What Happened to the people of Roanoke?

Arizona State Standards Concept 1: Research Skills for History PO 4. Locate information using both primary and secondary sources. PO 5. Describe how archaeological research adds to our understanding of the past. Concept 3: Exploration and Colonization (This lesson touches on a lot of the following POs briefly, the whole unite is more detailed) PO 4. Describe the contributions of geographic and economic conditions, religion, and colonial systems of government to the development of American democratic practices. Connect with: Strand 5 Concept 1 PO 5. Describe the geography, cultures, and economics of the Southern, Middle Atlantic, and New England Colonies. Connect with: Strand 4 Concept 2, 6, Strand 5 Concept 1 PO 6. Identify contributions of individuals (e.g., John Smith, John White, William Penn, Lord Baltimore, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, James Oglethorpe) who were important to the colonization of America. PO 7. Describe interactions (e.g., agricultural and cultural exchanges, alliances, conflicts) between Native Americans and European settlers.

Objectives: In this lesson, students will propose a theory about what happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke and then evaluate whether evidence presented strongly supports their theory or is against it. TIME: 50 minutes

MATERIALS:  Power Point Presentation highlighting primary sources and introducing the task Roanoke.pdf Roanoke  12 clue card sources. The first column of each clue card presents a source that provides evidence. The second column of each card helps students examine that evidence and gives them questions to think about. The lesson can be extended by having students create their own clue cards.  Chart paper: Students can create their own five column chart. The columns should be headed: strong evidence for, weak evidence for, neutral, strong evidence against and weak evidence against. The chart should also have a title line for them to write their theory. Students can also paste the chart headings onto the paper.

PROCEDURE: Using the Power Point presentation, familiarize students with the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke and also define the term primary sources. As a class, brainstorm theories about what happened to the colonists. Theories can include: “Attacked and killed by the Indians,” “Kidnapped by the Spanish,” “Sailed Upstream,” “Joined the Croatoans.” Separate students into small groups based on their interest in the theories that were brainstormed

Procedure continued…. Each group needs a chart and a copy of the source cards. They should evaluate each source and place it in the column that best fits their opinion. Each card should be placed in one of the categories. When the students have finished placing the evidence in columns, they can create their own clue cards, if they have any other theories.

Assessment: Students will present their findings to the class and evaluate whether their theory had enough strong evidence to support it.

A Mystery

Try to identify what it is. Hold your answer until the end of the story.

This story begins with Queen Elizabeth, seen here in “Darnley Portrait” (1575)

Sir Walter Raleigh. In 1584 he was granted a patent by Queen Elizabeth to explore the new world.

He sent Captains Amadas and Barlowe to the coast of America in They returned to England with two Native Americans, Manteo and Wanchese, who learned English and also taught their Algonquian language to a man named Thomas Harriot.

Manteo and Wanchese returned with the next group that Sir Walter Raleigh sent to the new world. Richard Grenville pictured here was the admiral of the ships. Ralph Lane was the leader. Thomas Harriot, who had learned the Algonquian language from Manteo, was also on the expedition. The expedition was placed on the island of Roanoke.

Another man who was on the expedition was named John White. He was an artist and created drawings documenting the life of the people living on the coast.

Some of his drawings were maps. This one was re-drawn by Theodor de Bry

Ralph Lane’s colony only lasted ten months. When Sir Francis Drake’s ship came by, the entire group of colonists chose to return to England.

The next journey to the new world was lead by the painter John White and was a different group of people. Instead of military men, the members of this colony were men and women who wanted to start a new life in the new world.

The colonists were mainly farmers who had a plan to be dropped off by the ship further up the Chesapeake Bay. But the captain of the ship refused to go any farther than Roanoke. The colony did not do well during their first year and their supplies ran low. When another ship from England came, John White made the decision to go back to England to ask for more supplies. He left his daughter and granddaughter – Virginia – at the colony.

John White’s plan was to return to the colony with the needed supplies as soon as he could convince Queen Elizabeth to give him supplies and passage on another ship. But she had other concerns.

Including a war with Spain.

When he did, the colonists were no longer there.

And many clues…

  Discuss possible theories with your group.  Choose one theory to evaluate with your group.  Create a chart that helps you evaluate your theory with the evidence.  You will be given twelve evidence cards. Each card can be placed in one of the five columns.  There will be room for you to include other pieces of evidence as well.  Is your theory strongly supported by the evidence? Task

Theory: