Jamestown Virtual Colony

Governors

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 Set

 Objectives

  1. Students will be able to explain the historical significance of two prominent governors of Virginia: John Smith and Lord De La Warr
  2. Students will study a table listing different aspects of their terms to identify the roles and responsibilities of Virginiaís early governors.
  3. In groups, students will write letters revealing their knowledge of pertinent facts from John Smithís and Lord De La Warrís term as governor. 

Materials

Relevance

This lesson introduces students to the governors from Virginiaís early history, focusing specifically on John Smith and Lord De La Warr. These two governors played key roles in helping Jamestown become the first permanent English settlement in the New World. In the period 1606-1609 Jamestown barely survived as an English settlement. Disease, famine, and hostility with the natives plagued the colony from reaching its lofty goals as a prosperous venture for England. John Smith was the first Jamestown governor to improve upon the settlementís conditions. Students will understand that his display of leadership and shrewdness enabled Jamestown to survive in its early years. Though John Smith helped the colony to survive, by 1610, the colony was on the verge of being abandoned. Lord De La Warrís administration introduced new reforms and codes to stabilize the colony. It was during Lord De La Warrís term that the colony began to show signs of prosperity. By focusing on the terms of these two governors, students should see that the actions of Virginiaís early leaders affected outcomes for the colony. Students should realize that Jamestownís failure or success as a prosperous settlement would influence Englandís decision to continue colonization in America. If Englandís first enterprise at colonization in the New World had been abandoned, America would not be the same today.

Involvement of Learners

The teacher will ask the students: "Do you think our school would survive if we didnít have a principal?" The teacher should hold a brief discussion with the students.

Transition

The teacher should explain that a school and a colony are similar in that they both need some type of leadership figures. The teacher will introduce two of the leadership figures in Virginiaís early history.

Explanation / Activity

  1. Teacher will pass out the handout on John Smith and Lord De La Warr.
  2. The teacher will lead the class into a discussion by comparing and contrasting John Smithís administration and Lord De La Warrís administration.
  3. Next, the teacher will then break up the class into groups of 3-4 students. The teacher should briefly go over the directions on the activity worksheet with the class.
  4. During the work period, the teacher should float around the classroom offering any suggestions and encouraging all students to contribute to their groupís work.

 Closure

To close the lesson, the teacher should ask the class two questions and discuss their responses.

 

 

Sources:

Dabney, Virginius. 1971. Virginia: The New Dominion. New York: Doubleday & Company Inc.

Dodson, Leonidas. 1932. Alexander Spotswood. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Morton, Richard L. 1960. Colonial Virginia: Volume 1 The Tidewater Period, 1607-1710. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.

The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography Vol. XIII. 1906. New York: James T. White & Company.

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