Iroquois Confederacy - Mini Unit

Grade: ​6 Timeline: ​3-4 weeks Subject:​ Social Studies

Rationale:
● This mini unit is designed to help students understand the interplay between a societies
values, history, and social structure with how it practices democracy. This will allow
students to better understand their own culture and why the society they live in practices
democracy the way it does. It is one mini unit in combination with a mini-unit on Ancient
Athens that allows students to understand the different practices of democracy that all
hold the same democratic principles. The unit is designed to make use of the materials
available in a no technology, a multi-grade classroom that focuses in on one grade and
specifically utilizes Bruce Oka’s materials. Students will be given the opportunity to do
some hands-on work through designing their own longhouses, complete a lot of
comparing and contrasting with Ancient Athens, modern Canada, and their unique
Hutterian society, and will make use of a large number of class discussions and written
work to solidify their understandings. Students at the end of this unit will hold a
well-rounded understanding of how unique democracy can be practiced and how
different it can look depending on the group’s values.

General Learning Outcomes:

● 6.2 Historical Models of Democracy: Ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy
Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of the democratic principles
exemplified by ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy.

Specific Learning Outcomes:

● 6.2.1 appreciate the relationship between the values of a society and the model of
government adopted within a society (PADM)
● 6.2.2 value the role of participation by citizens in diverse democratic societies (C,
PADM)
● 6.2.4 analyze the structure and functions of the Iroquois Confederacy by exploring and
reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
○ How was the Iroquois Confederacy structured? (PADM)
○ What was the role and status of women within the Iroquois Confederacy? (I,
PADM)
○ What are the advantages and disadvantages of consensus as a decision-making
model for government? (PADM)
 ○ How did the Six Nations use the consensus-building process? (PADM)
○ How did the Wampum Belt address collective identity? (I, PADM)
○ How did the social structure of the Iroquois Confederacy impact its political
structure? (CC, PADM)
○ To what extent did the decision-making process within the Iroquois Confederacy
reflect democratic ideals of equity and fairness? (PADM)

Teaching/learning activities:
● Building longhouses and Iroquois settlements
● Notes
○ Who was part of the Confederacy and what were they bound by?
○ Justice, equity, freedoms, representations
■ Applying these ideas to the Haudenosaunee
● Class Discussions
○ Including calling on students, having students teach me ideas, and question
periods
● Various Readings
○ Textbook & Workbook
● Timeline
○ Iroquois Confederacy vs. Ancient Athens vs. Modern day
● Clans - Crossword Puzzle
● Longhouses - Fill in the Blank
● The Roles of Men & Women; Women in the Iroquois Confederacy & in Ancient Athens -
Worksheet
● Wampum - Concept Map
● Rivers and Lakes of New York State - Map Activity
● The Structure of the Iroquois Confederacy - Concept Map and Activities Sheet
● Making Decisions by Consensus - Worksheet
● Consensus vs. Voting - Venn Diagram

Assessment:
● Class Discussions (formative)
● Various Worksheets and Activities (formative)
● Longhouses/Iroquois Settlements (summative)
● The Best Way to Make Decisions - personal opinion paragraph (summative)
● Chapter Test (summative)

Lesson Overviews:
1. Introduction
a. Discuss the design of Iroquois Confederacy
i. Six Nations
b. Location of Confederacy
c. Coming of the Peacemaker story
d. Timeline of the Confederacy
2. The Longhouses
a. Discuss the structure of the Longhouses
i. Compare to Hutterite unit houses
b. Introduce the matrilineal nature of the Iroquois
c. Create Longhouses/Iroquois Settlements
3. The Longhouses Continued
a. Continue work on Longhouses
b. Complete Longhouse reading
4. The Clans
a. Explain Clans and complete Clans reading
b. Clans crossword puzzle
5. The Roles of Men and Women
a. Compare the design of their own society with the design of Iroquois society
i. We are part of many larger groups than our own immediate family
b. Discuss the matrilineal nature of the Iroquois and compare to their own patrilineal
society
c. Compare the gender roles in their society, ancient Athens, and the Iroquois
i. Large group brainstorm
ii. worksheet
6. Wampum
a. Explain the difference between Canada’s laws (written documents) and how the
Iroquois designed their own (wampum)
b. Explore the concept of wampums through images and readings
i. Create a concept map
7. Interpreting Maps
a. Using the classroom map have student recall the general area of the Iroquois
Confederacy
i. Begin to have them focus in on the specific area
b. Explain the different types of maps and their purposes
i. Political, physical, historical, etc.
ii. Have students try to determine when they would use each kind of map
c. Have students identify key bodies of waters and traditional lands of the six
nations on a map through colouring and labelling
 i. Using critical thinking determine why some groups have bodies of waters
named after them and others do not
8. Interpreting Maps Continued
a. Finish identifying on maps key bodies of waters and areas activity
9. The Structure of the Iroquois Confederacy
a. Review Canadas representation by population concept and representative
democracy
b. Review Ancient Athen direct democracy
c. Introduce Iroquois government structure
i. Reading from the textbook
d. Complete “The Structure of the Iroquois Confederacy” concept maps and activity
sheet
10. Democratic Principles and the Iroquois Confederacy
a. Concept attainment - Justice; Equity; Freedoms; Representation
i. Have students develop definitions for these concepts before trying as a
large group to apply them to what we know so far about the
Haudenosaunee and Iroquois
ii. Add these ideas to notes
11. Decision Making in the Iroquois Confederacy
a. Discuss the pros and cons of voting to make decisions
i. Create a chart on the whiteboard of students ideas
b. Introduce the Iroquois’ own process for decision making
i. Define consensus
ii. Create a pros and cons chart on whiteboard
c. Complete “Making Decisions by Consensus” worksheet
12. What is the Best Way to Make Decisions?
a. Have students use their knowledge to form an opinion on what the best way to
make decisions is
i. Complete reading
ii. Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two choices
1. Voting and consensus
iii. Have students make a declaration of their choice and why for exit slip
13. Chapter Review
a. Complete a review individually covering key concepts and ideas
14. Chapter Review Continued.
a. Go over review as a full group to prepare
15. Chapter Test
a. Complete chapter test