Wednesday 15 January 2014

How we learned about Jamestown

In our history lesson we have been studying the arrivals of the first English settlers to America. We started with the failed settlement of Roanoake and after being able to visit Jamestown in person we are completing our study of Jamestown.  Some of the activities the Children completed were:

We have been reading lots of books that we bought while visiting Jamestown.
I found a paper model of Jamestown fort ages ago and had saved it.  Firedrake colored the pieces and then cut them out and assembled them

While visiting Jamestown we found a simple construction kit of Jamestown which MarioFan worked on

I had both kids look on the computer and get a feel of what the landscape was like near the fort and paint the background.  We just used file folders as our base.

MarioFan's Jamestown fort.  We included a picture of the ship that was used by the  settlers to explore the area

Firedrakes fort, she had some actual houses she could place in her model.

We watched several documentaries on Netflix and on DVD on the history of the Jamestown settlement
While in Jamestown we bought a game called Jamestown Survival to play with the kids.  Unfortunately  this game  is very complicated with each move requiring 7 steps and my kids just didn't like it:(.  
We looked at a replica of John Smith's map of the Virginia colony

We read a replica of the Virginia companies instructions to the first settlers and we discussed the implications.
The kids completed a Jamestown lap book and we have also been learning about the first arrival of Africans to the area.  Next we plan to study the arrival of the pilgrims, quakers and some of the rebellions that took place such as Bacon's rebellion and King Phillips war.  My goal is to complete the American revolution by June, if possible, but we keep finding more and more interesting things to side track us in our history lessons:)


3 comments:

  1. Looks like some fun activities! Too bad that the game wasn't more fun...

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  2. You are so creative with your learning!
    The kids and I are about to get to the Roanoake colony in our World and Brit history. might have to pick your brain for websites.
    Loved the kids models and backgrounds.
    manh you must need a lot of space to store all those creative products!!
    Maybe you should set MF and FD the challenge of making up and better game with the bits and bobs from the Jamestwon game - the visuals looked very cool.
    Love
    Rx

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  3. Thanks for linking up to the Hip Homeschool Moms blog hop! I chose your post post as my favorite from this past week, so you will be featured this Tuesday on the new blog hop. I am pinning your post now on our history Pinterest board. Thank you for being part of our community and linking up! Be sure to stop by and get our new "I was featured on Hip Homeschool Moms" button. Blessings ~Trish

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