Building Blocks for History Lab:SS.4.A.2.1 Compare Native American tribes in Florida.

Essential Question: How did location affect the culture of the Seminole Indians of Florida?

Before introducing this history lab to students, they must be familiar with the general details surrounding the early Native American settlements. In general students will need to understand the reasons why Native Americans settled throughout Florida. See below for a partial list:

Migration of the early people Native Americans Different tribes of Florida European Exploration

What should students know before working with this History Lab? The background information outlined for each History Lab is important to their understanding of the benchmark. Refer to the Pacing Guide for additional information.

The Essential Question (EQ) guides the learning task for each History Lab. Students will identify the main idea and important details of each source and determine how each source answers the EQ. At the end of the activity, students will answer the EQ in the form of a summary based on the 4 sources. Students’ responses should be based on the evidence provided by the sources.

What are History Labs?History labs are learning experiences where teachers use a guided approach to historical inquiry and students use investigation and research similar to the work of historians. Teachers are provided with the necessary information and resources to teach the labs. History Labs engage students, promoting critical skills in reading, thinking and effective writing through the use of persuasion and argumentation.

Name _____________________________________________ Period _____ Date _____________________SS.4.A.2.1 Compare Native American tribes in Florida.

Essential Question: How did location affect the culture of the Seminole Indians of Florida?Source Main Idea / Message / Important Details How does this document answer the

essential question?Source 1Photo of Seminole Log CabinsSource 2Photo of Seminoles Gator WrestlingSource 3Photo of Seminole family with cropsSource 4Photo of Seminole Indian Clothing

Summary Statement: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Source 1

Seminole Log Cabins

Early Seminoles used to build log cabins, but later on they began to live in basic shelters with thatched roofs that were supported by poles. These homes were called chickees. They had a chickee for summer, winter, and for a woman who is going to have a baby. The huts had raised platforms and the roof was thatched with palmetto leaves. Most of the towns with these chickees were stockaded or palisaded. That means they were surrounded with logs that formed a protective fence. This fence had usually had one or two openings, which allowed passage in and out. The men reinforced the walls with crossbeams and daubed clay or mud over the open spaces. http://schoolworkhelper.net/the-seminole- natives-history-life/

The links that appear throughout the History Lab lead to additional background information that enhances learning. It is a good idea to visit these sites as they contain much more information. Some links provide additional resources for classroom use.

Best Practice Tip for Analyzing Primary Sources: Preview the sources with students. Guide them in the observation of the 4 sources and engage in a discussion. Model the type of thinking and questioning that is part of the process of analyzing these sources. What questions could they pose about each source?

Some examples of guides for analyzing sources are found in Library of Congress Teacher’s Guide and the National Archives.

Best Practice Tip: Before students read each passage, what words might you need to introduce and discuss with them? Consider if the context clues are sufficient.

Teaching the unique words and phrases that comprise the academic vocabulary of Social Studies is important to student learning of content.

Source 2Seminole Culture

Seminoles wrestled alligators, made and sold crafts and performed aspects of their daily life, such as making coonti bread and patchwork clothing. In addition to frequenting attractions in southeastern Florida, Seminoles traveled widely throughout the state to work in the tourism trade. http://www.floridamemory.com/blog/2012/02/16/florida-seminoles-and-musa-isle/

As students observe the sources, they are using the skills of making observations and inferences. They will also use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) strategy to analyze the sources.

Fourth Grade Teachers’ tip: Follow this link, Florida Memory and under the “Classroom” tab you will find a variety of instructional resources that are aligned to the grade 4 Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for Social Studies.

Source 3Seminole Food and Crops

Seminole men hunted many animals, including deer, birds, alligators, otters, and raccoons. The women grew crops, but they did not work with their crops very much. Once they planted a set of crops (usually corn, pumpkin, or pawpaws) they would allow wild plants to mingle with their crops in the fertile soil. For this reason, the land was full of wild fruit and vegetables that the Seminole ate with their grown crops. Sometimes, Seminole women would add sugar cane to the food during cooking to make it taste sweeter. Seminole houses, where they would eat their meals, were called chickees and were basically a raised platform covered by a thatched grass roof.http://www.kidport.com/reflib/usahistory/NativeAmericans/Seminole.htm#Seminole

Source 4European Inspired Seminole Clothing

https://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/04/08/seminole-perspective-ponce-de-leon-and-florida-history-148672

The Seminoles are composed of various culturally related tribes which began to migrate into North Florida sometime before 1750. These migrations were the result of the European political situation in Colonial North America. Consequently, the tribes which were to become the Seminoles had already replaced most of their native clothing for clothing they made from European trade goods, often borrowing European patterns as well.http://www.semtribe.com/culture/SeminoleClothing.aspx

What are some ways that students can share/present their answers to the History Lab’s EQ?

Individual or group presentations: Students discuss specific evidence that led them to develop their answers through simple oral presentations highlighting key facts in the sources that support their answers or student presentations may be done with multimedia technology tools. Whole class discussions: The teacher may facilitate the discussion where students explain their positions and support their arguments with evidence. Small group discussions: Students present their answers and the evidence in a small group setting. The teacher may provide prompts to guide communication among students and set time limits. Periodically teachers should stop the discussion and ask students to explain what the other group members shared or what students found to be the most significant pieces of evidence.Keep or change original position: After students present and discuss their responses, provide them with an opportunity to either change their positions or reaffirm their original positions. They should express what evidence presented in the discussions or presentations made them change or maintain their original positions.