Students will investigate diverse Native and colonial texts to determine how Native nations and European colonists shaped one another’s choices, survival, and power in early America.

Students enter a “history mystery” featuring conflicting maps, treaty excerpts, colonial narratives, and Native-authored accounts tied to the region. In teams, they investigate: How did Native American nations and European colonists shape each other’s choices, survival, and power in early America? Students publicly revise initial claims as they uncover whose perspectives shaped—and were omitted from—the historical record. The investigation connects these colonial encounters to present-day questions of tribal sovereignty, land, identity, and whose stories communities preserve.

Students will investigate, “How did Native American nations and European colonists shape each other’s choices, survival, and power in early America?” They will compare complex historical documents and foundational American literary texts, evaluating perspective, evidence, rhetorical features, and authors’ choices in shaping narratives. Through source-based team discussions and a collaboratively produced public exhibit, students will build persuasive communication, critical thinking, and civic-ready research skills. Individual reflection and goal-setting will help students assess their contributions, recognize growth, and make responsible choices when representing contested histories and distinct Native nations.

Partner with the education staff of a nearby Native nation’s cultural center or Tribal Historic Preservation Office, following its preferred protocols and honorarium practices. A representative can help select tribally authored sources, review project language for accuracy, and lead a virtual or in-person source-analysis session on how Native nations and colonists shaped one another’s choices, survival, and power. Students can use the classroom as a document-analysis studio, then visit the cultural center or explore its digital collections to compare Native accounts with colonial literature and government documents. The partner can provide feedback on students’ final public exhibits while students reflect on evidence, perspective, collaboration, and responsible representation.

Students will create a curated digital exhibit that answers, “How did Native American nations and European colonists shape each other’s choices, survival, and power in early America?” In teams, they will develop an evidence-based case study using literature, historical accounts, treaties, and foundational U.S. documents to compare perspectives, rhetoric, and narrative choices. Each student will contribute an annotated artifact, a comparative analysis, and a recorded curator commentary, then help present and defend the team’s interpretation in a public gallery walk. Students will conclude with an individual reflection evaluating their research, collaboration, critical thinking, and goals for future growth.

Assess source annotations, seminar contributions, and comparative analyses for accurate comprehension, evidence evaluation, and connections among Native accounts, colonial texts, and foundational U.S. documents. Evaluate the culminating exhibit or presentation with a rubric measuring historical accuracy, analysis of authorial and rhetorical choices, comparison of shared themes, use of credible evidence, and a defensible response to “How did Native American nations and European colonists shape each other’s choices, survival, and power in early America?” Include collaboration criteria for preparation, equitable participation, active listening, and building persuasively on peers’ ideas. Students complete midpoint and final self-assessments identifying growth, revising goals, and citing specific evidence from their work.