Lesson Plan - The Lost Colony

Watch the Video
Build background knowledge about Roanoke and other history mysteries by watching the video “The World’s Most Mysterious Places.” Discuss: Which mystery do you find most intriguing? Why? 

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• hypothesis
• skeptical

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them identify some of the challenges the Roanoke colonists faced.

1. Why did John White and the other English settlers sail to the New World in the first place?
The article explains that John White and the other English settlers sailed to the New World to start a new life.
^{R.5 Cause/Effect}

2. What is a hypothesis, according to the article? Share two hypotheses about what happened to the people of Roanoke.
Sample response: A hypothesis is an idea that could explain something but needs to be tested to be proved. One hypothesis about what happened to the people of Roanoke is that the villagers went to live with the Croatoan. Another is that the villagers died after a severe drought made it difficult to grow food and caused them to starve.
^{R.4 Vocabulary}

3. Why does researcher Scott Dawson believe the discovery of hammer scale on Hatteras Island is significant?
Researcher Scott Dawson believes the discovery of hammer scale on Hatteras Island is significant because hammer scale comes from blacksmithing, the process of turning metal into weapons and tools. The article explains that “none of the Native people knew how to blacksmith.” However, the colonists did.
^{R.2 Main Idea and Key Details}

Featured Skill: Text Evidence
Distribute the skill builder “Find the Clues” and have students use evidence from the article to support or refute the series of claims.
^{R.1 Text Evidence}