Lesson Plan - A Joyful Gathering

Watch the Video
Play the video “Celebrating Our Traditions: Meet Three Powwow Dancers” before reading to help students understand the cultural significance of powwows. Discuss: What does powwow dancing mean to Tank, Taylor, and Mateo?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• sacred
• conserve

Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about why Mattanock Town is important to the Nansemond.

1. Based on the article, what happens at a powwow?
According to the article, a powwow is a gathering where Native peoples celebrate their cultures. They play drums, dance, sing, eat, and tell stories.
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2. Why does the author use the subheading “Stolen Land”? What details in that section help you understand the subheading’s meaning?
The author uses the subheading “Stolen Land” for this section because the section is about how English settlers took over the land where Indigenous peoples had lived for thousands of years. The author illustrates the subheading’s meaning when she writes, “By 1677, English colonists controlled most of the riverfront. The Nansemond had been forced to move to surrounding areas.”
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3. According to the sidebar, “A Long Wait,” why were many Native people prevented from voting for decades even after the Indian Citizenship Act was passed?
According to “A Long Wait,” many Native people were prevented from voting for decades even after the Indian Citizenship Act was passed because it was still up to the individual states to decide who had the right to vote
^{R.5 Cause and Effect}

Featured Skill: Paired Texts
Use the skill builder “More Than Food” to introduce students to the important role oysters from the Nansemond River have traditionally played in Nansemond culture.
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