Imagine being forced to give up your culture and then being graded on how well you complied with orders to do so. Documents show young historians the price indigenous peoples paid as a result of the Dawes Act, which was essentially a report card on how well Indigenous peoples adopted western values. Learners then discuss their findings using writing and discussion prompts.

Concepts

native american history, native americans, north american native americans, assimilation, the dawes act, racism, primary source analysis, primary source images, primary sources

Show More Show Less

Instructional Ideas

• Offer the activity to introduce the Dawes Act
• Use document analysis as an enrichment activity for discussion of forced assimilation of Native Americans

Classroom Considerations

• Class members need computer access to view the documents

Pros

• Documents stimulate emotion and provocative discussion
• Primary sources include text and images, making them adaptable to a variety of learners

Cons

• None

Common Core

RH.6-8.1 RH.6-8.2 RH.6-8.7 RH.6-8.10