John Smith and Pocahontas
From: Digital Inquiry Group
Grade Level: (MS), (HS)
Remote Ready: With Modifications
Time: 1 Class Period or Less
Length of Reading: Paragraphs
Link: Pocahontas
Did Pocahontas really rescue John Smith? Play the clip of the rescue from the animated movie; you might find this on YouTube. Then read 2 very short accounts from the actual John Smith. Both describe his capture and encounter with Powhatan (Pocahontas's father). But the accounts have some key differences. Students fill in the graphic organizers with a partner.
Teachers have the option to assign short documents on what a historian said about each account in the longer version of this lesson.
More Information:
Grade Level:
(MS), (HS): There is no specified age group for this activity; however, we think it would be well suited for middle school and high school students
This Activity Involves:
Primary Source: This activity utilizes primary sources.
Group Work: This activity calls for working in pairs or groups or having a group discussion.
Frost, John. A history of the United States; for the use of schools and academies Year: 1854. Wikimedia Commons, 19 August 2025, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Smith_Pocahontas_Image_from_page_44_of_A_history_of_the_United_States_for_the_use_of_schools_and_academies_(1854).jpg.
