P.R.A.I.S.E ACTIVITY
The American
Experience
DIRECTIONS
You will be assigned a literary period from American
Literature. Using the American Literature text book provided
for you, you and your group will have to gather as much
information as you can and then organize it onto a poster
provided for you. Every category needs to be presented in a
clear and logical format. Please be creative and use visuals to
assist in your presentation.
P
OLITICAL/HISTORICAL
What was the governmental structure?
Who was president/leader (if applicable)?
What were the major political conflicts they
faced?
What key historical events influenced this time
period?
R
ELIGION
What were the major religious beliefs during
this time period?
How did this affect the country and its
people?
Did the religious beliefs of the time create
any conflicts with the society?
A
ESTHETIC/ARTS
What was the art of the period like?
How was the writing/poetry/literature unique to
this period?
What was the literary movement (if applicable)
called and what did it entail?
Who were the major literary figures (authors) of
this time period?
I
NTELLECTUAL
Who were the major intellectual figures of
this time?
What did they study?
What were their philosophies?
What did the schooling of this time period
look like?
S
OCIAL
What did people do for fun during this time?
What sort of entertainment was available?
Were there any interesting events or
procedures that stood out?
E
CONOMIC
What state of finance was America
in at this time?
What were the major industries?
How did most people survive?
NATIVE AMERICANS
P.R.A.I.S.E.
ASSIGNMENT
EXAMPLE
P
OLITICAL/HISTORICAL
Tribes & Clans—Highest level. Within each tribe were smaller groups called clans: shared a common ancestor &
were considered related to one another; had its own symbol/spirit that gave the clan its name.
Chiefs—Leaders/men elected by the people; generally didn’t have total power; were respected men who
provided advice that the tribe/clan followed.
Civil leader—Guided tribe during times of peace & War leader—Took over during times of war.
Villages and Families—Played a more important role in the daily lives of the people. Large extended families
often lived together.
Rules and Punishment—Varied from tribe to tribe, but generally didn’t involve physical punishment; usually
shamed in front of the tribe. Extreme cases: expulsion.
War—Typically caused by a neighboring tribe killing a tribal member or theft. Often captives were used to
replace the members the tribe had lost or used for religious sacrifices. War chief would lead small parties to ambush
rival Indians and take captives. This also provided them the opportunity to avoid large battles and a quick retreat if
necessary.
1570 – The Iroquois Confederacy was established to stop warfare among the Five Nations (Timeline 6).
Great Binding Law or Great Law of Peace (now the Iroquois Constitution) “established a framework of laws and
practices” (40).
R
ELIGION
Nearly all tribes’ religions included a creation myth passed down orally from one
generation to the next.
Most worshipped an all-powerful, all-knowing creator or “Master Spirit” and lesser
supernatural entities.
Most believed in immortality of the soul and in an afterlife.
A
ESTHETIC/ARTS
Myths, legends, & songs
The poets tell their community’s history and
honor its poets.
Many of the works include people
communicating with mountains and rivers or
people talking with, and even turning into,
animals (8).
Works include The Earth on Turtle’s Back, The
Navajo Origin Legend, & When Grizzlies Walked
Upright
I
NTELLECTUAL
“Schooling”: Boys were taught how to hunt & do men's chores.
Young girls learned to make baskets, work the fields, and cook.
Children learned of the history & moral rules of the tribe from
stories told by elders. These stories held taught the children how
they were expected to behave.
Men were skilled in agriculture, eventually teaching European
settlers how to plant and harvest crops such as maize and squash,
and in woodworking, teaching settlers about bark canoes.
S
OCIAL
Music, hand-clapping or playing musical instruments & dancing was enjoyed most evenings. The
main instruments used were rattles made of gourds and drums covered with animal skin.
The "welcome" dance: a person danced a solo in the center of a circle of people who were
seated. As each person got up to take his or her turn at dancing, the previous person sat down in
the circle. When the last person was finished dancing, then all of the dancers got up and danced
in a ring.
Storytelling—Favorite pastime. storytellers were greatly revered for their abundant knowledge.
The stories were records of their culture and of mythical tales that conveyed moral truths;
taught tribe members how to survive and uphold beliefs and traditions.
E
CONOMIC
The Native American tribes were primarily self-sufficient.
Their economy was based on their environment. They worked for what they needed
to survive (hunting, fishing, farming, gathering).
Similarly, Native Americans used the resources found near their environment. (For
example, a tribe would use a buffalo for food, clothing, shelter, blankets, weapons,
etc.)
They bartered (traded) goods produced in their area with other tribes from other
areas. (For example, a tribe from the south may barter some agriculture for fur from
a tribe near the Canadian border.)
A
DDITIONAL SOURCES
"Chesapeake Bay - Native Americans - The Mariners' Museum."Chesapeake Bay - Native
Americans - The Mariners' Museum. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
"Native American Warfare." AMIN210 -. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Aug. 2015.
Nelson, Ken. " Native Americans for Kids: Social Structure ." Ducksters. Technological Solutions,
Inc. (TSI), Aug. 2015. Web.