontas. What differences are apparent? What similarities?

How do these images compare to other things you know about Pocahontas? What can you learn about Native American villages and dwellings from examining the pictures? How does this information compare to what you know from other sources? What can you learn about Native American clothing and customs from examining the pictures?

How does this information compare to what you know from other sources? Compare how the images portray the Native Americans and the settlers. What bias or perspective is evident? How does this information compare to what you know from other sources? Brainstorm what you know about the people connected with Jamestown. (Possibilities include: Powhatan, Pocahontas, John Smith, John Rolfe, King James I.) Research the facts and compare the role each played in the development of the settlement.

Select items created at various times in history and compare how each portrays Jamestown.

Additional Resources

Today in History: September 10

Today in History: May 14

Meet Amazing Americans: Pocahontas

Jump Back in Time: September 10, 1608

Jump Back in Time: May 14, 1607

American Memory Timeline: Colonial Settlement, 1600-1763

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• Dig Updates Explore Jamestown Rediscovery’s exciting finds in monthly archaeological updates. Archives cover years of archaeology at James Fort.
• Map of Discoveries Click each James Fort feature to learn more about what archaeologists have learned in 20 years of work.
• Dig Deeper Videos
• Digital reDiscovery Virtual Tour
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• NAGPRA at Jamestown
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• History Timeline Follow the growth of England’s first permanent colony in North America and learn about life in James Fort.
• Genealogy Find your connection to the Jamestown story.
• History of Jamestown
• First Settlers
• The First General Assembly
• The First Africans
• Educators & Students Bring Jamestown to the classroom through our lesson plans and virtual school programs.
• Kids & Families Download kid-friendly activities and learn more about family fun on the island.
• Jamestown from Home Explore online resources to learn more about the archaeology and history of Jamestown.
• The Jamestown Fund Making a gift directly supports the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation’s ongoing efforts to research, preserve, and educate about the significance of the original site of America’s birthplace.
• Save Jamestown Support our efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change on Jamestown and its archaeological resources.
• Jamestown Legacy Society Learn more about making a lasting impact by including the Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation in your estate plans.
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Find downloadable PDFs of lesson plans below. Each lesson plan contains background information for teachers on the selected topic, activity instructions, a student worksheet, and discussion questions. Additional lesson plans will be posted on this page as they become available. 

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If you’re looking for ideas on how to teach about Jamestown , you’re in the right place!

Jamestown is a story that fascinates adults and children alike.

17th Century Jamestown was a place of adventure, misery, and later… success !

Each year, I look forward to teaching my students all about this turbulent young settlement.

Teaching About the Powhatan People

You can’t dive right into teaching about the Jamestown settlers’ struggles and successes without first discussing the Native Americans that occupied the land for thousands of years before the Jamestown settlers arrived.

There were approximately 14,000 Powhatan People living in and around Virginia when the first group of Jamestown settlers rowed ashore.

The Powhatan were divided into around 30 tribal groups and all pledged loyalty to one leader, who the English called Chief Powhatan. (Pow-uh-tan)

This teacher-produced video is an excellent way to show students around a Powhatan village: Powhatan Village

Powhatan Culture

The Powhatan culture was markedly different from English culture.

Women built homes, processed meat, farmed, gathered plants, cooked, and performed many other duties.

Men hunted, built canoes, fished, and fought, when necessary.

The Powhatan worshipped multiple gods and spirits, a practice foreign to Jamestown settlers.

What About Pocahontas?

Students always ask about Pocahontas.

She was one of the many children of Chief Powhatan and there are many untruths out there about her.

First, she was married to John Rolfe, Virginia tobacco planter, not John Smith.

Second, she was a young girl when the Jamestown settlers arrived in Virginia.

I do enjoy showing clips of the Disney version of Pocahontas after we’ve finished our Jamestown unit.

My students looooove to point out the inaccuracies in the movie! If we have time, I ask students to write a paragraph or two comparing the Disney movie with the truth about Jamestown.

Grab my free Jamestown Anticipation Guide here!

Teaching About the Founding of Jamestown

Once students have a clear understanding of Powhatan culture, we dive into our study of the settlers who came to Jamestown.

Jamestown was sponsored by the Virginia Company, a group of wealthy investors who planned to profit from the natural resources to be gained from a colony in the New World.

There were no women or girls in the first passage to Jamestown. The Virginia Company did not want to send women to Jamestown until the colony was somewhat established. Women began to travel to Jamestown starting in 1608.

💍 Teach your students about Jamestown’s Mail-Order Brides with a video lesson, printables, and primary sources. 💍

King James I of England (Jamestown’s namesake) provided the charter for the new colony because he wanted to expand England’s power.

Additionally, King James I and the Virginia Company established Jamestown with the future hope of finding a Northwest Passage and converting Native Americans to Christianity.

Many colonial settlements were founded for religious reasons, but Jamestown definitely wasn’t. The mission of Jamestown was to make money for the Virginia Company.

The men who came to Jamestown in the first voyage were interested in riches and adventure.

Please visit this primary source listing of the men and boys who first settled Jamestown:

The First Residents of Jamestown, National Park Service

In my classroom, I give one print out of this page to each cooperative group of students. I ask students to highlight and count the number of each type of individual listed on the registry. For example, how many carpenters, laborers, gentlemen, mariners/sailors, and etc?

Students will find that there were significantly more gentlemen (fancy rich men) than laborers. Ask them to discuss what this means.

I pose this question:

What type of settlement would likely contain a large number of gentlemen and few actual workers?

The truth is that the Virginia Company did not practice good judgement when they decided who to send to Jamestown on the first voyage.

The gentlemen wanted to go because they’d heard rumors that there were pieces of gold lying all over the ground for the taking. Who could pass that up?

The problem with the gentlemen was that they didn’t believe in manual labor, like planting crops, building homes, and establishing a settlement. The unfortunate attitude of the gentlemen caused major problems for the Jamestown settlement.

At this point, I start an amazing read-aloud book,  Blood on the River: James Town, 1607  by Elisa Carbone.

* Please note that Thrive in Grade Five (Jenifer Bazzit)  is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. *

Teaching About Life in Jamestown

As you can imagine, life in 17th Century Jamestown was difficult.

The Jamestown settlers were fully aware that their main purpose for being in the New World was to secure natural resources to send back to England in order to repay the investors of the Virginia Company.

This led to a lot of sawing trees, splitting boards, and very little time building shelter and planting crops.

The Jamestown settlers were able to survive during the first two years because they traded for food with the Powhatan People.

Unfortunately for the Jamestown settlers, their relationship with the Powhatan soured, as you will soon learn.

This 3 minute video clip provides a quick overview of life in Jamestown: Life in Jamestown

How John Smith’s Leadership Helped Jamestown

Despite some major drama on the ship ride over, John Smith became a great asset to the Jamestown colony.

John Smith was a skilled negotiator and was able to secure food from the Powhatan People to help the struggling colony.

He established and nurtured a relationship with Chief Powhatan, ensuring that the colonists were able to trade (and coexist) with their Native American neighbors.

In 1608, the young colony was definitely struggling. When Smith became president of the colony’s council, he instituted new policies to uphold his rule,  He that will not work shall not eat.

Smith ordered an expansion of the fort, the repair of buildings, a new well, and insisted that colonists create and tend farms.

It is probable that Smith made some enemies among the other colonists due to his strong leadership. He was badly injured in a gunpowder incident, either accidentally or intentionally, and returned to England in 1609 for treatment.

Without John Smith’s leadership, the relationship between the colonists and the Powhatan deteriorated. This poor relationship led, in part, to the terrible winter of the Starving Time.

Teaching About Jamestown’s Starving Time

Honestly, teaching about the Starving Time makes me a little queasy. The thought of eating leather, horses, and rats does not sit well with me.

Nonetheless, it’s important to teach this terrible period experienced by England’s first permanent colony.

Many people think the Starving Time was caused solely by the harsh winter of 1609-1610.

There were actually multiple factors that combined to create a hopeless winter for the Jamestown settlers during which most of the settlers perished.

The settlers’ relationship with the Powhatan People had suffered greatly due to the refusal of Jamestown settlers to stay off Powhatan land AND because colonists were caught stealing food from Powhatan storehouses.

Some historians believe that the Powhatan surrounding Jamestown and watching closely for any colonists to leave indicates that they were trying to starve the people inside and bring about the end of Jamestown.

The Powhatan plan was nearly successful. The men and women left inside the fort resorted to eating things we would never dream of consuming, like snakes, rats, boiled leather, and even human flesh.

When discussing the icky foods that colonists ate to survive during the Starving Time, students usually say, “Ewwww, I would NEVER eat that in a million years!”

This leads to a great discussion about hunger, starvation, and the human will to survive. People who are really, truly starving to death will eat just about anything to survive.

George Percy’s Starving Time Quote

I use a quote from George Percy’s journal with my students. George Percy was a gentleman in Jamestown and briefly served as leader. Thanks to his detailed journals, we know a great deal about what happened at Jamestown.

Now all of us at James Town, beginning to feel that sharp prick of hunger, which no man [can] truly describe but he which hath tasted the bitterness thereof. A world of miseries ensued … [and] some, to satisfy their hunger, have robbed the store, for the which I caused them to be executed. Then having fed upon horses and other beasts as long as they lasted, we were glad to make shift with vermin, as dogs, cats, rats, and mice. All was fish that came to net to satisfy cruel hunger, as to eat boots, shoes, or any other leather some could come by. And those being spent and devoured, some were enforced to search the woods and to feed upon serpents and snakes and to dig the earth for wild and unknown roots, where many of our men were cut off and slain by the [Native Americans]. And now famine beginning to look ghastly and pale in every face that nothing was spared to maintain life and to do those things which seem incredible…

We read through this text one line at a time. Students discuss the meaning of each line. This is an excellent primary source quote to use because it’s clear and understandable for students.

After discussing the Starving Time, I introduce students to Jane . Before Jane, some historians did not believe that the Jamestown colonists actually resorted to cannibalism. The discovery of Jane’s skull proves otherwise.

I show this USA Today article on my projection screen and we read it together: 

Jamestown Cannibalism Article

Additionally, I show students this short video so they can see the facial reconstruction process and the final rendition of Jane.

Jamestown Jane

The Starving Time ended in the Spring of 1610. Desperate settlers planned to sail back to England, but were stopped by a supply ship that arrived in time to help the settlement recover and rebuild.

Need a printable Jamestown Teacher’s Guide ? This free teacher’s guide provides background knowledge, pacing/sequence, and resource suggestions.

Teaching About Jamestown’s Cash Crop, Tobacco

Did you know that Jamestown later became a profitable settlement?

John Rolfe thought Virginia soil would be excellent for growing tobacco. He brought tobacco seeds from the Caribbean Islands because he wanted to mimic the mild, sweet tobacco that came from that part of the world.

Virginia tobacco was soon in high demand in England and made Jamestown a wealthy settlement!

The unfortunate truth is that tobacco used up the soil quickly, which led to an increased demand for land.

Also, tobacco requires monumental effort and labor to grow, so the demand for indentured servants and enslaved workers grew quickly.

Click here to view my blog post on Teaching 18th Century slavery. 

If you’re interested in a complete, comprehensive Jamestown Unit, please click on the image to the left.

If you’d like to keep this post for later, simply save this image to your teacher pinterest board.

16 Comments

even though summer has just started, yes, I am already thinking about next year – can’t wait to use the Jamestown “stuff” – I normally cover it in 1 day so I know I don’t do it justice. Can’t wait to use this next year!

thanks again

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, Diane! I have a short time to cover Jamestown too but I usually spend a week on it at the beginning of the school year and then I circle back toward the end of the year to do some of the fun activities as review.

Hi, I read your entire blog and all your resources. This is the most excited I have been about resources since I returned to teaching last December. I am moving from 3rd to 5th yay. However, I could not find a timeline for your units of study. Like you said, when I used to teach I was only one chapter ahead of my kids. These units have me so excited about teaching social studies.

Hi Christine! I am thrilled to hear that you’re excited about teaching 5th grade 🙂 I am going to do a blog post soon on how I teach 5th grade social studies but if you’d like a quick timeline before that, please email me at [email protected] and I’ll send it to you!

Thanks for all of this wonderful information! I am excited to start teaching fifth grade this fall. I would LOVE the social studies timeline, too.

Sure thing! I’ll email it to you in just a bit 🙂

I so wished I found your blog last year when I started teaching Virginia Studies!!! This post is great and I can’t wait to read more of your posts! So much information that I can’t wait to use in my classroom! I just started following your Instagram account too!

Thank you, Felicia! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!

I love this! Did you happen to post the social studies timeline in your blog? I just moved from middle school math and science to 5th grade this year and I am struggling with my timing in social studies.

Hi Amber! Thanks for reaching out to me. This post breaks down my year in social studies. There’s also a PDF guide that you can have sent to you for free at the end of the post! http://thriveingradefive.com/how-i-teach-5th-grade-social-studies/

Hi there! I just wanted to express my thanks for your hard work! I’m not a teacher, just a mom. I’m taking on homeschooling, and your effort and obvious love of history is incredibly valuable to me. Thank you so much! I’m having a great time wandering through your lessons 🙂

Thank you so much, Lindsey! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment 🙂 You may already know this but just in case, I have a free Homeschool Parent’s Guide to Teaching Social Studies that can be sent to you immediately. Here’s the link to grab it: https://pages.convertkit.com/467235e72a/28b5ff6862 Best of luck in your homeschool endeavors!

This is wonderful! I just returned from a trip with 16 of our 5th graders to Washington DC, Mt Vernon, Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown through EF tours. I’m planning for next year and looking for “suggested reading” specific to the early settlements. (I have a list for colonies and colonial life.) Wondering if you have anything besides Blood on the River on your radar, we do that as a read aloud (using audible – its awesome!) Thanks for your hard work and willingness to share!

What an amazing trip, Laura! That sounds amazing 🙂 I am keeping a note of your email address and I’ll send you new books as I find them.

When do you teach the Native American regions? Do you do this when you are discussing Jamestown?

Hi Rose! I teach the Native American Regions before Roanoke and Jamestown. This is because I teach my students about pre-Columbian cultures.

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Colonial America: Jamestown

The Jamestown settlement was the first English settlement in what is now the United States. In this worksheet about colonial America, students practice reading nonfiction with a brief history of the settlement, then demonstrate their nonfiction comprehension by answering a few short answer questions. This reading and writing resource lends well to a fourth or fifth grade curriculum.

View aligned standards

Related guided lesson.

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Jamestown Questions and Answers

Jamestown study tools.

The Jamestown Colony Assignment

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Description

Review information concerning European colonization of the Americas.

Research: Explore the experiences of the English settlers at Jamestown.

Respond: Complete a chart detailing the instructions to the Virginia colonists and the difficulties they encountered. Using this information, write a new set of instructions and make recommendations for the administration and survival of the colony.

Part 2: New Instructions to the Virginia Colony

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At a Glance

Lesson format, jamestown: the starving time.

Students analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources to determine the cause of the Jamestown starving time during the winter of 1609–1610.

This lesson provides a great opportunity for students to engage in real historical inquiry with prepared sources. The lesson is displayed in three locations on the site: the student view , which guides the student through the activity; the teacher view , which provides additional background information; and a PDF file that contains scripted instructions for the lesson.

Students first read a textbook passage about the Jamestown colony in 1609 and 1610. They then discuss how the writers of the textbook might have obtained their information, and go on to analyze primary source documents that expand upon the textbook account. Students essentially "do history" as they use a variety of sources to answer a clear, concise historical question—one that can be answered in multiple ways with the given data.

Another strength of this lesson is the document collection itself. A wide variety of primary sources offer greater insight into the reasons for the food shortage that resulted in the death of over 400 colonists in Jamestown during the winter of 1609–1610. Particularly helpful to teachers with struggling readers is the fact that the lesson includes not only the original documents, but also "modern" versions of the documents, written in language much more accessible to students.

While the detective log graphic organizer included in the lesson provides space for students to record source information, and the lesson itself provides a great exercise in sourcing, the documents themselves contain little source information. We recommend that teachers support students in using the available information about each document to understand its perspective and meaning. In general, the lesson provides good opportunities to engage in historical inquiry, to open up and go beyond the textbook, and to use primary sources to analyze the causes of an event.

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In our Jamestown lesson plan, students learn about the early settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. Students learn the significance of this settlement in relation to the 13 colonies and how the settlers interacted with local native populations.

Included with this lesson are some adjustments or additions that you can make if you’d like, found in the “Options for Lesson” section of the Classroom Procedure page. One of the optional additions to this lesson is to invite a historian to speak to your class about the early expeditions to America.

Description

Additional information, what our jamestown lesson plan includes.

Lesson Objectives and Overview: Jamestown lesson plan introduces students to the Jamestown settlement in 1607 and its significance to America and the original 13 colonies. Most students are aware of the 13 Original Colonies but often know little about the first permanent English settlement in North America. At the end of the lesson, students will be able to identify and locate the Jamestown settlement and explain its significance in the history of America. This lesson is for students in 3rd grade and 4th grade.

Classroom Procedure

Every lesson plan provides you with a classroom procedure page that outlines a step-by-step guide to follow. You do not have to follow the guide exactly. The guide helps you organize the lesson and details when to hand out worksheets. It also lists information in the orange box that you might find useful. You will find the lesson objectives, state standards, and number of class sessions the lesson should take to complete in this area. In addition, it describes the supplies you will need as well as what and how you need to prepare beforehand. To prepare for this lesson ahead of time, you can pair students for the activity and copy the handouts.

Options for Lesson

Included with this lesson is an “Options for Lesson” section that lists a number of suggestions for activities to add to the lesson or substitutions for the ones already in the lesson. An optional adjustment to the lesson activity is to assign each group a different question. For an additional lesson activity, you could invite a historian to speak to your class about the early expeditions to America. You can also discuss what life might have been like for the settlers and, especially, their children. You could display a world map and show your students the route to Jamestown from England. Another option is to allow students to access the internet and “visit” Jamestown that way. Finally, you can use coloring pages as an additional activity.

Teacher Notes

The teacher notes page includes a paragraph with additional guidelines and things to think about as you begin to plan your lesson. This page also includes lines that you can use to add your own notes as you’re preparing for this lesson.

JAMESTOWN LESSON PLAN CONTENT PAGES

Settlement in america.

The Jamestown lesson plan includes three content pages. The lesson begins by asking students if they’ve ever wondered who, apart from the Native Americans, the first people in the Americas were. Why would people want to come to an unexplored place like America in the 1600s and why did they want to go to another country?

Many people visit America from other countries today, usually traveling via airplane. Before the 1600s, explorers from Europe traveled for weeks or months at a time on boats. They thought that unexplored lands had treasures and resources that they wanted. They also wanted to find other civilizations to trade with. Greenland’s Leif Eriksson (in around 1000), Christopher Columbus (in 1492), and many others traveled to North and South America.

Plymouth, Massachusetts was the first permanent English colony in North America, established in 1620 by the Plymouth Company. King James I established this colony in 1606 to establish settlements on the east coast of North America. The Pilgrims who traveled on the Mayflower settled there in the winter of 1620. These Pilgrims looked for religious freedom and they lived peacefully alongside the Native Americans. The 102 passengers traveled from three months from England to the new colony. Almost half of the people on the trip died while traveling or during the first winter.

This was not the first English settlement in America, though it did become the first permanent English colony. The first settlement was in Jamestown, Virginia in 1607. This settlement lasted for less than 100 years and failed in 1698.

The Founding of Jamestown

King James I financed an expedition to the Americas in 1606 with three ships, the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery. The ships carried 144 men, 39 crewmen and 109 settlers. They left from London on December 20, 1606 and first traveled south to the Canary Islands. From there, they went across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands, where they landed in modern-day Puerto Rico. They then traveled north and landed at Cape Henry in Virginia on April 26, 1607.

First, they had to decide where to place their fort for defense. They did not know what to expect so they chose an island and named the settlement Jamestown after King James. This was not a great spot for the settlement, because the summers were hot and swampy and the winters were cold.

The people expected to travel to America, find gold, get rich, and return to England. They did not know how to fish, hunt, or farm and had no survival skills. This made their first few years very difficult.

100 Years of Jamestown

More than half of the original settlers died in the first year of the settlement from disease, unsafe water, and starvation. The local Native Americans, the Powhatan people, also killed some settlers during battle. The Powhatan and a supply ship in January 1608 helped the surviving settlers. This supply ship also brought the first women to Jamestown.

Captain John Smith, elected in September 1608, was the fourth leader of Jamestown. He established a policy of “no work, no food” which meant that only the people who worked got to eat.

The Powhatan captured Smith at one point, but the chief’s daughter, Pocahontas, saved him. Smith then started trading with the Native American people. Smith returned to England in 1609 after injuring himself with gunpowder and never returned, although he did continue to help the development of the colony.

After this came the Starving Time, a period where the Native Americans and settlers fought. Many English men and women died from starvation and disease without the help of the Native Americans and the leadership of John Smith. Only 50 out of 500 people survived during 1609 and 1610. This was the worst year in the settlement’s history.

The remaining settlers planned to abandon the colony and return to England. However, a ship arrived with supplies and new colonists before they could leave. They reorganized the colony and started small industries like glassmaking, wood production, and others. None of these ventures were profitable.

They did find financial success with the cash crop tobacco. Colonist John Rolfe, who later married Pocahontas, introduced the crop in 1613. They needed lots of land and labor to grow it. In 1619, Africans arrived in Jamestown as indentured servants and later as slaves. They were the primary source of labor for the colony.

In 1619, they also started their first government with a general assembly. The colonists went to war with the Powhatan in 1622 and some of the men in King James I’s company acted badly. King James I cut off his support of the colony in 1624. It then became a royal colony, or British territory. Jamestown was the center of Virginia’s government for the next 75 years, until it moved to Williamsburg. It stopped existing in the mid-1700s and is a historic landmark today.

Here is a list of the vocabulary words students will learn in this lesson plan:

• Leif Eriksson: Explorer from Greenland in the year 1000
• Christopher Columbus: Traveled to the Americas in 1492
• Plymouth: First permanent English colony in America, 1620
• Pilgrims: People who settled first colony in Massachusetts
• Mayflower: Ship used by the Pilgrims in 1620
• Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery: Three ships who carried men to America
• Cape Henry: Landing location in Virginia on April 26, 1607
• Powhatan: Native Americans people who fought and helped
• Captain John Smith: Leader who established a “no work, no food” policy
• Pocahontas: Powhatan chief’s daughter, married John Rolfe
• Starving Time: Period of fighting between Natives and colonists
• Cash crop: Type of plant; tobacco in Jamestown
• John Rolfe: Introduced tobacco and married Pocahontas
• Indentured servants: Servants who had to work for their freedom

JAMESTOWN LESSON PLAN WORKSHEETS

The Jamestown lesson plan includes three worksheets: an activity worksheet, a practice worksheet, and a homework assignment. You can refer to the guide on the classroom procedure page to determine when to hand out each worksheet.

TIME TRAVEL ACTIVITY WORKSHEET

Students will work with a partner to complete the lesson activity. Each pair will imagine that they go back in time as two of the first settlers in Jamestown. They will imagine that they are the two leaders of the colony. Using what they know about Jamestown’s history, they will decide what laws to create, what the settlers should be responsible for, and what they need to prepare for winter.

Students can work either alone or in groups for this activity if you’d like them to.

UNSCRAMBLE THE LETTERS PRACTICE WORKSHEET

For the practice worksheet, students will first unscramble the letters for different definitions or descriptions related to Jamestown. They will also list some advantages and disadvantages of the relationship between the Native Americans and the Jamestown and Plymouth settlers in North America in the 1600s.

JAMESTOWN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

The homework assignment asks students to put ten events in chronological order. They will also answer three questions about the lesson material.

Worksheet Answer Keys

This lesson plan includes answer keys for the practice worksheet and the homework assignment. If you choose to administer the lesson pages to your students via PDF, you will need to save a new file that omits these pages. Otherwise, you can simply print out the applicable pages and keep these as reference for yourself when grading assignments.

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Begin the Journey! Use the links below to begin your journey   (these links are also on the resources page), go to assignment 2 when you're ready for the next adventure. . US School Assignment Asking Students If God Is Real Sparks Uproar Online In a facebook post, the parent, olivia gray, posted her daughter nettie gray's world history assignment and described it as "some crazy shit".. The assignment was titled "How did the world start?" (Representative pic) A homework assignment given to high school students in the US has ignited uproar online after a concerned parent shared a photo of the questions a teacher wanted the child to answer, including "Is God read?" In a Facebook post, the parent, Olivia Gray, posted her daughter Nettie Gray's world history assignment and described it as "some crazy shit". The assignment - titled "How did the world start?" - ended with two questions that raised concerns: "Is God real?" and "Is Satan real?" 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Once administration reviewed the assignment, it was determined that the presentation of the material was not conducive to our instructional plan." "Administration and staff will continue to collaborate on best practices to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards," the statement added. Track Budget 2023 and get Latest News Live on NDTV.com. Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world . India Elections | Read Latest News on Lok Sabha Elections 2024 Live on NDTV.com . Get Election Schedule , information on candidates, in-depth ground reports and more - #ElectionsWithNDTV Watch Live News: Search Please fill out this field. Manage Your Subscription Give a Gift Subscription Newsletters Sweepstakes Human Interest Real People Real People Parenting High School Assignment Sparks Controversy for Asking Students to Answer ‘Is God Real?’ “This is some crazy s--- overall and also on a technical level,” said a Skiatook High School student’s mother A homework assignment ignited uproar online after a concerned parent shared a photo of the questions a teacher wanted her child to answer, including "Is God real?" 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In a statement to area news outlet 2 News Oklahoma on Aug. 19, the school district addressed the situation. “Skiatook Public Schools became aware of the World History assignment in question through a social media post,” the statement read. “Once administration reviewed the assignment, it was determined that the presentation of the material was not conducive to our instructional plan.” “Administration and staff will continue to collaborate on best practices to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards,” the statement added. PEOPLE reached out to Skiatook Public Schools’ Superintendent Rick Loggins and Director of Curriculum Tim Buck for comment about the controversial assignment, but did not immediately hear back. Related Articles Georgia’s Reset and Russia’s Response (Part Two) Publication: eurasia daily monitor volume: 10 issue: 111, by: vladimir socor. 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King James I of England (Jamestown's namesake) provided the charter for the new colony because he wanted to expand England's power. Additionally, King James I and the ... Jamestown Colony Reading with Questions Directions: Read the text above, then answer the questions below. 1. What English monarch granted a charter to the Virginia company? 2. Who emerged as the dominant figure in the Jamestown colony during its first year? 3. How many of Jamestown's original 300 settlers were still alive by May of 1610? 4. Colonial America: Jamestown The Jamestown settlement was the first English settlement in what is now the United States. In this worksheet about colonial America, students practice reading nonfiction with a brief history of the settlement, then demonstrate their nonfiction comprehension by answering a few short answer questions. This reading and writing resource lends well ... 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Reported resources will be reviewed by our team. Teachinghistory.org The lesson is displayed in three locations on the site: the student view, which guides the student through the activity; the teacher view, which provides additional background information; and a PDF file that contains scripted instructions for the lesson. Students first read a textbook passage about the Jamestown colony in 1609 and 1610. ReadWorks This is the seal of the Virginia Company, 1606-1624. In 1606, King James I approved a plan for a new settlement in North America. The Virginia Company was in charge of the formation of this settlement. In December 1606, the Virginia Company sent a group of about 100 colonists to North America. Jamestown, Free PDF Download They will also list some advantages and disadvantages of the relationship between the Native Americans and the Jamestown and Plymouth settlers in North America in the 1600s. JAMESTOWN HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT. 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