Independence Day – the Fourth of July

by James

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Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23323418@N03/

To celebrate American Independence Day tomorrow, here are a couple of sample clips from the Key Stage 2 History module of HVG. Both would be useful for work on QCA Unit 19: ‘What were the effects of Tudor exploration?’

The first clip shows the earliest map to include the continent of America. Drawn in 1507 by the cartographer Martin Waldseemüller, this map named the new continent in honour of the Florentine explorer Amerigo Vespucci.

Title of clip	The Naming of America
Curriculum location	Primary Module A  >  History  >  Key stage 2  >  Unit 19: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?  >  Section 1: How did knowledge of the world change during the Tudor period?  >  Learning Objective: to compare the knowledge of the world that people had in Tudor times with what is known today
Description	The first representation of America on a map is examined.
Duration	36 seconds

 

The second clip tells the story of the English settlers on Roanoke Island a few decades later. It includes readings from the diary of Thomas Harris and images from sketches made by John White. White went back to England for supplies and when he eventually returned to Roanoke he found the settlement deserted. To this day the fate of the colonists has never been ascertained…

Title of clip	Roanoke Island Mystery
Curriculum location	Primary Module A  >  History  >  Key stage 2  >  Unit 19: What were the effects of Tudor exploration?  >  Section 5: Why did the Roanoke settlement fail?
Description	Documentary detailing the experiences of English settlers on Roanoke Island, USA: the expedition was documented by Thomas Harris and sketched by John White; a reading on the difficulties of finding the mainland coast due to the treacherous shallows and numerous small islands; initially the settlers were enthusiastic once landed, the Indians were friendly and the weather fair, the settlers depended on the Indians for food as their own seeds had been lost or had rotted; the Indians began to resent this persistent demand from the settlers and tensions rose between them, leading to violence; Drake took this group of failed settlers off Roanoke and brought them back home to England; in July 1587, 157 people returned to Roanoke and set up in the original settlement, they made contact again with the Indian tribes, the relationship was friendly but unpredictable; after a while the settlers began to run out of stores, John White was persuaded to return to England for further supplies; after he left Roanoke the settlers were never seen again; White returned to find the settlement deserted, he wanted to continue the search as his daughter was with the settlers but the weather was bad and the ship’s crew wanted to get to the Caribbean, so he turned back.
Duration	2 minutes 34 seconds