Welcome to the "A Colonial Adventure" iAdventure. This iAdventure covers information about the first two permanent English colonies, Jamestown and Plymouth. After completion of this IAdventure students should know 1.) basic differences between the settlements of Jamestown and Plymouth, 2.) how specific individuals contributed to the success of each settlement, and 3.) steps each settlement took to ensure its survival. This iAdventure is for use with an 8th Grade American History class. Students should be able to complete it in one week.

 

 

Background Information

An iAdventure is a way of teaching students important concepts and skills by involving them in a storyline about one or more characters (fictional or real). In this iAdventure students will assume the role of a 23 year old living in England in the early 1600's. Different aspects of what life was like in England at that time are explained through the eyes of the character. The character decides to head to the new world to start a new life. They must research to decide whether they want to go to Jamestown or Plymouth. The story continues by explaining the horrors the character went through on the ship ride to the Americas. However, once he/she arrives in America he/she starts his/her new life. The story then skips ahead 2 years where the character is put on a committee to Honor the Person that Most Helped Jamestown/Plymouth Survive. Again they must do research on two different people that were influential in their colony so they can decide who to honor. Finally, the character recieves a letter from John Winthrop who is getting ready to establish a settlement in the new world. He asks for advice on what his colony should do to ensure their survival. The student must do research about mistakes other settlements made and good choices that they made that helped them survive and then they must wirte a letter back to John with their suggestions.

 

Curriculum Standards

This iAdventure meets the following Show-Me Standards:

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS

1. principles expressed in the documents shaping consitutional democracy in the United States
2. continuity and change in the history of Missouri, the United States, and the world
3. principles and processes of governance systems
6. relationships of the individual and groups to institutions and cultural traditions

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

GOAL 1
2. conduct research to answer questions and evaluate information and ideas
4. use technological tools and other resources to locate, select, and organize information
5. comprehend and evaluate written, visual, and oral presentations and works
8. organize data, information, and ideas into useful forms for analysis or presentation

GOAL 2
1. plan and make wirtten, oral, and visual presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences

GOAL 3
2. develop and apply strategies based on ways others have prevented or solved problems
5. reason inductively from a set of specific facts and deductively from general premises

GOAL 4
1. explain reasoning and indentify information used to support decisions

 

Resources Needed

This iAdventure would be most beneficial if completed individually by the students. Therefore, access to a computer for each student is recommended. Also, the teacher will need to print out copies of the student research guides.

 

Research Guides and Activities

As the students are completing their research at each step you will want to provide them with research guides and activities that they are responsible for completing before they can make their decision. This will ensure that they are being responsible reaserchers and it will give them an idea of what information they need to look for. To access these worksheets click on the links below and make a copy.

Jamestown or Plymouth Research Guide
The students should complete this worksheet while working on the Opening Story page.

Who's Who in the American Colonies Research Guide
The students should complete this worksheet while working on the Jamestown or Plymouth Page. SUGGESTION: At the end of this project have students share the information they found on each of their people so that students can write down information about the people from the settlement that they did not research.

Award Guidelines Page
The students should complete this worksheet while working on the Jamestown or Plymouth Page after completing the worksheet above.

Final Assessment

After the students research each settlement, important members of each settlement, mistakes each settlement made, and steps each settlement took to survive it is time for them to write their letter to John Winthrop. The requirements for the letter are listed below:

1. Answer all 3 of John's questions fully. Include specific details about why you chose the settlement you did and be sure to make suggestions about what he should do to ensure the survival of his settlement. Your suggestions can include specific facts about what either of the other settlements did or they can be more general.
2. Make sure your reply is in letter form.
3. Use correct spelling and grammar.
4. Make sure your letter is neat.

Below is the scoring guide that will be used to grade the letter:

	EXCEPTIONAL	ACCEPTABLE	UNACCEPTABLE
QUESTION 1	At least 3 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 10-9	At least 2 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 8-6	At least 1 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 5-0
QUESTION 2	At least 5 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 15-14	At least 3-4 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 13-9	At least 1-2 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 8-0
QUESTION 3	At least 3 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 10-9	At least 2 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 8-6	At least 1 fully explained and correct reasons are given. 5-0
SPELLING/GRAMMAR	100-90% accurate 5	89-60% accurate 4-3	<59% accurate 2-0
NEATNESS	Product uses letter format, is easy to read, and is easy to understand. 10-9	Product meets 2 of the three requirements to the left. 8-6	Product meets 1 of the three requirements to the left. 5-0

 

TOTAL /50

GENERAL COMMENTS:

 

To get a copy of this scoring guide by itself so you can print it CLICK HERE.

 

Acknowledgements

The iAdventure concept was developed in the Warrensburg, MO school district, as part of the "Learning with iAdventures" program. This program was funded by a Competitive Technology grant from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

For more information on iAdventures, visit the iAdventure Home Page.