Classroom Videos: Jamestown and Colonial America
These videos have been specially selected for use in the classroom setting, when studying Jamestown and Colonial America. The main topics explored include the story of Jamestown’s beginnings in England, the first century of the colony and the cultures of the Powhatan Indians, Europeans and Africans who converged in 1600s Virginia.
Links to corresponding activities, resources and lesson plans can be found below and on our Educational Curriculum Materials webpage.
Related activities, resources and lesson plans:
Anna’s Adventures: Eat Like a Powhatan Lesson Plan or Activity Sheet
Have students learn more about the Powhatan food practices and seasons by playing the ‘Powhatan Seasons of Food’ matching game and completing the ‘Seasonal Diet Graphic Organizer.’ Direct parents and students to the activity sheet, so they can compare modern and Powhatan cornbread recipes at home.
Anna’s Adventures: Map It! Activity Sheet
Practice using map terms with the John Smith map (as seen in the video) identification activity and by creating your own neighborhood map, then create your own compass to identify the direction of north.
Classroom Topics: The Economics of Jamestown Lesson Plans
Utilize the many lesson plans and resources listed under the category “Life at Jamestown” to learn about early settlement life and the colonists’ struggles to make the colony a viable economic venture.
Jamestown Chronicles [5 videos] Historical and Character Backgrounds
Learn more about Jamestown in 1607 by exploring the the Jamestown Chronicles webpages. Historical background information provided includes a timeline of events and glossary of relevant terms, as well as links to historical summaries. Character backgrounds of King James I, Ann Burras Laydon, Tom Savage, Tomocomo and Angela accompany each video.
Discovering Jamestown [5 videos] Lesson Plans and Image Galleries
Each video has an accompanying lesson plan, with activities that range from role playing to categorizing information. The image galleries allow your students to further explore the images used in the videos.