Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas Resources and Supplements
Dates covered: 1607-1619
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Sonlight Selection:
- Blood on the River
- A Lion to Guard Us
- The Landmark History of the American People, Volume I
- American History: A Visual Encyclopedia
- The Beginner’s American History
American History Easy Make and Learn Books:
- Easy Make and Learn Projects: Colonial America
- 3-D Jamestown Map Pages 15-21
- Interactive 3D Maps: American History
- Settlements at Roanoke and Jamestown Pages 30-33
- Lift the Flap Timelines: American History
- None
- The Pilgrims, the Mayflower, and More
- None
Arts and Crafts/Activities:
Books (All Ages):
Younger to Middle Students
1607
Jamestown: All Aboard America short, easy-to-read nonfiction book, Level 4.0
Pocahontas (On My Own Biography) Early Reader biography.
Sam Collier and the Founding of Jamestown In April 1607, twelve-year-old Sam Collier and a group of Englishmen landed in North America. Arriving as an assistant to the soldier John Smith, Sam was excited to discover what adventures lay before him, but the months ahead would soon prove to be a harsh test. Early Reader book.
The Jamestown Colony nonfiction, easy to read.
Pocahontas: An American Princess early reader, level 3.6
Pocahontas and John Smith Graphic Novel. The story of Pocahontas, John Smith, and the Jamestown colony has been told many times. Not all of these retellings are historically accurate. History buffs and curious readers will be fascinated to find out the real story behind the meeting and interaction of these historic figures.
Pocahontas: Bridging Two Worlds, an easy-to-read biography, does include a section where it says “The People in Jamestown were desperate. They had so little food that they were feating dogs, cats, and even their old boots and shoes.”
Pocahontas: Daughter of a Chief easy biography, written almost in poetry style, level 2.2
Pocahontas: Princess of the New World more extended picture book biography, level 5.1
The True Story of Pocahontas Early Reader Biography, level 2.7
The Story of Jamestown Graphic Novel. Tells the story of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Written in graphic-novel format.
Jamestown: New World Adventure A clever tale of two English children who are told the story of their grandfather’s experiences as one of the original Jamestown colonists. Pen and ink drawings add to the story.
1609
- Elizabeth’s Jamestown Colony Diary (3 book series from My America) Diary-style historical fiction account of 1609-1619 in Jamestown from a child’s POV. Contains many, many deaths (including parents and children) and other harsh scenes. Use with caution for sensitive readers.
- Our Strange New Land; level 3.2
- The Starving Time; level 3.2
- Seasons of Promise; level 3.6
Middle Students
- Colonial Jamestown Readers of this exciting volume will be transported back to Colonial Jamestown, the first permanent English colony in North America. Through simple text and full-color images, students will experience the journey along with the colonists: the difficult voyage overseas, illness and starvation, uncertainty about the local American Indians, and the hard work that went into forming a successful colony. Level 5.0.
- Jamestown Colony Describes the rocky and often deadly beginnings of the English colony of Jamestown in the early 1600s. Uses fun fonts and graphics to engage children in learning more about the people and places.
- John Smith: Jamestown Boy, A Childhood of Famous Americans series read-aloud style
- Pocahontas: 1595-1617 mid-length child’s biography, level 5.3
- Pocahontas and the Strangers by Clyde Robert Bulla used to be in HBL D.
- Pocahontas: The Inside Guide Biography, level 5.3
- Pocahontas: True Princess Retells the story of Pocahontas, daughter of Chief Powhatan. Makes a great reader.
- Pocahontas: Young Peacemaker Childhood of Famous Americans, Story biography, Historical fiction. 660L-about 4th grade
- Pocahontas and the Strangers by Clyde Robert Bulla. Simple prose recaptures the life of Pocahontas focusing on her struggles to bring peace between her tribe and the English settlers. Lexile 550. Virginia.
- The Life and Times of Pocahontas and the First Colonies mini-biography, level 4.1
- The Virginia Colony (True Books) Readers will get to know each colonies’ history, geography, and contributions. This series includes an age appropriate (grades 3-5) introduction to curriculum-relevant subjects and a robust resource section that encourages independent study.
- Blood on the River
1608
- Who’s Saying What in Jamestown, Thomas Savage? Jean Fritz, longer nonfiction, makes a great read-aloud or reader, level 5.5
1609
Middle to Older Students
1607
- James Towne: Struggle for Survival, a picture book, but for older children, about life in Jamestown. Level 6.2
- The Double Life of Pocahontas Jean Fritz’s longer biography of Pocahontas; was in Sonight previously. Level 5.9
- The Jamestown Colony Cornerstones of Freedom series. An account of the first permanent English settlement in North America, with all its tragedies and disasters, established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia. Level 6.1.
1619
- African-Americans in the Colonies nonfiction look at the first African slaves in America, starting in Jamestown, level 6.5
- African-Americans in the Thirteen Colonies Using many photographs, this is a simple overview of the part played by African Americans during the formative years of the colonial period. The freedom sought by so many Europeans who came to America was not shared with many Africans & their descendants. The brief descriptions in this book tell of slavery as well as the limited freedoms of free blacks. Contains images that might affect sensitive readers.
Older Students
- Captain John Smith: A Foothold in the New World Janet and Geoff Benge, Thrown overboard, enslaved by the Turks, captured by pirates, rescued by a princess; the story of Englishman John Smith (1580-1631) would seem unbelievable were it fiction.
- Pocahontas, longer book for older children, by Joseph Bruchac, level 6.3
- The World of Captain John Smith A Genevieve Foster book. Spanning the years from 1580-1631, the life of the adventurous John Smith gives a picture of the world just before and during the colonization of America, including a look around the world.
- Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland in-depth look into life at Jamestown by looking at the bones and artifacts found at the site by archaeologists. For older children who want more detail. Level 9.0
Coloring Pages:
- A Children’s Color Book of Jamestown in Virginia Part Picture book, part coloring book, with lots of facts and information about Jamestown with pictures you can color if you wish. (Amazon, $)
- Jamestown Activities/Coloring
- Jamestown Coloring Pages
Lapbooks/Notebooking Pages
Movies (Longer than 30 minutes): (See also: Videos)
- Guardians of Jamestown (note: This one has a wizard-sort of guy who can control time travel, but if you can look past that, there is a lot of great info, including about slavery in America).
- Pocahontas, Disney Of course this is not accurate at all, but it does tie into the theme with some historical background. Available on many platforms, including Disney Plus.
- Pocahontas: Animated Hero Classics
Museums/Field Trips (including virtual):
- Jamestown Settlement (if you are going for any length of time, it might pay to get the Historic Triangle Tickets.
- Classes can request a virtual field trip for a fee.
- You can watch a field trip here.
Recipes:
Songs:
- Jamestown Colony (“Shut Up and Dance” parody) – @MrBettsClass
- Early American Settlements Song
- Colonizing Time – Jamestown: History Music Video (Parody of “Closing Time” by Semisonic)
Videos (1-30 minutes): (See also: Movies)
- Powhatan Village
- America the Story of Us: Life in Jamestown | History
- Captain John Smith (Older video)
