Archive for February, 2016
Early American History
Feb
Continuing along in our studies of American history we talked about the first English settlement in North America.
Hailey learned it was on Roanoke Island (in 1587), which is off of the coast of what is now North Carolina. A group of colonists built forts and houses. The Croatan were a friendly Native American tribe about 50 miles from where the colonists settled. After they were there for about a month their leader, John White, left to go back to England for supplies. He left everyone behind, including his family.
John White was not able to return until 1590. When he got back all of the colonists and their houses were gone. There was one clue, the word “Croatan” carved on a tree. No one has ever figured out what happened to the colonists.
In this activity, Hailey made a mini-scroll book, from the Colonial America Easy Make and Learn Projects. The first 3 pictures on her scroll depict what happened when the colonists arrived and when John White left. The fourth and fifth pictures Hailey drew and wrote about what she thought could have happened to the colonists. The last picture shows what happened when John White returned and found everything gone.
Jumping ahead, we also talked about how different it was for the pilgrims when they arrived here in America.
Using printables from The Pilgrims, the Mayflower and More Easy Make and Learn Projects, we learned that in the Old World (Holland) the pilgrims had houses to live in, shops to go to, roads, cities, and towns.
When the arrived in the New World (America) what they found was very different. We talked about how hard it must have been, and if people would have made different choices had they known how hard it was going to be.
The hands on activities like these are what Hailey really enjoys doing! I find that she remember the material better when she has created something to go along with what we are learning about.