Author: Hannah J. Oberlander

Grade Level: 4th Grade VA Studies

School: Lowes Island Elementary School

Lesson Duration:

2 (45 minute lessons)

SOL Unit: The Story of JamestownVS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and

responsible citizenship, including the ability toa) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source documents to

understand events in history;b) determine cause-and-effect relationships;c) compare and contrast historical events;d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;e) make connections between past and present;f) sequence events in Virginia history;g) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;

VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in America bya) explaining the reasons for English colonization;b) describing how geography influenced the decision to settle at Jamestown;c) identifying the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of London in

establishing the Jamestown settlement;

1. Activity Title: Jamestown Advertisement Posters

2. Brief Overview of the Lesson: Students will investigate several advertisements that were found in English newspapers in the early years of the Jamestown settlement (1607-1612). These posters will link together the reasons for English colonization of the New World and the continued struggle to keep the settlement stocked with people for its permanence and profit in the New World. Students will work with a partner to list at least 3 ideas in each part of the graphic organizer.

3. Historical Background: Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in

North America established in 1607. Jamestown was primarily an economic venture, a risky trip and investment to make money. The three major reasons for the colonization of the New World were 1) to find gold and silver, 2) to have a healthy supply of raw

materials coming from North America to England (a small country in which many of its natural resources have been depleted), and 3) for English power and dominance in the world with the establishment of new markets for trade. Through a reader’s theater play, the students reviewed that a charter was needed by the king to plant a colony in Virginia and that Jamestown was funded by the Virginia Company of London, which was a group of stockholders who owned shares of the company in the hopes that their share would turn a profit with the success of the establishment of Jamestown in the New World.

In December 1606, the Virginia Company of London financed three ships: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery with 102 men and boys and set sail for Virginia, a land named by Sir Walter Raleigh at the end of the 16th century in honor of England’s ruling monarch, Queen Elisabeth I, nicknamed “the virgin queen.” Aboard the first adventure was Captain John Smith, who later relayed his viewpoint in his book A True Relation, which encouraged the Company to inspire other adventurers to settle Jamestown. These advertisements were drawn up by the Company in the hopes that adventurers would be intrigued to sign up for further travels to the New World.

4. Essential Questions/Objectives: What do these advertisements tell us about Jamestown? What reasons do the advertisements use to convince

adventurers to sign up to travel and settle Jamestown? What effects did these advertisements cause between the

years of 1607-1612? How are these advertisements similar and different from

one another? How are these advertisements similar and different from

the way modern-day advertisements (TV, newspaper, Facebook, etc.) try to persuade their audience’s to buy something, get involved, sign up, etc.?

Which advertisements do you think were some of the first and which advertisements might have been made in the later years (1609-1612)? What clues make you think so?

How do you think English people responded to these advertisements when they saw them in England?

What realities were left out about the conditions in Jamestown?

Do you think these advertisements were successful? Why or why not?

What changes might you have made to make these advertisements more convincing or compelling?

5. Primary Sources and Materials

1. Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia (London, 1609)http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/virginia-company-london

2. Robert Johnson, Nova Britannia: Offring Most Excellent Fruites by Planting in Virginia (London, 1609)

http://www.vahistorical.org/collections-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/virginia-company-london

3. John Smith. A true relation of such occurrences and accidents of noat as hath hapned in Virginia since the first planting of that colony. (London, 1608).

http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/Virginia%20matters/index_files/Smith.html

4. Virginia Richly Valued...London: Felix Kingston for Matthew Lownes, 1609.http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/kislak/promotion/elvas.html

5.Title page of Johnson's New Life of Virginia. London, 1612. [El.3.5(k)]

http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/images/exhibitions/Americana/El.3.5(k)_tpwf.jpg

Materials: Graphic Organizer Powerpoint Color print outs of all 5 advertisements

6. Lesson Procedure:

Hook: Read aloud an entry from grandfather’s journal

Mission Explanation: The following advertisements were found in England in the early years of the Jamestown settlement (1607-1612). Students will have seven minutes to work with a partner to complete the graphic organizer on their particular advertisements.

Graphic Organizer Expectations:

What do you notice? Be specific (list 3 ideas at least)

What do you know? Be specific (list 3 ideas at least)

What reasons are given to go?

Is the advertisement successful in convincing? Why or why not?

What questions do you have? (list 2 at least)

De-Brief Discussion:

Go through each of the 5 advertisements. Volunteer students will share what they discovered in the notice and know categories in addition to reasons that may be evident on the advertisement and whether or not they thought that the advertisement was

successful in convincing its audience. Questions may be discussed and answered at this time.

(optional) Talk and Turn Discussion Questions:

What effects did these advertisements cause between the years of 1607-1612?

How are these advertisements similar and different from one another?

How are these advertisements similar and different from the way modern-day advertisements (TV, newspaper, Facebook, etc.) try to persuade their audience’s to buy something, get involved, sign up, etc.?

What realities were left out about the conditions in Jamestown?

What changes might you have made to make these advertisements more convincing or compelling?

(optional) Time-Line Wrap-Up: Which advertisements do you think were some of the first

and which advertisements might have been made in the later years (1609-1612)? What clues make you think so?

A representative for each advertisement will hold up the picture and students will coach the others to stand in a chronological order based on inferred guesses backed by reasons and explanations.

(optional) 4 Corners and the Middle

Which of the 5 advertisements do you think is the best at persuading adventurers to go to the New World and why?

Students will physically get out of their seats to decide which of the 5 advertisements is the most compelling and stand in one of the 4 corners of the room where that advertisement is hung or the middle of the room where the advertisement is located and then have a verbal debate on why the advertisement they chose is the most convincing and why.

Formative Assessment: Each student will design an advertisement poster, entreating volunteers to sign up for the voyage to Virginia for the purpose of finding riches and establishing a permanent settlement. Posters must be colorful, include at least 4 facts, and be persuasive.

7. Primary Source Analysis

Goodspeed to VirginiaStudents can recognize that it is from England, because it says London on it. This was written after the settlement of Jamestown, because it was printed in 1609. I would like my students to recognize the word Goodspeed and Virginia on the advertisement as wishing the adventurers well on their travels. Felix Kingston is the printer of this advertisement. The overall tone is hopefulness, encouraging, and optimistic that the settlers will get to Virginia and have success there. I would like my students to notice the seal on this advertisement. The seal could mean friendship and peace.

Sourcing: Who is Felix Kingston? Contextualizing: Was this written before or after the settlement of Jamestown?Close Reading: What words do you notice? What is the overall tone or message of the advertisement? What symbols are used?

A True Relation

This is the cover to John Smith’s report of his adventures in Virginia. My students will notice the English flag on the picture of the ship. Students will notice John Smith’s name and may even notice the misspellings of words that are trying to be communicated on the cover. The overall tone is melancholy and warning with the mention of occurances and accidents.

Contextualizing: What dates do you notice?Close Reading: What names do you notice? What words do you notice? What is the overall tone or message of the advertisement? What symbols are used?Corroborating: How is this advertisement different than the one before?

Nova Britannia: Offring Most Excellent Fruites by Planting in Virginia

What words stand out? Excellent, fruits, planting, Virginia, exciting all, fameWhat is the year on this advertisement? 1609What symbols do you see? A ship with an English flagWhat is the tone? Excitement, success, and optimismIs it convincing? Yes

Virginia Richly Valued

What countries stand out? Portugal, Florida, VirginiaWhat is the year? 1609What names do you notice? De SotoWhy are some of the words bigger than others on this advertisement?What is the overall tone? That adventurers will get rich if they go to Virginia and that wealth abounds in the New World.

The New Life of Virginia

What are the crests and seals?Who is on the seal?What other objects do you see inside the seal?What year is on this advertisement?Was this before or after Jamestown was settled?What is Nova Britannia?Why might they be using that term?What is the overall tone of this advertisement?Who supports this advertisement? How do you know?

8. Date You Will Teach This Lesson: Wednesday, December 11, 2013