What can we learn about Native America from the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas?

“My purpose is to engage students in dialogue so they can see others’ points of view – in a world that needs this more than ever. I do this by sharing lessons on this site which connect students with the past and inspire critical thinking.
Please read below to find details about this one.” Dan

The title of this lesson is “What can we learn about Native America from the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas?” NB: To use this lesson you need to have a copy of the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas.

Students are given graduated learning objectives (some will/most will/all will). The lesson begins with a starter activity to engage your students in which they are invited to guess which of four facts is incorrect. There is then some background information about the story of Pocahontas. The class then work through 30 different bingo cards as they watch the movie and are invited to tick those which they see (some they do not, as the movie is not completely accurate). There are two versions of this card sort, one for students who like a challenge and a differentiated version for students who need a little help. It is a nice end of term type activity - but not simply watching a movie for the sake of it. From this the class then complete a movie review exercise using the template given and vote with their feet to establish how many stars (1-5) they would rate the movie for historical authenticity (i.e. they now answer the essential question).

This lesson was written for high achieving high school students and is written in UK English.

Wishing you a terrific day.