Social Studies 11-12 Stereotypes of Native Americans

Essential and guiding questions:

Find an excerpt from the text that tells you about life in America for both the colonists and the Native Americans during this time.
What evidence is provided to point to the relationship between the colonists and the Native Americans?
What viewpoints do different colonists present upon meeting Native Americans?
What viewpoints do Native Americans present upon meeting the colonists?
Delineate between the positive and negative perspectives the colonists and the Native Americans expressed of each other.
What evidence from the text supports positive perspectives of the Native Americans? Negative?
When and how do colonists praise the Indians, and vice versa?
Cite evidence for when you think the praise is sincere, or when it is expressed for diplomatic or manipulative purposes.

Blooms taxonomy level:

Understanding

Differentiation suggestions:

Scaffolding and support for special education students, English language learners, and struggling readers:

The skill of previewing and understanding basic text features could benefit students who have not had much exposure to primary documents; however, the teacher will need to be careful to do so briefly without giving away too much content as well as isolating/disengaging students at the beginning of the lesson.
Multiple in-class discussions of the text-dependent questions will also likely help all students.
The teacher could scaffold learning by creating a t-chart with one side stating Settlers’ Beliefs and the other side stating Native American Beliefs.

Originator: