The map controls give you political, physical, and homeland views. Use all three: each one answers a different kind of question.
Use with Chapter 2 · 3.T2.1–3
Read-aloud friendly · primary sources and labeled paraphrases
The six New England states
State names: MA = Massachusetts · CT = Connecticut · RI = Rhode Island · VT = Vermont · NH = New Hampshire · Maine is written in full. Legend: blue = water; light land = geographic context; gold = Massachusetts; numbered circles = places described below. North is up. *Scale is approximate at the map’s middle latitude. Distances are straight-line distances, not road or ferry routes. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 cartographic data. Modern boundaries are not Native homeland borders.
Context image: Aquinnah cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse Image credit
Source A
Wampanoag: land, water & continuity
Nancy Eldredge, Nauset Wampanoag and Penobscot · modern Native-authored explanation, paraphrased
Eldredge describes a homeland including southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, Noepe, and Nantucket. Communities used forests, rivers, ponds, and the coast in different seasons. Wampanoag people continue their traditions and adapt to change today.
Context image: John Smith’s map of New England, first published in 1616 after his 1614 voyage. Image credit
Source B
Nipmuc and Massachusett are distinct peoples
Tribal websites · present-day community sources, summarized
Hassanamisco Nipmuc history is connected to central Massachusetts. Massachusett history is connected to the Boston region, including the continuing community at Ponkapoag. These nations have their own histories and identities. A modern state border cannot show the full story of a homeland.
Political map: Choose New England. Name its six states. Which are north of Massachusetts? Which touch its southern border?
Physical map: Choose North America. Find the Northeast, Atlantic Ocean, Great Lakes, and Appalachian Mountains. Which features are water? Which are land?
Homeland map: Choose Native homelands. Select all three points and read their descriptions. Explain why a point is only an orientation aid.
Scale: Choose Vineyard towns. Compare Aquinnah–Chilmark with Aquinnah–Edgartown. Use the scale bar, not the size of the map on your screen.
Contribution: Read the wampum source below. Explain the difference between a material, an object, and the meanings people give it.
Context image: Aquinnah cliffs and Gay Head Lighthouse Image credit
Source C
Wampum: material and meaning
Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) · tribal explanation, paraphrased
Quahog shell provides purple and white material for wampum. Wampum has played roles in trade and important cultural relationships. Its meanings go beyond a simple description as money. Artists continue to make wampum today.
Responses stay in this page session. Use Print / save PDF to keep a copy. Do not enter names or private family information.
Teacher notes & possible answers
New England: Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine. Vermont and New Hampshire border Massachusetts to the north; Connecticut and Rhode Island to the south. The Atlantic lies east. Waterways could support travel and fishing, but geographic possibility alone does not prove a specific practice.
Homeland points deliberately avoid invented territorial boundaries. Use tribal sources to discuss the limits of simplified classroom maps. The physical view labels broad feature locations; it is not a relief or navigation map.
Success check: The student identifies the source, uses an accurate detail, explains how it supports the claim, and names a limit or unanswered question. Different supported conclusions are welcome.
Meet two Wampanoag girls and explore connections between their lives today and the history shared at the museum. Present-day Wampanoag people have modern lives as well as deep connections to their communities’ traditions.
