Grade Level: 4th
Subject Area: Social Studies – Virginia Studies
Title of Lesson: Jamestown
Lesson Duration: (55 – 65 minutes)
Lesson 2 – Day 1
I. Objectives & Standards
 Objectives
o SWBAT Explain what a charter is and why the charters of the Virginia Company
of London were important
o SWBAT Explain Jamestown’s system of government
o SWBAT Explain the importance of the House of Burgesses
 Standards
o VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent English
settlement in America by:
c) Identifying the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of
London in establishing the Jamestown settlement;
d) Identifying the importance of the General Assembly (1619) as the first
representative legislative body in English America;
II. Materials for Learning Activities
 Teacher Materials
 Jamestown: Struggle for Survival, by Marcia Sewall
 Notes
 Role Play Activity
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/scope_sequence/history_socialscien
ce_scope_sequence/2008/scopeseq_histsoc_va_studies.pdf pg 59)
 First Charter
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socialscienc
e/resources/documents_american_history.pdf
 List of people sailing to America
http://www.learner.org/workshops/primarysources/virginia/docs/first.html
 Maps: World and America
 Props: King’s Crown, Charter (rolled paper like a scroll), Virginia Company sign
 Add’l reading material Life at Jamestown
 Student Materials
 Paper, pencils
 Social Studies notebook (for notes)
 Jamestown Reflection Booklet
III. Procedures for Learning Activities
 Introduction (10 – 15 minutes)
o Read Jamestown: Struggle for Survival, by Marcia Sewall, up to page 14
o Think – Pair – Share
 Think about one thing you learned or found interesting, were there any
terms you didn’t understand?
 Pair up and share ideas
 Share ideas with class
 Instructional strategies
o Background information (5 minutes)
 The king in England had the power to grant charters allowing settlement in
North America
 The king granted charters to the Virginia Company of London to:
o Establish a settlement in North America
o Extend English rights to the settlers
 What is a charter? A document, issued by a sovereign or state,
outlining the conditions under which a corporation, colony, city or
other corporate body is organized, and defines its rights and
privileges.
 Who was the sovereign? The King, King James
o Group Activity (20 minutes)
 Teacher explains what students will be re-enacting: The London Company
sent its first settlers to Virginia under the 1606 Charter. The land assigned to
colonists remained the property of the King, with the London Company the
King's tenant, and the settlers as sub-tenants. The colony's government at
first consisted of a Council residing in London. The London Company was
responsible for recruiting settlers, providing their transport and supplies, and
the financing.
 Simulated Virginia Company & Settlers (from…
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/scope_sequence/history_socialscien
ce_scope_sequence/2008/scopeseq_histsoc_va_studies.pdf pg 59)
 Select a group of students to hold a sign that says ―Virginia
Company of London. On the opposite side of the room, have one or
two students hold a map of Virginia. Near the Virginia Company,
have one student portray the king by wearing a crown and holding a
charter.
 Set the scene by reading the following scenario. “Groups of
businessmen who live in England are trying to increase their wealth.
All of them are members of the Virginia Company of London. They
have decided that Virginia is a good place to locate an English
colony because they think that there is gold and silver there. They
also hope to find natural resources that could be used to produce
products for markets in England. They will not travel themselves, so
they need to find men who will agree to go to Virginia. They must
provide ships and supplies for the journey and settlement. They also
need to get permission from King James, and so they present their
case. King James grants them a charter that allows them to proceed.”
 Have the student playing King James read the first charter of the
Virginia Company of London. Information about the three charters
of Virginia is available on page 56 http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/history_socia
lscience/resources/documents_american_history.pdf (NOTE: may
want to highlight certain areas only)
o Students return to seats for follow up discussion (10 -15 minutes)
 Who were the people going to Virginia?
 Read “Who were these voyagers who sailed to Virginia?” excerpt
from “Life in Jamestown”


List of people who were on that first expedition
http://www.learner.org/workshops/primarysources/virginia/docs/first
.html
 Discuss: Let’s look at this document like historians…What kinds of
people do you see? What are their jobs? Why do you think so many
"gentlemen" went on this voyage? What consequences do you think
that had for the settlement?
o Reflection (in reflection booklet)
 What was the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of
London to the Jamestown Settlement?
Summary (10 minutes)
o Vocabulary Bank (Graphic Organizer) – key terms
o Charter - a document, issued by a sovereign or state,
outlining the conditions under which a corporation, colony,
city or other corporate body is organized, and defines its
rights and privileges
o Whip-around activity – “What I learned today…”
 Students write 2 new things they learned during today’s lesson
 Students take turns reading their things (teacher calls on first student, that
student calls on next and so forth)
 Students listen for what other students say, cross off any repeats on their
own list, and sit down if their entire list is said
o Tomorrow we will learn about Jamestown’s systems of government
IV. Assessment
 Formative
o Reflection booklet
o Whip-around feedback (What are they learning?)
 Summative
o none
V. Differentiation
 List adaptations that will be made for individual learners.
 List adaptations to assessment required.