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Period 2, Day 4 Classwork: The Legend of Pocahontas

Last updated over 1 year ago
8 questions
Note from the author:
Content Objective: I will be able to explore historical misconceptions on the legend of Pocahontas.
Standard Objective: I will be able to cite the textual evidence that best supports a given claim or point.

Absent? Just want to review the notes? Click here for the slides.
Content Objective: I will be able to explore historical misconceptions on the legend of Pocahontas.
Standard Objective: I will be able to cite the textual evidence that best supports a given claim or point.

Absent? Just want to review the notes? Click here for the slides.

Warm Up: Please answer the following questions in complete sentences based on your personal experiences and ideas.

1

Have you ever seen the Disney movie “Pocahontas”? Explain what you know about it.

0

There are many challenges to studying the history of Native Americans in the colonial era! Discuss and rank which ones might make it most difficult to understand what truly happened.

*Note: There are no right or wrong answers here! The purpose of this question is to discuss.

  1. Lack of Written Records
  2. Bias in Secondary Sources
  3. Lack of Native American Perspectives
  4. Bias in Primary Sources
0

Please rate how well you understood the reading on a scale from 1 to 4. If you have any questions, drop them in the "Show Your Work" area.

Building Knowledge Together: Last class, we learned about the English settlement of Jamestown, but Native Americans were here first! In history, we gather both primary and secondary sources to understand what actually happened as clearly as we can.

Required
1
Today, we are going to learn more about Jamestown, England's first permanent settlement in the “New” World. Jamestown colony was founded in 1607 by a _______ company called the Virginia Company. Chartered by King James I, the goal of the Virginia Company was to make profit for its investors, which it eventually did by planting and selling _______ . Eventually, the Virginia Company was dissolved in 1624 when Virginia became a royal colony of Great Britain, the _______ of the 13 original British colonies.
Required
1
Last week, we learned that the Jamestown colonists almost starved to death because the Virginia Company had ordered them to find _______ , but there was no gold in Virginia. Crazily enough, several of the Jamestown colonists viewed the search for gold as more important than planting crops – especially some of the gentlemen who viewed _______ labor as beneath them. Eventually, Captain John Smith intervened, declaring that any colonists who did not work would not _______ !
Required
1
It’s also important to note that the Jamestown colonists were trying to settle on _______ land. The Chesapeake Bay area was already settled by the _______ Confederacy, a powerful alliance of about 30 Algonquian-speaking tribes around Chesapeake Bay. The most notable of the Powhatan people was a young woman known as _______ . Her formal name was Amonute, and “Pocahontas” is actually a childhood nickname meaning “playful” or “mysterious.” While her actual birthdate is unknown, most historians agree that she was born between _______ . As Pocahontas grew up, she would have been taught women's work of planting and harvesting vegetables, which was separate from men's work of hunting and foraging for food. Both were _______ taxing and equally _______ as both types of work benefited all of Powhatan society.

Applying Knowledge: Let's review the homework and determine what actually happened between Pocahontas, John Smith, the Powhatan people, and the Jamestown colonists.

2

What is actually true about the scene from Disney's 1995 movie, Pocahontas? Use last night's reading to determine in your groups!

  • Pocahontas and John Smith had a special romantic love and respect for one another.
  • Captain John Smith was an Englishman of high social status.
  • The Powhatan people were trying to destroy the English settlers.
  • Captain John Smith was an adventurer who likely was looking to make a name for himself.
  • Chief Powhatan tried to kill the love of his daughter's life: John Smith.
  • Pocahontas was only 10 when John Smith arrived in Jamestown.
  • The Powhatan people were trying to create an alliance with English settlers like John Smith.
  • Pocahontas and her father had a special love and respect for one another.
  • John Smith's life was not in danger so he did not need saving.
  • Historically True
  • Historically False
0

Exit Ticket: Please rate how well you understood today's lesson on a scale from 1 to 4: