Roanoke & Jamestown

Grade Level

9th Grade

Duration

90 minutes

Class Size

15 students

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Common Core State Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.3
Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text, including their causes and effects.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.9-10.2
Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, using precise language and domain-specific vocabulary.

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Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the Roanoke and Jamestown colonies focusing on location, challenges, Indigenous interactions, and outcomes.
2. Use primary and secondary sources to extract key information and cite textual evidence.
3. Collaboratively organize information in a Venn diagram format.
4. Discuss and evaluate reasons for the success and failure of early English colonies.
5. Summarize findings with clear, historically accurate explanations.

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Success Criteria

• I can identify key similarities and differences between Roanoke and Jamestown.
• I can cite specific evidence from texts to support my points.
• I can contribute to a group-created Venn diagram with accurate notes.
• I can explain why one colony succeeded while the other failed using historical context.

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Materials Needed

• Projector and whiteboard
• Copies of primary and secondary sources (excerpts) on Roanoke and Jamestown
• Venn diagram worksheet (large format for group and small individual copies)
• Guided notes handout
• Pens, highlighters, colored pencils
• Exit ticket slips

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Lesson Breakdown

1. Do Now (10 minutes)

Prompt Questions (on board):

1. What do you already know about the first English colonies in America?
2. What challenges do you think early settlers might have faced when colonizing a new land?

Students write responses in notebooks. Brief partner share to activate prior knowledge.

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2. Essential Question (5 minutes)

Display on board:
Why did the Roanoke colony fail while the Jamestown colony survived?

• Introduce the question to focus learning.
• Explain students will explore this through comparing both colonies.

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3. Guided Notes and Source Analysis (20 minutes)

• Distribute guided notes and two sets of excerpts:
  a) Primary sources (e.g., settlers’ letters, reports from leaders)
  b) Secondary sources (historical summaries)

• Teacher models reading a short primary excerpt about Roanoke’s challenges and locates key facts.

• Students work independently with partner to read and annotate excerpts on Jamestown.

Guided Notes Scaffold:

• Location (Geography, resources)
• Challenges (Disease, supplies, leadership)
• Indigenous interactions (Conflict, trade, alliances)
• Outcomes (Survival, disappearance, colony legacy)

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4. Group Venn Diagram Creation (25 minutes)

• Divide class into three groups (5 students each).
• Each group receives a large Venn diagram chart paper with “Roanoke” and “Jamestown” circles.
• Students synthesize guided notes and evidence to fill the diagram collaboratively using markers.
• Encourage citing evidence by writing source type next to points (e.g., [Primary Letter], [Secondary Text]).

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5. Group Presentations and Discussion (15 minutes)

• Each group presents their Venn diagram findings in 3-4 minutes.
• Class discussion guided by teacher on causes for success or failure based on comparative analysis.

Prompt Questions for Discussion:

• What was the biggest challenge for Roanoke and why?
• How did relationships with Indigenous peoples differ and impact outcomes?
• What role did geography play in Jamestown’s survival?

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6. Comprehension Check (10 minutes)

Written Questions:

1. Explain one reason Roanoke failed using information from primary sources.
2. How did Jamestown’s leadership contribute to its success?
3. Compare the interactions each colony had with Indigenous peoples.

Students write responses individually to assess understanding.

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7. Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Two short answer questions:

1. Which colony do you think faced harsher challenges and why?
2. How does analyzing primary sources help us understand history better?

Collect responses for teacher review.

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Diverse Learners:

  • Provide annotated excerpts to scaffold reading comprehension.
  • Allow use of graphic organizers and sentence starters for note-taking.
  • Support group roles (reader, recorder, presenter) to capitalize on strengths.

• For ELL Students:

  • Pre-teach key vocabulary (colony, Indigenous, settlement, survival, leadership).
  • Pair with bilingual peers or provide multilingual glossary.

• For Students with IEPs:

  • Allow audio versions of texts or teacher read-aloud.
  • Extended time for comprehension and written tasks.
  • Use of digital tools for Venn diagram creation if preferred.

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Extension Activities

• Advanced Research Project:
  Investigate another early colony (e.g., Plymouth or Massachusetts Bay) and present a comparison chart on success factors.

• Role-Play Debate:
  Students take the role of Roanoke or Jamestown settlers defending their colony’s decisions and challenges.

• Primary Source Analysis:
  Analyze additional primary documents such as John Smith’s writings or Indigenous accounts and write a brief summary evaluating perspective and bias.

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This detailed plan balances collaborative and individual work with strong alignment to Common Core standards, ensures multiple entry points for diverse learners, and encourages critical thinking through evidence-based historical analysis.