Goal # 1
Interactions and Interdependence of Nations
IN9.1
Explain  society
Outcome 9.1 –
What constitutes a society
Tasks:
IN 9.1 Explain what constitutes a society
Task One
Relate the functions and services of institutions in the community (church, school, government,
parents, Elders, traditional knowledge keepers, economic organizations) to the needs of the
people in that community.
Institution/Organization (what role do these organizations fill)
Role of religious organizations – church gives people a place to feel at home and welcome
Role of government organizations – people pay taxes to help fix roads and governmental
buildings
Role of educational organizations – school exists so people can learn most of what they need to
know to have a career
Role of families – parents and Elders tell stories that educate younger generations
Role of recreational organizations – recreation provides the opportunity to lead a balanced life
Role of economic organizations – banks are able to store money for people
Task Two:
Investigate the roles of individuals in the institutions of the local community, including the
expectations attached to those roles (e.g., school: student, principal, teacher, caretaker,
secretary; hospital: doctor, nurse, traditional healer, receptionist, paramedic, medical
technician, patient).
Choose five roles from the list above and fill in the following chart
Role
Expectations of the role (what do they do)
What are some rules they
must follow?
Not to disrespect others or
the school
Student
Go to school, learn
Teacher
Educate
Teach students, respect other
faculty and children
Doctor
Give check-ups, perform surgery, deliver
babies
Respect the people around
them
Nurse
Help the doctor, take care of babies and
other patients
Be at work on time, respect
others
Secretary
Take calls, print out memos/newsletters,
help his/her boss
Do his/her job, respect people
coming in and out of where
they work
Task Three:
1. Formulate your own definition of a society. (be sure to give an example of what you
think a society is)
Society – A group of people sharing the same
geographical area.
Example: A city is a human society.
Task Four:
Using the following chart as a guide for topics, research to compare and contrast the Aztecs to
the Iroquois First Nation culture of Canada.
(Short, concise answers is what I want.)
For each section of the chart, include the website (resource) where you research the
information
Topic
Aztec
Iroquois First Nation
1) They were chosen by the four
“heads” of the city council.
2) Sometimes genetics played a part in
the decision making. They looked at
past achievements and personality.
3) Most important decisions were made
by popular vote, which women were
not allowed to do.
4) Younger people couldn’t marry
others in their own clan, and the men
were expected to fight in all wars
that happened.
1) They were chosen by the women.
2) The women looked at their bravery in
battle and how willing they were to
sacrifice themselves.
3) Decisions were made based on a
consensus.
4) They had no formal legal system, so
they had no laws.
1) Human sacrifice was part of the
spirituality.
2) This society was polytheist.
3) They respected the earth and had a
very good relationship with it.
4) They paid tribute to their religion by
human sacrifice and religious
festivals.
1) Spirituality was important because
they had many beliefs.
2) This society was polytheist because
they believed in a higher power and
they had a guardian spirit.
3) They respected the earth because
they believed everything had a soul.
4) They often paid tribute to their
religion by offering food and
tobacco.
Leadership
1. How were leaders
selected?
2. What qualities
were used in the
selection of their
leaders?
3. How were
decision made
(democracy,
authoritarian,
consensus)?
4. Describe two laws
of the society.
Religion/Spirituality
and Worldview
1. Describe the
relationship of the
people and
spirituality?
2. Was this society
monotheist or
polytheist? (If
polytheist list and
describe two).
3. Briefly describe
their worldview and
their relationship to
the earth.
4. How did this
culture pay tribute to
their god(s) or
celebrate their
religion?
Economy
1. Explain patterns of
trade within the
society? Who did
they trade with
2. What items were
considered valuable?
3. What was used as
a form of currency?
1) The Aztecs had successful popular
trade markets.
2) Items valuable to the Aztecs were
jaguar skins, tropical bird feathers,
rubber, cotton, chocolate, and cocoa
beans.
3) The main form of currency was
cocoa beans.
1) The Iroquois traded corn and
tobacco with the tribes from the
north for pelts, and with the tribes
from the east for wampum.
2) Valuable things to the Iroquois
included corn, squash, beans, and
property.
3) They used wampam beans for
currency; they could be made into
jewelry and belts, etc.
1) They used dug out canoes.
2) To transport trade items and slaves.
1) Canoes or foot, they didn’t have
horses or mules.
2) It helped them carry their trade
items.
1) They grew corn.
2) They knew their land wasn’t fertile
enough to plant crops, so canals
were built through marshes and
swamps.
3) Corn.
1) Grew lots of crops and were often
depicted as the farming society.
2) They created tools such as a wooden
rake for leveling soil, and a wooden
spade for raking.
3) Corn, squash, green beans, lima
Transportation
1. Describe methods
of travel used by this
society?
2. How did travel
assist the
development of this
society?
Agriculture
1. Describe the
development of
agriculture for the
society.
2. What innovations
were developed to
assist with
agriculture?
beans, kidney beans, melon,
pumpkin and tobacco.
3. What types of
crops were grown?
Housing and
Settlement
1. Describe the
pattern of
settlement for the
society (cities?
villages?)
2. Describe a typical
dwelling for in this
society. How were
they constructed?
1) Nobles lived the best and together
in a small community, commoners
were the middle-class and lived in a
separate area than the serfs, which
works land for the nobles. Slaves
lived in poverty.
2) Local soil, wood, clay, grass, and
lime plaster for the walls were used.
Some houses were built right on the
ground but others were out on a
platform. Size varied from the
wealth of the family and location.
1) Built small communities and villages
and lived there.
2) They built long houses that were
constructed from cedar trunks that
they cut down in the spring. Long
houses had two doors; the roofs
were rounded and had no windows,
and would have holes in them so it
would let out smoke.
Task Five:
1. Using your formulated definition of society, can these two groups be considered a
society? Write in paragraph form explaining why or why not?
 I believe the Aztecs and the Iroquois were living in societies, but not together
as one. The Iroquois was more like a community than the Aztecs because the
Aztecs lived with laws and poverty.
Task Six:
1. Investigate the definition of ethnocentrism
 Ethnocentrism – When one culture believes it’s better than another culture.
2. Throughout history there have been many examples of ethnocentrism having harmful
and lasting effects.
Watch the following video and describe how this is an example of ethnocentrism.
Discuss the impact it had on that society on the First Nations societies; be sure to
discuss the long and short term effects of ethnocentrism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geHLdg_VNww&ob=av2e
 This song and video is an example of ethnocentrism because it talks about the
Europeans coming to North America and how they tried to chase away the
Natives because they thought they were better than them. The Europeans
brought diseases with them, such as measles, influenza, and smallpox which
claimed lots of lives.