Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man who gave his People Writing - The United States

Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man who gave his People Writing
James Rumford
2004 Houghton Mifflin Company
New York, NY

In Sequoyah, James Rumford tells the true story of this Cherokee hero through a dialogue between a man and his child. The man is inspired to tell the story by the tall and impressive sequoia trees which were named after Sequoyah. He explains how Sequoyah lived when the United States of America had just become a country and the Cherokee way of life was in danger of being forgotten. Sequoyah worked very hard to invent an alphabet for the Cherokee language so they could write their history and legends down just like people of other cultures did. Although many Cherokee people did not support his cause at first, Sequoyah was successful in creating a written language and using it to preserve Cherokee culture and traditions. The book is printed both in the English alphabet and in the Cherokee alphabet.

"Passing on Cherokee Traditions"

Standards:
English Language Arts
2-2 The student will read and comprehend a variety of informational texts in print and non-print formats.
2-2.4 Create responses to informational texts through a variety of methods (for example, drawings, written works, and oral presentations).
2-2.6 Use graphic features (for example, illustrations, graphs, charts, maps, and diagrams) as sources of information.
2-4 The student will create written work that has a clear focus, sufficient detail, coherent organization, effective use of voice, and correct use of the conventions of written Standard American English.
2-4.2 Use complete sentences (including simple sentences with compound subjects and predicates) in writing.
2-4.3 Create a paragraph that follows a logical sequence (including a beginning, middle, and end) and uses transitional words.
2-6 The student will access and use information from a variety of sources.
2-6.1 Generate how and why questions about a topic of interest.
2-6.2 Use a variety of print sources (for example, books, pictures, charts, graphs, diagrams, and picture dictionaries) and non-print sources to access information.
Social Studies
2-1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of cultural contributions made by people from the various regions of the United States.
2-1.2 Compare the historic traditions, customs, and cultures of various regions in the United States, including how traditions are passed between and among generations.
2-1.3 Summarize the cultural contributions of Native American nations, African Americans, and immigrant groups in different regions of the United States.
2-1.4 Recall stories and songs about regional folk figures who have contributed to the development of the cultural history of the United States, including Pecos Bill, Brer Rabbit, Paul Bunyan, Davy Crockett, and John Henry.


Objective: The student will understand the importance of a written language by using various methods to explain a Cherokee cultural practice.

Materials: Paper, writing materials, art supplies, sources to be used for researching Cherokee traditions (books or websites selected by the teacher)

Procedures: After reading Sequoyah, the teacher will lead a discussion about why it was important for Sequoyah to develop a written language. The teacher should bring up the point that their culture was not celebrated because of the European settlers and their traditions were in danger of being forgotten.

Each student will choose one traditional Cherokee practice to research(how they got their food, special ceremonies, what kind of crafts they made etc.). The student will explain this tradition in any medium they chose except for written language. The student must attempt to share the characteristics of the tradition through creative means such as drawing, making a collage, performing a skit, or through a song or dance. The students will share there work with each other to teach other students what they learned.

Next the students will write a paragraph about the traditions they researched.
Students may share their paragraphs with each other or the class.
In conclusion teacher will lead a class discussion about the students experiences trying to share their knowledge. The students should discuss which way was easier to explain things and which way is easier to save for the future.