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Native Americans


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Keywords: American Indians, Native Americans, public speaking, social studies, digital presentation, research
Subject(s): Social Studies, Technology, Writing, History, Reading, English/Language Arts
Grades 3 through 6
NETS-S Standard:
  • Creativity and Innovation
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Research and Information Fluency
  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
  • Technology Operations and Concepts
View Full Text of Standards
School: Anne Frank Elementary School, Philadelphia, PA
Planned By: Jennifer Kaczmarski
Original Author: Jennifer Kaczmarski, Philadelphia
Overall Questions:
• Who were the first Americans?
• How do the physical surroundings of a region affect the way people live?
• How were Native American culture groups alike and different?
• Who were Native Americans living the Philadelphia region?

Objectives:
• Using informational texts (online and print), students will research, summarize, and present information about Native American Indians.
• Students will learn how to speak in public for informational purposes.
Materials:
Internet, Word, and PowerPoint access, printer, SMARTboard, SMART recorder, paper, paper towel tubes, beads, string, printer access, pencils, crayons, paper, KWL charts, graphic organizers
Activities:
1. Students will complete a KWL chart for various Native American tribes.

2. This lesson is the beginning lesson of the unit Native Americans. Students will view an introductory PowerPoint presentation about Native Americans. They will then discuss the physical surroundings and climate of the region they live in.

3. Working in small groups, students will complete a research webquest. They will use the links located in the Task section of the Webquest to read and learn information about the Lenape Indians, their own region. One child will be in charge of locating the required information on the websites provided. The other group member will be in charge of summarizing and keeping notes on the graphic organizer. If a third partner is assigned, they are in charge of the artwork on the worksheet.

4. Students will explore speaking for different purposes (i.e., to inform, to express ideas, and to entertain). Two students will record [using the SMARTrecorder on the SMARTboard] their role-playing of an effective and an ineffective speaker. Students will then listen again as the performance is played back on the SMARTboard. They will then brainstorm and discuss qualities of an effective speaker. Students will then listen to a Native origin tale. Students will practice speaking to a small group about their favorite part of a Native American tale. Peer partners will assess each other’s performances.

5. Students will use informational texts and online resources to locate lifestyles of different Native American cultures. The students will learn about the physical surroundings and climate of the various regions and how they affected the lives of the Indians. Students work in centers to create related projects. They will focus on understanding how the climate, location, and physical surroundings of the region affected the way of life. They will complete a graphic organizer while researching each regional culture describing food, clothing, religion, tools, houses, tribes, and customs.

6. Students will review criteria of effective speaking and practice using speaking skills in center activities. They will be assigned a regional area of the U.S. to research. They will record notes and make a project using PowerPoint to inform the class about their culture group.

7. Students will make comparisons of Native American culture groups from different regions and times to determine ways they were alike and different.

Evaluation:
Students will be evaluated based on their work from the results of their group effort and project sheets. The rubric will be used as a basis for evaluation. Students will also be evaluated on their written, oral, and digital presentations. There will also be a summative multiple choice written exam focusing on differences between various regional native groups.
Duration
The planned duration of this activity is 14-21 days.

Web Links
Compare daily life of Native American tribes from different regions and times.
Different Tribes, Different Times
Webquest: http://sleven1.741.com/Lenni%20Lenape%20Indians/newwebquest.htm<br>
Extensions:

• Art: Create a talking stick using various art materials. Students can use this to help practice informal speech and discussions.
• Writing: Write or rewrite a modern retelling of an origin story based research determining how each tribe lived. They will illustrate their stories for classroom/hallway display.
• Speaking & Listening: Students will present facts found in informational texts (print & online) in a short oral report
• Technology: students will practice public speaking using SMART recorder. They will be able to listen to themselves and use the rubric to grade their performance. They will use various screen shots of text and images to present their oral report. Practice will take place in small groups or independently. Students will listen to themselves to determine if any changes need to be made in their presentation. They will then present again to the whole class for a graded performance.

State Standards Addressed in this Lesson
Reading
1.13G
• Demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text.
• Retell or summarize the major ideas, themes or procedures of the text.
• Connect the new information or ideas in the text to known information.
• Clarify ideas and understandings through rereading and discussion.
• Make responsible assertions about the text by citing evidence from the text.
1.2.3.A:
• Read and understand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas.
• Differentiate fact from opinion within text.
• Distinguish between essential and nonessential information within a text.
• Make inferences from text when studying a topic (e.g., science, social studies) and draw conclusions based on text.
• Analyze text organization and content to derive meaning from text using established criteria.
1.2.3.B:
• Use and understand a variety of media and evaluate the quality of material produced.
• Use electronic media for research.
• Assess the quality of media project (e.g., script, play, audiotape) that has been developed for a targeted audience.
Writing
1.4.B: Write informational pieces (e.g., descriptions, letters, reports, instructions) using illustrations when relevant.
Research
1.8.3.B:
• Locate information using appropriate sources and strategies.
• Locate resources for a particular task (e.g., newspapers, dictionary).
• Select sources (e.g., dictionaries, encyclopedias, interviews to write a family history, observations, electronic media).
• Use tables of contents, key words and guide words.
• Use traditional and electronic search tools.
Technology
3.6BC
3.7.4.C:
• Identify basic computer operations and concepts.
• Identify the major parts necessary for a computer to input and output data.
• Explain and demonstrate the basic use of input and output devices (e.g., keyboard, monitor, printer, mouse).
• Explain and demonstrate the use of external and internal storage devices (e.g., disk drive, CD drive).
3.7.4D.
• Use basic computer software.
• Apply operating system skills to perform basic computer tasks.
• Apply basic word processing skills.
• Identify and use simple graphic and presentation graphic materials generated by the computer.
• Apply specific instructional software.
3.7.4.E:
• Identify basic computer communications systems.
• Apply a web browser.
• Use on-line searches to answer age appropriate questions.
History
8.2.5.A.&#8232;Compare and contrast common characteristics of the social, political, cultural, and economic groups from Pennsylvania.
8.2.5.B.&#8232;Illustrate concepts and knowledge of historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to Pennsylvania history.
8.13.D:
• Understand historical research.
• Event (time and place)
• Facts, folklore and fiction
• Formation of a historical question
• Primary sources
• Secondary sources
• Conclusions (e.g., storytelling, role playing, diorama)
8.3.3.A: Identify contributions of individuals and groups to United States history.
8.2.3.C:
• Identify and describe how continuity and change have influenced Pennsylvania history.
• Belief Systems and Religions (e.g., Native Americans, early settlers, contemporary religions)
• Commerce and Industry (e.g., jobs, trade, environmental change)
• Innovations (e.g., technology, ideas, processes)
• Politics (e.g., rules, regulations, laws)
• Settlement Patterns (e.g., farms, towns, rural communities, cities)
• Social Organization (e.g., relationships of individuals, families, groups, communities; ability to be educated)
• Transportation (e.g., methods of moving people and goods over time)
8.4.3.C: Compare similarities and differences between earliest civilizations and life today (e.g., Africa, Egypt; Asia, Babylonia; Americas, Olmec; Europe, Neolithic settlements).
Cross-Curriculum Ideas
• Art: Create a talking stick using various art materials. Students can use this to help practice informal speech and discussions.
• Writing: Write or rewrite a modern retelling of an origin story based research determining how each tribe lived. They will illustrate their stories for classroom/hallway display.
• Speaking & Listening: Students will present facts found in informational texts (print & online) in a short oral report
• Technology: students will practice public speaking using SMART recorder. They will be able to listen to themselves and use the rubric to grade their performance. They will use various screen shots of text and images to present their oral report. Practice will take place in small groups or independently. Students will listen to themselves to determine if any changes need to be made in their presentation. They will then present again to the whole class for a graded performance.
Links: Link to webquest
Materials: Whiteboards, Mobile Labs, Networked Projectors, Microphones, Art Tools, Flash/USB Drives, Office Suite, Slideshow, Internet Services, Worksheets, Student Resources
Other Items: 1 SMART Response PE System with Receiver and 24 Remotes, $1599.00 each, total of $1599.00