MassachusettsHISTORY EXPLORERS GRADES 3–8
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Quick glossary
evidence
Information from a source that helps us test a claim.
source
A document, object, image, or account we can examine.
inference
An explanation based on clues; it still needs checking.
migration
Moving from one place to another to live.
immigrant
A person who moves to another country to live.
estimate
An approximate amount, based on available information.
oral history
A recorded interview about someone’s memories and experiences.
community
People connected by a place, relationships, or shared activities.
ancestry
Family origins across generations.
primary source
Evidence created by someone who experienced a time or event.

Event 2 of 100 · c. 1000–1600 CE

Native nations and homelands

Choose a PDF, read on screen, and try the word game.

← All 100 events

Choose your PDF reading

Grade 2 PDF ↗Short sentences, pictures, and read-and-notice questions.Grade 4 PDF ↗More context, text evidence, and explanatory writing.Grade 8 PDF ↗Source analysis, perspective, and evidence-based comparisons.Words first PDF ↗Supported reading for multilingual learners and students who benefit from more spacing and oral rehearsal.

All four include an image, vocabulary, comprehension questions, a follow-up reading, and teacher guidance. These English PDFs have selectable text; use the reading below for adjustable text and listening tools.

Read on this page

Aquinnah cliffs today, part of Wampanoag homelands. This modern photograph does not show the event described.
Aquinnah cliffs today, part of Wampanoag homelands. This modern photograph does not show the event described.

Words to know

community
people connected by a place or something they share
trade
exchange goods or services
tradition
knowledge or practices passed between generations

Wampanoag, Massachusett, Nipmuc, and Nauset communities lived in this region. People grew food, fished, and traded. Each community had its own story. Native people still live here today.

Talk about the reading

What happened? Point to a detail that supports your answer. What does the picture help you understand? What would you like to investigate next?

Follow-up: Gosnold’s voyage

Bartholomew Gosnold sailed from England. He reached places Native people already knew. His crew used the names Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. They saw many cod fish. Naming land did not make it empty.

How are the two events connected or different? Their order does not prove that one caused the other.

Read the follow-up event →

Word match: use the reading

Select a word, then select its meaning. You can use a keyboard or tap. Read the word bank if you need a clue.

Choose a word to begin.

Check the evidence

Research source for this event ↗

MarinelaK. CC BY-SA 4.0 Image source and rights ↗

Historical images, later portraits, reconstructions, and modern topic illustrations are identified in their captions. They are different kinds of evidence.

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