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Legacy Unfolded: From Onslow’s Indigenous Beginnings to Today’s Tapestry

 

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Curriculum Level: K-5

By Allyson Duran, Carolina Forest Elementary School, Onslow County Schools, North Carolina

OVERVIEW OF LESSON:
Students will learn and understand how the story of Onslow County, North Carolina began and how it continues to unfold from exploring the cultures and lifestyle of early Woodland natives to present-day inhabitants. Topics explored will include:

  • Prehistoric Onslow County-Building of the land
  • Early Inhabitants of Onslow County (Woodland Culture)
  • Roanoke Expeditions authorized by Queen Elizabeth I
  • John White leads the 2nd Roanoke expedition.
  • John White explores Eastern North Carolina coastal region by:
    • Observing the land, the people, and the culture.
    • Capturing flora and fauna and the lifestyles of the Woodland culture in drawings to be shared with Sir Walter Raleigh’s investors.
    • Recording findings in a journal (lost to history; destroyed at sea)
  • Present-day Native Americans in Eastern North Carolina/Onslow County
    • Military
    • Leadership
    • Business/workforce
    • Cultural presence (Festivals, Pow Wows, etc.)

SUGGESTED GRADE LEVELS: Grades 3-5

SUBJECT: Social Studies

CORRESPONDING NATIONAL AND/OR STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA STANDARDS:
North Carolina Social Studies

3.H.1 Understand how various people and historical events have shaped local communities.

3.G.1.2 Explain how climate and physical characteristics affect the ways in which people live in a place or region.

3.G.1.3 Explain how movement of goods, people, and ideas is impacted by the geography of a place or region.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION:

  • How do the early Woodland natives of the past and present-day Native Americans come together to tell the story of Onslow County?

LESSON OBJECTIVES:

Students will work as historians and will be able to investigate and record their findings in “Historian Notepads” as they explore the following:

  • Identify and describe how Onslow County began – geological forces building and shaping the land.
  • Explain that the early people who inhabited Eastern, N.C. are known as Woodland Natives.
  • Investigate Queen Elizabeth I’s reasons for authorizing Sir Walter Raleigh’s expeditions to Roanoke Island in 1585.
  • Explain John White’s role in the 2nd Roanoke expedition.
  • Using John White’s drawings, explore and interpret the cultures of these early peoples.
  • Describe the present-day Native American presence in Eastern, N.C./Onslow County and assess their influence (e.g.: the military workforce, occupations, leadership, cultural influence, etc.)

BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR THE EDUCATOR or RESOURCES TO EXPLORE FURTHER: 

UNC Research Laboratories of Archaeology, Ancient North Carolinians Virtual Museum

Historical Onslow -Historical look at Onslow County

Native American Settlement of North Carolina -Article on Roanoke Settlement

Background Information on North Carolina’s First Colonists -More information on the Roanoke Settlement and John White’s role

Roanoke Expedition Background Information (John White) -Teacher Background Information

Teacher Note:  As a leader of the Roanoke 2nd expedition, John White’s mission which was authorized by Queen Elizabeth I and Sir Walter Raleigh was to live among the Woodland Native Americans and capture their culture and ways of living in his drawings. These drawings were to provide vital information to the Queen, Sir Walter Raleigh, and his investors. The reasons for the expedition are clear in the following statement:

“discover, search, find out, and view such remote heathen and barbarous Lands, Countries, and    territories . . . to have, hold, occupy, and enjoy.”

The statement is jarring, but it presents the beginning of the global Imperial British Empire. This topic is not treated specifically in this lesson series, but it opens the possibility for extended studies.

Fun Facts about Roanoke -Student Background Information

American Indian Smithsonian Website-Native Americans in the Military

Teacher Preparation of “Historian Notepads”:

  • 6-8 pieces of white copy paper stapled together with a construction paper cover, or an alternative could be to use a composition notebook.

  • Historian Notepad Example, Image provided by author

SPECIFIC STUDENT & ACTIVITIES:

Day 1: Introduction and Building Background Knowledge of Prehistoric Onslow’s Land (60-75 minutes)

This part of the lesson sets the stage and begins to build the story of Onslow County.

The teacher will:

  • Introduce targeted vocabulary:
    • Prehistoric-before written history.
    • fossils/geological evidence
    • geological history-Paleocene era, Miocene era, Pliocene era, & Pleistocene era
    • landforms-features on the Earth’s surface
    • Megafauna- big animals
    • Megalodon-an extinct shark
    • flora- plant life
    • fauna-animal life
    • historian-an expert who studies history.
    • investigate: to study closely; gather information.
  • Begin the lesson by showing a map of Onslow County and asking students to imagine what they think life might’ve been like over 65 million years ago.

The students will:  

  • Discuss with a partner quickly and share their responses with the whole group.

The teacher will:

  • Play the first segment of the Prehistoric Onslow Video (up to 4:37 time stamp) which gives the students a virtual tour of the Onslow County Museum’s “Water & Wood” exhibit.
  • Encourage students to think like historians investigating as they watch the video and begin the study of Eastern N.C./Onslow County’s story of its Indigenous people past and present.

The students will:

  • See some of the fossils left behind millions of years ago that tell the story of Onslow County
  • Learn about how the land was shaped and changed by geological forces that set the stage for the early people who would call this place home.
  • Be given “Historian Notepads” and sketch and write what they predict, have learned, and/or record inquiry.

Building Background of Early Inhabitants in Onslow County

The teacher will:

  • Ask the students to think about who might have first inhabited this area.
  • Have students share predictions and background knowledge with a quick shout-out or with a partner.
  • Ask a series of guiding questions to help the students think of the lifestyle and culture of these early people that will be discussed in the second segment.

Some Examples of Guiding Questions:

  • What do you think attracted the early people to live here?
  • What natural resources may have played an important part in their arrival?
  • What means of transportation do you think these early inhabitants would have most likely used to get around from place to place?

The teacher will:

  • Play the second segment of the Prehistoric Onslow Video (starting at 4:37 and play up to 9:43) to move forward in time with the telling of the story of about 14,000 years ago when the first people arrived in Onslow County.

The students will:

  • Learn that the natives were nomadic hunters and gatherers who came here seasonally, following animals to hunt, fish, and gather oysters.
  • Discover that the artifacts they left behind tell the archeological story of these early inhabitants during the Woodland period over 1,000 years ago in Eastern North Carolina.
  • Learn that written records weren’t left from this time, so historians have shared with us what they know.

Day 2: Diving Deeper into the Early Inhabitants of Eastern NC-Woodland Native Americans (60-75 minutes)

The teacher will:

  • Begin the lesson by reviewing targeted vocabulary and having students share their drawings and what they wrote in their “Historian Notepads” from Day 1.
  • Remind the students that historians share what they know by recording notes and that they will dive deeper into learning about the early natives of Eastern N.C.
  • Explain that they will rely on a primary source through the eyes of an artist’s work-John White.
  • Share/discuss John White’s biography on Britannica to build background knowledge.

The students will:

  • Investigate some of John White’s paintings through a “gallery walk” and learn more about the lifestyle of the Woodland natives.

Gallery Walk Activity:

    • 8-10 pictures of John White’s paintings will be mounted on chart paper and posted around the room or use the John White Drawings Slide Deck for an electronic version.
    • The students will be divided into 4-5 groups (depending on class size).
    • Each group will have one marker of a different color.
    • Groups will be assigned to a drawing and will observe/write notes on the chart about what they think, wonder, etc.
    • This process will be repeated. Students will rotate every 5-7 minutes until they have visited all the drawings.
    • Students will read what others wrote and then add their observations and wonderings.
    • Students will be asked to return to the drawing where they started the activity and read what has been added to their original ideas.
    • Students will select one representative to stay at the chart and others will return to their seats. The representative from each group will share the responses recorded on the chart and discussions can be had about the lifestyle and culture of the Woodland natives.

Gallery Walk Discussion/Reflection:

The teacher will:

  • Ask the students to share what they now know and have learned about the lifestyle and culture of the Woodland Native Americans of Eastern N.C./Onslow through the investigation of John White’s paintings.

The students will:

  • Draw sketches and write in their historian notepads from their observations during the gallery walk.
  • Share sketches and ideas with a partner and collaborate to write a summary of what they discover.

Day 3: Tapestry of Onslow County Natives’ Culture: Past & Present Intertwined, Part 1 (45-60 minutes)

The teacher will:

  • Play the third and final segment of the video Prehistoric Onslow Video (starting at 9:43) to learn about the means of travel for the early inhabitants more than 1.000 years ago along with an archaeological explanation of what could possibly have happened to cause these early people to leave this area about 500 years ago.
  • Pause the video to allow students to predict/write in their “Historian Notepads,” what they think could have been the cause for the Woodlands to leave the area.
  • Continue playing the segment to discover possibilities of why Woodland natives may have left Onslow County about 500 years ago.
  • Use the Historical Onslow article to explain the turning point in modern-day Onslow County and how the military workforce is an important part of the county’s culture.
  • Provide examples of Native Americans that are still here and contributing to today’s society including an Interview with Raquel Painter-Native American Military Veteran
  • Show pictures and videos of local Pow Wows to help the students understand the cultures of these events. Images from Pow Wows of North Carolina can be used.

The students will:

  • Sketch/write what they have learned about the Native American people living in Onslow County today and the cultures and traditions in their “Historian Notepads.”
  • Share their ideas with a partner.

Day 4 & 5: Tapestry of Onslow County Natives’ Culture: Past & Present Intertwined, Part 2-Culminting Art Quilt Project, “Piecing it All Together” -Collaboration with Art Teacher (Teacher preference) (45-60 minutes)

The teacher will:

  • Tell the students that they will be using their “Historian Notepad” sketches to create a quilt and piece together the intertwining of past and present Native Americans of Onslow County.
  • Provide a quilt template handout for the students to create their designs.

This is an example of what the finished product could look like.

An example of finished Quilt Product
Finish Quilt, Image Provided by Author

The students will:

  • Use their sketch notepads and the student/teacher-generated rubric to design their quilt in pencil first and draw pictures to portray the lifestyle and culture of Woodland natives from the past and present-day Native Americans in Onslow County.
  • Use colored pencils, markers, and/or crayons to color their designs.
  • Share their designs with a partner or in groups.

The students and teacher(s) will:

  • Paste and/or tape the quilt templates together on a large piece of bulletin board paper.
  • Display the quilt in the hallway, a local museum, a library, or at a school event.

ASSESSMENTS:
Rubric for Historian Notepad, Gallery Walk, and Quilt. The teacher will use this tool designed to encourage students to deeply engage with the history and culture of the Native American presence in Onslow County past and present, fostering a comprehensive understanding through various creative mediums.

LEARNING EXTENSIONS:

  • Invite guest speakers from local Indigenous communities to talk about his/her culture and have students create a list of questions they want to ask them to extend their learning.
  • Invite local Pow Wow groups to visit and share their cultural traditions.

Materials:

REFERENCES: (Include a bibliography, in APA format, of resources referenced in creating the lesson plan.)

(N.d.). https://youtu.be/Bda6eiDqLvE?si=BwIkpEDY3R7Vx7ZY

(N.d.). https://www.onslowcountync.gov/840/The-Water-the-Wood

(N.d.). https://maps.onslowcountync.gov/

(N.d.). https://www.britannica.com/biography/John-White-Biography

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1619) Village of Secotan / T.B. Virginia, 1619. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001695723/.

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1590) The town of Pomeiock / T.B. Virginia, 1590. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696973/ .

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1590) How They Catch Fish. Virginia, 1590. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696969/.

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1590) How they cook their fish / T.B. Virginia, 1590. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696970/.

White, J. The Broyling of Their Fish Over the Flame of Fier. Virginia, [194] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696085/ .

White, J. Theire Sitting at Meate. Virginia, [194] [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696075/ .

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1590) Praying Around the Fire With Rattles. Virginia, 1590. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696971/.

White, J. (1964) Diamond-Back Terrapin. Virginia, 1964. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696957/.

Bry, T. D. & White, J. (1590) The Dances at Their Great Feasts. Virginia, 1590. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2001696972/.

Bry, T. de. (1590). [How they build boats] [Still image]. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2001696968/.

Bureau, U. C. (n.d.). Census.gov. Census.Gov. Retrieved March 15, 2024, from https://www.census.gov/en.html

World View, a public service program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, equips K-12 and community college educators with global knowledge, best practices and resources to prepare students to engage in our interconnected and diverse world.

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