Kayleigh Potokar

Lesson Title: Native American Art

Date: Fall 2015

Unit Title: Native People of Wisconsin

Subject/Grade Level: 4 th Grade Social Studies

Section A. Lesson Preparation

Rationale It is important for students to learn about the native people of Wisconsin because it is
not only a part of our states history, but the Native Americans are a part of our community today
as well. Most students see Native Americans as a part of our past and dont recognize the
influence that they have on our society today. Even more tragic is that they dont always
understand that Native Americans still live in our communities and are a part of our contemporary
life.
Description of Learners There is a total of 29 students in my class, 15 of which are male and
14 of which are female. 50% of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, which shows that
poverty is a relevant issue in this community. The racial makeup of my classroom is 17 Caucasian
students, 1 Asian student, 6 Hispanic students, and 5 African American students. There are 9
students who are either placed in the special education group or have exceptional needs including
ADD, ADHD, Autism, Aspergers Syndrome, and learning disorders.
1. What are your students developmental assets? (Cognitive? Physical? Social?
Emotional? Motivational?) All of my students are very bright. Five of my students test
above grade level in academic performance, ten of them test below grade level and
qualify as special needs, and the rest of them test either at or slightly below grade level.
Many of the students show interests in sports, music, and art. These students tend to learn
best through visual, spatial, and auditory activities. I also am very lucky to have a
classroom in which group work is valued and respected by my students. Several high
achieving students regularly work with and assist students that are below grade level or
special needs. One particular pair that this works exceptionally with is Ivy and Seth.
2. How can the personal/cultural/community assets of your students can be utilized in
this lesson? A lot of my students are from low-income households or are minorities.
Because of this, I think that they will be able to relate with the struggles of the Native
Americans who were involuntarily segregated, and also those who face financial issues.
My students are generally empathetic and will be respectful and supportive of the lesser
known side of the story that we learn in this unit. Throughout this unit, we will also be
utilizing the Milwaukee Public Museum exhibit on Native Americans, as it is specific to
Wisconsin and the Midwest.
3. What prior knowledge, skills, and understanding must students have in order to
successfully engage in this lesson? Students must know that Native Americans existed
here before it was the United States or Wisconsin. This unit is primarily and introduction
to the tribes of Wisconsin and how they lived, so I dont expect students to come in with
extensive knowledge.
4. What preconceptions/misconceptions/misunderstandings/errors might students have
about the concepts in this lesson? Students may not understand that Native Americans

are still a part of our community today. My goal is to help them understand that Natives
influenced our community to make it the way it is today, but also that they are a part of
our contemporary community and are a large part of our past, present, and future.
5. What are individual learning needs in this class? What
supports/modifications/accommodations to instruction or assessment may need to be
made? (Content? Process? Product?)
The following is a list my students with exceptional needs and how I will accommodate
for them:
Austin Austin is an exceptional needs student who is diagnosed with ADHD
and ADD. He has a lot of trouble staying on task and is often in trouble with his
teachers. Austin has a habit of leaving the classroom when he becomes upset. He
is a smart child, but has trouble applying himself. He does much better when he
is sitting in the front of the classroom and has a lot of attention from his teachers.
I dont think that I have to modify the product for him at all, but he needs to be
partnered with students that are able to stay on task, and sit in the front of the
classroom during direct instruction.
Esmy Esmy is very eager to please and tries her best in everything she does.
She is very social and talkative. She has a learning disability and is placed in the
special education group, but she is the most studious of that group. Esmy would
benefit greatly from group work, as she likes to talk through the problems she
comes across. She is able to handle the content; she just needs a little extra
attention to ensure that she has a solid grasp on the material.
Marissa - Marissa is a quiet girl. She is very careful in her work and pays very
close attention to accuracy, but she struggles to grasp some concepts. Marissa is
placed in the special education group because she is quite far below grade level.
As a result, I will be offering outlines for her to fill in when we take notes and do
in class activities so she is able to focus more on the content than deciding how to
organize the information.
Cody Cody is autistic, and as a result is placed in the special education group.
He loves sports and is always talking about basketball in particular. He has a very
positive attitude toward everything. In order to help him through difficult
situations, I will pick his groups carefully and make sure that he is with
classmates that are particularly encouraging. He will also benefit from the
outlines for class notes and activities.
Seth Seth is very sweet, but he is easily discouraged. He is often distracted and
unfortunately ignored in his special education math group. If he doesnt
understand something he shuts down. However, Ivy works very well with Seth
and seems to bring out the best in him. When he understands a concept he gets
very excited about it and is extremely eager to demonstrate his understanding.
Seth loves to do well, and the outlines would be beneficial to him as well. He
benefits greatly from peer tutoring. Seth is autistic.
Ari Ari is autistic, and is placed in the special education class. He is reluctant to
interact with me and his other teachers, but seems to open up a bit more when he
understands the concepts he is learning. He will require a little extra one-on-one
attention, but after he has had a chance to use outlines to get a solid grasp on the
concept so that he will be willing to talk about the subject. I might consider an
art-based assessment to him, since he is a visual learner and likes to work with
his hands.

Damaure - Damaure is very relaxed and is always eager to learn even if he

encounters difficulty while going over the concept. He is a very good listener and
almost always stays on task. He has a learning disability that places him in the
special education group, but he just needs a little extra attention. He would
benefit from the outlines and some extra one-on-one work.
Josh Josh is diagnosed with ADHD, but his symptoms are not nearly as bad as
a lot of students I have met. Because of his diagnosis and his low scores, Josh is
placed in the special education group. He is very animated and loves to talk to his
friends Monti and Rricco. Josh is involved in sports and enjoys baseball. Since
his friends motivate him, they work well in a group. With the outlines and a little
extra support, he will do fine.
DeOivion DeOivion is a little bit of a class clown. He has a great sense of
humor and loves to make people laugh. He has a learning disability and is placed
in the special education group. He can get a little loud and unfocused, but he
likes to answer questions and volunteer. He might benefit from a verbal
assessment such as a verbal report or a presentation to the class.
Emmanuel He is autistic and a little withdrawn and gets discouraged easily. He
is very good at following directions, but he does not do well when he is
participating in open-ended tasks or without structure. He benefits from note
sheets and work sheets and extra attention.

6. What might be common preconceptions/misconceptions/errors/misunderstandings

relating to the content of this lesson? How will you identify and address them in this
lesson? Students may not understand that Native Americans are still a part of our
community today. My goal is to help them understand that Natives influenced our
community to make it the way it is today, but also that they are a part of our
contemporary community and are a large part of our past, present, and future. In order to
identify and address these, I will first ask students what they know about Native
Americans in general, and then specifically Natives of Wisconsin.
Objectives/Learner Outcomes and Assessments (formal and informal)
1.

List the measurable learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, dispositions) that students are
expected to demonstrate as a result of the lesson?
Be able to identify several art forms of Native Wisconsin nations
Be able to describe characteristics of Native American art forms

2.

For each of the above outcomes, what ASSESSMENTS will you use to evaluate each of
your learning outcomes? (Give a brief description).
Students will complete an authentic Native American piece of art and present it
to the class.

Standards Addressed What Core State Standards or Wisconsin model academic standards are
specifically addressed in the lesson?
A.4.4 Describe and give examples of ways in which people interact with the physical
environment, including use of land, location of communities, methods of construction,
and design of shelters

B.4.3 Examine biographies, stories, narratives, and folk tales to understand the lives of
ordinary and extraordinary people, place them in time and context, and explain their
relationship to important historical events

B.4.4 Compare and contrast changes in contemporary life with life in the past by
looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups

B.4.7 Identify and describe important events and famous people in Wisconsin and
United States history

B.4.9 Describe examples of cooperation and interdependence among individuals,

groups, and nations

B.4.10 Explain the history, culture, tribal sovereignty, and current status of the American
Indian tribes and bands in Wisconsin

E.4.8 Describe and distinguish among the values and beliefs of different groups and
institutions

E.4.9

E.4.11 Give examples and explain how language, stories, folk tales, music, and other
artistic creations are expressions of culture and how they convey knowledge of other
peoples and cultures

E.4.12 Give examples of important contributions made by Wisconsin citizens, United

States citizens, and world citizens

E.4.13 Investigate and explain similarities and differences in ways that cultures meet
human needs

E.4.14 Describe how differences in cultures may lead to understanding or

misunderstanding among people

E.4.15 Describe instances of cooperation and interdependence among individuals,

groups, and nations, such as helping others in famines and disasters

Explain how people learn about others who are different from themselves

Materials/Resources/Technology List all materials/resources/technology needed to support

instructional procedures in this lesson.
Paper
Scissors
Markers
Paint
Computers for research
Corn husks
Chalk
Sandpaper

Cardboard

Section B: Introduction to Lesson

Purpose Native American art is something that connects us to the past and is a really
cool piece of history. This is a connection across curriculum to visual arts and will act as
a showcase for student work.
Prior learning I will ask students what they know about art in different cultures. How
do we use art? What do we consider art?
Connections to personal/cultural/community assets I will ask our students to think
about how art affects our community. Where do we see art in Milwaukee? What does it
do for us?
Section C: Content/Procedures/Sequence (Include estimated time for each activity)

Content outline

Instructional strategies/learning tasks/sequence of

activities (include what you and the students will be
doing that supports diverse student needs)

Introduction

We will be looking at some examples of Native

American art. This will include pictures, pottery,
storytelling, etc.

Main Content

Assessment

Conclusion

We will talk about different art forms of Native

Americans in Wisconsin. I will have stations set up in
the classroom for different activities. There will be a
station with chalk and sandpaper for drawing, a
cornhusk doll station (to make traditional Oneida
cornhusk dolls), a story telling station (stories will be
provided for students to read and practice), a pottery
station (I will have cardboard pots provided for
students to decorate),
Students will pick an art form that is their favorite after
visiting the stations. They will be provided with in class
time to complete an authentic piece of art and present it
to the class. This can be a painting, a drawing, a
cornhusk doll, a storytelling session, pottery, or
something else I have approved and the student comes
up with. If this is the case, I will make sure they show
me any sources they may have to prove it is authentic to
Native American culture.
I will ask students where they still see Native American
influences today. We will discuss effigies that are still
present in Wisconsin, and talk about how art leaves
everlasting influences. Students will have their artwork
put on display as a museum exhibit and other 4th grade
classes will be invited to view it. Students will be able
to act as docents for their own art piece and will be able
to explain how it is authentic and will have a chance to
teach what they have learned to another student.

Section D: Closure
Summary of lesson I will ask students where they still see Native American influences
today. We will discuss effigies that are still present in Wisconsin, and talk about how art
leaves everlasting influences.
Assignment The art project will be the assessment. Students will also be asked to
present their art piece in front of the class, and later to other 4 th grade classmates as a
docent in our class museum exhibit.