Graham+County

What students should learn? During this lesson, the students should be able to understand the history of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and how the Nantahala River Gorge was so useful to them. Students will be able to name and place the important geographical features of the Nantahala River Gorge, including it's surroundings, such as; Asheville, NC, Atlanta, GA, Knoxville TN, Greenville SC, Cherokee National Forest, Pisgan National Forest, and the Great Smokey Mountains. The students will be able to know why and how the Cherokee Indians used this river, as well as what the river is used for today. I would like for the students to realize the reason this river is so historic and truly gather information to back up its significance to the Cherokee Tribes. How the students will learn this information: The students will view a map of the River and surrounding areas. They will then be asked to create the river themselves, as well as the Great Smoky Mountains and include any of the other significant areas we discussed. After the maps are created we will talk about the journey of Cherokee Indians, in particular the Easter Band Tribe of Cherokee Indians. They will get in pairs to search the Eastern Band Tribe (websites given by the teacher) and then we will get together as a class to discuss and "graph" these findings. At the end of class the students will be asked to take on the persona of an Eastern Band Tribe member and write a diary entry about the Nantahala River Gorge (how was it helpful, why where they there, where were they pushing to end up? etc.) As a quick recap we will discuss the importance of the river and the Cherokee tribe and then I will show the students what the Nantahala River Gorge is used for today. Hopefully, we will have a minute for them to write on if they agree or disagree with the "outdoor" center that has been put in place. Assessment: The student’s maps and diary entries will be the big assessment, but I will also pay close attention to participation in class discussion. I am looking for quality diary entries that truly encompass the life of a tribe member.