Jacobs Humanities 2008                                                               Name: _________________

 

Native American Tribe Web Quest- We Were There First!

 

Introduction

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of years before the arrival of Columbus in the "new world," there were Native American tribes already living on the land that would later become known as ÒAmerica.Ó  Located on the coast of New England, these tribes were the first to have contact with the Pilgrims who came over from England.  They were involved in several intertribal as well as outside conflicts, one of the most famous being King PhilipÕs War.

 

In this WebQuest your group will read, research, ask questions, and present your findings about these people to your other classmates. You will become the experts on the tribes of the Northeastern U.S.: the Narragansett, Wampanoag, Massachusett, Pequot, Mohegan, and Mashpee.

 

 

 

 

Your Mission:

 

According to historian James E. Loewen, when students learn about the "discovery of America" by Columbus, they already come to the process of learning with a very eurocentric point of view. The idea of discovery is laden with biases. Some textbooks and some teachers might tell part of the real story, but too often, the fact that the Americas were occupied is a side story to the "Age of Discovery." What should students learn about the people who were here before Columbus?  A seemingly simple place to start is to ask who was here, how many people, and where and how they lived.

 

In order to uncover these secrets of the past, you will engage in many aspects of research, reading, and writing.

 

Research

 

You will use internet sources and library books to begin to answer some key questions about early American cultures.  Your group should have at least TWO book sources and TWO internet sources.

 

Written Product

 

Your group will write an article that answers your groupÕs questions about the tribes of the Northeast.  You will post this article on Ms. JacobsÕ webpage for students in the other 7th grade humanities classes to read.  Each person in the group is responsible for writing a paragraph (5-7 sentences) that focuses on a specific subtopic related to the overall topic of the article.  Be sure that your paragraphs have strong topic sentences!  Each group also needs to create a bibliography that will be placed at the end of the article.

 

 

 

Visual Product

 

In your group, you will find THREE to FIVE visuals to support your article.  These visuals can be pictures, drawings, maps, or charts.  The visuals will be posted on Ms. JacobsÕ webpage as part of your article.  These images can come from the internet or from the books that you read.  To complete the written and visual component you will learn skills using the Dreamweaver program including how to place text and images on a webpage.

 

The WebQuest is Due Wednesday, October 22nd

 

Process

 

 Your group will use the following sets of questions to begin your investigation into the lives of tribes in the northeastern U.S.. The questions are intended as a beginning; your group can always modify your questions as you go through your research.

 

Time and Culture--What is the physical setting of the tribes in the northeastern U.S.? What is the origin of the culture? How long have these tribes existed?  Do they still exist today?  How were/are the various cultures organized? What are common traits of the people from the northeastern tribes? What kind of civilization was this? How has this civilization changed over time?

 

 Encounters with Others--When did the different tribes first make contact with Europeans?  How did these tribes play a role in American history?  How has the government treated these American Indians and their land claims?  How are these tribes recognized and respected today?

 

 

 

 

Structures--What kind of buildings and other structures were predominant in villages in the northeastern U.S.?  What do these structures tell us about daily living?  How were they built?  What was the significance to various structures?  Who created them?  Who used them? 

 

 The Village and Daily Life--How was village life organized? What was daily life like for American Indians from the different tribes?? What roles did men and women play in society? Was everyone equal?  How did the environment affect daily life? What did the people from these tribes eat and where did their food come from?  Did all communities have similar diets? How did they spend their time? What kind of religion did they practice? What rituals did they observe?  Did all tribes observe similar ceremonies?  

 

 Products--How did these American Indians use the natural resources of the New England coast?  What kinds of weapons existed?  Did the members of these tribes create a specific style of art?  What kinds of baskets, masks, or boxes existed?  What was used to create baskets?  What kinds of canoes existed? How do these products reflect the New England geography and daily life? Are these products still created today?

 

Group Topic: _______________________________

 

Group Members:

 

 

Main Questions:

 

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Follow-Up Questions (these questions are more detailed than your main questions, and could be related to your own subtopic of research):

 

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On-Line Resources for the American Indian Tribes in the Northeast U.S.

 

http://www.nativewiki.org/Main_Pagehttp://www.nativewiki.org/Main_Page- Native Wiki (Wikipedia specifically focused on Native American topics)

 

http://www.ncai.org/ - National Congress of American Indians

 

http://mashpeewampanoagtribe.com - Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Site

            - Look under ÒHistoryÓ section for timeline of Wampanoag historic events

 

http://www.native-languages.org/composition/wampanoag-indians.html - Wampanoag Tribe

 

http://www.geocities.com/bigorrin/wampanoag_kids.htm - Facts For Kids Wampanoag Fact Sheet

 

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/wampanoagculture.html - Minnesota State University page on Wampanoag Tribe

 

http://www.bostonkids.org/educators/wampanoag/html/what.htm - Boston ChildrenÕs Museum Wampanoag Exhibit

 

http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index  - Wampanoag Tribe Homepage

 

http://www.narragansett-tribe.org/ - Narragansett Tribe Homepage

 

http://www.mohegan.nsn.us/ - Mohegan Tribe Homepage

 

http://www.bigorrin.org/mohegan_kids.htm - Facts for Kids Mohegan Tribe Fact Sheet

 

http://www.nativeamericanmohegans.com/ - Native American Mohegan Website

 

http://www.native-languages.org/mohegan.htm - Mohegan Laguages

 

http://www.pequotmuseum.org/ - Pequot Museum and Research Center

 

http://www.foxwoods.com/theMashantucketPequots/Home/ - Mashantucket Pequot Tribe Homepage

 

http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/pequottribe.html - Minnesota State University page on Pequot Tribe

 

 

* Also look at the Lab Middle School Library Website for more helpful links!!