YA Resource: Written in Bone

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
Written by Sally M. Walker

Published in 2009 by Carolrhoda Books
Ages 10 and up | Grades 5 and up

ISBN: 978-0822571353

Awards

ALA Notable Children's Book for Older Readers (2010)

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee (2010)
Cybils Award Nominee for Middle Grade/Young Adult Non-Fiction (2009)

Review

Sally M. Walker chronicles her experience on the Jamestown Rediscovery excavation, alongside Doug Owsley and Bill Kelso, in her book Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland. Each chapter focuses on a set of uncovered human remains, detailing the excavation process along with how the team works to together to determine the social class, race, gender, and eating/living habits of the subject. Through archaeological and forensic processes, Walker shows readers how remains tell whether they were once indentured servants, slaves, or leaders in early America. Readers will travel with Walker from the Jamestown settlement and original fort to the remains St. Mary's Chapel in Maryland, uncovering more about 17th century colonists along the way. 

Readers of Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland will enjoy the scientific side of history while putting together their own narratives of how each subject lived in early Virginia and Maryland. This book is well suited for incorporation into theVirginia Studies and US History units, and ideal for avid historians.

Professional Reviews

School Library Journal
Kirkus

Teaching Ideas

Reading 
1. SOL 6.9: The student will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for a research product.
Students will discuss the difference between primary and secondary sources. They  will complete an activity where they distinguish between the two types of sources, explaining the difference and relevance of to research and what they can tell us about life in 1607 Jamestown. 

2. SOL 6.7: The student will write narration, description, exposition, and persuasion. 
Students will create a biography for a set of bones listed in excavation in Walker's text. This creative writing will integrate with factual information about Jamestown and will include details" about the person's life. 

Science
3. Bio.6: The student will investigate and understand bases for modern classification systems. Key concepts include fossil record interpretation.
Using different scenarios, students will analyze images of bones from the excavation and respond to prompts, such as "The skeletons of animals such as snakes and rats are discovered among the remains in the trash pits of a 17th‑century Chesapeake colony. What would these findings suggest about life for the colonists during this time period?"

Virginia Studies and Reading
4. VS.2: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by describing how archaeologists have recovered new material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown.
4.6e: The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts and summarize supporting details. 
Students will read chapter 3 of Written in Bone and will summarize the chapter, reflecting on the process used by archaeologists to determine as much as they can about skeletal remains. Students will reflect on the following question prompts: "How are the conclusions that are drawn about the skeletal remains influenced by other individuals, texts, events, or ideas?" and "What can you conclude about the life of Richard Mutton in colonial Jamestown?" 

Visual Arts
5. 4.1: The student will use steps of the art-making process, including brainstorming, preliminary sketching, planning, and reflecting, to generate ideas for and create works of art.
Students will create a replica of the original fort at Jamestown using the photos, descriptions, and information from the excavation in chapter one.

Partner Titles

Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elise Carbone tells the story of Samuel Collier and his journey to the new world with Captain John Smith. The story follows Samuel's travels and how he learns life lessons in his interactions with Native Americans and other historical figures. The book was chosen because of the notable historical figures, dates, and locations used in the text, and because it will be of high interest being told from a young adult point of view. Also, Blood on the River was a 2007 Jefferson Cup Award winner. Reviewed by Gillian Engberg (Booklist, Apr. 2006, Vol. 102, No. 16, p58). 


The Double Life of Pocahontas by Jean Fritz is another book that tells the story of Chief Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, and her struggles to balance her two lives. This book was chosen because it will be of high interest to students learning about the life of Pocahontas and because of the central focus on the interactions between the Powhatan Indians and colonists at Jamestown. (Kirkus Review).


Jamestown, the Buried Truth by William M. Kelso gives readers insight into the archaeological digs and excavations at Jamestown. Kelso's work, detailed in the book, involves testing the DNA of the remains against early colonist descendants. This book was chosen because of its use and display of primary sources from excavation and because the author, William Kelso, was the head archaeologist of the Jamestown Rediscovery Project. This book also adds value to the overall collection of materials and resources on the early settlement of Jamestown for the classroom and school library. Reviewed by Douglas King (Library Journal, Sept. 2006, Vol. 131 Issue 14, p160). 


Pocahontas by Joseph Bruchac recalls the events surrounding the arrival of colonists to Jamestown in 1607, told from the point of view of Pocahontas and John Smith. This book was chosen because Bruchac's story line is based on his research of John Smith's journals and because it will be of high interest to students as it documents the relationship between Pocahontas and John Smith and is told through the eyes of both characters. (Kirkus Review)


Dark Enough to See the Stars in a Jamestown Sky by Connie Lapallo is a story about Joan, a woman who sailed to Jamestown in 1609, leaving her daughter behind. This book was chosen because of its historical accuracy, as Lapallo based her story on the research of the true women and children at Jamestown and it is from the perspective of women at the Jamestown settlement. Also, Lapallo is a historian regarding early 17th century settlers. Reviewed by Amy Pickett (School Library Journal, Aug. 2011, Vol. 57 Issue 8, p59). 

Further Exploration

The Historic Jamestowne website showcases the "Jamestown Rediscovery," detailing history through timelines, retellings, and preservation. Students will enjoy reading about Pocahontas, John Smith, the history of Jamestown, and more. 

A timeline of events for the book Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland. Readers can enjoy following the settlement and development of the colony at Jamestown, and later follow each step of the excavation at the site.

Forensic Files of 17th Century Chesapeake is an exhibit that chronicles the excavation of Jamestown. Viewers have the opportunity to see into the past through the excavated bones and get a sense of life in Jamestown during the early 17th century. 

Written in Bone: Life and Death in Colonial Chesapeake is a YouTube video where archaeologist Doug Owsley shares his findings on a guided tour through the excavation at the Jamestown settlement. Viewers will see the excavation process and hear Owsley explain how his discoveries have contributed to uncovering history. 

The Colonial Williamsburg HERO website from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation offers electronic field trips and interactive web activities. Users can access the activities live or on demand at any time. Each activity comes with a video series and activities to apply learning. 

The Jamestown Interactive website from National Geographic allows viewers to virtually explore the Jamestown settlement through a close up lens. Viewers can explore the original fort, life & death in Jamestown, and the impact of colonization in the new world.

The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation offer a series of videos on Jamestown. Viewers can learn about the discovery of Jamestown, the economics of Jamestown, and more.

References

Carbone, E. L. (2006). Blood on the river: James town 1607. New York: Viking.

The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. (2015). Colonial williamsburg: Hero. Retrieved from http://hero.history.org/.

Fritz, J. (1987). The double life of pocahontas. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Historic Jamestowne. (2015). Retrieved from http://historicjamestowne.org/.

Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. (n.d.). History is fun: Jamestown videos. Retrieved from http://www.historyisfun.org/video/?cat=36.

Kelso, W. M. (2006). Jamestown, the buried truth. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press.

Lapallo, C. (2008). Dark enough to see the stars in a jamestown sky. Coral Springs, FL: Llumina Stars.

Louisianabelieves.com. (n.d.). Unit: Written in bone. Retrieved from https%3A%2F%2Fwww.louisianabelieves.com%2Fdocs%2Fdefault-source%2Fteacher-toolbox-resources%2Funit-plan-english-language-arts-grade-7-sample-written-in-bone.pdf%3Fsfvrsn%3D7.

Massie, E. (2007). 1609: Winter of the dead: A novel about the founding of jamestown. New York: Tor.

National Geographic Magazine. (2008). Jamestown interactive. Retrieved from http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2007/05/jamestown/jamestown-standalone.

Smithsonian Education. (2008). Written in bone: Life and death in colonial chesapeake. YouTube [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So6L3s1tc2E.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. (2009). Written in bone: Forensic files of the 17th century chesapeake educator's manual. Retrieved from http://www.mnh.si.edu/education/printable_resources/WrittenInBoneEducatorManual.pdf.

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. (2014). Written in bone: Forensic files of the 17th century chesapeake. Retrieved from http://anthropology.si.edu/writteninbone/.

Walker, S. M. (2009). Written in bone: Buried lives of jamestown and colonial maryland. Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books.

Walker, S. M. (2009). Written in bone timeline. Retrieved from https://www.lernerbooks.com/writteninbone/assets/timeline.pdf.