Interactive

Assimilation of American Indians

Curated and Reviewed by Lesson Planet

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.

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CCSS: Adaptable
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