Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown offer a range of virtual learning experiences for classrooms unable to travel to the museums or participate in a Virginia outreach program.

Learn from experts

Using Zoom or your classroom’s virtual learning platform, students can join a Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation educator as they explore early Virginia and United States history together. Topics examine the Powhatan Indians, early English settlement at Jamestown, three cultures that converged in Virginia, causes and events of the American Revolution and stories of real people who shaped our early history. These inquiry-based educational programs are designed to be interactive and thought provoking, allowing students to explore the past while honing their skills in critical thinking, communication and historical thinking.

Program cost

• $50 per session for Virginia schools
• $75 for schools outside Virginia and non-school audiences.

For more information about these educational offerings or to schedule a virtual experience, contact group.reservations@jyf.virginia.gov.

Available programs

Programs are 45 minutes in length but can be adjusted to meet the needs of individual classrooms.

Jamestown – Cultures in Contact, Virginia 1600-1620

Students are carried on a dynamic, inquiry-based exploration of the three cultures that converged at Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Using reproduction artifacts and primary sources, students compare and contrast the cultures of the Powhatan (an Eastern Woodlands people), West Central Africans and English who lived in early America during the beginning of the 17th century. Using this knowledge, students can answer why the English traveled across the Atlantic to an unfamiliar land and discover how the convergence of three distinct cultures at Jamestown influenced the start of America.

Designed to meet Virginia SOLs: VS.1; VS.2; VS.3; VS.4; USI.1; USI.2d, USI.3; USI.4, USI.5.

Powhatan Indians – An Eastern Woodland People

Explore the lives and society of the Powhatan Indians, an Eastern Woodlands people inhabiting Virginia’s coastal plain long before 1607. Using inquiry methods and reproduction artifacts, explore the Powhatan Indian culture, including roles of different members of its society, government structure and how the Powhatan Indians used natural resources to produce tools, clothing, houses and food.

Designed to meet Virginia SOLs: 2.1, 2.3a, 2.7a, 2.9, 2.10, VS.1; VS.2; VS.3g; VS.4b; USI.1; USI.3b,c; USI.4b.

American Revolution – A Movement Toward Freedom

What was life like for those who fought in the American Revolution? What were the perspectives of the different people living in the colonies at that time – Virginia farm families, artisans, enslaved people and American Indians. Through inquiry-based exploration of artifacts and primary source documents, students gain a better understanding of the American Revolution and the important roles individuals and groups played in winning independence from England.

Designed to meet Virginia SOLs: VS.1; VS.4, VS.5; USI.1; USI.5; USI.6.

Virginia Then and Now

How has Virginia changed over time? In this interactive exploration of early Virginia history, students compare and contrast the beginnings of English colonization at Jamestown through the American Revolution and compare what they learn with the Virginia of today. Special emphasis is placed on natural surroundings, food, shelter and clothing. Students also learn about important people in Virginia’s history, including Powhatan, Pocahontas, Christopher Newport and George Washington.

Designed to meet Virginia SOLs: 1.1; 1.2; 1.3a,b,c; 1.5a,b; 1.6; 2.1; 2.2.

Jamestown STEM: Force, Motion, Energy and Jamestown!

Force, motion and energy have existed in all societies throughout history, including Jamestown. Explore these STEM concepts through the history and cultures that converged in Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Learn about potential and kinetic energy, force, motion, friction and more through Powhatan, English and West Central African weaponry. A bow and arrow and matchlock musket demonstration will be included. Discover how the STEM connection between past and present can impact your future!

Designed to meet Virginia SOLs for Virginia Studies and Science: VS.1; VS.4, 3.1; 3.2; 4.1; 4.2; 5.1; 5.2; 5.3; 5.5; 5.6.

There’s more to explore!

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation’s award-winning virtual programs have been recognized by the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC), honoring organizations for their quality of educational content and skill at program delivery. Pinnacle Award Honorable Mention recipients must receive outstanding scores (93% or higher) on program evaluations submitted by educators and other users.