Introduction

You have boarded a time machine.  The dial is set for the colony of Virginia in 1607.  Two groups of people are about to collide -- the Native Americans from the Algonquian tribe, who already live in Virginia, and white English colonists. 

What do you think it would be like to be a member of one of these groups in Jamestown at this time?

The goals of this assignment are:

• To learn about Jamestown
• To practice using the Internet
• To gather information from the Internet and use it to make notes on your topics
• To work cooperatively in groups

You have successfully reached your destination!  You now live in Jamestown in 1607. Your task is the following:

• Choose whether you wish to be English or Algonquian
• Research information on your group 
• Report to the class on the research you completed
• Participate in class discussion

To accomplish these tasks:

1.  You will work in groups of four students.

2.  Each group will be either Algonquian or English. Each group member will be responsible for researching one of the following areas for his or her group. The areas are as follows:

• Person #1:  Explain why your group of people lives in Jamestown and where Jamestown is located in Virginia
• Person #2:  Describe what your life is like in Jamestown
• Person #3:  Explain how your group of people interacts with the other group of people in Jamestown
• Person #4:  Tell how these relationships have affected the history of Colonial Virginia

3.  Each group member will be responsible for taking notes on the research he or she completed.

4.  Each group will present its research to the class and participate in a group discussion about life in Jamestown. 

Resources

Algonquians

You will be researching the following topics on the Algonquian tribe:

Person #1: Why the Algonquian tribe lived in Jamestown in the 1600s and where Jamestown is located in Virginia.
Person #2: What Algonquian life was like in Virginia, focusing on the following aspects: family, type of homes, clothes, food, weapons/tools, jobs, religion, and recreation.
Person #3: How the Algonquians got along with the English.
Person #4: How the relationships between these groups affected the history of Colonial Virginia.

Use the following links to help you find information for your research:

Key People:
Pocahontas
Another Pocahontas Site
Capt. John Smith
John Rolfe

Other Resources:
Algonquian Language Groups
Powhatan Culture

English

You will be researching the following topics on the English:

Person #1: Why the English came to Jamestown in 1607 and where Jamestown is located in Virginia.
Person #2: What the colonists' lives were like in Virginia, focusing on the following aspects: family, type of homes, clothes, food, weapons/tools, jobs, religion, and recreation.
Person #3: How the English got along with the Algonquians.
Person #4: How the relationships between these groups affected the history of Colonial Virginia.

Use the following links to help you find information for your research:

Key People:
Pocahontas
Another Pocahontas Site
Capt. John Smith
Another John Smith Site
John Rolfe

Key Events:
General Information
Brief History
The Virginia Company

Other Resources:
Maps/Geography
List of Original Settlers and their Occupations
Items Discovered at Jamestown Site

Conclusion

After completing your research and participating in class discussion, you will understand what it would have been like to be an English settler and an Algonquian native around Jamestown in 1607.  You also will understand how this interaction affected the history of Colonial Virginia. 

Curator: Pat Wilson - pawilso@fcps.edu
Last updated: August 7, 2006. Based on a template from The WebQuest Page