General Plantation Activity

Objectives
Students will be able to correlate geographic features of Fort George Island and Kingsley Plantation during the plantation period with benefits to lifestyle, economics, and travel.

Age
There is an activity sheet for two different age levels: Version 1 (3rd-5th grade) and
Version 2 (6th-8th grade)

Enhances
SS.A.1.2.2, SS.A.4.2.5, SS.A.6.2.2, SS.B.1.2.1, SS.B.1.2.4, SS.B.2.2.2

Time and Place
Classroom post-visit activity, 20 minutes

Worksheets
Area Map pdf (115k); Activity Version 1 (3rd-5th grade) pdf (68k); Activity Version 2 (6th-8th grade) pdf (68k)
These files must be viewed using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To download this program (free of charge), click here.

Background
The waterfront area is an ideal location to discuss the changes in transportation between Kingsley's era and today. This was Kingsley's "front yard" in the early 1800's, but would probably be considered by many to be the "back yard" now. Development in water travel - from sail to steam and beyond - was significant in the entire area. Steamboats provided the major means of travel along the Atlantic coast and up the St. Johns River for many years. With the coming of the railroad in the late nineteenth century, water travel declined greatly. By the early twentieth century, the automobile began to replace rail travel. But for most of its long history, Fort George Island was accessible only by boat.

This mapping activity will give students the opportunity to orient themselves on the island, as well as visually locate the island's position near the mouth of the river. It also shows the extensive area of Northeast Florida in which Zephaniah Kingsley owned property.

Evaluation
Version 1 (3rd-5th grade)
1) b) The north arrow should be pointing straight up.
1) c) Right to the Atlantic Ocean, but there is more than one route. Since it is an island, you can also turn left and eventually arrive at the ocean by going the "long way" around.
2) a) St. Johns River
2) b) Jacksonville, Picolata and Palatka
3) Any three of the following: Kingsley Plantation/Fort George Island, Laurel Grove, San Jose, Twelve Mile Swamp, Drayton Island, White Oak.

Version 2 (5th-8th grade)
1) East
2) Fort George River, then Sisters Creek, then the St. Johns River,
or Fort George River, then Atlantic Ocean, then St. Johns River
3) Six
4) San Jose: Mandarin - I-295
Laurel Grove: Orange Park - I-295
Twelve Mile Swamp: in between Jacksonville and St. Augustine - U.S. 1
Drayton Island: U.S. 17
Fort George: Fort George Island - A1A
White Oak: White Oak near Yulee - U.S. 17
5) Reasons for those locations can be any or more of the following: water access as highway, temperature, breezeways, irrigation, food supply, beauty, natural fertilizers from the marshes