TeachersFirst's Colonial Tour

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Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States. Captain John Smith and Pocahontas were only two of the many characters associated with the Jamestown colony. It's an interesting place because archeologists are still discovering new information about how the colony operated.

Jamestown is close to both Yorktown and Williamsburg, so you can get a great three-for-one visit if your vacation takes you to the area. Plan to spend some time here if you want to see it all. The links below will help you get ready, or give you a good overview if you're vacationing with your computer!

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Virtual Jamestown Grade 5 to 12 - Crandall Shifflet and University of Virginia - 8133

Take a virtual tour of the Jamestown fort, view John Smith's voyage maps, listen to Chesapeake Indians, browse through real records of the Virginia Company at Jamestown, read the actual letters of major colonization participants from the latter 1500s and early 1600s--this site intends to be the one-stop shop for authentic Jamestown research. Spend a few minutes at this site, and you will be swept away to life on the James River 400 years ago.

You will need to scroll down to the bottom of the main page and click on "Teaching Materials" to find several wonderful lesson plans on Jamestown. (This link isn't found on the left side menu.) For teachers who want to bring authentic, first-hand accounts and records into the classroom, this site provides a wealth of actual documentation. We strongly suggest you use the Site Index to get the extensive view of this website's offerings.

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In the Classroom:
The zoomable maps and rotating views of Jamestown artifacts would be effective on an interactive whiteboard. PLan a day to explore together or with partners to find our specifics about the colony. The site also contains a large volume of primary source documents that could be used for students doing research on Jamestown, or in History Day projects.

History is Fun: Jamestown and Yorktown Grade 5 to 12 - Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation- 8134

Indeed, history appears to be 'fun' when you see the extensive historical action at this official Jamestown and Yorktown website. This site promotes learning about America's early history in the Jamestown area through a variety of venues. Watch quick videos, plan your Jamestown field trip or vacation, or take advantage of the abundant curriculum materials available to educators, including .pdf documents: timelines, comprehensive lesson plans, and resource materials. Scroll to the bottom of the curriculum materials page for thorough summary documents of Jamestown and Yorktown.

In the Classroom:
Using a projector or interactive whiteboard, you may enhance your lesson by viewing the short one-minute videos. What a great activator or anticipatory set! With a quick click, this site allows you to buy tickets to these two historical places, so you will want to monitor students.

The Road to Jamestown Grade 5 to 12 - Mark Whitling- 8132

Explore Jamestown from across the Atlantic Ocean. This British site claims to have the 'real' story of the Jamestown settlement through the real life story of Thomas Smythe and his contemporaries. Journey through the web links to discover the important places and people who made the journey in 1607 possible. View the photo gallery of maps and important castles where crucial decisions were made, completing the story of colonization.

In the Classroom:
This site arms teachers with a complete picture of how Jamestown was settled. Students who are doing extensive research on the subject will benefit from the genealogy of the important participants. For an American teacher, it is worth viewing this U.K. site for a well-rounded picture on the subject. Ask your students to compare and contrast this portrayal with one of the American sites and make a Venn diagram of the comparison on your interactive whiteboard.

Jamestown Journey Grade 1 to 12 - Jamestown 400th Commemoration Commission- 8111

Although the impetus for this site is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, they have brought together a wide range of teacher resources that cover the 17th century and 18th century as well as geography, anthropology, economics, history, and even math and science. The lesson plans are searchable by keyword and subject. The site does require prior registration, but there is no cost. This site will be useful far past the anniversary year for which it was built.

In the Classroom:
The lesson plans included on this site are so diverse, few general comments can be made about them. View the list of contributors and sponsors to gain insight into the point of view the lessons may have been written. The plans are tied to standards (for both the U.S. and the U.K). Teachers can save time by filtering through the extensive list using the Jamestown Journey search engine by specifying grade level, subject, and keyword.

Rediscovering Jamestown Grade 6 to 12 - Virginia Historical Society- 3158

This site, created by the Virginia Historical Society, provides a look at recent archaeological activities around the site of the original Jamestown fort and settlement. In addition to descriptions and a number of photos, the site offers additional links to other sites dealing with Jamestown and early English settlements in Virginia.

Jamestown Online Adventure Grade 4 to 7 - - 6578

Imagine that you are the governor of the Jamestown colony, relying on your problem-solving skills, information from fellow colonists, and advice from Native Americans to ensure the success and growth of the settlement. This interactive game places visitors in that role as it keeps score of choices made regarding food, health, money, and morale. At the end, a detailed report on the state of the colony (based on the user's decisions) is generated.

The Pocahontas Myth Grade 6 to 12 - The Powhatan Renape Nation- 8013

The story of the first settlement at Jamestown usually features the brave Indian princess Pocahontas. This site provides a retelling of the Pocahantas story by the people of the Powhatan tribe-- a rewriting that questions whether Pocahontas actually saved John Smith at all. The site takes particular exception to the recent Disney movie, Pocahontas. The discussion outlined here would make a very good "counterpoint" lesson on the generally accepted story of the Jamestown settlement.

In the Classroom:
Students usually enjoy "debunking" myths of history and learning ways that their teachers or textbooks might be wrong. This site provides another viewpoint in the well-known Pocahontas story. There are also possibilities here for discussions of racial stereotyping and the way Pocahontas is portrayed in the media, particularly in the Walt Disney film. Use this discussion to prompt a persuasive writing assignment or history essay on differeing views of history.

National Women's History Museum Grade 7 to 12 - National Women's History Museum- 8784

The National Women's History Museum site includes a rich collection of resources. Although the collection is certainly deep on issues related to women's suffrage, there is also information on women in World War II, women and education, women and the Progressive movement, and women spies. There are good photographs of artifacts from the women's movement, and a nice collection of lesson plans, grouped by grade level.

In the Classroom:
Of course, the site would be useful to students doing research on the women's movement in general, or on the role of women during several important historical eras. In the "educational resources" section, there is a collection of quotations from women that would be great for creating displays for women's history month. There is also a group of quizzes that could be adapted for classroom use. The section focused on the women of Jamestown includes the stories of Native American women as well as the role of early European settler women and could supplement the usual Thanksgiving lessons on the new American colonies.

Interactive Quizzes Grade 3 to 6 - Mrs. Bogucki- 8618

This website, created by a 5th grade teacher who once taught 3rd grade, presents a comprehensive list of interactive quizzes. Topics include Explorers, Jamestown, Flags of the World, Landforms, Iditarod Trail Trivia, Addition Word Problems, Calculating the Area of a Rectangle, Learning Decimals, Fractions, Weather Definitions, Homophones, geographic Regions of North America, and many other topics.

In the Classroom:
These interactive quizzes would work well on an interactive whiteboard at the introduction to a unit (as an informal assessment of prior knowledge or anticipatory set to motivate students). They could also be used individually as learning centers to review and re-teach.

You are the Archaeologist Grade 4 to 7 - Association for Preservation of Virginia Antiquities- 5635

Become a virtual archaeologist and help excavate a site in Jamestown Virginia to reconstruct the life and culture of colonial America. After spending some time in the "field" unearthing artifacts, visitors can enter the virtual lab and begin to catalog and analyze the objects. Students are challenged to identify and determine the approximate ages of the artifacts, while strengthening creative problem-solving skills. Another virtual activity on the site guides budding archaeologists through the historical recreation of a 17th century structure from a single posthole.

Pocahontas, From Fiction to Fact: Using Disney's Film to Teach the Grade 4 to 6 - Yale University- 1170

This unit uses the Disney movie and two other versions to discover the truth about Pocahontas, the Powhatans, their encounters with the English in 1607, and the geography and climate of Virginia.

James River Plantations Grade 7 to 12 - National Park Service- 6432

Studying Colonial America? Don't just rely on the facts in the textbook. View the past through the lens of the everyday life of the gentry, and take a virtual field trip along the James River to view the stately 18th century homes of Virginia. This site explores the architecture, lifestyle, and history of the era, and offers an interactive map, essays describing the significance of each plantation in American history, and many vintage sketches of the individual locations.

In the Classroom:
This site clamors to be the focus of a virtual field trip for secondary students. After prowling through the site yourself, create an itinerary (with related discussion questions) to guide your students through the content.

Unearthing Secret America Grade 6 to 12 - PBS- 5001

Life in colonial America is revealed through a series of archeological explorations documented in this PBS site. Archeologists reveal fascinating information about the first settlers of Jamestown and the hardships they endured. The lives of slaves are also examined through artifacts that reveal specific details of their daily lives. Students can discover what a forensic anthropologist looks for when examining ancient human remains through an interactive "Digging for Clues" feature. Use this site to enhance a unit on Colonial America. It truly provides a historically accurate glimpse of the European and African cultures that made up the fabric of early America.

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