Iroquois webquest

For 4^th grade students

(Created by Kim DiLeva in cooperation with 4^th grade teachers and revised from a Webquest created by Rick Riordan of Saint Mary’s Hall – www.rickriordan.com/introduction.htm)

Introduction   Task    Resources    Process    Rubric   Conclusion

Introduction

As experts in Iroquois culture, your team has been contracted by the Smithsonian Institute to unravel the mysteries of six Iroquois artifacts, which have recently come into their museum.  The Smithsonian wants to put these artifacts on display as part of a special Iroquois exhibit, but can only do so if the artifacts are properly identified.  To do this, your team must research many parts of the Iroquois culture – politics, food, games, and stories.

Task

Below are the six artifacts that the Smithsonian Institute wants you to identify.  Your team must inform the Smithsonian of the following:

What is it called?

What is it used for and how is it used?

What is its importance in Iroquois culture?

Take some time to look at each artifact before continuing on.

OBJECT “A”                                           NOTES

OBJECT “B”

OBJECT “C”

OBJECT “D”

OBJECT “E”

OBJECT “F”

The Process

To discover your artifacts’ origins, your team will be divided into four fields of expertise.  Each team member will be responsible for answering some questions.  When each team member is done answering their questions and looking for the artifacts, you will need to meet as a group.  Your group will need to do three things: (1) make sure that all questions have been answered for each field of study, (2) that all artifacts have been identified and you’ve written a sentence that tells how it was used and why it was important, and (3) rank your six artifacts in their order of importance from most significant (#1) to least significant (#6) and write a brief paragraph explaining why you put the artifacts in that order.

So, while you are answering your questions, keep your eye out for any of the artifacts.  Your four fields of study are:

POLITICS – Iroquois government.

FOOD – Iroquois foods, cooking, fishing, hunting.

STORIES AND MYTHS – Iroquois myths and symbols.

GAMES – Iroquois games and sports.

When you have decided who will research each area, click on your field of study above to get to your questions.

Questions/Resources

POLITICS

1.       What do the Iroquois call themselves, and what does that name mean?

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2. What was wampum and what did the Iroquois use it for?

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3. What powers do the women of the tribe (clan mothers) have over men?

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4. What were Iroquois societies modeled on?

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5. What were the three most common clan animals?

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6. What is the Covenant Chain, and what does it look like?

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7. What item might be traded as a symbol of a peace treaty or a diplomatic gift?

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8. What did the Iroquois trade with the Europeans, and what could the Iroquois get in return?

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FOOD

1. What are the “three sisters”?

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2. Who was responsible for the farming in an Iroquois community?

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3. List three Iroquois uses for the non-edible parts of the corn plant?

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4. What did Iroquois men hunt most for food, and how many did they need to feed their clan?

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5. How did a “fish drive” work?

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6. What tasty food did Iroquois love to hunt in the spring?

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7. What purpose does it serve to paint your bow?

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8. When do the Iroquois gather cherries and what are they used for?

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STORIES AND MYTHS

1. According to the Iroquois, what is the job of the eagle?

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2.  What is “turtle island”?

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3. How did the boy Three Arrows get his name?

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4. Where does Three Arrows get the idea for making fire?

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5. According to the story “Legend of the No-Faced Doll,” why do corn husk dolls not have faces?

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6. According to the Oneida Nation’s opening prayer, what is the strongest medicine on earth, the “head of all medicines”?

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7. According to the story of the Oneida Creation, what was Sky Woman’s good child responsible for?

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8. What was Sky Woman’s evil child responsible for?

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GAMES

1.       How do you score a point in the game hoop and dart, and what is the best score?

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2. How do you score a point in bundle & pin and how many points do you need to win?

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3. How do you play the game snow snake?

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4. List two games the Iroquois played that American kids still know about today?

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5. Play three rounds of bowl & dice.  What dice result will win you the most sticks?  How many did you win?

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6. What Iroquois tribe invented lacrosse, and what was their name for it?

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7. According to Ebenezer Elmer in 1776, how many Indians played on each side in lacrosse games?

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8. How do you know when a game of little pines is over?

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RUBRIC (See the group Checklist)

CONCLUSION

At this point you should have all three things done that you were assigned. 

(1)               You should now have all of your questions answered.

(2)             You should also have all six artifacts identified and have written how it was used and why it was significant.

(3)             You should have a paragraph, which explains why you chose to put the artifacts in the order that you did.

On behalf of the Smithsonian Institute, we would like to thank you for all of your hard work and help with creating this Iroquois exhibit.  I am sure that it will be enjoyed by the many people who will come view it and that they will also learn a lot about the Iroquois culture.