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.

• cultures
• ancestors
• sacred

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

1. Based on the article, what happens at a powwow?
At a powwow, Native American peoples play drums, dance, sing, eat, and tell stories with family and friends.
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2. Summarize the main idea and most important details of the section “Stolen Land.”
The section “Stolen Land” is about how the Nansemond people lived for thousands of years in the area that is now Virginia and formed a close connection with the land. In the 1600s, English settlers took control of the land and forced the Nansemond to move away.
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3. Share three facts you can learn from the sidebar “All About Native Americans.”
Sample response: Three facts you can learn from the sidebar are that there are 574 Native nations in the U.S., that many Native Americans were forced to live on reservations after European settlers took over their lands, and that about 170 Native languages are currently spoken in the U.S.
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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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