History of Seminole Clans

 

DESCRIPTORS

 

Curriculum Areas:  Writing, Social Studies, Culture, Language Arts

Recommended Levels: High School

Time Frame: 5 days (45 minute lessons per day)

Tribal Affiliation: Seminole Tribe

Geographic Location:  Southeast

Developed by: Jessica Cohen, Leroy King, Renee Morales, Celesta Osceola, Lenora Roberts, Lee Zepeda

Email address for further questions: tribune@semtribe.com

Date lesson was developed:  July 24, 2001

American Indian Standards:

Social Studies

Standard 1:       Culture

Standard 2:       Time, Continuity, and Change

Standard 3:       People, Places and Environments

Standard 4:       Individual Development and Identity

Standard 5:       Individuals, Groups, and Institutions

Standard 3:       Understanding the effects of cultural contexts, particularly of their tribe, on what students read, write, hear, say, and view.

Standard 4:       Listening, speaking, writing, and responding respectfully but critically in large and small groups.

Language and Literacy

Standard 6:       Developing oral communication skills to perpetuate the American Indian oral tradition.

Standard 7:       Analyzing, evaluating, and assessing what they read, write, hear, say, and view -- e.g., comparing American Indian and non-Indian perspectives in historical records.

Standard 14:     Using a range of technological forms of communication, and in understanding and evaluating critically the conventions, demands, opportunities, and responsibilities of technologically based discourse.

Standard 15:     Exploring ideas and feelings imaginatively through a variety of creative modes, e.g. journals, story telling, drama, and media projects.

Standard 16:     Defining, synthesizing, hypothesizing, drawing conclusions, and evaluating with the use of multiple resources.

American Indian Oratory

Standard 1.2:    Interpretive Communication

Standard 1.3:    Presentational Communication

Standard 3.1:    Making Connections

Standard 5.1:    School and Community

INSTRUCTION

Goal:  To have students compare and contrast the history of the 8 Seminole clans:  Wind, Panther, Bird, Snake, Bear, Big Town, Deer and Otter.

 

Behavioral Objectives: Students will:

·        Interview community members from a particular clan focusing on history and traditions

·        Work in small groups to discuss clan findings

·        Research assigned clan in groups for oral presentation

·        Compare and contrast assigned clan with other clans

 

Prior Knowledge Needed:

·        Interviewing techniques

·        Knowledge of 8 Seminole clans

·        Identify roles of 8 Seminole clans

·        Researching skills

·        Knowledge of computer skills (i.e. internet searching)

 

Materials and Resources Needed:

·        Interview (see attached)

·        Guest speakers from various clans

·        Computer/resource materials for research

 

Culture Content and Strategies:

·        Seminole clan history

·        Community member interview

·        Oral presentation on clan history

·        Websites related to clans (www.semtribe.com, http://dhr.dos.state.fl.us/flafacts)

 

Lesson Summary and Performance Tasks:

Teacher will assign students to 9 different groups representing the 8 present day clans (Wind, Panther, Bird, Snake, Bear, Big Town, Deer and Otter) and 1 group representing past clans (Alligator).  Special emphasis will be taken to place students in clan groups other than their personal clans.  They will interview community members focusing on the history and roles of clans.  Guest speakers will be brought in to reinforce and answer questions the groups may have about Seminole clans.  The students will then prepare for the group oral presentations.  Portions of the interviews and guest speeches will be made available on the school’s intranet.  Students will then write a composition comparing and contrasting their clan with other clans.

Assessment:

·        Group oral presentations of findings (observations or teacher made rubric)

·        Teacher made test on the history of the Seminole clans

 

Technology Integration:

·        Add portions of interviews added to school’s intranet

·        Make new branch on school’s website for “clans” and include all students’ work (PreK-12)

 

Enrichment/Remediation:

The teacher can have individual students do research projects on past Seminole clans and their histories.  Students can record and video tape all activities using a digital camera.  Students can also do a report on each clan system using HyperStudioâ.

 


 

 

 

 

INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

 

 

Name of Interviewee: _________________________________

 

Name of Interviewer: __________________________________

 

 

1.       How are clans used in Green Corn Ceremony?

 

 

 

2.       How do clans influence the Seminole Tribe?

 

 

 

3.       Do clans influence your choice of a mate?

 

 

 

4.  Are you proud of your clan?              Why?

 

 

 

5.  Are we losing our clans? Why?

 

 

6.        Where do you see our clan system in 10 years?