Introduction

        Most Americans today have a stereotypical image of the American Indian or Native Americans. There is a tendency to group all of the native peoples of North America and treat them as one group or one nation. This is also a common error when students discuss the peoples of Africa. In both cases, the peoples of these regions and time periods were very diverse. They did not always share the same culture. They differed in their language, religion, economic activities, as well as their form of government and social organization. These differences affected how they related to one another, as well as how they dealt with the arrival of the European colonists and later American settlers.

During this unit you will be studying various Indian tribes. Since there are over 510 federally recognized tribes, it would be impossible for you to study them all. Each of you will be assigned a tribe to research.  The tribes were chosen because they are the 30 largest federally recognized tribes. Keep in mind, that there are more tribes throughout the United States without federal recognition. Federal recognition allows tribes more self-determination and governance of their own affairs.

Many important tribes do not have this status, but it does not make them less important. A local example is the Piscataway-Conoy Confederacy. This tribe I will use as my model for the activities/projects you will complete with this unit. Ms. Mevin Savoy, the Tribal Chair of the Piscataway-Conoy Confederacy has been invited as a guest speaker.

This is an interdisciplinary unit with your social studies and language arts classes. There are many purposes for this unit. You will develop research skills by writing a report about your assigned tribe. Library and computer time is scheduled in order for you to complete your research. Your language arts teacher will assist you with note taking skills and writing a bibliography. Technology/computer skills will be used to conduct research on the Internet and create a 5 to 15 slide Power Point Presentation about your assigned tribe.  A final activity is to write a persuasive letter to the owner of the Redskins football team making recommendations about the future of the team’s name.    

Prior to beginning these activities, you will receive a scoring rubric and examine a teacher made model based on the local Piscataway Indians. These activities help prepare you for the larger project, the History Day Fair that all 8^th grade students will participate in this year. More information regarding the History Fair will follow.