The Planting of Virginia

Who was John Smith? Can anyone remember something about any of his exploits? How do we know that the rescue actually happened?

Demonstrate Reasoned Judgment: Evaluating Evidence Once we have identified an argument we can evaluate it. That is, we can judge how strong it is. There are a lot of things to think about in judging evidence. Three of the most important are: P (primary): Is the evidence primary (the statement of an eye witness) or secondary R (reason to distort): Does the speaker or writer of the evidence have a reason to distort what he or she says? For this reason, evidence that makes the speaker or writer look bad is especially strong evidence. Ask: What does the speaker have to gain (or lose) if I believe this? O (other): Is there other evidence supporting or corroborating this piece of evidence? Evidence is stronger when it is primary, there is no reason to distort and when there is other evidence supporting it. When you identify evidence, ask yourself, “What is the PRO?” 1. The city government under Mayor Swanson was one of the most corrupt in recent history. Four city workers stated publicly that corruption was wide spread. P R O 2. Captain John Smith was rescued by Pocahontas from being killed by Powhatan. Smith described the rescue in his book. P R O 3. King James I could not get along with Parliament. Members of Parliament called him “the most learned fool in Christendom.” P R O

Chronological Order Create a timeline of events in Jamestown What year has the most events on your timeline? (1619) Events in Jamestown, Arrival of women to marry male settlers 2. House of Burgesses 3. First black slaves

Jamestown Leaders John SmithJohn Rolfe