Exploring the Chesapeake
A Web site explores the Chesapeake Bay—important to John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas, and the Jamestown colonists, as well as today’s inhabitants—revealing one of America’s most renowned and vital waterways.
A portal to the many Chesapeake Bay–related interactive offerings at National Geographic, the launch of this interactive Web site coincided with the 400th anniversary of the establishment of Jamestown and is intended to be a definitive resource on the Chesapeake Bay. Through a scalable map interface that toggles between views of the bay from colonial and contemporary times, visitors can zoom in and out of either the historical or contemporary maps to compare the world James Smith encountered four centuries ago with the bay today. Each map features a narrated tour following two paths: one focused on John Smith’s experience and one that explores the Chesapeake today to discover reflections of its past and clues to its future. In addition, there are lesson plans for educators, links to NG News stories about the bay, pages that go behind the scenes of the films The New World and Nightmare in Jamestown, and a family travel guide with field trip suggestions and activities to get kids, their families, and their classmates out to experience the Chesapeake Bay firsthand.