|
John Sheldon (1658-1733) Snowshoes
"What befell Stephen Williams in his captivity"
|
Summary and Objective
Students will understand that the 1704 Raid on the tiny settlement at Deerfield Massachusetts changed the lives of all who were involved. They will gain background knowledge of the inhabitants of Deerfield, MA, and the five cultures involved in the conflict through reading, analyzing and discussion. The students will also read a firsthand account of a captive and look at artifacts in the digital collection that are from the Deerfield raid of 1704. This activity will enable students to gain a better understanding of all of the people involved, and how their lives forever changed from their experience.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Show students a map of Massachusetts, pointing out where Deerfield, MA is located. On the American Centuries website, Locate the 1704 Home page – Raid on Deerfield: The Many Stories of 1704.” Click on "Play the Introduction to 1704", which is about 5 minutes in length. Students will watch and listen to the overview of the raid on Deerfield. Ask children to discuss their impressions of the raid as it is presented in the overview.
Step 2.
Click on “Go to the Story Menu” and follow the line to the 7th picture from the left. Next, click on the 6th picture from the left entitled “Attack on Deerfield” which is under 1704. Spend some time with students rolling the cursor over the various areas of the picture, paying special attention to Stephen and Eunice Williams. The small box under the picture will give the students ample information and background about the people and events. Remind children that there were no pictures ever made of the raid. The artist was careful, and did a great deal of research to make the pictures accurate since it is very important not to make history up, and to stay true to facts rather than opinions.
Step 3.
Above the picture, click on “March to Canada” and spend some time with students rolling the cursor over the various areas of the picture, paying special attention to Stephen Williams and his mother, Mrs. Eunice Williams. The small box under the picture will give the students ample information and background about the people and events.
Step 4.
Above the picture, click on “Parting Ways” and spend some time with students rolling the cursor over the various areas of the picture, paying special attention to Stephen Williams and his father, John Williams. The small box under the picture will give the students ample information and background about the people and events. Discuss the different perspectives of John and Stephen Williams, and that of their Native and French captors, who needed to get them safely to Canada to maximize their value.
Step 5.
Students in the class will be split into five groups (differentiate groups by instructional reading levels if desired). Groups will read specifically selected information (see below) about one of the five cultures in order to gain background knowledge of lifestyle, food, clothing, homes, beliefs and reasons for harboring captives. If students are using a SmartBoard or computers, click on "Meet the Five Cultures", otherwise, print the information below for each group to read.
English – Group 1 will read The Scene, Foodways, Clothing, and Society.
French - Group 2 will read The French, Foodways, Clothing, Community, and Society.
Kanienkehaka - Group 3 will read Who are the Kanienkehaka (Mohawk)?, Kanienkehaka Settlements and Subsistence, Families & Clans, and Warfare: The Tradition of Mourning Wars (pay particular attention to the mention of captives).
Wendat - Group 4 will read Who are the Wendat (Huron)?, Wendat Subsistence and the Work of Men and Women, Family, Clan, and Government, and War (pay particular attention to the mention of captives).
Wobanaki Lifeways - circa 1600 – Group 5 will read Who are the Wobanakiak?, Who are the Wobanakiak who participated in the 1704 Raid on Deerfield?, Wobanaki Family Life (pay particular attention to the mention of captives).
Step 6.
Groups will choose and write down four to five important points about their particular group of people to orally share with classmates. The three groups presenting on the Native American tribes must present some information about captives. The teacher will then collect and type the information to distribute to each child for his or her personal reference/Social Studies Notebook.
Step 7.
Together, the class will read the primary document, Stephen Williams’s Account which is found in Artifacts - Historic Documents. Read the background information (Stephen Williams’s Account) to the class. Next, read as much of the account as possible, omitting information that you feel may be too graphic or unsettling for the class. If at all possible, it is important to show the class this document on a SmartBoard or computer so they can view Stephen’s handwriting. Relay to students that Stephen was approximately their age when he was captured. At this time, students should also click on “Artifacts - Personal Items/Clothing” to view Arosen’s Gifts, John Sheldon’s Snowshoes, and Moccasins to gain a better understanding of the items described in and shown in the Attack on Deerfield, March to Canada, and Parting Ways. Continue to scan the Digital Collection to show children items such as clothing, sashes, weapons, tools, household items and similar snowshoes.
Step 8.
As a lesson wrap-up, have children write/respond about their newly acquired knowledge in their Social Studies Notebooks or Writing Journals. Students should also include a small illustration pertaining to their writing. Teachers may choose to provide children with specific writing prompts, or students may simply state their feelings or opinions. When children are done, they can share their responses with classmates either whole group or in small groups. It would be especially memorable to request that students(who are comfortable)report in the first person. This will promote "ownership" and greatly add to the impact of the event. By using or referrring to artifacts and images from the Digital Collection, students will have additional inspiration when writing.
Optional: If possible, invite a local historian or community member with knowledge of either Native peoples or the Deerfield raid to speak to the class.
|
