Places of the Dawnland Interactive Map
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Provided by: People of the First Light|Published on: August 5, 2025
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Synopsis
- In this interactive resource from People of the First Light, students will explore interactive story maps to learn about the geography, history, and culture of Wabanaki people.
- Students will learn about the Abenaki, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy-Maliseet, and Mi'kmaq names for places that we call Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada, look closer into the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Abenaki Nations, and read stories passed down from previous Wabanaki generations.
Subjects: History, Geography
Authors: People of the First Light, Abbe Museum
Region: North America, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students will love interacting with the map, reading stories, and learning more about the Wabanaki communities.
- The interactive story maps are easy to use, with simple directions that help users navigate.
Prerequisites
- Students may need additional guidance for distinguishing between the different categories of tribally-owned land.
Differentiation & Implementation
- After reading the Introduction section of the Wabanaki Today map, teachers can break students into five groups, with each group reading about one of the communities listed. Students can then create presentations to share with the class what they discovered.
- Teachers who want to extend their class's exploration into Wabanaki studies can check out this resource, which includes guides for teachers based on their grade level and subject area.
- Students may want to research and explore the places and events mentioned in the sections for each community.
- To make connections to climate change, teachers and students can research and discuss how the Wabanaki care for the land and the traditional ecological knowledge they hold. Students can explain the importance that Wabanaki lands be cared for by the Wabanaki to ensure effective ecological care.
- Teachers can invite students to select one or two Stories of the Dawnland to read and describe. Teachers should note that Kəloskαpe and the First Moose Hunt, A Penobscot Story is much longer than some of the others and has many points on the map.
This resource tracks the history of the native peoples of the Dawnland through interactive story maps. All sources are clearly cited throughout. The role of storytelling in explaining the environment is powerfully used to shape the Dawnland and how it changed over time. This resource is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →
