Grade 8 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 7, Lesson 3

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A More Perfect Union

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 7, Lesson 3: The Changing World of American Indians (pp. 201-207)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Conflict Native American groups unsuccessfully tried different ways to maintain their culture in the face of pressure from settlers.

Explore the different approaches Native American groups used to maintain their culture -- resistance, revitalization, or accommodation. Be sure students understand the different ideas each side held about land use and ownership.

Present the Cherokee as a case study of a Native American group which was successful, for a time, at adapting to life with settlers. Encourage students to see the Cherokee maintained their independence even while adopting some aspects of European culture. Talk about what led to their downfall.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Ask each student to write a journal entry as a Cherokee on the "Trail of Tears." Encourage them to include references to their character's life before being forced to leave their home.
Divide students into groups and assign each group one of three methods Native Americans used to preserve their culture -- resistance, revitalization, or accommodation. Have each group work out the advantages and disadvantages of their assigned method and present to the class. Discuss.

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