The 2nd grade US history curriculum jumped from Columbus to Jamestown. Hold the phone! Did they forget about the Lost Colony of Roanoke? I can see how that might happen with a name like “the Lost Colony.”
So…..how do I know about it? I happen to be an expert at finding things to do while on vacation. Including a relaxing beach vacation to the the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Yup, we sure did take the kids to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in Roanoke. The park ranger engaged my kids so well that my then six-year old twins still remember the story of the Lost Colony, almost five years later!
A Quick Recap of the Story
First, England sends colonists to Roanoke (present-day North Carolina). Then, they cannot unable to relocate to the Chesapeake Bay. Enduring a hard winter, the captain returns to England for more supplies. In the meantime, the colonists are to write “Croatoan” if they leave with the Croatoan Indians. If case of trouble, the tree should be marked with a cross.
When he finally returns, captain returns to find a deserted settlement! He sees “Cro” carved into a tree. He finds the word “Croatoan” on a fence post. According to their code, the colonists have clearly gone with the Croatoan Indians. However, they were never found. This is the mystery of the Lost Colony.
Jane Yolen and Jean Fritz present two living books written in story form that provide opportunities for critical thinking.
For Kindergarten and up
Roanoke: The Lost Colony by Jane Yolen and Heidi Elisabet Yolen Stemple offers critical thinking to the younger elementary aged student. Clues and questions at the end allow for the reader to reach their own conclusions. This book poses the possible fates:
- There were no survivors.
- They joined and married into Native American tribes.
- They tried to sail home and got lost at sea.
- Some settlers sailed north to Chesapeake. Others settled on Croatoan Island.
- Virginia Dare was raised by the Croatoan people and was turned into a white deer.
For Late Elementary and up
This short chapter book, The Lost Colony of Roanoke by Jean Fritz, engages the reader in a thorough history of the colony. Throughout the book, colorful illustrations enhance the text. Fritz lays out all of the clues and key players. At the end, she also suggests possibilities and invites the reader to make conclusions.
A recent clue
Finally, in 2020, archaeologists found evidence to support the theory of the settlers integrating with the Native American tribes.
To conclude, this video provides an animation of the entire story. For fun, it mentions an alien abduction as a possibility at the end of the video.