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 Ratings
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| Reviewed: |
Jan 05, 2004 by History Editorial Board |
| Overview: |
Virtual Jamestown is a digital research and teaching project that explores the settlement and impact of Jamestown on United States history. The site includes a wide variety of primary sources including a database of over 10,000 indentured servant contracts and public records. Secondary materials include a timeline, interpretative essays by prominent historians, links to related sites, bibliographies, teaching tools, and classroom activities. |
| Learning Goals: |
To inform students about the social and economic issues surrounding the founding and settlement of Jamestown.
To examine the role of slavery and indentured servants in the economic history of Jamestown.
To examine the leadership roles and politics of Jamestown. |
| Target Student Population: |
The site targets grades k-12, but the primary source documents can be used in college survey and upper level college courses. |
| Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills: |
None needed. The site provides the context. |
| Type of Material: |
A collection of primary source documents. |
| Recommended Uses: |
The materials can be used for research projects on the history of colonial Virginia, slavery, and the Virginia Indians. |
| Technical Requirements: |
Flash 4 or higher for the maps and Quicktiime for the Virtual Panoramas. |
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| Strengths: |
The site offers an excellent range of materials including interactive maps and images, court records (in progress), labor contracts, public records, first-hand accounts and letters, newspapers, a walking tour, and teaching materials about the Jamestown Colony's English settlers, the Virginia Indians, and slaves and indentured servants. Each new page provides the user with an overview of the site and a brief summary of what each link contains. The primary sources offered provide faculty with an excellent opportunity to teach the difference between primary and secondary sources. Equally important is the link "What's New." |
| Concerns: |
The link for Court Records is still empty. An NEH endowment grant will provide the funds to expand the section on Virginia runaways. |
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Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool |
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| Strengths: |
The site offers a lot of potential as a teaching tool. There are a multitude of primary documents and maps, plus a scholarly text is provided for a variety of assignments both in and outside the classroom. The materials can be used for grades k-12 as the site intended, but it can be easily adapted to college survey and upper level undergraduate use as well. Indeed, the materials offer excellent opportunities for researach papers. Excellent bibliographies are offerred for both student and faculty use. |
| Concerns: |
I would recommend this site be used in conjunction with Jamestown Rediscovery, the official archaeological site for Colonial Jamestown. Jamestown Rediscovery provides users with the opportunity for in-depth knowledge about the artifacts unearthed and for online discussions with Jamestown archaelogists. |
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Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty |
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| Strengths: |
The site is easy to navigate. All the links work well. The promise to upgrade and improve the site technically and in content is a great feature. The site currently uses HTML but plans to upgrade to XML and create more regional databases. Flash 4 or higher is needed for the maps and Quicktime is needed for the Virtual Panoramas. The interactive maps detailing both English and Virginia Indian information is a great plus. |
| Concerns: |
None. |
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| Other Issues and Comments: |
This is a great site that will become an excellent one once all the projected content and technical upgrades are completed. Because Jamestown, Virginia is approaching its 400th anniversary, I assume a link will be offered for this anniversary to go along with the links for Jamestown's 300th and 350th anniversarires. The variey of primary sources is excellent. It should also be used in conjunction with the Jamestown Rediscovery site. |
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