Native American Language Lesson

Description/Essential Considerations: Virginia Native Americans lived in most of the regions of Virginia before the English settled this land. From what research and evidence have shown, most of the tribes who lived in a particular region or land area spoke a similar language, which their communities were built around. Three major language groups existed in Virginia: Algonquian, Siouan, and Iroquoian.

Virginia Studies

SOL VS 2d: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by

d)locating three American Indian language groups (the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia.

Guiding Questions:

  • What were the three major language groups found in Virginia, and where was each group located?
  • What evidence is there that American Indians lived in all areas of Virginia?

Materials:

John Smith’s 1608 map of Virginia

Native American Indian tribes of Virginia at the time of European contact Chart paper

Markers

Map with three major language group areas

3 boxes with lids

1 foldable for each student

1 print out of each Native American man and woman for all 3 language groups for the students to glue on the foldable

Song Lyrics

Box 1:

  • Feather with “Region” on it with the black coloring
  • Map with the Coastal Plain colored in on it with black bordering on it
  • Paragraph about unique features of the Powhatan Indian tribe that includes evidence that the American Indians lived in the Coastal Plain region of Virginia
  • Picture of Indian man and Indian woman that represent the Algonquian language group
  • Feather with the word “pronunciation” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with “Al-gone-kwee-an” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with the word “tribe” on it with the red coloring
  • Feather with “Powhatan” on it with red coloring

Box 2:

  • Feather with “Region” on it with the black coloring
  • Map with the Piedmont colored in on it with black bordering on it
  • Paragraph about unique features of theMonacan Indian tribe that includes evidence that the American Indians lived in the Piedmont region of Virginia
  • Picture of Indian man and Indian woman that represent the Siouan language group
  • Feather with the word “pronunciation” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with “Soo-an” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with the word “tribe” on it with the red coloring
  • Feather with “Monacan” on it with red coloring

Box 3:

  • Feather with “Region” on it with the black coloring
  • Map with the south and southwest colored in on it with black bordering on it
  • Paragraph about unique features of theCherokee Indian tribe that includes evidence that the American Indians lived in the south and southwest region of Virginia
  • Picture of Indian man and Indian woman that represent the Iroquoian language group
  • Feather with the word “pronunciation” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with “Ear-oh-coy-an” on it with the purple coloring
  • Feather with the word “tribe” on it with the red coloring
  • Feather with “Cherokee” on it with red coloring

Hook/Link to Previous Lesson: Display the John Smith map on the board and ask students to identify the Indian tribe names displayed on the map. On chart paper, make a list of the terms that the students identify from the 1608 map.

Display a map with all of the Native American Indian tribes from the time of English contact on the board. Encourage the students to identify Indian tribe names that they see on the map. Which names are similar? Which names are different? What can we learn about Native American tribes in Virginia based on these two maps?

Talk and Turn:

  • What connected the Indian tribes to one another?
  • What disconnected the tribes from one another?
  • How do you think different languages affected the Indian tribes from interacting with one another?

Map Placement: Students will be shown a map with three specific regions identified as areas where tribes settled that shared a similar language.

  • What were the three major language groups found in Virginia, and where was each group located?

Discovery Activity: Students will go to each table and open the box with the feathers, maps, Indian couple picture, and the paragraph about unique features for each of the three language groups in Virginia. As they explore the words, pronunciations, pictures, maps, and other information, students will organize this information on their graphic organizer and write the key things that they learn at each of the 3 stations.

3 minutes at Box 1

3 minutes at Box 2

3 minutes at Box 3

(order does not matter)

Fill-In-the-Lyrics Activity: Students will use their foldable to fill in the lyrics to the “Virginia Native American Languages Song” with a partner. Students will sing the song a few times for review after the activity is completed.

To the Tune of “One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians.”

Algonquian Indians lived in the ______,

Tribe to remember: the ______Indians

______language spoken by the Indians

The Algonquian language group.

Siouan Indians lived in the ______,

Tribe to remember: the ______Indians

______language spoken by the Indians

The Siouan language group.

Iroquoian Indians lived in the ______,

Tribe to remember: the ______Indians

______language spoken by the Indians

The Iroquoian language group.

Formative Assessment: Students will color a map with the three language groups’ locations and create an answer key that includes the tribe and the language name represented for each of the three groups.

Differentiation: Students who may struggle with coming up with the terms on their own may pick from a list of tribe names and language names in a word bank or refer to the notes taken within the foldable during the discovery activity. Students who may need an additional challenge may include what material evidence or unique features have been discovered about each of the three language groups to include on their map and map key.

Closure: Display John Smith’s map on the board and have the students identify what language groups he and his explorers interacted with during their expedition and which language group he did not make contact with during his travels in 1608.