Everybody loves a mystery, and my children are no exception. Today, when we were all finished with school except for reading a little Story of the World, I could tell they just wanted to be done. As I read about Roanoke and how all the inhabitants went missing, I could feel them leaning in and paying attention. Where did the colonists go? Why was the village stripped not only of its inhabitants, but also its dwellings? What did "Croatoan" mean?
My children were intrigued. We talked about the standing theories: the settlers died of disease or were wiped out by a natural disaster, they went to live with the Native Americans, they stripped their colony and found another place to live, they were massacred. Michael had his own theory: aliens.
We've found some online resources that look promising as well:
KidInfo: Roanoke
Coastal Guide's page on Roanoke
Social Studies for Kids: The Lost Colony of Roanoke
A Timeline of Events
3 comments:
There's a Jean Fritz book about Roanoake which is really, really interesting. See if your library has it.
Thanks, I'll definitely check it out! My oldest is just at the age where a good mystery intrigues him.
Annette, the picture reminds me of the historic village of St. Marie Among the Hurons, at Midland Ontario Canada near Georgian Bay. A great living museum to visit with children, and directly across the street from the Martyrs' Shrine which honours the Canadian martyrs. Check out their website...
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