The Library of Congress

Brett Solva and Peter Milbury

Student Introduction and Overview

Reservation Controversies Then and Now covers historic issues dealing with American Indian Reservations in the 1870s and also in the present. It is divided into two sections with separate "scenarios" for students to use and learn with. Please note that we have several "orientation" activities at the bottom of the page, which will help you make better use of these materials. They are not required, but are strongly recommended for those who have not used online collections extensively.

This two part learning experience uses Problem Based Learning (PBL), in which you, the student, are confronted or faced with two different, but related real world problems which have no obviously right or wrong answers.

Using various teaching/learning strategies, which include brainstorming, role playing, and oral presentations, students use primary sources and other background sources to arrive at a recommendation, based on the information. The teacher, librarian, and other support staff act as guides or advisors through most of the process.

The Objectives and related information on this two-part unit are available here.

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The Two Reservation Controversies Scenarios

The First Scenario: The Indian Agent Appointment Interview
The first scenario puts you, the student, as prospective Indian Agent for the Comanche Indian reservation in 1873. For this scenario there are specially selected online links and resources for the unit. It has a prompt which sets the entire lesson into motion.

The Second Scenario: The Indian Reservation Gaming Issue
The second scenario is a modern one in which you, the student, play the role of a newly appointed congressional intern who has received a letter from the his congresswoman asking him for help regarding modern issues regarding Gaming Casinos on American Indian reservations. The letter sets the entire lesson into motion. There are online links and resources especially gathered to help with your research.

Top of Page

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American Memory Orientation Activities

The following online lessons and activities are recommended in preparation for your use of Reservation Controversies:

• Using Oral History Resources
  Oral history is used for the study of the "history of the everyday experiences and beliefs of ordinary people... teachers, store clerks, factory workers, police officers, the unemployed, children, computer programmers -- all kinds of people you might meet in your own life." This lesson shows you how to use oral history effectively. This is especially valuable, because the First Scenario: The Indian Agent Appointment Interview makes use of the American Life Histories gathered by the Federal Writers Project.

• The Historian's Sources
  "This lesson introduces you to primary sources -- what they are, their great variety, and how they can be analyzed. The lesson begins with an activity that helps you understand the historical record. You then learn techniques for analyzing primary sources. Finally, students apply these techniques to analyze documents about slavery in the United States."

• Port of Entry
  This is a lesson exploring the immigrant experience in American life. You will play the role of a historical detective and travel through time to the early 1900's. As a historical detective, you will search for clues to the past in images and primary source documents from the American Memory collections. Although this lesson was originally intended for use by a teacher with a class, you can make excellent use of most of the tips and advice that are provided. It is also fun!