Primary Documents: Starving Time in Virginia
Grade 5

Erin Domke
Liz Orvis
Kenzie Waller

• Perspective: Historical
• Content Standard 3: All students will reconstruct the past by comparing interpretations written by others from a variety of perspectives and creating narratives from evidence.
• Benchmark 2: Differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations.

• Ask questions about John Smith:
• What do you know about John Smith?
• How did you learn about John Smith?
• Give a brief explanation about primary and secondary sources.
• Show them examples of each type.

Objectives: Students will:

1.  Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
2.  Analyze how information can change throughout history.
3.  Apply this understanding to Capt. John Smith.

• The Disney Movie Pocahontas
• "Starving Time in Virginia"
• roll paper, markers.

Show students a short clip from the movie Pocahontas.  Next, read John Smith's journal entry to the students.  Discuss with the students the similarities and differences between these two sources using the analysis of primary resources questions.  For example, how was the information in the primary resource alike and different from the Disney movie, "Pocahontas"?
Students will create a mural, a secondary source, describing what they have learned about John Smith.

Closure
1. What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source?
2. Which type of source is your document?
3. How does your mural differ from other secondary sources?