Roanoke Homeschool Resources
American History years: 1585-1588
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Sonlight Selection:
American History Easy Make and Learn Books:
- I downloaded these books from the Scholastic Teacher’s Story website as PDF versions. They are also available in print books, but are out of print and can be hard to find.
- Easy Make and Learn Projects: Colonial America
- Croatoan Mystery Tree Project – Page 11
- Roanoke Mini-Scroll Book – Page 12
- Interactive 3D Maps: American History
- Settlements at Roanoke and Jamestown Map – Page 30
- Lift the Flap Timelines: American History
- None
- The Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and More
- None
- Easy Make and Learn Projects: Colonial America
Books: Asterisks indicate my personal favorites
Note: I have given each book a category for age that I think they will most appeal to. Many of these books will appeal to multiple age groups, so feel free to adjust as needed.
Younger to Middle Students
- You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Colonist! A Settlement You’d Rather Not Start This interactive series invites young and reluctant readers to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes side of life during important eras in history. Experience hard labor, drought, famine, and conflict with the Algonquians who are angry with you because you have fenced off their land. Level 4.5. Younger to Middle Students.
- The Mystery of Roanoke, the Lost Colony What happened to the colony at Roanoke is one of America’s first unsolved mysteries. The facts that historians have pieced together are presented here in comic book format. Theories of what happened are elucidated as well, so readers can make their own judgments on what they think happened at Roanoke hundreds of years ago.
- The Roanoke Colony: America’s First Mystery Graphic Novel. What happened to the colonists? To figure it out, we’ll need to investigate how these missing settlers got to Roanoke in the first place, and what the people already living there thought about these strange foreigners. It’s a case filled with brutal battles, perilous pirate ships, ruthless queens, scheming businessmen, and enough skeletons to fill a graveyard.
Middle Students
- Roanoke Island: The Town that Vanished, nonfiction, but easy to read, level 5.1
- The Secret of Roanoke Island: A History Mystery Describes the events surrounding the mysterious disappearance of the small group of English colonists who settled on Roanoke Island in 1587. Nonfiction. Middle students.
- Virginia Dare: Mystery Girl Childhood of Famous Americans series, the story of the first English child born in the United States, who disappeared at Roanoke Colony. The story starts out with facts, but since no one knows what happened, it delves into imagining she was adopted by a Native American family and her life with them. Middle students.
- What Do We Know About the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Part of the Who Was? series. In 1585, Sir Walter Raleigh attempted to found the very first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The initial settlement—called the Lane colony—failed due to extremely low supplies and a hostile relationship with the Native American people who were already living on the land. Despite this miserable first attempt, Raleigh decided to establish another settlement. Over one hundred people agreed to join this new colony on Roanoke Island, just off the coast of what is now North Carolina. The colony’s governor, John White, chose to return to England to get more supplies but found himself stuck there for three years due to an unexpected war. When he arrived back at Roanoke, the entire colony had vanished. Over one hundred people, including his wife and daughter, had seemingly disappeared. They were never heard from again. The only clue left was the word “Croatoan” carved into a post. What really happened to the missing English settlers? Find out what we do know about this historic unsolved mystery in this nonfiction book for young readers. North Carolina. Middle students.
Older Students
- A Kingdom Strange, a high school level nonfiction story with lots of background and detail. North Carolina.
- Lost Colony of Roanoke Jean Fritz, longer nonfiction, makes a great read-aloud or reader, level 5.7
- Raleigh’s Page Longer book for older children, level 4.7, 320 pages, covers some sensitive topics like teaching children to drug wine and drinks, or when men are starving they resort to eating their dogs, which are based on true events; historical fiction.
- Roanoke: A Novel of the Lost Colony An English youth and an Indian girl are caught up in the events leading to the mysterious disappearance of the colony at Roanoke Island. Historical fiction. Older students.
- Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado nonfiction longer biography, but well written for older children, level 8.2
Spanish Armada
- You Wouldn’t Want to Sail in the Spanish Armada: An Invasion You’d Rather Not Launch picture book nonfiction account of the invasion. Level 4.3. Spain. England. Middle students.
Coloring Pages:
Documentaries: (See also: Movies, and Videos)
- In Search Of: The Lost Colony of Roanoke (S2, E3) | Full Episode Explores some of the latest research about what happened to the Colony
Lapbooks/Notebooking Pages/Worksheets:
- Interactive Foldable Booklet ($1.00)
- Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth Lapbook for Upper Elementary ($3.00 on TPT)
Movies (Longer than 30 minutes) (Also see Documentaries, Videos)
- Roanoke Movie (A low-budget reenactment of the trip and settlement) on Amazon Prime ($$ to rent or buy)
Museums/Field Trips (including virtual):
- The Lost Colony Production, North Carolina
- Roanoke Island Settlement Festival Park, North Carolina
Recipes:
Songs:
Videos (1-30 minutes): (See also: Documentaries, and Movies)
- Roanoke Island Claymotion
- How Did A Whole Village Disappear? (The Lost Colony of Roanoke Mystery)(ends with comedic mention of brain-eating aliens)
- The Loss of Roanoke Colony | Mayflower Malarkey | Horrible Histories (uses language such as “idiot”)
Arts and Crafts, Toys/Games
