Pocahontas

Squad Mission

Oh, Disney...

1. Discuss these questions with your Squad.

Do you believe the movie?

Is this what actually happened between Pocahontas and John Smith (the guy about to be brained)?

2. Watch this short video about the settlement of Jamestown and John Smith's arrival. You can stop at the 3:40 mark. Examine the Timeline too.

Pocahontas Timeline.pdf

3. Now Download the John Smith Documents A and B and, as a squad, complete the Worksheet based on the primary sources.

Remember that Primary Sources are documents from the timeperiod that tell us about the time period BUT an individual primary source will have a bias based its the Author, Context, Audience, and Purpose (ACAPS).

Pocahontas Primary Sources.pdf

Pocahontas Secondary Sources.pdf

4. Now Download the Historians Interpretations and, as a squad, complete the Worksheet based on the secondary sources.

These are Secondary Sources or a Historian's Interpretation of the Primary Sources. They will also have a bias based on the Historian's point of view or the evidence available.

Mission Product

200 XP

Create a 4 square poster that answers one of the following questions in each square.

Which Historian did your squad find more convincing? Why?
What evidence did both historians use to support their argument?
Could there be a third interpretation? Describe.
What did the movie get right and what did it get wrong? Why would Disney choose to make the movie that way?

350 XP

Answer the questions from the 1 star. Then write a script or dialogue for a 2 minute play that better represents the history of the Pocahontas story than the Disney version. Be sure to utilize the Primary and Secondary Sources from the Mission.

500 XP

Create a 2 minute play that better represents the history of the Pocahontas story than the Disney version using the Primary and Secondary Sources from the Misson. Act out and Record your squad performing the play and share it with Mr Powley. (to be displayed on the class website with your permission.)

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