The

artifact that I ended up choosing was the Cherokee Alphabet that was used to

help Sequoyah write the official Cherokee language. Most people will say that it is not

technically an alphabet because it is more of a syllabary. It is said that each symbol in the

alphabet represents a syllable not just a vowel or a consonant. Most of the time the symbols

are arranged in a chart form. One column will have a vowel and then one row for each

consonant. The alphabet was used for a couple of reasons, it was used for the Cherokee

language and it also helped the Cherokee Indians begin to learn how to write. The Cherokee

thought this was the greatest thing that had ever happened for them during that time.

Sequoyah didnt just present it to his tribe, he also went to other areas and taught others

the written language that he had created. His contribution lead to the Cherokee nation

voting to give Sequoyah a silver medal as an honor for what he had done for his

community.

The reason I chose this artifact was because it has a big significance on the standard

that we will be teaching. Our standard covers the historical figures and their contributions

to Georgia and one of those figures is Sequoyah and everything he did for tribes around the

community. His contribution is important to teach students because the Cherokee Indians

were settled in the area and thats where the settlement was occurring. This artifact would

be perfect to introduce Sequoyah and his contribution because the Cherokee Alphabet was

the most important thing that he did for his community and Georgia. This would allow

students to stop and think about why I am showing them an alphabet that they do not

recognize and do not understand. Students will then understand that the alphabet is

important to Sequoyah and then I can go into talking about Sequoyah and everything he

has done for his tribes and why he is so important in learning about him today.