Teacher Notes for the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies

Georgia Studies Teacher Notes for the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies The Teacher Notes were developed to help teachers understand the depth and breadth of the standards. In some cases, information provided in this document goes beyond the scope of the standards and can be used for background and enrichment information. Please remember that the goal of social studies is not to have students memorize laundry lists of facts, but rather to help them understand the world around them so they can analyze issues, solve problems, think critically, and become informed citizens. Children’s Literature: A list of book titles aligned to the 6th-12th Grade Social Studies GSE may be found at the Georgia Council for the Social Studies website: https://www.gcss.net/site/page/view/childrens-literature The glossary is a guide for teachers and not an expectation of terms to be memorized by students. In some cases, information provided in this document goes beyond the scope of the standards and can be used for background and enrichment information. Terms in Red are directly related to the standards. Terms in Black are provided as background and enrichment information. TEACHER NOTES GEORGIA STUDIES Historic Understandings SS8H1 Evaluate the impact of European exploration and settlement on American Indians in Georgia. People inhabited Georgia long before its official “founding” on February 12, 1733. The land that became our state was occupied by several different groups for over 12,000 years. The intent of this standard is for students to recognize the long-standing occupation of the region that became Georgia by American Indians and the ways in which their culture was impacted as the Europeans sought control of the region. SS8H1 Evaluate the impact of European exploration and settlement on American Indians in Georgia. a. Describe the characteristics of American Indians living in Georgia at the time of European contact; to include culture, food, weapons/tools, and shelter. Though three prehistoric American Indian cultures (the Paleo, Archaic and Woodland) lived in southeastern North America before 800 CE, it was the Mississippian American Indians who were living in Georgia when the Europeans, specifically the Spanish, arrived in the mid-1500’s. The Mississippians rose to dominance about 800 CE and organized themselves into a very complex “chiefdom” society. This structured hierarchical society was comprised by a small number of “elites” (the power holders) and the majority were “commoners” (the work force). The Mississippians created large towns near rivers that featured a central plaza, residential zones and defense structures (palisades, guard towers and moats). The focus of the plaza was the earthen mounds, dedicated to religious and social activity though some served as cemeteries. Thousands of families lived in these towns. One-room wattle and daub shelters (walls built of a network of interwoven sticks and covered with mud or clay) served as sleeping facilities as they usually spent their days in the open. A widespread trade network connected Mississippian towns. Trade with other towns consisted of raw materials as well as finished goods, including shell beads, pottery with abstract images, and stone tools. Early Mississippians practiced horticulture (garden cultivation) and eventually moved into large scale agriculture as their population swelled. Initially, maize (corn) was their dominant crop and they eventually added Etowah Indian Mounds (Bartow County, GA) squash, sunflowers, pumpkins, and beans. Unlike today’s farmers, the Mississippians did not plant fields of individual crops. Instead, the fields were intermixed with a Georgia Department of Education 7.13.2020 Page 1 of 159 Georgia Studies Teacher Notes for the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies variety of plants. Tall corn stalks provided a shield against damaging sun rays for ground level crops. Tobacco was planted for ritual usage. They did not abandon hunting and gathering, however. Using bows and arrows and chert (sedimentary rock) knives, bone evidence indicates that they hunted deer, rabbit, muskrat, beaver, raccoon, and turkey. Turtle and fish were also a part of their diet. They gathered seasonal fruits, including plums, grapes, blackberries, and raspberries as well as a variety of nuts. The Mississippians improved on the stone tools of previous cultures to use in hunting, farming, and human conflict. After interacting with the Spanish under Hernando DeSoto’s leadership in the mid-1500’s, many Mississippians succumbed to disease and the group eventually reorganized into the historic tribes of the Creek and the Cherokee. Glossary • Chert - sedimentary rock used by the American Indians to make knives. • Commoners - the work force in the Mississippian culture. • Elites - the power holders in the Mississippian culture. • Horticulture - garden cultivation; important to the Mississippian culture. • Maize - another term for corn. • Mississippian Indians (800 C.E.-1600 C.E.) - the last major prehistoric Native American culture in Georgia; known for being large scale framers and mound builders who traded throughout North America. • Okefenokee Swamp - the largest swamp in North America; was the home to many Native Americans and a location for Spanish missions. • Wattle and Daub - walls built of a network of interwoven sticks and covered with mud or clay; used by early American Indian cultures and European settlers. Resources: King, Adam. “Mississippian Period: Overview.” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 11 October 2016. Web. 13 October 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/mississippian- period-overview This article provides a detailed overview of the main facets of the Mississippian culture from 800 CE to 1600 CE. Titles of other informative articles are provided. Smith, Marvin T. “Late Prehistoric/Early Historic Chiefdoms (ca. A.D. 1300-1850).” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 02 August 2016. Web. 13 October 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/late-prehistoricearly-historic- chiefdoms-ca-ad-1300-1850 This article details the political organizations of the American Indians living in Georgia during the Mississippian period. Titles of other informative articles are provided. SS8H1 Evaluate the impact of European exploration and settlement on American Indians in Georgia. b. Explain reasons for European exploration and settlement of North America, with emphasis on the interests of the Spanish and British in the Southeastern area. European nations had different reasons for exploring North America, specifically the Southeast. Economic competition between the French, the Dutch, the Spanish, and the English was a primary cause for the exploration of North America. Each desired to build a large empire that would create political and economic dominance in the world. France, interested in developing a serious fur trade in North America, was primarily interested in Louisiana, the Ohio Valley, and Canada. However, in 1562, Jean Ribault explored Georgia’s coastline in search of the ideal location on which to establish a French colony. He chose a South Carolina location instead. French Georgia Department of Education 7.13.2020 Page 2 of 159 Georgia Studies Teacher Notes for the Georgia Standards of Excellence in Social Studies Protestants eventually moved from South Carolina into Georgia as they sought religious freedom in the 1730’s. Spain was interested in North America (particularly the Southeast) for the three G’s: God, Gold and Glory. Converting the American Indians to Christianity, filling the Spanish monarch’s treasury with gold, and seeking personal fortune and fame were the goals of Spanish conquistadores. The Spanish never realized the need for self-sustaining colonies as they were preoccupied with their search for gold. England desired to create permanent colonies in North America to support the economic policy of mercantilism (the economic policy in which a country seeks to export more than it imports). The “mother country” developed colonies that produced raw materials that would be shipped “home” for production into finished products. These products would be shipped back to the colony for purchase by the colonists. Other reasons for creating colonies included a desire for “religious freedom” and a place to begin a “new life”. Glossary • Mercantilism - the English economic policy focused on exporting more than importing. • Missions - churches set up by the Spanish in hopes of converting Native Americans to Christianity. Resources: Worth, John E. “Spanish Exploration.” New Georgia Encyclopedia. 10 March 2016. Web. 13 October 2016. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/spanish-exploration This article provides insight into the numerous Spanish expeditions in southeastern North America. Titles of other informative articles are provided. SS8H1 Evaluate the impact of European exploration and settlement on American Indians in Georgia. c. Evaluate the impact of Spanish contact on American Indians, including the exploration of Hernando DeSoto and the establishment of Spanish missions along the barrier islands. Spanish contact had a dramatic impact on the American Indian culture in Georgia. Hernando DeSoto, the first known European explorer in Georgia, was directly responsible for starving and killing a large number of American Indians in his quest for God, gold and glory. Without an established plan for exploration, DeSoto and his men moved from Florida into southwest Georgia

Load more