The Bully on the Plains

Lesson Plan

Teacher:

Kris Hagans

Lesson Title:

The Bully on the Plains

Grade Level:

8th Grade US History

Lesson Time Length:

5 -7 days

Big Idea:

Students understand that Native Americans were not the savage beasts often portrayed on the Hollywood screen. Discuss with students about the bully on the play ground, then relate it to Native Americans and the US government during the late 1800s. Encourage students to jot down ideas about the real bully of the Plains as this lesson progresses.

Lesson Abstract:

This lesson is designed to give students two perspectives of life on the Plains in the late 1800s. Students will review the Sand Creek Massacre, and the resulting German Family massacre near Ft. Wallace, Kansas. This lesson is based on three documents on the Sand Creek Massacre: Two Editorials from the Rocky Mountain News (1864), Congressional testimony by John S. Smith, an eyewitness to the massacre (1865), and Deposition by John M. Chivington (1865). Students will then listen to the reading of Girl Captives of the Cheyenne by Grace E. Meredith, and read the account of the rescue of the German Sisters from Grey Beard and the Cheyenne.

Lesson Background and Context:

Sand Creek Massacre

§  Before dawn on November 29, 1864, more than 700 soldiers, mostly volunteer Colorado state militia, attacked an Indian encampment on Sand Creek in southeastern Colorado, killing old men, women, children, and babies, while most of the men of the village were away hunting. Leading the attack was Colonel John M. Chivington, a former Methodist preacher known as the "Fighting Parson." Chivington was already on record as saying his mission in life was "to kill Indians."

§  At Sand Creek, he ignored peace signals, an American flag and a white flag hanging from the lodge of Black Kettle, chief of the Southern Cheyenne. Black Kettle, among those who survived, died four years later in another attack, by troops under Lt. Col. George A. Custer at the Washita River in Oklahoma. (From: Smiley, Brenda. "Sand Creek Massacre." Archaeology Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.archaeology.org/9911/newsbriefs/ sand.html>.)

German Family Massacre

§  The morning September 11, 1874, was another sad time in local history. One day's journey east of Fort Wallace, the John German family, consisting of his wife and seven children, prepared to continue on their way west when they were attacked by a band of Cheyenne. Only the four youngest, all girls, were spared. After having just witnessed the brutal murders of their family, the four young children, Sophia, Catherine, Julia, and Adelaide were allowed to live. All four girls were taken captive by the Cheyenne. Due to the hard winter, however, the Cheyenne did not keep all the girls for long, and the two youngest, Julia and Adelaide (aged 7 and 5) were left on the prairie in what is now the Texas panhandle. They survived on their own for 6 weeks until they were finally found by soldiers. They were 7 and 5 years old respectively. Sophia and Catherine continued traveling with the Cheyenne, although they were eventually split up and traveled with different parties.

§  Meanwhile, soldiers at Fort Wallace received word of the massacre and began the search for the remaining members of the German family, as well as negotiations with the Indians. On February 26, 1875, largely due to efforts made by soldiers stationed at Fort Wallace and elsewhere, the Cheyennes released Catherine and Sophia German at an Indian reservation. The two girls then traveled to Fort Leavenworth where they were reunited with their sistersJulia and Adelaide.(For more indepth information about the German Family Massacre, please read The Moccassin Speaks by Arlene Jauken or Girl Captives of the Cheyenne by Grace Meredith) (From: "Life at Fort Wallace." Welcome to the Ft.Wallace Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.ftwallace.com/HFort.html>.)

Standards Alignment:

CG 3-1. (K) understands that the United States Constitution is written by and for the people and it defines the authority and power given to the government as well as recognizes the rights retained by the state governments and the people (e.g., separation of power, limited government, state’s rights, the concept “by and for the people”)

CG 4-2.(A) researches and analyzes a current issue involving rights from an historical perspective (e.g., civil rights, native Americans, organized labor).

G 1-2. (A) creates maps, graphs, charts, databases and/or models to support historical research.

US 1-5. ▲ (A) analyzes how territorial expansion of the United States affected relations with external powers and American Indians (e.g., Louisiana Purchase, concept of Manifest Destiny, previous land policies-Northwest Ordinance, Mexican-American War, Gold Rush).

Objectives:

Know:

§  Background of Plains Wars

§  The reason behind Indian Relocation of 1830

§  Results of Indian relocation

§  Promises made and broken

§  Difficulties in making treaties between US Government and Native Americans

Do

§  Analyze primary source documents

§  Map Sand Creek Massacre and German Family Massacre

§  Facebook Entries

§  History Report Card

§  Acrostic Poem

Teaching Materials:

Web Sites:

"PBS - THE WEST - Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre (1864-1865)." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/four/sandcrk.htmeditorial>.

Smiley, Brenda. "Sand Creek Massacre." Archaeology Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.archaeology.org/9911/newsbriefs/sand.html>.

U.S.A., Brigadier General W.C. Brown, and Retired.. "Rescue of German Sisters from Grey Beard." RootsWeb.com Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. http://www.rootsweb. ancestry.com/~nalakota/wotw/indgscstr/germansisters_rescueof_greybeard_wotw111936.htm

Books:

Meredith, Grace E.. Girl captives of the Cheyennes; a true story of the capture and rescue of four pioneer girls, 1874,. Los Angeles, Calif.: Gem Pub. Co., 1927. Print.

Vocabulary:

Cheyenne

Arapaho

John M. Chivington

Black Kettle

Grey Beard

John S. Smith

German Family

Ft. Wallace

Sand Creek Massacre

Lesson Implementation and Procedures:

1. Create an acrostic poem using the term NATIVE AMERICANS. The example is included at the end of this lesson. Encourage students to include what they know about Native Americans. How did they live? What was a day in the life of Native Americans like?

2. Divide class into groups of 4 or 5, and have them go outside and create chalk drawings of Native American Indians. What did they look like? How did they live? What was daily life like? Then at the bottom of the drawing have students write where their vision of Native Americans came from. As a class, visit each drawing and have students explain their work of art.

3. Show video clip: "LiveLeak.com - Hollywood Stereotypes Native Americans." LiveLeak.com - Redefining the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2011. <http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a26_1271698426>.

4. On a sheet of paper, ask students to compare and contrast the class drawings with the Native Americans in the video clip. How are they alike? How are they different?

5. Review from 7th grade Kansas History the following: Background of Plains Wars; The reason behind Indian Relocation of 1830; Results of Indian relocation; Promises made and broken; Difficulties in making treaties between US Government and Native Americans.

6. Create a Facebook page for the class. My students have me as their only history teacher, so I create a Class of 2016 page. This way, the students can use this page throughout their career with me. As you proceed through this lesson post several essential questions pertaining to the lesson and have students respond. I ask students to respond as if they are the person we are discussing.

7. Give the students the specifics on the Sand Creek Massacre

·  The state of Colorado offered amnesty if Native Americans reported to military forts

·  Chief Black Kettle and many Cheyenne and Arapaho established winter camp 40 miles from Ft. Lyon, Colorado

·  Col. John Chivington, who wanted to exterminate all Indians, arrived at the Indian camp

·  With a white flag flying over the camp, Chivington’s troops attacked, killing and destroying the bodies of some 200 Indians; most were women and children.

8. Hand out copies of the following three sets of documents from "PBS - THE WEST - Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre (1864-1865)." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives /four/sandcrk.htm#editorial>.

·  You may have to break them down for the students in their language. I have found they like to read the original documents, if we discuss the basic meaning of the selection.

9. Stress to the students that the Cheyenne and Arapaho were set on revenge for what Chivington did at Sand Creek.

10. Give the brief background of the German Family. Begin reading Girl Captives of the Cheyenne by Grace E. Meredith. (This will take about three days of reading.) Have students record the locations mentioned in the book, so they can map the trail in a later exercise.

11. Using Google Earth, or other internet sources, map the locations used in the book, as well as Sand Creek and Ft. Wallace.

12. Complete the Historical Report Card; an example is given at the end of this lesson.

13. Write a second acrostic poem using the term NATIVE AMERICANS. This time base the poem on knowledge gained from this lesson.

Technology Integration:

§  Sand Creek Massacre sites

§  German Family Massacre Sites

§  Google Earth to map locations

§  Live Binders for assignment storage

§  Facebook for reflection

Evaluation and Assessment (what evidence will students provide to prove they have learned what you want them to learn?):

§  Students will create a “grade card” for the people involved in the Sand Creek Massacre

§  Students will map the location of the Sand Creek and German Family Massacre

§  Students will create an acrostic poem detailing Native Americans.

§  Students will discuss on Facebook various views of people involved in the lesson

o  Possible Facebook discussions include:

§  Soldier at Sand Creek

§  Father of the German Family

§  Ft. Wallace soldier finding the German family

§  Chief Grey Beard

§  Chief Black Kettle

§  Catherine German

§  Who was the bully of the Plains: Native Americans, settlers, US Government, or the military?

Extension and Enrichment:

Discuss with students the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution. Then address the issue of Native Americans. Where do they fit? Are they included? What about women? African Americans? Get students to think about freedom of all men…and what that really means.

Resources:

"Life at Fort Wallace." Welcome to the Ft.Wallace Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.ftwallace.com/HFort.html>.

"LiveLeak.com - Hollywood Stereotypes Native Americans." LiveLeak.com - Redefining the Media. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 June 2011. <http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a26_1271698426>.

Meredith, Grace E.. Girl captives of the Cheyennes; a true story of the capture and rescue of four pioneer girls, 1874,. Los Angeles, Calif.: Gem Pub. Co., 1927. Print.

"PBS - THE WEST - Documents on the Sand Creek Massacre (1864-1865)." PBS: Public Broadcasting Service. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/ resources/archives/four/sandcrk.htmeditorial>.

Roughton, Mr.. "Assignments." Roughton's Class 2.0. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 June 2011. <http://mrroughton.com/Assignments3.aspx>.

Smiley, Brenda. "Sand Creek Massacre." Archaeology Magazine. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.archaeology.org/9911/newsbriefs/ sand.html>.

U.S.A., Brigadier General W.C. Brown, and Retired.. "Rescue of German Sisters from Grey Beard." RootsWeb.com Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 June 2011. <http://www.rootsweb. ancestry.com/~nalakota/wotw/indgscstr/germansisters_rescueof_greybeard_wotw111936.htm>.

Acrostic Poem

(from: http://mrroughton.com/acrostic.aspx)

An Acrostic Poem is a poem where the first letter of each line spells a word and each line gives details and helps explain the chosen word.

Example 1:

Poems should show

Originality,

Explain something from the unit, and

Make

Sense

Example 2:

How do we learn about the past?

Investigating ancient ruins,

Studying artifacts,

Translating foreign languages,

Observing human behavior, and

Reading primary sources, but we can’t time travel…

Yet.

Your Task: Use your prior knowledge to create an acrostic poem for the term NATIVE AMERICANS.

History Report Card

(From: http://mrroughton.com/HRC.aspx)

Your task: Give a historical figure grades for the categories given by your teacher.

Instructions:

1.  Give a letter grade for each of the periods/subject GIVEN BY YOUR TEACHER. Do not just put school subjects!

2.  Explain why you are giving that grade in the comments section. This should be at least 3 complete sentences and give historical evidence behind the grade.

-DO NOT put things like “behaves well in class”!

Student Name / Teacher Name
Subject / Grade / Comments
Period 1 –
(Col. John M. Chvington)
Period 2 –
(John S. Smith)
Period 3 –
(Chief Grey Beard)
Period 4 –
(Catherine German)

A Century of Progress Lesson Plan Template 2011 Page 1