Summary of Previous Lessons:
In previous week’s lessons students learned about the causes and effects of early European exploration on the North American continent. They learned the Age of Discovery began with Columbus’s accidental discovery of North America. Spain immediately set out to explore to find gold, claim land and convert American Indians to Christianity. France and England soon followed suit. Students learned that Spanish exploration led to the first permanent European settlement in North America at St. Augustine, Florida in 1565. Students learned that maps were important to explorers, and these maps quickly changed as land was explored and settled.
Next students learned about early English colonization of North America. Students learned that England had limits as to where to establish the colonies. They wanted to gain the same amount of wealth and power seen by Spain. The only option was to establish colonies along the Atlantic Coastline. Students learned about the early colony of Roanoke, which mysteriously disappeared without a trace. In addition they learned that the colony of Jamestown was somewhat successful, while Plymouth was successful enough to encourage many other colonists to come across the Atlantic for the chance to gain wealth and enjoy religious freedoms. Students also learned the history of the true first Thanksgiving at Plymouth.
For Freedom Week, students learned how the Constitution of the United States was amended to support the rights and freedoms of all citizens. Students learned these first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. Within the Bill of Rights students learned there are many rights and freedoms that are protected under the law. These rights include the freedom of religion, speech and press. The Bill of Rights also protects citizens’ right to own weapons and rights under the legal system. For a complete listing of rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, please click here.
Words We Learned
explorer – someone who travels in order gain geographical or scientific information
New World – Western hemisphere, including North and South America
Age of Discovery – a period of time from the 15th to 17th century in which Europeans explored and mapped the world
Christianity – the religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ
colony – a group of people who settle far from home and maintain ties with their home country colonize – to establish a colony
cartographer – mapmaker
John Cabot – Italian explorer sponsored by England who explored Canada
Hernan Cortes – Spanish explorer who conquered the Aztecs
Ponce de Leon – Spanish explorer who searched for the “fountain of youth” and discovered Florida Jacques Cartier – French explorer who discovered Newfoundland
Pedro Menendez de Aviles – St. Augustine founder
St. Augustine – oldest permanently settled city in United States
Henry Hudson – claimed land for Holland
Aztec – people conquered by Cortes
conquer – to defeat in combat
colony - a group of people who establish a settlement far from home, but still maintain ties with their homeland
settlement - a small community
Jamestown - early North American settlement, founded by England in 1607
marshland - low lying wetlands usually with grassy vegetation
malaria - an infectious parasitic disease spread by mosquitos
tobacco - a green plant native to North America whose leaves can be dried and smoked
House of Burgesses - first representative governmental group in America (Jamestown)
royal colony - any colony ruled and administrated by a sovereign
Church of England – the national church in England
Separatists - one who advocates separation from the establishment, especially a church
Pilgrim - a devoted religious person who travels on a quest
harvest - collection of foods, especially those grown as a crop
indentured servant - someone required to work for his or her freedom
slave - person forced to work for another and considered property
ratify – approve
amendment – a change, as in the words or meaning of a law or document
Bill of Rights – first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution
liberties – rights; freedoms
First Amendment Right – a right guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights
warrant (n.) – document issued by a court giving police power to do something
probable cause – good reason
jury – a group of citizens that determines the outcome of a legal trial
Suggested Literature
“Blood on the River: James Town 1607” by Elisa Lynn Carbone, 2007
“A Killing in Plymouth Colony” by Carol Otis Hurst and Rebecca Otis, 2003
“1607: a New Look at Jamestown by Karen E. Lange, 2007
“Africans in America, 1619-1865” by Kay Melchisedech Olson, 2003
“Roanoke: the Lost Colony: an Unsolved Mystery from History” by Jane Yolen, 2003
“The Discovery of the Americas” by Betsy and Giulio Maestro, 1992
“Meet Christopher Columbus” by James T. DeKay and John Edens, 2001
“Cortés and the Conquest of the Aztec Empire in World History” by Charles Flowers, 2001 “Kids During the Age of Exploration” by Cynthia MacGregor, 1999
“The Bill of Rights: Protecting Our Freedom Then and Now” by Syl Sobel
“The U.S. Constitution and You” by Syl Sobel
“The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation” by Jonathan Hennessey, Aaron McConnell “We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States” by David Catrow
Recommended Links
This site has excellent links to additional sites with fun online activities. http://www.congressforkids.net/games/billofrights/2_billofrights.htm
This site is prepared by the National Archives. It contains images of primary resources and excellent historical documentation.
http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/charters.html
This link is to the Bill of Rights Institute’s web page. There are links for students with many interesting activities. http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/
A site with excellent links to research about multiple explorers during the Age of Discovery: http://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/explorers.html
At this site you will find a short (three minutes) video about the discovery of the New World: http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30586-assignment-discovery-cortez-and-the-new-world-video.htm
A site with free power point presentations about explorations and explorers: http://worldhistory.pppst.com/explorers.html
This site contains an excellent virtual adventure game for students who pretend to be the captain at Jamestown. http://www.virtualjamestown.org/
This site is a digital teaching and learning community that explores Jamestown. http://www.historyglobe.com/jamestown/
The following site is an interactive adventure for children to follow the Pilgrims from their trip
across the Atlantic on the Mayflower to the first Thanksgiving. http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/