Students should be able to:
1. Recall the story of Pocahontas, John Smith and John Rolfe.
2. Analyze readings regarding the Pocahontas story.
3. Evaluate the significance (potential harm) of Disney's production of "Pocahontas."
4. Relate the misrepresentations present in Disney's "Pocahontas" to their own lives.

Primary Questions:

1. What are the details of the Pocahontas story as historians know it?
2. What harm might result from Disney's production of "Pocahontas?"
3. What might Chief Crazy Horse (present-day leader of the Powhatan Nation) have meant by his claim that European-Americans should be embarassed by the story of Pocahontas?
4. The Powhatan people of today feel as though Disney's production of "Pocahontas" misrepresents their history and culture. In order to better understand their frustration, thing of (a) misrepresentation(s) about your culture/ancestry/family that parallels those of Powhatan culture in Disney's "Pocahontas."

Primary Concepts

Misrepresentations in History
Limitations of World View

Primary Teaching Strategy

Groups
Video Excerpts

Materials/Resources:

Internet Readings
Study Guide
Disney's Pocahontas

Developmental Sequence

Anticipatory Set
1. Ask how many students have seen "Pocahontas."
2. Show the opening scence from "Pocahontas."
3. Explain what is ahead in today's lesson.

Body of Lesson:
1. Distribute study guides to each student. Walk them through the guide.
2. Brainstorm what we have already learned about the subject--students should complete this section of the guide. Give 1 minute or so to allow student to jot notes, then call on students who did not share last time.
3. Explain the group segment of the lesson in detail.
4. Ask students to quickly and quitely arrange themselves in their groups.
5. Distribute readings to each group.
6. Groups should immediately divide themselves into two sets of pairs--one reading and study guide section per pair.
7. Groups are to reconvene. Each pair is to teach the other what they have taught themselves. They should complete the study guide as they walk through the process. (8 minutes)
8. Brief discussion of readings. (Again, call on students who did not share last time.) Summarize what harm might have been done to the Powhatan Nation by the film.
9. Show the film clips from "Pocahontas" while considering what other kinds of harm might result from the production. (To history, to society, in general due to the spread of stereotypes/untruths.) Discuss the excerpts.

Closure
Show the scene from "Pocahontas" where she tells John Smith what he can learn from her. Connect this to the article in the Eyrie about South High School.

Assessment:
1. Teacher evaluation of the following homework assignment:
The Powhatan people of today feel as though Disney's production of "Pocahontas" misrepresents their history and culture. In order to better understand their frusration, thing of (a) misrepresentation(s) about your culture/ancestry/family that parallels those of Powhatan culture in Disney's "Pocahontas."
2. Teacher evaluation of group/class participation.
3. Teacher evaluation of completed study guide.