Introduction
Imagine this...
You and your friends decide to go on a hike to Pike’s Peak, Colorado. You hike up the trail, admiring the scenery along the way. You and your friends reach the top of the bare rock summit. All of you are rewarded by the 100-mile views to points all around Colorado. After you and your friends have taken in the view, everyone decides to eat lunch and relax before heading back down.
As you are heading back down the mountain, everyone decides to take a break. During the break, you tell your friends you are going to head to the woods to pick some wildberries. When you return, you find none of your friends are there. You walk around the area, shouting your friends’ names, but no one responds. You discover there is not another person to be found! As you continue walking down the mountain, you notice a clue regarding their disappearance. It is a phrase that was freshly carved into a tall pine tree,
"Remember Pike’s Peak."
If you thought losing your friends on Pike’s Peak was bad, something DID happen to the first English settlement in Roanoke. Read on...
In 1587, the Virginia Company, financed by Sir Walter Raleigh, sponsored the first permanent English settlement in the New World. One hundred men and 17 women landed on Roanoke Island, off of the North Carolina coast. John White, the first governor of the Roanoke Colony, sailed back to England to get additional supplies.
Three years later, John White returned from England with supplies for his Roanoke colony. When White and his crew returned, they found the entire colony (including his daughter and granddaughter), their houses and belongings had vanished without a trace!
While searching the area, White and his crew found two mysterious carvings. The first was found on a tree with the letters CRO. The second was on a fence post, where they found the word Croatoan (Croatoan was the name of a local Native American tribe as well as a nearby island.).
The Task:
You just learned that in 1590, the entire Roanoke Colony (men, women, houses, and their belongings) disappeared! Unfortunately, this is all the information you will be given. It is up to you to figure out what you think happened.
You are no longer a student. You are now an investigatortrying to figure out what happened to the colony.You will need to research background information about the colony, before they disappeared, and about the 3most plausible theories as to what actually happened to the colony:
1. Relocation
2. Assimilation
3. Indian attack
By the end you will decide which theory you think is the one that is most likely to have happened to the colonists. After youreach your conclusion, you will write a letter to Queen Elizabeth about your findings.
What you need to do:
1.Research the background information about the colony and complete the worksheet that goes along with it
2.Research the 3 theories and complete the worksheets that go along with each theory
3.Write the letter to Queen Elizabeth I
The Process:
Step 1: Research background information on the colony’s history and the 3 theories.
Some sites may include words that you don't understand. That is okay! Use adictionary to find the definitions of any words that you are not familiar with. You may use other sites. I gave you a few to get started.
Step 2: Complete researching the 3 theories.
Step 3: Writing a Letter to Queen Elizabeth I.
After you reachyour conclusion, you will write a friendly letter to Queen Elizabeth I stating your findings. She is counting on you to solve the mystery of her beloved lost colony. Your letter needs to include evidence supporting your chosen theory as well as evidence refuting the other theories.Minimum of 5 paragraphs.
Letter Outline:
1. Introduction Paragraph – include a lead and Roanoke background information
2. Three Body paragraphs explaining the different possibilities – one for each theory (explain and site evidence)
3. Conclusion – explain which theory you think is correct and explain why the others theories are not correct
4. You will need a: Greeting (introduction), body (3 paragraphs) closing (conclusion), and of course your signature
Friendly Letter to Queen Elizabeth I Rubric
4 / 3 / 2 / 1Format / Letter is complete with all required elements. / Some friendly letter elements are missing or are out of place. / Most friendly letter elements are missing or are out of place. / Improper format was used.
Content Accuracy
~ Introduction Paragraph / Paragraph was expressed in a clear and organized fashion. It was easy to understand what the topic of the letter was about. / Paragraph was expressed in a clear manner, but the organization could have been better. / Paragraph was somewhat organized, but not very clear. It took more than one reading to figure out what the letter was about. / The paragraph seemed to be a collection of unrelated sentences. It was very difficult to figure out what the letter would be about.
Content Accuracy
~ Body Paragraph(s) / Paragraph(s) was/were expressed in a clear and organized fashion. It provided your chosen theory with supported evidence as well as evidence refuting the other theories. / Paragraph(s) was/were expressed in a clear manner. It provided your chosen theory with some supported evidence as well as some evidence refuting the other theories. The organization could have been better. / Paragraph(s) was/were somewhat organized, but not very clear. It provided your chosen theory with some supported evidence but no evidence refuting the other theories. / The paragraph(s) was not organized or very clear. It provided your chosen theory but no supported evidence or evidence refuting the other theories.
Content Accuracy
~ Closing Paragraph / Concluding paragraph was expressed in a clear and organized fashion. You summed up your main topic in this paragraph. / Concluding paragraph was expressed in a clear manner. It provided some summation of your main topic, but the organization could have been better. / Concluding paragraph was somewhat organized, but not very clear. The organization could have been better. / Concluding paragraph seemed to be a collection of unrelated sentences. You did not sum up your main topic in this paragraph.
Proofreading / There are no errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar in the letter. / There are one to three errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar in the letter. / There are four to five errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar in the letter. / There are more than five errors in spelling, punctuation, or grammar in the letter.
Use of Class Time / Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the assignment done. Never distracted others. / Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the assignment done and never distracted others. / Used some of the time well during each class period. There were some focus issues getting the assignment done and occasionally distracted others. / Did not use class time to focus on the assignment or often distracted others.
Unsolved Mysteries…Roanoke Island
Background
So, your first job is to research the background of the Roanoke Colony. Explain how the people got to Roanoke and why they were there. You should also look into what life was like for the settlers there. Be sure to know about the key people involved and the major events leading up to the disappearance of the colony. Basically, you must know the story up to the point when the colonists disappeared. Use QPA to write your answers in the space provided.
1.How did the colonists get to Roanoke? What route did they take? Transportation?
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2.Why did they travel to Roanoke? What their reason for going?
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3.What was life like for the settlers?
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4.Who were the key people involved?
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5.What were the major events leading up to the disappearance of the colony (background)?
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6.Any other important information related to the background?
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Possible Background Links to help you(You may want to look for others as well):
* Manteo and Roanoke Island History--Good background information.
* The Establishment of the Colony--North Carolina History page describing life in the colony and more.
* - A biography of one of the key figures in the Roanoke Colony.
* - Lost Colony
Don’t be afraid to use books and magazines to help you with your research.
Relocation Theory
This theory states that the colonists at Roanoke left the settlement where they were and moved somewhere else. View as many sources as possible. You will want to be looking for reasons why historians believe that this theory is possible and clues that support it. Use QPA to write your answers in the space provided.
Theory: Colonists left settlement and moved somewhere else.
1.Why did the colonists at Roanoke leave the settlement and move somewhere else? What are some of the reasons they would move?
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2.Where were some of the possible places they may have relocated to?
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3.Any other important information related to this theory.
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Assimilation Theory
This theory says that the colonists were assimilated (moved in with) into one or more Indian tribes. To gain knowledge about this theory view as many sources as possible so that you can. Remember, any theory that involves the colonists leaving their settlement to live with the Indians is part of this theory. There are several different ideas on how this might have happened.Use QPA to write your answers in the space provided.
Theory: Colonists were assimilated into one or more Indian tribes.
1.Why would the colonists at Roanoke decide to assimilated into one or more Indian tribes? What were some of the reasons?
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2.What were some of the tribes they may have assimilated into?
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3.Any other important information related to this theory.
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Indian Attack Theory
This theory states that the colonists were killed in an attack by Indians. You will need to begin by gathering as much information on neighboring tribes as possible. Which ones would be most likely to attack? Look for information about why historians believe in the theory and clues to support it. Use QPA to write your answers in the space provided.
Theory: Colonists were killed in an attack by Indians.
1.Why did Indians kill the colonists? Write some of the reasons they would attack.
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2.Who were the tribes that may have attacked the colonists?
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3.Any other important information related to this theory.
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1.Possible Relocation TheoryLinks:
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke, 1588--Lists five possible theories...including relocating
* more possible theories to look through
* A Search for the Lost Colony--Study maps and evidence that point to where the colonists might have went.
* of Virginia
2.Possible Assimilation Links:
* - possible tribes
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke, 1588--Lists five possible theories...including relocating
* What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke?--Some more possible theories to look through
* Roanoke
3.Possible Indian AttackLinks:
* The Lost Colony of Roanoke, 1588--Lists five possible theories...including the Native Americans attacking
* The Lost Colony
* - Native American Tribes
** Don’t be afraid to use books and magazines to help you with your research.
** You may also use other sites to help you as well as the ones I provided.