Clash of Cultures Activity

OBJECTIVES 
Students will be able to write from the perspective of a 16th century settler: a narrative of their experiences in northeast Florida OR an expository letter that explains the processes of daily life OR a persuasive letter about the need for supplies in the new world.

AGE 
4th-8th grade

ENHANCES 
SS.A.6.2.4, SS.A.6.2.5, SS.B.2.2.2, SS.D.1.2.2, LA.B.1.2.1, LA.B.2.2.1, LA.B.2.2.3

TIME AND PLACE 
Classroom post-visit activity, 20 minutes

BACKGROUND 
(This activity can help students prepare for the FCAT)
Ask the students if they have ever taken a trip and written a letter or postcard to a family member about the things they saw. Ask them to use their imagination as well as what they learned on their visit to Fort Caroline to write a letter home to France. They must write from the perspective of a colonist and choose their role in that society. Some choices might be a sailor, soldier, cook, or a member of a family. Make sure that their letter identifies key landmarks such as the St. Johns River, St. Johns Bluff, the fort, and specific people, such as Ribault, Laudonnière, or Le Moyne. This letter would be dated before the Spanish attack of September 1565.

ELEMENTARY STUDENTS COULD...
-- Write a narrative of their experiences in northeast Florida.
-- Write an expository letter that explains the processes of daily life or why, despite the hardships they are encountering, it was worth coming to Florida to settle.

MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS COULD...
-- Focus on their persuasive writing by explaining why the colony needs immediate support in the form of supplies and people, urging the recipient to do what he or she can to aid the settlers.