Activity Overview
Themes come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify key themes in John Smith’s The General History of Virginia and support their choices with details from the text.
Themes and Ideas to Discuss
The Importance of Self-Reliance
The settlers embarked on a journey to a world where they would have no contact with home. It was essential that they be able to build their own settlement, draw on resources from the land, make friends with the Native Americans if possible, and begin a long-term investment in this new future. The people who went needed to be prepared to do all of this without much help from home.
The Excitement of Exploration
For Smith, the trip is a combination of virtù, prosperity, and piety. The first, virtù, is a sense of adventure and heroism - an expectancy of the achievement of great things. Going to Jamestown was stepping into an unknown world. It was full of mystery, excitement, and danger. Second, the exploration of this new place could yield new and great riches, an opportunity which many would jump at. Finally, the new world was an opportunity to bring Christianity to new peoples and places. The excitement was palpable for the settlers.
The Necessity of Hard Work
In spite of the many hardships the settlers faced, Smith did not have a lot of patience for those who could not pull their own weight. When he was finally put in charge, he ensured that the settlers had plenty of incentive to work hard by telling them that those who did not work would not eat. Smith and other leaders of the settlement knew that in the harsh conditions, so far away from the homeland, everyone would have to work hard so that they all could survive.
Man vs. Nature
The elements wore on the settlers, from the first starving time, where they were unable to produce a viable crop, to the bitter cold of the first winter. Then, the settlers were plagued by illness and disease, and unable to work or contribute. Made worse by all of this were periodic attacks by the Native Americans, who knew the landscape better than the settlers did. The human will to survive in such circumstances is one that Smith highlights and celebrates throughout his narrative.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in The General History of Virginia. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Identify the theme(s) from The General History of Virginia you wish to include and replace the "Theme 1" text.
- Create an image for examples that represent this theme.
- Write a description of each of the examples.
Lesson Plan Reference
- [ELA-Literacy/RI/9-10/5] Analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter).
- [ELA-Literacy/RI/9-10/6] Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose.
- [ELA-Literacy/RI/9-10/9] Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"), including how they address related themes and concepts.
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identification of Theme(s), Symbol(s), and/or Motif(s) | All themes are correctly identified as important recurring topics or messages in the story. Symbols are correctly identified as objects that represent something else at a higher level in the story. Motifs are correctly identified as important recurring features or ideas in the story. | Most themes are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. Most symbols are correctly identified, but some objects are missing or incomplete. Some motifs are correctly identified, but others are missing or incomplete. | Most themes are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most symbols are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. Most motifs are missing, incomplete, or incorrect. | No themes, symbols, or motifs are correctly identified. |
| Examples and Descriptions | Quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are accurate to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motifs that are being identified. Descriptions mostly accurately explain the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s), and highlight their significance to the story. | Most quotes and examples are minimal, incorrect, or unrelated to the theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) that are being identified. Descriptions contain inaccuracies in their explanations, or do not highlight their significance to the story. | Examples and descriptions are missing or too minimal to score. |
| Depiction | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are accurate to the story and reflect time, effort, thought, and care with regard to placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are mostly accurate to the story. They reflect time and effort put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for theme(s), symbol(s), and/or motif(s) are inaccurate to the story. The depictions may be rushed or show minimal effort, time, and care put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Most depictions are missing too many elements or are too minimal to score. Little time or effort has been put into placement and creation of the scenes. |
| English Conventions | There are no errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions reflect careful proofreading and accuracy to the story. | There are a few errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions show accuracy to the story and some proofreading. | There are several errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. Most writing portions do not reflect proofreading or accuracy to the story. | Errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics in writing portions of the storyboard seriously interfere with communication. |
How To Discuss the Themes of “Self-Reliance” and “Hard Work” in Class
Begin a General Discussion
Begin a general discussion on the topics of hard work and self-reliance. Teachers can also conduct small activities in class and conduct experiments in order to explain the significance of these topics in real life. Share examples and stories with students where these qualities have been utilized.
Give Context
After a general discussion, give students the context of these themes. Teachers can discuss how these themes have been explored in the book. Ask the students to highlight the instances in the book where these themes have been discussed and give their own analysis of their importance, credibility, and historical significance.
Talk About Personal Interpretations
Invite students to discuss how they personally understand the topics. What do they mean by hard work and independence? Do these ideas apply to everyone, or do they differ depending on one's point of view? Students can discuss these topics both in a general sense and in the context of the book.
Assign Writing Projects
Give students the opportunity to write reflective essays or journal entries in which they discuss the concepts of perseverance and hard effort. Students can discuss the views of the book, and their own opinions, or reference any other text they find relevant. Ask them to elaborate on the themes or make connections between them and their own experiences.
Encourage Positivity and Good Values
Encourage the students to always extract lessons from all the topics they discuss in class and try to apply those concepts in real life. Teachers can share examples of how adopting good qualities and positive values can change the life of a person and encourage them to do better in life. Discuss with students some positive qualities and their relationship with success.
Frequently Asked Questions About Analyzing Themes in “The General History of Virginia”
How is the relationship between man and the environment presented in the book?
The decisions made about agriculture, settlement sites, and contacts with Native Americans are shaped by environmental conditions, which also affect the trajectory of events. The challenges of illness and harsh weather also played a significant role in the lives of the settlers. Smith highlights these obstacles presented by the environment and how the settlers overcame these challenges.
How does the book highlight the importance of self-reliance and collective work?
The story highlights the need to strike a balance between individual initiative and the welfare of the community by illuminating instances in which individual acts have an influence on the whole. Smith also emphasizes the importance of self-reliance which is portrayed through the journey of the settlers and their willingness.
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