State of Affairs Between the Native Americans and the European Settlers

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Procedures:

1.      Display the painting John Smith Trading with Native Americans.

a.       http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vcdh/jamestown/pic6a.html

2.      Guide the students through the painting analysis by asking the following questions:

a.   Describe the landscape in the painting.

b.      Describe the individuals and their clothing and materials they used.

c.       Imagine you were the artist of this painting, what types of discussions may you hear?

d.      Give three adjectives on how the artist portrayed the North American Indians in this painting?

e.       Give three adjectives on how the artist portrayed the European settlers in this painting?

f.        What do you think was the painter’s purpose for creating this painting?  Why do you think this?

3.      Read the background information to illustrate the state of affairs between the North American Indians and the European settlers in the Jamestown area during the Age of Discovery.

4.      Explain to the students the historical significance of Sir William Berkeley and discuss why a document written by him might be a good indication of the feelings at that time.

a.       Background information on Sir William Berkeley (top through heading Thomas R. Stewart)

                                                                           i.      http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browse?id=J1003T

5.      Organize the students into groups with four or five students in each.

6.      Once in a group, the students should read "A Discourse and View of Virginia" by Sir William Berkeley, 1663.  The reading begins below the heading Thomas R. Stewart and continues to the bottom of the page.

a.       http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/jamestown-browse?id=J1003T

7.      After reading the selection, the students should discuss the answers to the discussion questions while having a recorder write down the consensus answer.

8.      Once the groups have had sufficient time to discuss the questions, come together as a whole class and have a class discussion on what the students came up with in their separate groups.

9.      Students should then search through the paintings in the Sidney King Drawings in the Colonial National Historical Park Collections #1-24 and complete the student worksheet for at least five of the paintings.

a.       http://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vcdh/jamestown/gallery2.html

10.  Discuss the interpretations of the paintings according to how the students interpreted them.