Jamestown Part 1, Discussion Prompts and Pause Points

Before the Movie:

What do you know about Jamestown? (Tap prior knowledge)

What is something new you hope to learn about the first English colony? (Set goals)

During the Movie (Pause Points):

Stop at the following times in the movie and ask questions or prompt a discussion to keep students focused and to assess their understanding before moving on:

Timecode 1:20: Why did it take England longer than its rivals to set up colonies?  (Compare/contrast; Draw conclusions)

Timecode 4:12: How did the Virginia Company recruit men to set up the new colony?   (Summarize)

Timecode 5:03: What problems did the men face in Jamestown? How did Captain John Smith solve the problems? (Identify problem and solution)

Timecode 5:41: How would forging an alliance benefit both the Powhatan and the settlers?  (Make inferences; Identify cause/effect) 

After the Movie:

Look at the four related movies at the bottom of the page. Explain how each is connected to the Jamestown, Part 1 topic. (Make connections)

What do you predict is the reason that relations break down between the Powhatan and the settlers? (Make predictions)

BrainPOP recommends reading  the movie description that appears on the  Jamestown, Part 1 Topic Page to your class. Then show the movie once through without pausing.  Watch it again, this time using the discussion prompts.

*BrainPOP’s Discussion Questions and Prompts align to CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards.