William J.

McKay 1

Interactions between settlers and native peoples

Introduction

• Interactions between settlers and native peoples

• Length of lesson: 90 minutes (two 45 minutes class periods)

• SOL VS.3g The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent

English Settlement in America by (g) describing the interactions between the

English settlers and the native peoples, including the contributions of Powhatan to

the survival of the settlers.

Learning Objectives

Students Will:

• identify the roles of Captain John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas in the

formation of Jamestown.

• construct a foldable that illustrates the items that were traded between the settlers

and Native Americans.

• construct a foldable that illustrates the contributions made to the survival of

Jamestown by John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas

• write a short biography of John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas based on what

they learned.

Teaching and Learning Sequence

Introduction/Anticipatory Set

• Ask students what they know about the interactions of settlers and Native

Americans based on what they have learned from last week.

• Have students complete the K column of the KWL chart.

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• Tell the students that there were certain individuals that helped the settlers at

Jamestown survive.

• Tell the students that three of those people were Captain John Smith, Chief

Powhatan and Powhatan’s daughter Pocahontas.

• Write all three names on the white board.

• While the students are still seated pass around to the class the following: an ear of

corn, a piece of faux fur, a piece of leather, a metal tool, a piece of copper and a

metal pot.

• Ask the students what they think these items were used for in Jamestown.

• Tell the students that these the items that were traded between the settlers and

Native Americans.

• Tell students that Captain John Smith was the settler who “initiated the trading

relationships with the Native Americans” and write it under his name on the white

board.

• Ask the students what they would like to know about the interactions of the

settlers and the Native Americans and have them record their answers in the W

column of the KWL chart.

Lesson Development

• Divide the class into three groups.

• Once they students are in their groups hand each student a Captain John Smith,

Powhatan, Pocahontas worksheet.

• Tell the students that the classroom has been broken up into three stations.

• Instruct the students that by the time they are done with they three stations they
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should have filled in three reasons for how John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas

each contributed to the settlement of Jamestown.

• At the first station they will be given a copy of and review a brief power point

presentation of the interactions that occurred between the settlers and Native

Americans.

• At the second station they will play and online interactive game that follows the

trail of John Smith.

• At the third station they will review and discuss they items they passed around

during the anticipatory set and decide which items the settlers used to trade and

which items the Native Americans used to trade and record there answers on a

piece of paper that is at the station.

• Remind the students during the lesson that they should be filling out the

worksheet provided. (John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas)

Closure

• Ask the students which of the stations was their favorite. Why?

• Review the answers they provided on their worksheets. As the students provide

their answers write them on the white board under the names that are already

there.

• Under the name Powhatan write “provided leadership to his people and taught the

settlers survival skills” under Pocahontas write “daughter of Powhatan, served as

a contact between the native peoples and the English.

• Ask students who they think made the greatest contribution to the survival of

Jamestown and why?

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• Ask the students what they learned about the interactions between settlers and

native people and have them record their answers in the KWL chart.

• Collect the students’ worksheets because they are going to need them for

tomorrows class.

Day Two: Interactions between settlers and native peoples

Introduction/Anticipatory Set

• Tell the students that today they are going to apply everything they learned to

three assignments that will be completed in class.

• Inform the students that they are going to be making two foldables and model the

construction of the foldables for them.

• To make things easier the format of both foldables is going to be the same.

Lesson Development

• Divide the class into the same three groups they used the day before.

• Each group is going to complete a specific assignment based what they had

learned the day before and then rotate to the next assignment station.

• The first assignment station will ask the students to write a short biography (two-

three sentences) of John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas. This is the assignment

station where the students will need to use their worksheets from the day before as

a reference.

• The second assignment station will ask students to construct a foldable of the

items that the settlers and Native Americans traded. Have them draw pictures of

each of the items on the foldable.

• The third assignment station will ask the students to construct a foldable of the
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contributions made by Captain John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas to the

survival of the Jamestown colony.

Closure

• Once all of the groups have rotated through the assignments stations have student

volunteers read their biographies.

Assessments

Formative

• Make sure the students are transitioning easily from one station to the next.

Obviously there are certain stations that the students are going to like better then

others so it is important to keep the transitions smooth and orderly.

• While the students are at each station walk around the classroom and ask

questions such as

• Why did the two groups trade?

• How did trade help the survival of Jamestown?

• Who do they feel make the largest contribution to the survival of Jamestown?

Summative

• KWL chart

• Student foldable of items that were traded

• Student foldable of individuals who contributed to the survival of Jamestown

• Student written biographies of John Smith, Powhatan and Pocahontas

References:

On the Trail of Captain John Smith Interactive Online Activity

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/InteractiveAdventures/John-
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smith

Jamestown Interactions Power Point

http://www.spsk12.net/departments/STAR/socialscience/ss_vs4.htm

Content Organizer
SOL and Curriculum Framework Essential Understandings and Essential Questions

VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English settlement in
America by (g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the native peoples,
including the contributions of Powhatan to the survival of the settlers.

The native peoples and the English settlers at Jamestown established trading relationships and
for a while had positive interactions

How did the native peoples and the English settlers interact?
Why did the relationship between the Jamestown settlers and the native peoples change?
How did Powhatan contribute to the survival of the settlers?

Materials and Advanced (Pre-Lesson) Preparation

Computers with Internet access (at least 8-10)

Ear of corn
Piece of faux fur
Piece of leather
A metal tool
A piece of copper
A metal pot

Captain John Smith initiated trading relationships with the Powhatans.

The Powhatans traded food, furs, and leather with the English in exchange for tools, pots, guns, and other
goods.

The Powhatan people contributed to the survival of the Jamestown settlers in several ways.
• Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan, believed the English and American Indians (First Americans)
could live in harmony.
• Pocahontas began a friendship with the colonists that helped them survive.
• The Powhatans introduced new crops to the English, including corn and tobacco.

The Powhatan people realized the English settlement would continue to grow.
• The Powhatans saw the colonists as invaders that would take over their land.
Connections – Cross-Curricular and Real-World

This lesson could be used to open a discussion about who were rely on today to survive. Who
does the United States “trade” with?
Differentiated Instruction Organizer

Instructional Alternate Alternate Method(s)

Lesson
Method Method(s) to to
Components
Originally Planned Assist Students Challenge Students
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Major Concepts Write short Draw a picture of Trade was

biographies of John Smith essential to the
John Smith, survival of the
Powhatan and settlers
Pocahontas

Vocabulary Contributions Survival Trade

Terms

Activities Make a foldable of Draw a picture of What other items

items that were Powhatan could have been
traded. Make a traded? Why?
foldable of
individuals who
made
contributions to
the survival of the
colony
Assessments KWL chart Draw a picture of Where the
Pocahontas sentences of the
biographies written
in a clearly,
grammatically
correct format?