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Education: Teachers - Curriculum Materials -
Connections to Today
Pre- and Post-Visit Activities
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1.1 |
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4.05
4.06 |
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Lesson Focus:
Mapping the Seven Tribes of North Carolina
Objective:
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Students will
become familiar with the names and locations of the seven tribes in
North Carolina.
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Students will
analyze the difference in location between the current Native American
population and the historic location of Native American villages.
Materials:
Download the
materials listed below.
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Student/Group
copies of: 'North Carolina American Indian Population,' 'North Carolina
Counties,' Mapping Worksheet, 'Native American Groups Recognized by the
State of North Carolina.'
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Additional:
three markers/highlighters for each student/group, pen/pencil
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Teacher
Transparency of: 'Historic Native American Villages'
Background:
According to the 2000 Census, North Carolina's
Native American population totals 99,551, giving the state the largest
Native American population east of the Mississippi and the seventh largest
in the nation. The Native American population comprises 1.24% of the state's
total population.
Native Americans live in each of the state's
100 counties. Approximately 80% of the Indian population of the state,
however, lives in 11 counties of the state - Columbus, Cumberland, Guilford,
Halifax, Hoke, Jackson, Mecklenburg, Robeson, Scotland, Swain and Wake.
There are seven state recognized tribes in North Carolina, with only one
federally recognized tribe (the Eastern Band of the Cherokee).
Over time these populations have shifted, due
to a variety of reasons. The goal of this activity is for students to
understand where these groups live today and how some have remained in the
same location while others have moved. It will also ask students to
conjecture guesses as to why these populations have shifted.
Instructions:
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Begin by
giving students a copy of the “NC Counties Map” and the “NC American
Indian Population Chart.” This part of the activity is best done
individually. Have them highlight, all in the same color, the counties
on the map that have an American Indian population of over 1,000 people.
Teacher note: There are thirteen counties that fall into this population
range, before moving on make sure that each students has correctly
identified these counties.
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Have the class
break into groups or pairs for the rest of the activity. At this point
give students the mapping worksheet (they can complete it as a group or
as individuals in the group). The first question will direct them to
look at the “Historic Native American Villages” transparency, which
should be projected at this time (or copies can be made for the groups).
They will now highlight the areas that were historically occupied by
Native Americans (around the early 1600s). Teacher Note: You may wonder
why the southeastern part of the state is bare of towns. The Wacccamaw
lived in this part of North Carolina, but no maps have been found that
document the locations of their villages.
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The next step
on the student worksheet asks the group to consider where the
populations have remained historically the same or the populations have
changed. At this point their conclusions will be based just on
observation of the map coloring.
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Now distribute
the “Native American Groups Recognized by the State of North Carolina”
to each of the groups. They will see the general location of each of the
seven tribes currently in North Carolina. With their third highlighter,
they will mark those regions – most are just one county. Again, some of
the areas will overlap and some of them will be newly highlighted. This
map gives them a very brief description of each tribe and why they are
located where they are today. Now students will be asked to guess why
there are discrepancies in historic and current populations based on all
of these facts. Teacher Note: You may extend the activity by having
students conduct an in-depth study of these tribes (several can be found
on the Internet) to better explain the tribes’ current locations.
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Conclude by
having groups report what conclusions they have come to after the
activity. Also mention that they have seen or will see representatives
of each of these tribes at the Native American Heritage festival.
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Evaluation:
Collect the student maps and mapping worksheets.
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