Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan: Colloquium II
“Native Americans, Africans, and
Europeans in the New World”

Author: Kathy Locke
Madison County School System

Unit in Which this Lesson Could/Would Be Taught
Benjamin Franklin and the Albany Congress

MISSISSIPPI CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK COMPETENCY, Eighth Grade

#4. Analyze spatial and ecological relationships between people, places, and environments using social studies tools.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How does historical evidence explain:

how and why Native Americans way of life changed with the coming of the Spanish, French, and British

how and why the Spanish, French, and British colonists developed unique ways of life that both resembled and differed from their mother countries?

how and why the Thirteen Colonies developed governments and lifestyles which differed profoundly from those in New Spain and New France?

how Africans in the New World coped with slavery and separation from their homeland, and how they interacted with both Native Americans and Europeans?

how European conflicts affected the politics and people of the New World

ESSENTIAL QUIESTIONS FOR THIS LESSON

• How was the Albany Congress related to the development of the U.S. Constitution?

• What type and how much interaction were there between the Iroquois and the Colonials at the Albany Congress?

• What influence did Iroquois leaders have on Colonial leaders?
  

HISTORICAL CONTENT OF LESSON

People: Iroquois leaders, Founding Fathers
Events: the Albany Congress, Treaty Gatherings
Places: Albany
Key terms, dates, etc.: Founding Fathers,
Iroquois, Albany Congress, treaty gathering, U.S. Constitution,
Albany Accords, Iroquois Confederacy, Colonials

HISTORICAL CONCEPTS AND THEMES

civilization, cultural diffusion, and innovation;
values, beliefs, political ideas, and institutions.
conflict and cooperation

HISTORICAL SKILLS/PROCESS

finding and analyzing primary sources; developing empathy
for people in the past; relating past to present; framing useful
questions about the past; analyzing visual sources such as photographs
and artwork, evaluating primary sources from Internet
sources.

TEACHER RESOURCES
www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/iropuoisles3.htm
www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/albanycongress.html

Books/Periodicals:

Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union

HISTORIC PLACES:
The Albany Congress met in Albany New York from June 19 to
July 11, 1754 holding daily meetings at City Hall. The Albany meeting
site proved Albany's importance as the last outpost of European-style
civilization before the frontier – a place where settlers, officials, and
native peoples had and would continue to come together to consider
items of mutual concern.


STUDENT RESOURCES:

Albany – www.iropuoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/albanycongress.htm

Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union –http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/textofalbanyplan.htm

Poor Richard’s Almanac – http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/academics/courses/is182/s01/
second53.html

Iropuois Leaders –
http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/iroquoisleader.htm

Colonial Leaders -
http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/colonialleader.htm

Books/Periodicals:
Albany Plan of Union
Poor Richard’s Almanac

Media/Technology:
Students will use the Internet to obtain background information.
Students will use a word processing or publication program to
complete the news article.


INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES

Introduction: Benjamin Franklin has come to the Albany Congress
as a delegate, therefore he is involved in every aspect of this
important treaty gathering. Normally, he would have reported
the events of this gathering himself and published them in his paper,
Poor Richard’s Almanac. Even though he is too busy to write about the
Albany Congress himself, he knows from past experience that an
account of this gathering will have great appeal for his readers.

Directions: Imagine you have been hired by Benjamin Franklin to
write an article about the Albany Congress for Poor Richard’s Almanac. Remember, Poor Richard’s was a popular paper of the day and the
readers of this publication would be interested in getting a “behind
the scenes” look at what has been happening at Albany.

1. Define the following terms: Founding Fathers, Iroquois, Albany
   Congress, treaty gathering, U.S. Constitution, Albany Accords,
   Iroquois Confederacy, Colonials

2. Write an article about the Albany Congress for publication in
   Poor Richard’s Almanac. (1 to 2 pages.)
   

Consider the following questions as you are writing your article:

Visit these links to learn about:

• Albany – www.iropuoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/albanycongress.htm

• Ben Franklin’s Albany Plan of Union –http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/textofalbanyplan.htm

• Poor Richard’s Almanac – http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/academics/courses/is182/s01/
  second53.html

• Iroquois Leaders – http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/iroquoisleader.htm

• Colonial Leaders - http://www.iroquoisdemocracy.pdx.edu/html/colonialleader.htm
  

1. What would a reporter for a contemporary magazine such as Time or Newsweek want to know about the people attending the Albany Congress?

2. What difference is the Albany Congress going to make to the daily life of your reader?

3. What activity or gathering would your reader want to attend if they were
   at Albany?

4. What would your younger readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?

5. What would your female readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?

6. What would your male readers find interesting about the Albany Congress?

7. What affect would the Albany Congress have on your readers’ business?

8. How are your representatives behaving at the Congress? Are they
   getting the work done that you would expect?