Fairfield Museum Digital Platform
Fairfield Museum’s Digital Platform: History Happened Here
Teacher Background Resources
http://mrnussbaum.com/explorers/age/
Background information on the Age of Exploration
https://app.discoveryeducation.com/learn/search?q=explorers%20of%20the%20new%20world
Discovery Education videos on exploration
Student Resources
Britannica School elementary article “Explorer’s at a Glance” overview with links to explorers of the New World, and why they explored.
Discovery Education: “Introduction, Christopher Columbus, Explorer of a New World”
Primary source accounts of Explorers. Christopher Columbus, Hernando De Soto and Sir Walter Raleigh. Can be read to you.
Book: Read-aloud during ELA and/or SS
Roanoke: The Lost Colony. An Unsolved Mystery from History by Jane Yolen
Teacher Background Resource
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/roanoke1.htm
Background information on why English tried to settle in Roanoke
Student Resources:
Map drawn by John White of area. With close up of a drawing for a fort that was later covered over. (Also in Appendix)
http://www.lost-colony.com/galleryside.html maps related to the Lost Colony. Includes John White maps.
Map of Roanoke drawn by John White.
Teachers should have this text in their classroom library.
Opportunity for Ongoing Inquiry Resources:
John White’s recount of searching for lost colonists (archived article in appendix)
Ducksters Article - Brief explanation of the Roanoke colony and theories of what happened to it.
History.com - Archaeologists Find New Clues to “Lost Colony” Mystery
Book: Read-aloud during ELA and/or SS
Roanoke: The Lost Colony. An Unsolved Mystery from History by Jane Yolen
Teacher Background Resource
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/roanoke1.htm
Background information on why English tried to settle in Roanoke
Student Resources:
http://www.lost-colony.com/galleryside.html maps related to the Lost Colony. Includes John White maps.
Wonderopolis Article referencing theories of what happened. Includes a video with one theory
Opportunity for Ongoing Inquiry Resources:
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-happened-to-the-lost-colony
Article referencing theories of what happened. Includes a video with one theory
http://www.ducksters.com/history/colonial_america/lost_colony_of_roanoke.php
Brief explanation of the Roanoke colony and theories of what happened to it.
http://www.history.com/news/archaeologists-find-new-clues-to-lost-colony-mystery
Archaeologists Find New Clues to “Lost Colony” Mystery
Teacher and Student Background Resources
http://mrnussbaum.com/history-2-2/jamestown/
Written description of the Jamestown Colony.
http://www.ducksters.com/history/colonial_america/jamestown_settlement.php
Brief explanation of the Jamestown colony.
http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/Jamestown/433055 Britannica School
elementary article “Jamestown” Brief Overview of the colony.
Student Resources
Discovery Education: “Jamestown Colony is Established”
This video gives background info on the Virginia Company, as well as the hardships and success of Jamestown
https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3880.ct000377/
Library of Congress: 1624 Map of Virginia
Discovery Education - Animated video – Virginia. Includes 7 short segments explaining why and how Jamestown was settled. First segment deals with reasons why they started the Jamestown Colony.
Museum at Jamestown: The Economics of Jamestown
Opportunities for Ongoing Inquiry Resources
http://4thgradewebquestmks.weebly.com/day-4.html
Use the QFT Protocol to analyze several images related to the Jamestown and Werowocomoco (Powhatan)
http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/John-Smith/399601 Britannica School
elementary article “John Smith” Brief Biography
Britannica “John Rolfe”-the role of tobacco in the success of Jamestown
Science connection. Jamestown: Unearthed Graves Tell Story of Colony Leaders.
Primary Resources:
Student Resources
Library of Congress: 1624 Map of Virginia
Economy and Trade of Early Virginia
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/famoushistoricalfigures/pocahontas/
Brainpop – Pocahontas.Explains relations between Powhatan and English. Also how Pocahontas helped the English settlers survive.
http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/Powhatan/353665
Britannica School elementary article “Powhatan” Explains relations between Powhatan and English. Also how Pocahontas helped the English settlers survive.
Opportunities for Ongoing Inquiry Resources
http://4thgradewebquestmks.weebly.com/day-4.html
Use the QFT Protocol to analyze several images related to the Jamestown and Werowocomoco (Powhatan)
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/Powhatan/353665
Britannica School elementary article “Powhatan”
Teacher background Resources:
http://historicjamestowne.org/history/the-first-general-assembly/
The First General Assembly background information
Encyclopedia Virginia: The Governor’s Council
The Great Council background information
Student Resource
The Council of Virginia Article in Appendix
Newsela: “The New World: Jamestown and the Starving TIme” (need Newsela free account)
Refer to resources from prior lessons if needed.
Teacher Background Resource
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/ushistory/pilgrims1.htm
Background information on the Plymouth Colony
Student Resources
Britannica School elementary article “Plymouth” Brief Overview of the colony.
Discovery Education: “The First Thanksgiving”
Discovery Education: The Mayflower and Plymouth Settlement
(Both videos give background information on reasons to go to Plymouth and the hardships of the settlement)
http://www.ducksters.com/history/colonial_america/pilgrims_plymouth_colony.php
Brief explanation of the Plymouth colony
https://www.plimoth.org/sites/default/files/media/olc/intro.html
Interactive website of Wampanoag and English colonist perspectives, life at the time, interactions etc.
Opportunities for ongoing Inquiry Resources
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/how-big-is-plymouth-rock
Wonderopolis: How Big is Plymouth Rock?
Mayflower/Plymouth/Pilgrim articles and activities.
http://www.histarch.illinois.edu/plymouth/towndesc.html
(primary source excerpts from Plymouth diaries)
Student Resources
Plimoth Patuxet Museums: Who Are the Wampanoag
https://www.landofthebrave.info/plymouth-colony.htm
Fact file of Plymouth colony timeline of events/ interactions with Wampanoag.
http://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/Squanto/390056
Britannica School elementary article “Squanto” Biography of Squanto and his interactions with English.
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/ushistory/thanksgiving/
Explains relations between Wampanoag and English. Also how Squanto helped the English settlers survive.
Opportunities for Ongoing Inquiry Resources
http://www.scholastic.com/scholastic_thanksgiving/webcast.htm
Videos compare/contrast the Wampanoag and English Colonists
Teacher Resource
Plimoth and Patuxet Museums: Mayflower and the Mayflower Compact
Student Resources
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/Mayflower-Compact/601070
Britannica School elementary article “Mayflower Compact”.
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Mayflower_Compact
Mayflower Compact explanation and text
Opportunities for Ongoing Inquiry Resources
https://school.eb.com/levels/elementary/article/William-Bradford/390657
Britannica School elementary article “William Bradford”. Governor of Plymouth for many years.
Refer to resources from prior lessons if needed.
Teacher Resource
https://www.nps.gov/jame/learn/historyculture/jamestown-and-plymouth-compare-and-contrast.htm
Comparison of the Jamestown and Plymouth Colonies
Optional STEM Activity: http://colonialamerica.thinkport.org/home.html