Home — Liberty of Conscience: The Founding of Maryland — Lesson Starters — Consequences of Colonizer Presence on Indigenous Land

Consequences of Colonizer Presence on Indigenous Land

Grade 7

Teacher’s Guide and Related Standards

In this lesson, students will learn how colonial presence affected Indigenous lands and communities and evaluate the impacts of European settlement on Indigenous nations.

1. To hook students into the lesson, write two columns on the board:
   
   1. Indigenous nations in the Chesapeake had alliances before Europeans arrived.
   2. Europeans and Indigenous nations traded goods before Maryland was founded.
   3. The Piscataway immediately welcomed English settlers.
2. Ask students to identify:
   
   1. Which two are definitely true?
   2. Which one might be true depending on perspective?
3. Play the video clips. Pause between each clip for discussion and clarification.
4. Either as a class or in small groups, discuss the Essential Questions and Thinking Questions.  

Complete the supplemental extension activities with students, as you see fit.

• Have students apply their newfound knowledge by using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to analyze the lesson and support their responses using evidence from the videos and activity resources.
  CER Question: In what ways did European settlement help or harm Indigenous communities in Maryland?
• See the rubric.

Have students respond to the following prompt:

• Instruct students to sketch a symbol or image that represents how colonizer presence affected Indigenous communities (e.g., a boundary line, a trade item, a river, a broken circle, a bridge). Have students briefly explain their symbol to a partner or the class.

Category	3 Points	2 Points	1 Point	0 Points
Claim	I clearly answered the question I chose (geography’s influence or archaeology’s importance). My claim fully addresses the topic.	I answered the question, but my claim may be somewhat unclear or incomplete.	My claim is unclear, too general, or does not fully answer the question.	No claim.
Evidence	I used specific, accurate facts from the lesson (e.g., geography, natural resources, climate, artifacts, buildings, or discoveries).	I used some evidence, but it may be general, lack detail, or need more explanation.	I gave limited, weak, or unclear evidence.	No evidence.
Reasoning	I clearly explained how my evidence supports my claim and connects to geography or archaeology.	I explained my thinking, but the connection between the evidence and the claim is not fully clear.	My reasoning was unclear, incomplete, and largely repeated the evidence.	No reasoning.