Treaty Council Origins

Grade Level

7th Grade

Duration

45 minutes

Class Size

30 students

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Unit Context

Unit: Walla Walla Treaty Insights
Lesson: 2 of 3
Curriculum Integration: Gibbs Smith Education's Washington Journey + Since Time Immemorial (Washington State Indigenous Curriculum)

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

1. Explain key causes and context that led to the 1855 Walla Walla Treaty Council, including tensions between Indigenous tribes and settlers.
2. Describe the perspectives of both Native American tribes and settlers leading up to the treaties.
3. Analyze primary and secondary sources to identify causes that influenced the need for treaty negotiations.
4. Engage critically with historical narratives from multiple viewpoints in alignment with Washington State’s Since Time Immemorial curriculum.

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Common Core Standards Alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.3
Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process or sequence of events.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7
Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

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Materials Needed

• Projector or smartboard
• Printed excerpts of tribal oral histories and settler diaries (primary sources)
• Map of tribal territories and settler expansions in 1850s Washington
• Graphic organizer handouts
• Chart paper and markers

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Lesson Sequence

1. Hook: Mapping the Conflict (7 minutes)

• Activity: Display a map of the Pacific Northwest circa early 1850s highlighting tribal lands and settler expansions.
• Prompt (Think-Pair-Share): "What conflicts do you think might arise between groups living close together with different ways of life and goals?"
• Purpose: Activate prior knowledge and frame the conflict's geography.

2. Mini-Lecture with Guided Discussion (12 minutes)

• Summarize key historical context leading to the treaty council:
  • Increasing settler migration after Washington became a territory.
  • Indigenous tribes’ connection to the land and their sovereignty.
  • Resource competition, cultural misunderstandings, and rising tensions.
• Use quotes from Since Time Immemorial to present tribal perspectives alongside settler viewpoints.
• Question for class: "Why do you think both groups wanted treaties, and why were negotiations complicated?"
• Promote discussion, recording key causes on chart paper.

3. Source Exploration & Analysis (15 minutes)

• Distribute two short primary source excerpts: one tribal oral history and one settler diary entry focusing on conflict and negotiation views.
• In groups of 4-5, students analyze assigned sources, filling out graphic organizers that cover:
  • Who wrote it?
  • What is their perspective?
  • What tensions or causes are described?
• Groups share a key insight with the class.

4. Collaborative Cause-and-Effect Chart (7 minutes)

• As a class, synthesize findings into a Cause-and-Effect chart on chart paper or digitally (projector).
• Organize causes by categories such as cultural clashes, land pressures, economic changes, political pressures.

5. Exit Ticket: Quick Write (4 minutes)

• Prompt: “Based on what you learned today, write one cause that led to the Walla Walla Treaty Council and explain why it was important.”
• Collect for formative assessment.

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Assessment

• Formative:
  • Participation in Think-Pair-Share and group source analysis
  • Exit ticket quick write demonstrating comprehension of causes/context
• Summative connections:
  • Prepare students for Lesson 3 where treaty documents and negotiations will be explored through a CBA on treaty fairness and impact.

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Differentiation & Supports

• Provide sentence starters for source analysis for students who need scaffolding.
• Use visual aids (maps, chart organizers) to support varied learning styles.
• Encourage active participation with multiple group roles (recorder, presenter).

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Reflection and Teacher Notes

• Focus on integrating the Since Time Immemorial curriculum norms by emphasizing indigenous perspectives respectfully and authentically.
• Use primary sources to ground history in real voices to foster empathy and critical thinking.
• The Cause-and-Effect chart serves as a visual anchor for the next lesson’s treaty content.

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This focused lesson blends inquiry, primary source analysis, and multi-perspective understanding to meet Common Core literacy standards in a social studies context, specifically tailored for Washington State history and the Walla Walla Treaty unit.