Their eyes wide with discovery and minds eager for knowledge amidst a monumental 400th anniversary, third grade classes from J.B. Watkins Elementary School in Midlothian, Va., explored Jamestown Settlement Friday, Dec. 1. 

Students wandered through replicas of Powhatan Indian homes, went aboard ships like the ones used for colonial exploration, and tried their hands at building colonial-style homes.

Through the sights, sounds and historical reproductions the students had the chance to practically walk in the shoes of the residents of Jamestown 400 years ago.

“I liked going on the boats and seeing how they fished in the James River,” said J.B. Watkins third-grader Daisy Bedser, 8.  “It was fun seeing how they lived and what they had to do to stay alive.”

Students had the benefit of a tour guide who directed them through the settlement and a variety of historical interpreters that brought history to life by demonstrating different skills and crafts that shaped the culture.

The historical site is designed to take visitors on an educational journey.  The stops along the way teach about the three groups of people who came together at Jamestown:  English men from the Virginia Company, American Indians and Africans. 

“I really liked learning about the Africans because I didn’t know much about them before today,” said Brandon Kelly, 9, a student on the Jamestown trip.

As a result of the differing geographical origins each of the three groups that lived in Jamestown were accustomed to unique cultures, traditions and means of survival.  Students learned, and in some cases experienced, how each culture aided the colony’s survival.  Survival was the colonists’ most critical concern, as a result of disease, famine and hardship 66 of the original colonists died during their first year in the New World.

The settlement’s gallery and historical replicas showed students, often in a hands-on way, the means of survival utilized by the colonists. 

“I liked learning and visiting, but I don’t think I could have lived here because the colonists had a really hard time adjusting,” said Amber Arnold, 9, a student in Mrs. Georgel’s class.

The students’ visit happened to fall on an unseasonably warm December day.  The mid-70 degree temperatures were a far cry from the harsh winter that the colonists endured their first year in Jamestown.

“I think that if I had to live in Jamestown I’d maybe last a year,” Brandon said.

The students got the opportunity to see what almost every aspect of life in Jamestown would have been like.  Just a few of the things they learned about were nautical navigation, canoe building, trading between the different groups, food preservation and how they used muskets.  They even got a chance to try their hands at carpentry, grinding corn and gardening.

“I liked going into the Powhatan houses and learning how the soldiers used the muskets,” said Thomas Curran, 9.

The Jamestown Settlement is commemorating the 400th anniversary of its origin with special events all year long.  The official anniversary is May 13, 2007.  A special exhibition entitled “The World of 1607” highlighting the importance and impact of the economic, intellectual and social convergence at Jamestown is slated to open in the spring.

“This is a great place for kids and adults to come and learn about the history of the country,” said Glenn Davis, a tour guide with the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation.  “The settlement had a big role in shaping America, and history is always relevant.”

“Our students are lucky because we live so close to Jamestown, and they get to see it at the 400th anniversary, that opportunity is pretty rare,” said Amy Georgel, a third-grade teacher at J.B. Watkins. 

Georgel said that during the week prior to the trip her class spent some time learning about Jamestown, but that the children also came with some knowledge of their own.  Though Virginia history is part of fourth grade curriculum, Georgel said she wanted to give her students the opportunity to see the settlement. 

“I felt like it was really important for them to come and see it for themselves,” she said. “They’ve been answering some questions that I didn’t even know.  They know a lot about it and they’re interested in it so they’ll retain the information.”

Most of the students said this was the first time they had visited the historic settlement, and that even after the comprehensive tour, they’d be excited to come back.

“I would really like to come back,” Megan Linde, 8, said. “It’s hard to even think about my favorite part because everything we saw was pretty cool.”

Amanda Southall is a writer for the Midlothian Exchange in Midlothian, Va., and Media General News Service.