Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

What are the seven continents?

Continents

·         North America

·         South America

·         Africa

·         Asia

·         Australia

·         Antarctica

·         Europe*

  *Europe is considered a continent even though it is not entirely surrounded by water.  The land mass is frequently called Eurasia.

To create a local link, students may like to find the latitude and longitude of their own town/neighborhood. Try: http://www.boatsafe.com/kids/mercator.htm

To learn how to create your own navigational maps and also satelite maps online: http://maps.google.com/

Or compare/contrast continents by physical features: . http://www.topozone.com/

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

Where are the geographic regions of North America located?

What are some physical characteristics of the geographic regions of North America?

Geographic regions—locations and physical characteristics

Coastal Plain

·         Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico

·         Broad lowland providing many excellent harbors

Appalachian Highlands

·         Located west of Coastal Plain extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama; includes the Piedmont

·         Old, eroded mountains (oldest mountain range in North America)

Canadian Shield

·         Wrapped around Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape

·         Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers

·         Holds some of the oldest rock formations in North America

Interior Lowlands

·         Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains

·         Rolling flatlands

Great Plains

·         Located west of Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains

·         Flat land that gradually increases in elevation westward; grasslands

·         with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassy hills

Proposed Activity to connect to Virginia: State offers five various regions with wide range of topographical features from the coastal plains of the Tidewater region to the Appalachians. Using a progressive mapping activity, draw parallels and make conclusions about state geography and nation’s geographical character.

Maps: http://www.archaeology.org/9911/etc/thumbnails/map2.gif

http://www.history.org/History/museums/online_exhibits.cfm#

1)       http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/JefVirg.html

This link provides a digital text of Thomas Jefferson’s “Notes on Virginia,” that outlines his various information on Virginia, from geographical accounts, to government expenses and First American tribes in the state, wonderful primary source.

2)      Recommended activity: “Progressive Mapping,” idea submitted by Kevin Jones and Michelle Kirkpatrick. Using a poster, or bed sheet, create a basic outline map of Virginia.  For progressive maps, allow students to populate the map with details that strike at the heart of SOLs: riverways, topographical information, native societies, etc., while using hand-made symbols/key. Mr. Jones made the local connection by using the 1682 map of Norfolk, available online at:

http://www.willoughbyontheweb.com/Celebrate%20Willoughby/original_town_of_norfolk%20map.htm

and asks that students find familiarities to Norfolk today as a means of review and introduction to maps. Mrs. Kirkpatrick uses clip art images to velcro or attach to the maps. The clip art represents different industry, natrual resources, etc.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

Rocky Mountains

·         Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range

·         Contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers

Basin and Range

·         Located west of Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades

·         Area of varying elevations containing isolated mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest point in North America

Coastal Range

·         Rugged mountains along the Pacific Coast that stretch from California to Canada

·         Contains fertile valleys

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

What are the major bodies of water in the United States?

What are some ways bodies of water in the United States have supported interaction and created links to other regions?

Major bodies of water

·         Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific

·         Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande

·         Lakes: Great Lakes

·         Gulf: Gulf of Mexico

Trade, transportation, and settlement

·         The location of the United States, with its Atlantic and Pacific coasts, has provided access to other areas of the world.

·         The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.

·         The Ohio River was the gateway to the west.

·         Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.

·         The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers were the transportation arteries for farm and industrial products. They were links to ports and other parts of the world.

·         The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and Clark.

·         The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.

·         The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.

·         The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration route.

·         The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and  other parts of America.

Norfolk and Portsmouth are great launching points for this SOL. Students are familiar with the waterfront and industry that occupy the Elizabeth River. Shipbuilding, Norfolk and Portsmouth International Terminals, the cranes for waterfront construction, recent emphasis on tourism reflect the growth of port cities on the eastern seaboard of the United States. The international nature of a global economy are easily seen with a brief look at the cargo containers that are imported and exported from our waterways each day. For pictures of local waterfront activity, visit:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ccampbell/

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

In which areas did the American Indians (First Americans) live?

Inuit inhabited present-day Alaska and northern Canada. They lived in Arctic areas where the temperature is below freezing much of the year.

Kwakiutl inhabited the Pacific Northwest coast, characterized by a rainy, mild climate.

Sioux inhabited the interior of the United States, called the Great Plains and characterized by dry grasslands.

Pueblo inhabited the Southwest in present-day New Mexico and Arizona, where they lived in desert areas and areas bordering cliffs and mountains.

Iroquois inhabited northeast North America, the Eastern Woodland, which is heavily forested.

http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/cultmap.html provides a map of all North American Indians. Teachers may consider opening with a discussion about the Chesapeans who lived in present-day Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The tribe was destroyed by Powhatan by 1609. While preparing for the 1907 Jamestown celebration held at Sewell’s point, workers found human remains that measured up to 9 feet in height. They were sent to Washington DC for futther analysis, but it is suspected that these were from the Chesapeans.

The following two activities were submitted by Jacquelynn Wyman, jwyman@nps.k12.va.us

1)       Middle School – Grade Six

Native American Self-Guided Tour

Through participation in this project, various modalities are enhanced, thus creating a worthwhile experience for all. Five Indian tribes are addressed through five interactive stations. At each station, a student guide, (verbally & dramatically expressive) gives an overview of the region, including climate, food, animals, etc., - describes the housing, using models ( tactile, kinesthetic, artistic creativity)

        Visitors to the region are encouraged to browse through (students) brochures (again, artistic creativity, research, and computer technology) and ask questions. Upon completion at each station, signaled by music (auditory) students are given a direction sheet with directions such as “Go North,” pass the polar bears… pictures of regional descriptions taken from National Geographic Magazines or can be drawn and placed accordingly throughout the auditorium. Signs reading “North, South, East, West” are also placed accurately on the walls.

For the local history: Add one tribe unique to Virginia (with all descriptive amenities). The American Indian lead guide – teacher (?) speaks to the visitors in advance, explaining the voyage, the need for nature to be respected and directions to be followed to avoid conflicts with hostile natives. “A lot of fun!”

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

How did geography and climate affect the way American Indian (First American) groups met their basic needs?

The American Indians (First Americans) fished, hunted, and harvested crops for food. Clothing was made from animal skins and plants. Their shelter was made of resources found in their environment (e.g., sod, stones, animal skins, wood).

The way to determine who the hunters were was by their hair cuts and facial painting. For instance, for the Powhatans, most men had the right side of their heads shaved (the original mohawk) so they could keep the arrow from getting tangled in their hair when they hunted.

In the area of southeast Virginia, deer were plentiful and this was what Powhatan offered John Smith during their tremendous feast. IN fact, Helen Roundtree suggested that Smith was captured not as a deliberate act, but by a hunting party as the natives came across Smith and his men (only 3) near present day Bottoms Bridge.

The following was submitted by Glenn Markle

Project: Construct model of Native American Housing Prior to 1800.

Preferred: Use natural materials such as twigs, leaves, flour water, etc

Steps: 1) research living environment and living behaviors

2)       write one page summary describing your assigned tribe’s environment, living conditions and purpose of housing construction.  Include source o materials in their environment and how you duplicated those materials in your project

3)        Present your project and read/paraphrase your paper

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

Why did European countries compete for power in North America?

What were the obstacles faced by the explorers?

What were the accomplishments of the explorations?

What regions of North America were explored and settled by France, England, and Spain?

What regions were explored by Portugal?

Motivating forces for exploration

·         Economic—Gold, natural resources, and trade

·         Religious—Spread of Christianity

·         Competitions for empire and belief in superiority of own culture

Obstacles to exploration

·         Poor maps and navigational tools

·         Disease/starvation

·         Fear of unknown

·         Lack of adequate supplies

Accomplishments of exploration

·         Exchanged goods and ideas

·         Improved navigational tools and ships

·         Claimed territories (see individual countries below)

Regions of North America explored by Spain, France, and England

·         Spain

–         Francisco Coronado claimed southwest United States for Spain.

·         France

–         Samuel de Champlain established the French settlement of Quebec.

–         Robert La Salle claimed the Mississippi River Valley.

·         England

–         John Cabot explored eastern Canada.

Regions explored by Portugal

The Portuguese made voyages of discovery along West Africa.

Ø       A good “local” example of obstacles to exploration may be the Starving Time, or starving winter in Jamestown 1609-1610. Captain John Smith “…he that will not work, shall not eat!” 1608

Ø       The first Africans who came to North America were likely Spanish or Portuguese slaves/servants. Arriving in 1619 on a Dutch ship at Old Point Comfort, the ship muster recorded names such as Don Pedro and Isabella, Africans. These names suggest they had been converted to Catholicism, common for Spanish and Portuguese colonies.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

How did the American Indians (First Americans) and Europeans interact with each other?

Cultural interaction

·         Spanish

–         Conquered and enslaved American Indians (First Americans)

–         Brought Christianity to the New World

–         Brought European diseases

·         French

–         Established trading posts

–         Spread Christian religion

·         English

–         Established settlements and claimed ownership of land

–         Learned farming techniques from American Indians (First Americans)

–         Traded

Areas of cooperation

·         Technologies (transportation of weapons and farm tools)

·         Trade

·         Crops

In 1619, 57 year old missionary, George Thorpe, emigrated to the new Jamestown colony. In his attempts to Christianize the native Powhatans, he built Opecacanough a traditional English home, which included a locking front door. It was observed that Opecacanough would open, close, lock and unlock the door 100 times a day!

Of course it was Opecacanough that participated in the 1622 massacre agains the British colonists that nearly destroyed Jamestown. He was also carried to the battlefield as an old man for the 1644 Powhatan attack against the colonists.

Governor Berkely’s “tributary tribes,” or friendly Natives were often used in business deals in the mid-1600s. The Susquehannas to the North for instance, provided furs to the colonists.

Business growing with population, 1640: 8,000 Virginians, by 1660: 33,000

(Stewart, Durable Dominion)

Proposed Activity: by Celestina Whittlesy Using materials such as jewelry, artifacts, tools, fur swatches, blue beads, corn, baskets, arrowheads and pottery, have students role play in small groups. IN preparation of this trading session, have students view www.unitedstreaming.com on colonial forms of exchange. In close, students should write an essay that compare/contrasts colonial and modern methods of currency & exchange.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

What was the importance of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai?

How did West African empires impact European trade?

Ghana, Mali, and Songhai became powerful by controlling trade in West Africa.

The Portuguese carried goods from Europe to West African empires, trading metals, cloth, and other manufactured goods for gold.

First Africans would arrive at Old Point Comfort in 1619, with Spanish or Portuguese names such as Dom Pedro and Isabella for instance, demonstrating their conversion (albeit likely forced) to Catholicism in the Caribbean islands.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

Why did Europeans establish colonies in North America?

Colonies and the reasons they were established

·         Roanoke Island (Lost Colony) was established as an economic venture. The first permanent English settlement in North America (1607), Jamestown Settlement, was an economic venture by the Virginia Company.

·         Plymouth colony was settled by separatists from the Church of England who wanted to avoid religious persecution. Massachusetts Bay Colony was settled by the Puritans for the same reasons.

·         Pennsylvania was settled by the

Quakers, who wanted to have freedom to practice their faith without interference.

·         Georgia was settled by people who had been in debtor’s prisons in England. They hoped to experience a new life in the colony and to experience economic freedom in the New World.

·         Great local example of why to come to Virginia is Adam Thorougood and his wife Sarah. Thorogood, first came to Virginia as an indentured servant in 1621 and by 1630 he served on the first established “court” in then Norfolk County. By the time of his death in 1640, Adam was only 35 years of age, but had title to over 7,000 acres of land on the Lynnhaven River… an economic success! Read more:

http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/explorers/sitec55.htm

·         “Tiger Girls” These were the women that came to Virginia to become wives of early settlers in 1619. The Virginia Company thought that if the settlers had wives, then Jamestown would have a better chance to become a PERMANENT settlement! Settlers paid for the passage of these women in tobacco notes. 90 women set sail, “Young maids to make wives for former tenants…” (Mapp, 56)  So for 150 pounds of your best tobacco, former indentured servants could purchase a wife!

Proposed Activity: Many teachers such as Brian Leiberman from the  elementary level to Mary Korty at the high school level suggested that students create an advertisement poster to entice people to come to Colonial Virginia.

And while the Library of Congress has some images/documents pertaining to early colonial era, so too does the following, which also could be used to demonstrate the broader English motivations for colonization:

http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/Americana/17th_century.html

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

How did climate and geographic features distinguish the three regions from each other?

How did people use the natural resources of their region to earn a living?

How did political and social life evolve in each of the three regions?

Interactions of people and environment

New England

·         Geography and climate

–         Appalachian Mountains, Boston harbor, hilly terrain, rocky soil, jagged coastline

–         Moderate summers, cold winters

·         Economy

–         Fishing, shipbuilding industry and naval supplies, trade and port cities

–         Skilled craftsmen, shopkeepers

·         Social life

–         Village and church as center of life

–         Religious reformers and separatists

·         Political and civic life

–         Town meetings

Mid-Atlantic

·         Geography and climate

–         Appalachian Mountains, coastal lowlands  (harbors and bays, wide and deep rivers), rich farmlands

–         Moderate climate

·         Economy

–         Livestock and grain, trading

–         Unskilled and skilled workers and fishermen

·          Social life

–         Villages and cities

–         Varied and diverse lifestyles

–         Diverse religions

·         Political and civic life

–         Market towns

1)       Historian Thomas J. Wertenbaker claimed that sending a man to Virginia was “…like condemning a man to death.”

2)       Starving Winter, 1609-1610: 90% of the population died from starvation because unlike the First Americans, Englishmen did not understand their environment and were unable to adapt to ensure their survival.

3)       People like Thomas Willoughby and Adam Thorogood preferred properties that included mini-penninsulas, so that they could raise livestock without building too many fences. Barter and trade were common, a Norfolk merchant pawned his wfe’s sterling and diamond ring with Thorogood for nine head of catte.

Proposed activity: throw some papers (the amount of students you have)  in a basket or hat, and on 10% of the papers, write “You live,” and on all others write “You died!” Then have the few that survived the winter stand before the class. You may make it more interesting to have one paper marked with “executed,” to reveal the story of a man who was caught trying to salt his dead wife and eat her! Captain Smith would not allow cannibalism and the man was executed as a result!

See Also: “Would I Survive Jamestown Game,” by Tom Martin at www.exploretidewaterhistory.org. Designed for high schoolers, this game can easily be adapted for all levels.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

South

·         Geography and climate

–         Appalachian Mountains, Piedmont, Atlantic Coastal Plain, good harbors, rivers

–         Humid climate

·         Economy

–         Large farms/plantations, cash crops, wood products, small farms

–         Slavery

·         Social life

–         Plantations (slavery), mansions, indentured servants, few cities, few schools

–         Church of England

·         Political and civic life

–         Counties

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

How did people’s lives vary among different social groups in colonial America?

Large landowners 

·         Lived predominately in the South

·         Relied on indentured servants and/or slaves for labor

·         Were educated in some cases

·         Had rich social culture

Farmers

·         Worked the land according to the region

·         Relied on family members for labor

Artisans

·         Worked as craftsmen in towns and on the plantation

·         Lived in small villages and cities

Women

·         Worked as caretakers, house-workers, homemakers

·         Could not vote

·         Had few chances for an education

Indentured servants

·         Consisted of men and women who did not have money for passage to the colonies and who agreed to work without pay for the person who paid for their passage

·         Were free at the end of their contract

Submitted by Paul Xenakis

Have students “think-pair-share,” about what different groups of people may have lived in Norfolk and Portsmouth. Have students write a one-page letter to a 12 year old counterpart in another group (large landowners, farmers, artisans, women, servants, slaves) to ask about what their life is like. The students will also draw two images; one that depicts their own colonial life, and another that depicts the life of whom they are writing.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

Slaves

·         Were captured in their native Africa and sold to slave traders, then were shipped to the colonies where they were sold into slavery

·         Were owned as property for life with no rights

·         Were often born into slavery (Children of slaves were born into slavery.)

Brief excerpt:

http://www.law.du.edu/russell/lh/alh/docs/virginiaslaverystatutes.html

Primary Source, Slave Laws:

http://www.virtualjamestown.org/laws.html

PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p268.html

Local Historical Accounts/Images:

http://historichamptonroads.com/

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

How did England impose its political and economic control over the colonies?

Economic relationships

·         England imposed strict control over trade.

·         England taxed the colonies after the French and Indian War.

·         Colonies traded raw materials for goods.

Political relationships

·         Colonists had to obey English laws that were enforced by governors.

·         Colonial governors were appointed by the king or by the proprietor.

·         Colonial legislatures made laws for each colony and were monitored by colonial governors.

Essential Questions

Essential Knowledge

Local History

What steps did England take to increase control over its colonies?

Why did many colonists become dissatisfied with England’s control over the colonies?

England’s reasons for control

·         England desired to remain a world power.

·         England imposed taxes, such as the Stamp Act, to raise necessary revenue to pay the cost of the French and Indian War.

England’s reasons for taxation

·         To help finance the French and Indian War

·         To help with the maintaining of English troops in the colonies

Sources of colonial dissatisfaction

·         Colonies had no representation in Parliament.

·         Some colonists resented power of colonial governors.

·         England wanted strict control over colonial legislatures.

·         Colonies opposed taxes.

·         The Proclamation of l763 hampered the western movement of settlers.

Ø       Dissolving the Virginia Company and establishing Virginia as a royal colony in 1624 is a prime example here. This was in response to the 1622 massacre and the inability of settlers to protect themselves adequately against native threat. 

Ø       Over the course of the late 17^th and early 18^th century, Americans experienced a period of salutary neglect, in which government affairs were run locally, without intrusion from Enland.

Ø       Reestablishment of British rule as a result of the French and Indian War would result in taxation policies.

Ø       Norfolk merchants would join forces to oppose King George III’s taxation policies in the colonies.

Ø       Both Norfolk & Portsmouth would boycott British goods in 1774-1775.

1713 the building of tobacco warehouses was instituted and government appointed local inspectors to determine the quality of the notes

Ports