SQ2 Give One, Get One: Middle School – American Abenaki Curriculum

Prompt, Resources, and Sample Student Responses

Prompt:

List ways the AbenakiHistorically, this name was used by the French to refer to many different Indigenous communities in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. During the colonial wars, some New England Indians moved to southern Canada as war refugees. They were joined by refugees from other tribes and together became known as Abenaki. (Calloway, 1994) people adapted their lifewaysThe customary foods, clothing, shelters, and arts of a people. to their changing environmentAll the physical surroundings on Earth, including everything living and nonliving. .

Worksheet

Abenaki History TimelineA graphic representation that shows a chronology of events (in the order they occurred) on a line. [Poster] (Abenaki Arts & Education Center, 2023)
[ResourceA source of information for student learning, such as a website, video, library book, poster, or map. coming soon]
[Resource coming soon]
Aunt Sarah: Woman of the Dawnland: The 108 Winters of an Abenaki Healing Woman [Book—275 pages] (Parker, 1994)
Daily Life of the Koasek Abenaki from A Brief History: From Koasek Meadows to You Today [Booklet—see pages 7-10] (Koasek Traditional BandA small group of Native American people with its leaders, usually part of a larger tribe. of the Koas Abenaki NationPeople living in the same region under its independent government and having a shared history, language, and culture. , n.d.-a)
Historic Map of New France [documentTo provide evidence of claims with supporting materials. cartographique/map] (Champlain, 1612)

Planting of the Koasek Abenaki Tribal Garden in Braintree, Vermont. © Copyright 2020 Seth Butler. All Rights Reserved. (Butler, 2020) Courtesy of the White Pines Association.

Sample Student Responses

Food

Abenaki people cultivated plants such as Jerusalem artichokes in fields, so they produce more tubers.
Abenaki people created new varieties of corn, beans, and squash.
New hunting and fishing techniques were developed.
Abenaki people began raising livestock.
Abenaki people adopted firearms for hunting.

Clothing

Materials vary greatly over time.
Trade fabrics such as wool and linen were adopted quickly, nearly replacing leather skirts, breechclouts, and leggings.
Hoods protected the wearer from pests and inclement weather.
The use of beadwork on clothing continued long after Abenaki people adopted the practice of wearing European style clothing.

ShelterA place or structure that protects people from the weather.

As new materials and tools became available, architecture changed.
Shelters were adapted to differing circumstances (location, group size, materials, and intended length of occupation).
Most Abenaki people today live in houses or apartments.

Art

Plant fiber weaving was used for clothes, bags, and to imprint designs on pottery.
Beadwork became more intricate when metal needles and small glass beads were introduced.
Abenaki people who traveled from place to place made artwork that they could wear or carry, like clothing, jewelry, and bags.
There are many living Abenaki artists.

See Historical Context essay and Resources for possible additional responses.

Wasawa - Squash — Abenaki White Scallop Squash. Courtesy Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. (Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, 2024)

Standards Alignment

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Potential Alignment: English Language Arts Standards

The Give One, Get One activity can support the following sampling of standards and serve as a starting point for integrating the American AbenakiAbenaki tribes, families, and people who live in the United States. Vermont has four recognized Abenaki tribes; for more information visit Abenaki Alliance. Curriculum with language arts instruction and assessmentA tool to measure what a student knows and can do..

Grades 3–5

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.1.c. Ask questions to check understanding of information presented, stay on topic, and link their comments to the remarks of others.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their own ideas and understanding in light of the discussion.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

Grades 6–8

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.6.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.7.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

Grades 9–12

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.