Introduction
Over the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing the "Age of Exploration". We have discussed how trade, technology, and religious missions have impacted societies in the New World. One question we haven't asked is "what does that look like in our own local area?".
In this lesson, we will be focusing on the early periods of Tennessee's history and its relation to Native Americans. This time frame is the Tennesse frontier. This was a time when the British and the French were exploring Tennessee territory and trading with the Native American tribes in the area. Some questions that needed to be answered are:
- What tribes lived in the Tennessee territory? What was their culture?
- How did the British and the French affect the native tribes in Tennessee?
- Does this transition in Tennessee history reflect similarities to the "Age of Exploration"?
This is covering standards TN.03, TN.04, and TN.05
Task
Creating an Image:
Let's think back to the 1600s to the 1700s. What would have Tennessee looked like? Environment, climate, animals, plants but also people, and technology are important to think about when trying to create an image in your head for this time period. Take a few minutes and try to piece together these elements to make an image of the early days of Tennessee. Once you have done that watch this quick video to get an idea of what early Tennesee looked like.
The first video is an overall general idea of early Tennessee:
Independent Reading:
Now that you have done that read over these two articles that talk about the landscapes of Tennesee and the different tribal nations that lived here:
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2feccdf99b344a79a54c1c53f82184b3
https://tnsoshistory.com/chapter1
Group Research:
Once you have finished doing independent reading then get into your research groups and find an article or a section in your textbook that describes the culture and area of your Native tribe.
Group 1- Creek
Group 2- Chickasaw
Group 3- Cherokee
Group 4- Iroquois
Group 5- Shawnee
Hint: in your groups look for cultural elements like-
- Social Groups
- Language
- Tradition
- Religion
- Art
- Literature
- Government
- Economic
Discussion Video:
Now that you have found some information about one of the Tennessee Native Tribes watch this Crash Course Episode of Natives and the English:
Process
Now that we have gathered our information, let's refer back to our questions:
- What tribes lived in the Tennessee territory? What was their culture?
- How did the British and the French affect the native tribes in Tennessee?
- Does this transition in Tennessee history reflect similarities to the "Age of Exploration"?
Assignment:
1. Since everyone did some research let's share by writing the information up on the whiteboard!
Each member should as least write one statement about their research on the board.
Once everyone has written their information on the board, we will discuss the new information found and how it ties to the second and third questions.
In the class discussion, we will discuss how the "Age of Exploration" ties to the English expansion in the U.S., specifically Tennessee, and how this impacted the Native Americans.
2. By the end of the discussion students should have new sections in their "Journal Notes", this is section 1 of the new Tennessee History unit. The notes should copy everything on the board. Make sure your notes pass the checklist of the Cultural Elements listed in the Task section.
3. Once students have finished writing in their journals they should submit a Google Doc on Google Classroom answering questions 2 and 3. Students must type 3 to 4 sentences for each question.
Evaluation
Rubric:
Did the Student review and read the provided sources?- 20 points
Did the Student provide assistance in the group research? - 20 points
Did the Student write down Section 1 of the Tennessee History Unit in their Journal Notes?- 20 points
Did the Student answer, "How did the British and the French affect the native tribes in Tennessee" in 3 to 4 sentences? - 20 points
Did the Student answer, "Does this transition in Tennessee history reflect similarities to the "Age of Exploration" in 3 to 4 sentences? -20 points
Conclusion
Review:
Students should have learned about the different tribes in Tennessee including traditions and areas of origin.
Students should have been able to tie Christopher Columbus's exploration of the New World with the continuous expansion of European nations.
Students should have learned the relations between Natives and the British/French involving concepts like trade and how that changed the tribal nations.
This sets us up for the beginning of early government and the first settlers in Tennessee.