Secrets of Jamestown

PLOT SUMMARY: Jamestown was the first permanent settlement in North America, but the settlement almost didn't make it because the colonists were inept. In 1607 104 colonists were crammed onto three ships because the British had ordered them to search for new lands. Jamestown was considered the starting point of America. The British called the new settlement "Jamestown", after their king. Jamestown came to North America 10 years before the Pilgrims came over. The Jamestown colony's objective for the trip was money. Right away when the settlers reached North America, they ran into trouble with Indians and disease. Many people were dying every day from disease, war, but mostly famine. John Smith took control of the settlement and started to trade for food with the Indians.

Archaeologists extract from the core of the tree rings to learn about climate in Jamestown. Colonists reported horrible weather, so these archaeologists are just making sure that the colonists were checking to see if they were telling the truth. The analysis was that from 1606-1613 there was a severe drought which would effect the growth of corn and trading with the Indians. When Captain John Smith went back to Europe the Indians starved the colonists. During the starvation the colonists started to eat human flesh, horses and rats. Archaeologists preserved Jamestown full time. It took 10 years to vision what Jamestown looked like. Now they even know where some houses stood. APVA preservation Virginia's goal was to preserve Jamestown full time. In 1994 they dug and uncovered the foundation of three buildings. They were made out of mud and stud. They found many artifacts from life in Jamestown. They found a well outside the old fort. The colonists used this well for fresh water. While digging up the well, archaeologists found tools, armor, pottery, and more. All of the artifacts are analyzed and cataloged. To preserve iron artifacts they use a process called air abrasion. There has been half a million artifacts excavated so far. Archaeologists proved that colonists were busy, unlike Captain John Smith had said. In Captain John Smith's writings he had said that they were lazy They were busy digging ditches and building houses.

Archaeologists discovered a gravestone with skeleton remains. The archaeologists can learn the skeleton's sex, age and ancestry. They even can find out that one skeleton was killed by a musket. Forensic scientists can recreate a face. The face may take up to 100 hours to finish.

Archaeologists are always finding new things at the excavation site.

CHARACTERS: Captain John Smith was a character in Secrets of Jamestown. He was a lazy man, but he was a good leader. He made up lies about the colonist being lazy, but he was the real lazy one.

YOUR THOUGHTS: I thought the show was interesting, but too long. I thought it was interesting that the archaeologists could tell that there was a big drought in Jamestown just by extracting the core of an old tree. I thought that they added in too much un-needed infornmation also so at times it was boring.

The Classroom: Ben Franklin - Part 2

PLOT SUMMARY: According to this show, "Ben Franklin loved women and women loved him back". During the time period of 1776 to 1785 Franklin was in France. There are a lot of stories involving Franklin with women in France. One story was of Madame Brion. Madame Brion lived next door to Franklin and they developed a very strong relationship, privately through letters. It was like a father, daughter relationship between Franklin and Brion. He actually also had very strong relationships with 4 other women secretly, through letters.
Franklin was described as cold and aloof (distant) with his family. He had one son named William who was an illegitimate son. He also had another son named Francis, but they called him Frankie. Frankie died at 4 years old from the small pox and Franklin felt guilt for the death because he had not been there to support his son. Franklin also had a daughter named Sarah or Sally. Franklin was hardly ever with his family. He was away from his wife, Debbie, for 20 years of their marriage. The main area where Franklin failed in life was his family. One day when Franklin was away in France, Debbie, Franklin's wife, had a stroke. Debbie wanted Franklin to come home, but he did not want to go back home and so he stays in France. At that time Franklin had not seen his wife in 7 years. Franklin was not as distant with his son William. He actually had a strong relationship with William. They were even business partners. After working together for many years, there was a big conflict between the two. William decided to stay loyal to the England crown, but Ben Franklin wanted to fight for the American rebels. William's son, Temple, sides with his grandfather, Ben Franklin, and the rebels. Franklin cannot forgive his son, William, for not siding with him. Neither of them will apologize and the relationship was ruined. Franklin felt abandoned by his son. Now he lives with his daughter, Sarah.
When Ben Franklin was about 84 he started getting sick and he died. There were many people at his funeral. Ben Franklin was a big part America. He made the first political cartoon, was involved in the separation of church and state, reviewed and edited Thomas Jefferson's words for the Articles of Confederation, and arranged the Senate and House of Representatives.

CHARACTER: Ben Franklin was a very selfish man. It seemed as if he didn't care about anyone except for himself. He was a very self absorbed man. He was away from his wife for 20 years of their marriage and did not seem to really care about what his wife or children thought about him being away from them. When his wife got sick and had a stroke, he did not go home then to see how she was doing even though she asked him to come home.

YOUR THOUGHTS: I thought that Ben Franklin was stupid and smart at the same time. He was stupid with his family because he barely ever got to see them and he made no effort to be a good father or husband . He was smart because he was an intelligent man. He invented many things and structured much of the modern day America.

The Classroom: Ben Franklin

PLOT SUMMARY: Benjamin Franklin was always about improving himself. At 19 years old, he ran away from home. He went to Philadelphia and he had no money, he was broke. Benjamin was a hard worker. He was the type of person that would show up to work early. He also always made sure that other people knew he was a hard worker. Ben Franklin wrote Poor Richard's Almanac and it is filled with many proverbs that are still used today. Two of the many proverbs in Poor Richard's Almanac are, 'Eat to live not live to eat' and 'Early to bed, early to rise'. Ben Franklin helped shape modern day America. For example, he started a discussion group for young business people. This group started the first voluntary fire department and the first public lending library. Ben Franklin also started the first non-religious college.

Benjamin Franklin was very religious. He thought all religions were great. He was very understanding of different religions. He donated to churches and even built a synagogue. Benjamin Franklin was also a big inventor. He invented a new Franklin stove, bifocals and made new alphabet with new letters in it. Franklin also made music by playing water glasses. He invented a instrument that had crystal bowls on a rod and they spun. As they were spinning you would dip your finger in water and place it on the edge of the bowl. This was Franklin's favorite invention. However, electricity was actually Ben Franklin's biggest invention. Franklin retired at 42 years old after he invented electricity. He was the first person to use electricity. Franklin wanted to prove that lightning was a form of electricity. He became well know for this experiment. In the end, Franklin did not get any money for his inventions.

Ben Franklin fought in the French and Indian War. Because of the war, the British raised the taxes. Franklin did not fight hard enough against taxes, so he looked bad. When Franklin went to court, he was against the Stamp Act. The British ended up taking back the Stamp Act because of Franklin. Franklin got respect back from the people because of this accomplishment. Franklin helped edit and draft the Constitution. When America had to face Britain during the American Revolution, Franklin went to France and asked King Louie directly to pay for America's war expenses. He knew that the French people loved him and despised the British. King Louie agreed to pay for the war.

CHARACTER: Ben Franklin was a hard working and intelligent man. He had many ideas for inventions. Franklin not only had many creative ideas, but he also knew how to put his ideas into action. Franklin was a very hard working man.

MY THOUGHTS:Ben Franklin was a very smart man. He invented so many things. I was very surprised about that because he had a very busy life and I was amazed that he still had the time to invent all of these magnificent things. His inventions ranged from an instrument to electricity. Without Ben Franklin and electricity than I would not be typing on this computer right now!

Civil War Journal: General Joshua Chamberlain

PLOT SUMMARY: Joshua Chamberlain grew up as Puritan. He was raised with the "Do it!... that's how" attitude. He was a smart young man who even taught himself Greek so he could get into the Bowden College, the college he wanted for ministry studies. While studying in college he got to know his professor's wife, named Harriet Beecher Stowe. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom's Cabin, an anti-slavery book. She would have readings from the book and Chamberlain would come to the readings. This book had a big impact on Chamberlain becoming an advocate against slavery. He wanted to join in the fight against slavery. The College did not want him to go to war and have the chance of dying so they told him to go to Europe to study. Chamberlain was strong in his beliefs and he decided to go to war instead. During wartime, Chamberlain asks other soldiers questions about their journeys. He is interested in studying the military. When Chamberlain finally goes to war, he realizes what war is all about. It is about killing people. He does not like the thought of death but he gets used to it. He becomes a Colonel and he found excitement in this role. During a battle, Chamberlain was shot and some of his soldiers died. He lost the battle because they were outnumbered. He went to a doctor and the doctor told him there was nothing he could do for his bad wounds. Then Chamberlain went to another doctor who saved him, but the wound would never fully heal. He was in excruciating pain when he walked for several years. He also was very sad at the thought of having lost his men during battle. This was very emotional for Chamberlain and he always felt responsible for his soldiers. It is said that "he had the soul of a loin and the heart of a woman". Grant chose Chamberlain to attend the surrender at Appomattox. He was the type of man who did not see his enemies as evil, but simply men who were led incorrectly. Chamberlain had been involved in 24 battles in a four year period. In his later years he was the Governor of Maine for four terms. He was the President of Bowden College and had many writings. He once said, "Veterans are heros." He died at 85 years old.

CHARACTER: Joshua Chamberlain was a very loyal man who was a true gentleman and American. He loved his country and cared about people. He was a smart man who not only went into war but also learned about the impact of war. He felt compassion for soldiers and veterans and cared deeply for this cause. He even looked at his enemies as human beings, not as evil creatures. The person who impacted Chamberlain the most seems to to have been Harriet Beecher Stowe. She changed his life.

YOUR THOUGHTS: I think Chamberlain was an honorable man who was intelligent. I don't think many soldiers have studied war like Chamberlain did. He was an academic and a military man who gained the respect of others who knew him. His compassion for others was unlike other men of his time. I wish I got to meet Chamberlain because he seemed like a very nice and interesting man.

The Classroom: Abraham Lincoln

PLOT SUMMARY: During April, 1865, Abraham Lincoln made a speech that suggested a negro president. John Wilkes Booth was in the audience and didn't like this idea one bit. John Wilkes Booth makes a plan to assassinate Abraham Lincoln and succeeds. Abraham Lincoln dies. Now he belongs to the ages. This was the first time a president had been killed. The north was not very sad about Lincoln's because they thought he was to soft and easy on the south. Sherman (North) and Johnston (South) met to compromise an agreement on slavery and to end the war. Sherman made a proposal to Johnston to end the war. When officials find out that Sherman was meeting with the south, they got mad and said he went out of his league as a general. They said he is not a part of the political group. He is a military cabinet and he should not have been there. South rejected the terms of the contract and the war went on. Lincoln's casket was on a train and it went throughout many towns and people would throw flowers on the train tracks. Abraham Lincoln was more popular when he was dead.
John Wilkes Booth was captured while hiding from police and he was killed. After John Wilkes Booth was killed, Sherman met with Johnston another time and they come to an agreement. General Lee speaks to newspapers and spreads the news about a peaceful ending to the war. However, the North is still resistant. During the Civil War, over 600 soldiers were killed. General Lee was considered a traitor after the war but Grant spoke to the President on Lee's behalf and they decided to just make him promise to not fight anymore. The war did end slavery, even though the South did not want this outcome. In the end, it was Robert E. Lee who knelt down next to a black man in an all white church, to symbolize the end of slavery.


CHARACTERS: Abraham Lincoln was the the first President to be killed while in office. I like President Lincoln because he stood up for what he believed and his goal was accomplished. He was a tall man with brown hair and a beard. He sometimes wore a top hat. He was beloved by many following his death.

General Sherman went out of his way to try to stop the war. He secretly met with Johnston to try to come up with an agreement to show to the government. When government found out about his meetings with Johnston, they rscolded him because he went out of his ranking and he should not have overstepped his role. I like that Sherman cared enough to take a risk to make a difference for the sake of his country.

YOUR THOUGHTS: I thought Abraham Lincoln made a big impact on slavery. He knew the right thing to do in order to end slavery. I think that Sherman and Johnston, Grant and Lee made the right choice by meeting to try to end the war. There should be no reason why you should fight within your own country. It is important to show that these men tried to resolve matters through meeting together, not violence.

Crash

PLOT SUMMARY: Crash is about a boy named John Coogan, but every one calls him Crash. Every one except for Penn Webb. Penn Webb is a boy that is the same age as Crash and he lives on the same street as him. Penn moved to Crash's when they were about 7 years old and right away Crash didn't like Penn. He would always make fun of him and he liked doing it. Penn never really did anything about it. Instead he would just ask Crash to do things with him, even though Crash always brutally turned him down. As Crash and Penn got older Crash would still make fun of Penn, but now he had a friend to do it with. Crash's friend's name is Mike. Mike is just like Crash. They both have a passion for football and making fun of Penn. Penn joins the cheerleading team and gets made fun of. Penn gets tired of being made fun of and never smiles at Crash, like he had ever since he had met him. I think it is then when Crash realizes that what he is doing is wrong. He stops making fun of Penn and when his friend Mike asks him if he wants to steal Penn's turtle he says "no." When Mike does steal the turtle Crash gets the turtle back and gives it to Penn.



CHARACTER: The main character in Crash is John Coogan. Rather known as Crash. Crash makes a big, big change over the course of this book. At first he is a mean kid and he always makes fun of Penn. At the end he doesn't make fun of him and he actually protects him by getting his turtle back. I think that Crash will never make fun of Penn ever again and maybe they will even become good friends.



YOUR THOUGHTS: I thought this book was fantastic. I liked the plot and the way the author presented it was great.



READING STRATAGIES: I used connections in this book. I



AUTHOR INFORMATION: