EDC 458 - 3rd Grade Unit Plan

Running head: Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions
Curriculum Planning: Native American Culture, Practices, and Traditions

Alexandra Keresztes, Katie DeCourcey, and Emily Fabrizio
University of Rhode Island
EDC 458.0003 Social Studies Methods in Elementary and Middle School Teaching
Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

UNIT INTRODUCTION
This unit focuses on the Culture, Traditions, and Beliefs of Native Americans. November
is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, which is when we planned to
incorporate this unit of study. The topic was chosen to celebrate a culture which is often
overlooked in the elementary levels because we do not often focus on those who were here
before the colonists. A common focus for the third grade is the Cultures and Contributions of
groups in North America. This unit will dive further into the traditions that are important to the
Native Americans, many of which are common (or similar) across different groups in the United
States.
The students that this unit has been developed for are third graders in an urban school
district. Many of them are not motivated at home but if there is something that interests them,
they become extremely motivated to succeed in the classroom. These students have a range of
behavioral issues and some also have IEP and 504 plans so we need to adapt their lessons to
make sure that they can be active in a non-disruptive way. Throughout this unit, we are
incorporating lessons which allow the students to participate in activities like in the music and
physical education unit, but also making these lessons active by having he students do group
work and then adjust their groups, as well as completing art projects. Some of these students
have a Native American background so we have been careful to ensure that we are being
culturally competent and respectful of different traditions.
UNIT GOALS
Students will develop respect for Native American cultures, traditions, and beliefs.
Students will participate in activities that are special to or originated with the Native
Americans.
Students will identify at least three different Native American tribes and the area they are
from.
Students will describe the reasons for and uses of the different activities that we cover in
the lesson.
TOPIC
CONTENT
This unit is comprised of seven lessons, all of which have a Social Studies basis. All of
the lessons will be centered on Native American culture, traditions, and beliefs. The seven
Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

lessons bridge: English Language Arts, Math, Visual Arts, Science, Health, Physical
Education, and Music. In each of these lessons we will focus on at least one element of
Native American culture and implement a skill/topic important to the subject itself. This
unit will dive further into the traditions that are important to the Native Americans, many
of which are common (or similar) across different groups in the United States.
CURRICULUM CONNECTION
The curriculum connection for this unit is the Cultures and Contributions of groups
in North America. While we will look at local Native American groups, we will also
discuss some from across the country including the Southeast, Northwest, and Midwest. It
is important to look at different groups so that students have the ability to compare them
based on their cultures, practices, and traditions and to make an attempt to determine what
factors could cause the similarities and differences.
The students will be looking both locally and nationally to determine different ways
that these groups may be connected
STANDARDS CONNECTION
The major standard connections for this unit are demonstrating an understanding of how
the Earths people are interconnected and demonstrating an understanding that various
perspectives and people have led to the interpretation of events as well as how we have
adopted many ideas and practices from the Native Americans.
DEVELOPMENTAL APPROPRIATENESS
DESCRIPTION OF STUDENTS
The students that this unit has been developed for are third graders in an urban
school district. Many of them are not motivated at home but if there is something that
interests them, they become extremely motivated to succeed in the classroom. These
students have a range of behavioral issues and some also have IEP and 504 plans so we
need to adapt their lessons to make sure that they can be active in a non-disruptive way.
Throughout this unit, we are incorporating lessons which allow the students to participate
in activities like in the music and physical education unit, but also making these lessons
active by having he students do group work and then adjust their groups, as well as
completing art projects. Some of these students have a Native American background so we

have been careful to ensure that we are being culturally competent and respectful of
different traditions.
CONTENT
This unit is comprised of seven lessons, all of which have a Social Studies basis. All of
the lessons will be centered on Native American culture, traditions, and beliefs. The seven
lessons bridge: English Language Arts, Math, Visual Arts, Science, Health, Physical
Education, and Music. In each of these lessons we will focus on at least one element of
Native American culture and implement a skill/topic important to the subject itself. This
unit will dive further into the traditions that are important to the Native Americans, many
of which are common (or similar) across different groups in the United States.
SKILLS
From these lessons, students will be able to compare and contrast key details of a type of
story that exist in many Native American cultures. They will learn some of the percussion
and dances that are essential to a rain dance as well as why rain dances are performed. In
science, they will understand how different groups in different areas adapted their houses to
suit their surroundings, and in art they will create a dream catcher. During physical
education, students will improve their aim by practicing archery while they will learn about
Native American and modern medicines. In mathematics, students will gain familiarity in
estimating larger numbers and creating bar graphs.
STUDENT MOTIVATION AND ENGAGEMENT
Students will be motivated by the variety of activities they will be doing throughout this
unit. They will not only have the chance to participate in culture music, dance, art, and sport, but
also have a variety of activities to participate in for the subjects that are not automatically
associated with activities for the students to move around.
In some lessons, students are expected to become the teachers while in others they can
play matching games and complete compare/contrast worksheets. There is something in this unit
that caters to at least one students preferred learning style, but there is also the opportunity to
branch out and learn in a way that students may not have originally tried. There is more freedom
to make mistakes as some of the lesson assessments look at effort instead of a right or wrong
answer. Worrying less about the grade at the end will encourage student engagement and
participation.
UNIT ORGANIZER: Native American Culture, Practices, and Traditions

Content Area
Topic
Activities
1. Social
Studies and
English
Language
Arts
2. Social
Studies and
Music
3. Social
Studies and
Science
4. Social
Studies and
Visual Arts
What are different Native American

beliefs about where the world came
from?
Comparing and contrasting different
Native American stories.
What types of instruments are

characteristic of songs used for rain
dances?
Details chart to visually see what details

are present in the four stories and to help
compare and contrast the stories.
Practice creating the songs used in a rain
dance in an I do, you follow fashion
and identifying loud and soft sounds.
What goes into a rain dance?

What types of homes did the Rhode
Island Natives Americans have?
Perform a rain dance.

Read a primary source document about
one Native American home.
How did the Native Americans build

their homes based on the
environment?
Discuss features of non-local Native

American homes and the climate of
different regions.
Adaptation.
Play a matching game to connect homes

to the region they can be found.
Read aloud to describe where the dream
catcher came from and why it is used.
What are dream catchers used for?

What are dream catchers made
from?
How do you make a dream catcher?
5. Social
Studies and
Phys. Ed.
6. Social
Studies and
Health
7. Social
studies and
Math
Reading groups each get a story to

become an expert on and the class
moves to jig saw groups to teach their
story.
Where did archery come from?
Making a dream catcher.

Write a few sentences about where the
dream catcher will go in your room and
what it will do.
Read aloud of an Apache story about
archery.
How do you use a bow and arrow?

How have the Native Americans
contributed to modern medicines?
Participate in an archery lesson.

Compare and contrast modern medicine
and the medicines used by Native
Americans.
What is a Medicine Man?

Current populations of Native
Americans in eight states.
Estimating to the ten thousands.
How do I create a bar graph?
Graphing the Native American

populations of the eight states on a bar
graph.
Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
GLE/GSE (state level)
AND
National Standards (in all
areas except Math and
ELA-use Common Core
for those)
Context of the Lesson
Grade 3
Social Studies history and traditions
English Language Arts comparing and contrasting details
A Native American Spoken Tradition: Origin Stories
Social Studies (Rhode Island GSEs)
C&G 5 (3-4) 1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the
many ways Earths people are interconnected by locating where
different nations are in the world in relation to the United States.
HP 5 (3-4) 1 Students demonstrate an understanding that a
variety of factors affect cultural diversity within a society by
comparing cultural differences and similarities between
individuals, groups, or communities (e.g., customs, beliefs,
language, religious faiths).
HP 5 (3-4) 3 Students demonstrate an understanding that
various perspectives have led individuals and/or groups to
interpret events or phenomena differently and with historical
consequences by comparing how people with different
perspectives view events in different ways.
ELA (Common Core)
ELA.3.RI 9 Compare and contrast the most important points
and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
ELA.3.SL 1d Explain their understanding in a discussion.
ELA.3.SL 4 - Report on a text with appropriate facts and
relevant descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable
pace.
As a part of the third grade social studies curriculum, students
are expected to study the Cultures and Contributions of groups
in North America.
This lesson will discuss four different Native American
groups and discuss a major point of each groups culture,
more specifically to the oral tradition of storytelling.
We will look at four different origin stories (Iroquois,
Lakota, Cherokee, and Penobscot) and determine if certain
points are addressed in the story, as outlined in a table.
The Common Core State Standards expect third graders to read
more informational texts and to compare texts on the same
topic.
It will take about 50 minutes to complete this lesson.
Opportunities to Learn
Sources:
http://www.sioux.org/index.php/main/inner/sioux/lakota_sioux_creati
on_myth_wind_cave_story
http://www.celebrate-american-holidays.com/Native-AmerocanCreation-Stories.html
Students will be able to work with their peers and individually
in this lesson. Before they begin working, there will be a readaloud of one story so students can fill out the chart without
concentrating specifically on the text.*
Students will have many opportunities to apply what they
learned:
They will teach the other groups about the story that they
read.*
They will identify and write a comparison and a difference
between at least two stories.*
To differentiate instruction and group the class I will:
Locate the region each Native American group is
historically from on a map of the United States so students
will be aware of what areas we are learning about.*
Conduct a read-aloud where we will fill in the chart for one
story as a whole group.*
Allow students to read texts with their reading groups and
discuss which details apply to their story.*
Ask students to teach a new group about what they just
read.*
Regroup and make sure that we all agree about the key
details in each story.*
Ask students to individually determine one similarity and
one difference between the stories.*
To get students attention I will use one of the clap
sequences.*
Materials for the lesson:*
One copy of the worksheet for each student
Enough copies of each groups story for the students in
each reading group
One clipboard per student
Conditions necessary for the lesson:*
Access to the SmartBoard (to find each group on the map
and to go through the boxes together as a class)
Three separate areas for groups to meet

Objectives
Instructional
Procedures
Students will be able to:

Identify the areas that four different Native American groups
are historically located on a map.
Identify the details of the origin story that are important to the
culture.
Summarize the details in and explain their story to a group of
students who have never read the story.
Determine one similarity and one difference between any of the
stories.
Opening:
We will begin on the rug in front of the SmartBoard. Each
student will have a clipboard, a worksheet, and a pencil.
Recall information about the folklores students have been
studying. Although these may be considered fictional stories,
some people believe these stories to be truth. Similarly, we
may have different stories that explain how the world came to
be the way it is today based on what we have learned from our
families. Today, we are going to look at four different Native
American groups stories about why the world is the way it is.
We call these origin stories. On the SmartBoard, I have a
map of the United States; I want you to help me find where
these four Native American groups are from.
Four students will come up and circle the area
Read aloud the Iroquois story and determine the key facts as a
class.
Engagement:
Students will split into their reading groups on one of the rugs
or at the blue table. One student from each group will get their
groups stories from me.
The stories and worksheet are attached at the end of this
lesson plan.
Stories by group:
Red = Lakota (North Dakota, Great Plains Region)
Blue = Cherokee (Florida)
Green = Penobscot (Maine)
In their reading groups when reading the stories:
Students will be read their assigned creation story as a
group and work on filling in the worksheet.
After they have all finished, they will discuss as a group
and make sure everyone has the same boxes checked off.
In their jigsaw groups:

Students will teach the groups about their story. They will
talk about what the story was about and what they found
interesting and then tell the other students which details on
the chart were found in the story.
Closure:
After the students have successfully completed their jigsaw
group, I will call them back to the rug and students will guide
me through what they found for their story. I will make marks
on the same table they filled in so that students can refer to the
board instead of flipping their sheet back and forth when they
write the similarity and difference.
I will give students instructions for the backside of the sheet
and then send students back to their seats to complete the back.
I will leave the filled in table on the SmartBoard for each
student to refer to. When they are done, the will place their
sheet in the box of work to be graded.

Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
AND
ELA-use Common Core
for those)
Grade 3
Music percussion and dance
Rain Dance
C&G 5 (3-4) 1 Students demonstrate an understanding of the
many ways Earths people are interconnected by identifying
multiple Native American tribes located in the United States and
recognizing that aspects of their culture such as the ceremonial
Rain Dance are practiced despite geographical location.
Social Studies National Standards (NCSS)
Ic. describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music,
and artistic creations serve as expressions of a culture and
influence the behavior of people living in a particular culture
by recognizing that the music in the Native American Rain
Dance is part of a tradition expressing their need for rain to
water their crops.
Music (National Standards)
This lesson is to give students a chance to recognize a rain
dance as a characteristic of a Native American culture. Students
are able to make the connection that the ceremony is celebrated
by many different tribes in different geographical locations.
Students will also be able to relate the sounds they hear in the
rain dance to an actual thunderstorm. The musical aspects that
they identify such as soft and loud sounds during this lesson
helps deepen their understanding of the specific techniques
which are used in the Native American traditions. This lesson
will take approximately one hour.
Rain was essential for Native Americans to grow their crops so
they often performed a rain dance when experiencing a drought.
Sources:
http://www.dosits.org/science/sound/characterizesound
http://teachers.net/lessons/posts/2050.html
http://www.indians.org/articles/rain-dance.html
Students are given the chance to perform a Rain Dance as a
class with the guidance of the teacher. They will create and
perform a rain dance in groups. This gives students a chance to
apply their musical knowledge and while including specific
attributes of different Native American tribes. *
Students will gain interest in the activity from listening to the
Native American song at the start of the lesson. The book,
Dancing Drum will help them learn about culture while
engaging students in a narrative text. The class performed rain
dance in an engaging and hands-on activity. Motivation is
Objectives
instilled when groups are able to create their own rain dance
because choice plays a main role in engagment.*
This lesson engages multiple types of learning styles. Students
who are visual learners will benefit from the Dancing Drum
story as well as the map of Native American tribes, students
who are auditory learners will benefit from listening to the rain
dance and identifying the sounds, students who are kinesthetic
learners will benefit from the whole class and small group rain
dance performances using the instruments and students who are
interpersonal learners will benefit from working in small
groups.*
This lesson starts as a whole class teacher-guided activity
because students are learning new information. After the
whole-class rain dance students will break into small groups so
they will be able to apply the new information they had
learned.*
Prior to this lesson students should at least have a general idea
of who Native Americans are, some of their attributes and also
recognize that they are both a part of history but also exist in the
present.*
Musical instruments such as rain sticks
The book The Dancing Drum
Rain Dance group presentation hand-outs
Rubrics for assessing the presentations.
Conditions necessary for this lesson:*
There must be enough instruments for all of the students to
use.
The SmartBoard is a part of technology that will be utilized
by the teacher.
There will also need to be an ample amount of space
preferably on a rug in the classroom for all of the students to
sit in a circle.
Identify at least one attribute of a Native American ceremony
Identify loud and soft sounds in the Rain Dance
Perform a Rain Dance
The objective is measureable because the teacher can observe the
students who are performing the soft and loud sounds during the class
Rain Dance by marking down their progress. A rubric will also be
used to grade their group performances of the rain dance which
includes one attribute from a specific tribe. The objectives are
appropriate because during the rain dance activity they will students
will be able to learn new information such as soft and loud sounds
which is one objective. Performing a rain dance in groups is the
second objective. The last objective is practiced during the
10
Instructional
Procedures
performance to include an attribute of a Native American tribe. All

of these will be achieved by the end of the lesson.
Opening:
To activate prior knowledge I will ask the students if they know
any songs or instruments that are specific to a culture.
This will give them to discuss and understand that cultures all
over the world use specific musical instruments and techniques
before introducing them to the topic of the Native American
traditional ceremony of the rain dance.
I will play the Native American song Chokelas from Ruma
Pacha at the beginning of the lesson to get students interested in
the song.
I will ask them what they were thinking when they heard
this song and what group it might belong to.
I will also ask if they can identify any specific instruments
in the song.
I will explain to them that some songs are specific to certain
cultures.
I will tell the students that the song we just listened to was a
Rain Dance.
Does anyone know or have any ideas of what a rain dance
might me?
Next, I will have the students sit on the rug and I will read the
childrens book Dancing Drum A Cherokee legend.
Engagement:
After reading Dancing Drum do you think is the purpose of
the Cherokee rain dance? (Rain dances are ceremonial dances
which Native Americans perform in hope for rain during crop
season)
Are the Cherokee the only Native American tribe? (No)
So do you think there is just one kind of rain dance? (No)
There are many different tribes which have their own versions
of rain dances and I will describe the differences in ceremonies
according to tribes and include them on the SmartBoard.
I will use a map on the SmartBoard to mark where in the
country different tribes reside such as the Cherokee, the Hopi
and the Sioux tribes. This will give students a chance to
recognize that this dance is a main attribute of the Native
American culture despite geographical location
We will sit in a circle on the rug and perform a rain dance as a
whole class. There will be three students in the middle of the
circle which make wind sounds and the rest of the class follows
my lead. First, I will use my fingers to tap the floor and
students will repeat this motion in a counterclockwise domino
effect. Next, I will use the palm of my hand to tap on the floor
producing a louder sound. The same process will be repeated in
11
Assessment
the opposite direction. Lastly, the softer taps are performed

counterclockwise as a closing. The rain dance will be
videotaped.
I will ask: do the sounds resemble anything you have heard
before? (Parts of a storm)
I will ask: what does it mean when a sound is loud and when a
sound is soft?
I will explain that soft and loud sounds depend on the
intensity of wavelengths. I will make sure to explain that
this does not include high and low pitches to clarify any
musical misconceptions.
I will ask:
What parts were loud and which part were soft?
Which part of a storm would be soft? Which part would be
loud?
I can monitor students learning by observing their tapping and
seeing if they are following my lead correctly as well as
evaluating their answers to my questioning after performing the
Rain Dance as a class.
Closure (20-25% of lesson):
I will have students go back to their seats and I will replay the
videotaped rain dance. We will decide together which parts of
the Rain Dance are soft and loud and what specific parts of a
rain storm they resemble such as a drizzle, a downpour or
thunder.
Why do you think the ceremony is called a rain dance? (Native
Americans performed this when they needed rain for their
crops) (The sounds and instruments used resemble a storms
progression from beginning to end)
Students will be able to volunteer their understanding of the
sounds they hear in the rain dance during a discussion. The
whole class will create a definition of a soft sound and loud
sound is. When the students come up with the definitions on
their own it shows that they understand the concepts that are
being taught.
I will also demonstrate two sounds, one after another and ask
students which sound was loud and which was soft. The sounds
I make will vary from soft and loud to loud and loud and soft
and soft.
Summative assessment: Students will break into 5 groups of 4
to perform their own rain dance. They will choose one attribute
of a specific tribe on a paper on a hand-out I will provide as
well as including soft and loud sounds.
Formative assessment: I will use an observation checklist the
students during the class raindance and check off who is
understanding by their actions during the song and their answers
12

during discussions.
I will hand them back a graded rubric with comments
included on their presentation.
13

Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
AND
ELA-use Common Core
for those)
Grade 3
Social Studies- History
Science- Weather and Engineering
Adapting Homes to the Environment
HP 2(304) -2 Describing, defining, and illustrating by example
Rhode Islands historical individuals, groups and events.
HP 4 (3-4)-1 Students demonstrate an understanding that geographic
factorsaffectchanges in civilization.
Next Generation Science Standards
G 4 (3-4) 1 Students explain how humans depend on their
environment by a. identifying how needs can be met by the
environment (e.g., we grow food to eat.)
The purpose of this lesson is to introduce how Native American
tribes built their homes to adapt to their environment. Also learning
about the indigenous tribes of Rhode Island. This lesson will require
about one class period or one hour.
The students will first learn about the housing of the people of
Rhode Island and how they adapted to the environment. After
we will broaden the lesson to other types of housing across the
country. Students will play a matchng game where they will
match the type of house to the region of the country where they
feel it would best be placed.*
The lesson requires students to understand and apply the term
adaption, and how tribes adapted their homes to different
weather situations. *
To accommodate different learning styles there will be both
pictures and words to describe the houses. The pictures will
engage students in discussion about different portions of the
house. If students are struggling to understand then I could
show more pictures from different viewpoints, etc. to further
facilitate their learning.*
The beginning of the lesson will be done whole group as it is
explaining concepts. Once the students break off to do the
activity they will work with partners who will not distract them,
and will facilitate their learning. For example it may be helpful
to have a high and low level student working together. The high
level students will be able to apply meaning by helping out the
lower level student. While at the same time the low level
student is benefiting from peer to peer talk and instruction.*
The students need to have an understanding of geography and
weather in different parts of the country. This will help them in
the application part of the lesson.*
Materials:*
Pictures of the Narragansett Tribe houses and also
descriptions of it.
14
Objectives
Instructional
Procedures
A map that outlines the different parts of the country, with

also the weather features such as hot, dry, humid, freezing,
windy, etc.
For the game I will need individual maps for each student
and cut out pictures of different types of houses for them to
match.
To facilitate this lesson I will need the primary source, and also
an Elmo machine to magnify the map on the board. *
Determine how tribes adapt and build their houses based on the
weather of the region.
Opening:
I will start the lesson by asking students to describe what their
house looks like.
Next, we will talk about how houses did not always look like
this.
Next, I will show them a map of Rhode Island and talk about
the three tribes that make up the area that we now to refer to as
Rhode Island
We will focus on the Narragansett tribe because they occupied
most of Rhode Island.
Next we will describe the weather of Rhode Island. It will be
important to point out the different seasons and how this effects
what our houses look like.
Next I am going to show them a picture of a Wigwam, which is
the predominant house built by the Narragansett tribe.
To begin describing the house we will look at a primary source,
a letter written by Daniel Cook an English settler describing
what the houses look like.
We will talk about the features of the house. The fire pit in the
middle with a whole on top to let out smoke. The mud walls,
which keep heat in, in the winter but also keep it cool during the
summer, etc.
Engagement:
Now that we have looked at a wigwam from the Narragansett
tribe we will look at other tribes from around the country, and
what their houses looked like.
I will hold up pictures of various homes such as an igloo, adobe,
teepee, etc.
We will talk about the features of the houses and which types of
weather they are good for.
Igloos are good for the cold environment, made of ice help keep
in heat
Adobes are made out of mud, they help keep out heat in
extreme temperatures, also good in very dry climates for the
15
Assessment
mud to melt.
Teepees are good for extreme weathers, also a lot of rain and
are very sturdy.
To help facilitate students they will be giving me their
observations of the Native American homes. This will help
them to get more engaged, and also help me to see if they ened
more scaffolding.
This will also help me to monitor their learning and making
sure that all students are participating equally.
Closure:
The closure of this lesson will consist of matching activity.
Now that the students have been exposed to several different
types of housing I am going to hold up a map with different
Native American regions outlined.
Under each region will be a description of the weather that
occurs there such as hot, dry, very cold, etc.
Students will work in partners so they can feed off of eachother
using peer-to-peer talk.
They will each have a map infront of them and read the
description of the weather from that region.
From there they will have pictures of different types of houses
that we talked about prior in the engagement.
Students will glue the type of house to the region based off their
knowledge of what we learned in class of which types of houses
are good for which reason.
At the end I am going to ask several students to place one of the
houses they chose and place it in the correct reasoning. They
will have to explain to the class their reasoning for placing it
there.
Once one is placed we wil have a class vote, to see if everyone
agrees on the placement. If one group does not, I will have them
place their house in the region and also explain their reasoning.
Once all of the houses are placed we will talk about the term
adaptation.
I will describe how the native american tribes adapted to the
weather by building certain types of houses with different
features.
After I will bring it back to their lives. We will talk about how a
peron in the north may not have air conditioning in their house,
while that is essential in the south.
We will describe features of their houses, and compare them to
houses around the country.
The first assessment will be during the active engagement how
the students are answering questions about the different features
of the Native American houses.
16
The second assessment will be formal based on where the

students glued each house based on the region.
17

Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
AND
National Standards (in
all areas except Math
and ELA-use Common
Core for those)
Grade 3
Social Studies history
Visual Arts making a dream catcher
What is a dream catcher really used for?
variety of factors affect cultural diversity within a society by
comparing cultural differences and similarities between
individuals, groups, or communities (e.g., customs, beliefs,
language, religious faiths).
HP 5 (3-4) 3 Students demonstrate an understanding that
various perspectives have led individuals and/or groups to
interpret events or phenomena differently and with historical
consequences by comparing how people with different
perspectives view events in different ways.
Visual Arts ()
VAD 1 (3-4) 2a Students demonstrate knowledge and skill of
media, tools, techniques, and processes of Visual Arts by
creating three-dimensional works of art and design.
VAD 2 (3-4) 1b Students demonstrate knowledge and
understanding of the role of Visual Art and Design in personal,
cultural, and historical contexts by describing the connections
between Visual Arts and design and other disciplines.
in North America.
This lesson will discuss the Ojibway beliefs relating to why
dream catchers are made after a read aloud of
Dreamcatcher by Audrey Osofsky and ask them to apply
the information from the story when they create their own
dream catcher by explaining what they will do with it when
they bring it home.
Students will listen to me read Dreamcatcher aloud to get a
history of where dream catchers came from and why they are
important in Native American cultures.*
Students will have many opportunities to apply what they
learned:
They will first hear where dream catchers came from and
why they are important.
18
Objectives
Instructional
Procedures
They will create their own dream catcher.

They will write a short paragraph about where they will
place the dream catcher when they go home. In this
paragraph they will also state the purpose of the dream
catcher.
To differentiate instruction and group the class I will:
Conduct a read-aloud.*
Provide instructions who want to give it a try on their
own.*
Go through the steps with them on an overhead/Elmo
projector so students can follow along.*
Students will individually decide where they want to hang
their dream catcher and what they expect the dream catcher
to do from what they learned in the read aloud. They will
write this down and receive credit for turning it in.*
To get students attention I will use one of the clap
sequences.*
Dreamcatcher by Audrey Osofsky
Ring with a 6 inch diameter
Yarn (to wrap around ring)
Craft strong (for inside of dream catcher)
Scissors
Beads
Feathers
Ruler
Hot glue (for my use only I will do this step for them)
Access to a rug for the read aloud
Desks arranged as tables so that the students may share
materials
Each group will have two different colors of yarn/string
Create a dream catcher.
Identify where dream catchers belong in a persons bedroom.
Identify what dream catchers are meant to do based on
traditional Native American beliefs and traditions.
Opening:
Students will organize the desks into groups of four and then
move to their spots on the rug.
19
Assessment
While on the rug, I will read aloud the story Dreamcatcher.

Before moving back to the desks, I will organize students by
the colors they are interested in using for their dream catchers.
Engagement:
Students will follow the handout provided or make a dream
catcher at the same time that I do.
We will pause at the gluing spot because I will glue the
yarn onto the 6 inch ring so that the glue will be dried cold
and they can continue making the dream catcher more
quickly than with regular glue.
After the foundation of the dream catcher is made, I will walk
around, observe what students are doing, and help when
necessary as they add feathers and beads.
Closure:
In the last 10 minutes of the lesson, students will write a short
paragraph answering the following question that I will display
on the board:
o When you go home, where will you hang your dream
catcher? From what you learned today, what do you expect
the dream catcher to help with?
Suring the last few minutes, I will ask students to share their
dream catchers with the class and state if they made them for
themselves or for a family member/friend/etc.
Informal Assessment:
While students are decorating their dream catcher and
writing their paragraph, I will walk around and see what
they are doing/have completed.
I will ask them why they chose certain elements or colors
as well as whom they have made the dream catcher for
(themselves or family/friend/etc.).
Formal Assessment:
Students will be expected to write a short paragraph. They
will receive credit if the assignment is fully completed.
A - indicates that the student made no attempt to write
the paragraph OR that the student answered the
question but did not relate it to the story we read at the
beginning of the lesson.
A will indicate that a student has written a full
paragraph that answers the question based off of the
story we read in the beginning of the essay.
20

Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
AND
and ELA-use Common
Core for those)
Grade 3
Physical Education games
Apache Toe Toss
variety of factors affect cultural diversity within a society
byidentifying that the Apache tribe childrens games
improved skills which introduced them to hunting and
becoming warriors, a valued part of their culture.
Social Studies National Standards (NCSS)
Ic. describe ways in which language, stories, folktales, music, and
artistic creations serve as expressions of culture and influence
behavior of people living in a particular culture byidentifying
that many Native American practices originate from myths
comparing games from different cultures and writing their own
myths for a game of their choice
Physical Education (National Standards)
This lesson gives students a chance to recognize that many

Native American practices such originate from myths. Students
will also become aware that these games improve specific skills
such as coordination, balance and strength which can be used
during routine physical education activities. They will also be
able to apply these concepts to a sport or game they are familiar
with. This lesson will take approximately one hour.
Apache legends were taught to children ever since they were
babies familiarize children with the skills of a warrior that were
greatly valued and admired by the tribe.
Sources:
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/index.html
Students are given the opportunity to apply the skills they
learned by actively participating in the Archery Game and
collaboratively developing definitions for the terms
coordination, strength and balance. When they write their own
myth by applying their knowledge of legends/origin stories to a
different game as well as actively using the new physical
education vocabulary to their piece of writing.*
The Archery Game activity gives the students a chance to
actively participate in a game the Apache tribe played. They
are able to identify the skills archery improves by through their
own experience. Giving the students a chance to define
21
Objectives
vocabulary terms and labeling the diagram helps them reach an

understanding through their own thinking and experiences
which follows the systematic process of learning.*
I will differentiate instruction by:*
The linguistic learners will benefit from class discussion and
their writing assessment.
The visual learners will benefit from the reading of the
Apache myth as well as the labeled diagram and vocabulary
definitions on the smart-board.
The interpersonal learners will benefit from playing the
archery game in groups.
The kinesthetic learners will benefit from the physical
activity during the game.
The intrapersonal learners will benefit from the writing
assessment which is individual.
During the engagement portion, the reading of the myth and the
labeling of the diagram students will be seated individually in
their desks. When it is time to play the archery game students
will break into 5 groups of 4.*
The students need to have an understanding that Native
Americans hunted animals for food and materials. They should
also know that warriors protected their people by defending
them.*
The materials that need I need to prepare prior to this lesson
include 5 dart boards, 15 suction arrows, the PowerPoint with
the Apache story Child of Water & Little Blue Rock, a
diagram of an archer and loose leaf paper for the children to
tally their scores as well as write their assesments.*
To facilitate this lesson I will use the SmartBoard to read the
myth on a PowerPoint so the whole class can read along and
observe the pictures. I will also use the SmartBoard to write
down vocabulary definitions and label the diagram. The
Archery Game will be played outside or in a gym with the
dartboards attached to the walls of the school building. All
groups will all be facing the same wall with ample space
between them to make sure no students will be hit with a
suction arrow.*
Identify that Apache myths were the basis of many practices in
their culture.
Play the Apache archery game.
Recognize that this game improves coordination, balance and
strength.
The objectives are specific to the information that is being taught
in this lesson. The objectives are measureable because the
22
Instructional
Procedures
teacher can observe if the students are playing the archery

game correctly by using a checklist. The two other objectives
can be measured through discussion as well as the inclusion of
a myth and a skill in their assessment. All of these will be
achieved by the end of the lesson.
Opening:
To activate prior knowledge I will ask students if anyone think
of a game that is specific to certain culture. What kind of
games do you play in physical education class?
Today we are going to learn about games that the children of
the Native American Apache tribe played. Yes, children from
all cultures have been playing games for centuries before you
were born.
I will read the Apache story Child of Water & Little Blue
Rock on a PowerPoint for the class.
Engagement:
Before reading the story I will ask them if they know what the
word myth means (a traditional story which explains a
situation usually involving supernatural events).
After reading the story/myth I will ask the students what they
think is important to the Apache tribe?
Why do you think that it is important for the child to aim
arrows? (they are warriors) (they are hunters)
Is there a game that resembles shooting arrows? (archery)
I will describe to the students that the games that Apache
children play are to keep them fit and ready for battle and that
archery was the main sport they played
I will also discuss other games they played such as the Apache
Toe Toss Stick and Foot Toss Ball.
I will explain to the students that we will be playing an archery
game in small groups. Students will break up into 5 groups of 4
and each group will receive one dart board with three suction
arrows. I will instruct and model the form used to shoot the
arrows and tell them that I expect them to use the materials
appropriately and to never point an arrow at a classmate. Each
student will shoot three suction arrows at the dart board. The
board will include a bulls eye and two outer layers. The
bullseye is worth 10 points, the next layer is worth 5 and the
outer layer is worth 2. Students will have two turns each and
tally up their points as they play. At the end of their turns the
student with the most points wins.
During and after the game is played I will ask them what parts
they thought were challenging and why? What parts did you
think were easy and why?
If they improved during practice?
23
Assessment
I will monitor students learning during this lesson by observing

their answers during discussion walking around the room during
the archery game to evaluate whether they are understanding the
material.
Closure:
I will ask what skill this game would improve to benefit an
Apache warrior (coordination, balance, strength).
I will ask them what the vocabulary words coordination,
balance and strength mean and clarify their definitions.
How do they think this game improves the Apaches hunting
skills?
Why do you think the middle of the dart board is called a
bullseye?
Do you know what kind of animals they hunted? (They hunted
bison)
Are they fast or slow moving animals?
(bison are surprisingly fast moving animals for their size)
Why would you need coordination in order to hunt?
What about balance?
What opportunities do you provide for students to share their
understandings of the task?
As a class and on the SmartBoard we will label a diagram of
someone playing this game pointing to which parts improve
(balance, coordination and strength).
Do you think that the Apaches were the only Native Americans
that use games to stay fit?
Can you think of any other games that improve any of these
three areas?
Have them brainstorm other skill building games.
Summative: Students will choose a sport or game they are
familiar with that improves balance, coordination or strength
and write their own short myth which includes the creation of
the game they chose, a description of the game and how it
improves the specific skill. This will be written in three
paragraphs.
Formative: I will use an observational checklist while the
children are playing the game to make sure they are following
instructions correctly.
I will hand them back a graded rubric with comments on their
writing piece.
24

Grade/Content Area
Lesson Title
Standards
Common Core or
AND
and ELA-use Common
Core for those)
Grade 3
Social Studies- History
Health- Medicine
The Medicine Man
G 4 (3-4) 1 Students explain how humans depend on their
environment by a. identifying how needs can be met by the
environment (e.g., we grow food to eat).
CDC (National Health Education Standards)
1.5.1 Describe the relationship between healthy behaviors and
personal health
Students will learn about the Native American Medicine man and
what his/her purpose was in society. Students will be able to compare
and contrast modern medicine to the medicine used throughout
Native America. This lesson will take approximately one hour.
Students will be given the opportunity to apply skills by using a
venn diagram. This will allow students to see in front of them
the differences and similarities between modern and ancient
medicine.*
This lesson allows students to think outside of their comfort
zone. They will be looking at spiritual medicine which is a
concept most of them will not have been exposed to before.
This will also help keep students engaged as it is something
new and interesting.*
This lesson helps to engage many types of learners. It allows for
imagination and visualization of the spiritual man. The venn
diagram also allows students to see details right in front of them
rather than having to imagine it.*
This lesson will be new to all students so it can be done whole
group. It would be best if they are working in partners or in
groups so they can feed off of each other.*
Prior to this lesson all students will need a basic idea of
medicine and what it does to cure you.*
Prior to the lesson, I will need to have the set treatments with
pictures to help the students better understand.*
Objectives
gain knowledge of how the Native Americans contributed to
health and medicines in present day.
discover the role the Medicine Man played in Native
American society.
Instructional
Opening:
Procedures
To begin this lesson I will ask the students where they go if they
are sick.
This will activate their prior knowledge and they will answer
25

things such as the doctors, school nurse etc.
Then we will talk about how the Native Americans did not have
doctors and school nurses.
I will ask the students if they have any ideas of what the Native
Americans did when they were sick. This will help to get them
actively engaged and interested in the lesson.
Once ideas are gathered I will introduce what the Native
Americans called the Medicine Man.
We will talk about how this person was like a doctor except a
little different.
To close out the introduction I will introduce the three most
common types of medicine that Native Americans used; herbs,
meditations, and rituals
Engagement:
This portion will focus on the holistic type of medicine that the
Medicine Man used
We will discuss the term Holistic healing and talk about
spiritual healing.
One common thing the Medicine Man would do is called a
sweat bath. This was one of the rituals that they performed. The
Native American believed this help cure illness by ridding the
body of toxins.
A person would go into a hut with a pit of fire in the inside. The
sick person would stand next to the fire until they were soaken
wet with sweat.
Once this happened the Native Americans had believed that the
illness would be gone from your body.
Another type of medicine was meditation. The Native
Americans believed that meditation could help soothe the mind
and cure the disease.
To help the students understand, I will ask the students to sit on
the floor and close their eyes. We will go through one example
of traditional meditation that the Native Amricans used so the
students can experience it themselves.
The third type of medicine used is herbal.
The Native Americans believed they could cure almost anything
with herbs such as tee leaves, bark, berries, and flowers.
The Native Americans had hundreds of mixtures to clear many
illnesses.
Closure (20-25% of lesson):
The closure of the lesson will focus on how the Native
Americans medicine is still contributing to our society today.
We will discuss how holistic healing is very popular today.
Many people use saunas and also use treatments like
acupuncture that were derived from holistic treatments.
26
Assessment
Meditation is also very common today. It is used in Yoga

practices and also sometimes in the classroom to help students
focus
The herbs that the Native Americans discovered and used may
be the biggest contribution to modern medicine
Native Americans discovered many ingredients that are in
Penicillin, a common treatment to hundreds of ailments such as
strep throat.
They also discovered ingredients that are used in asprin which
is used to cure things such as sore muscles and headaches.
These are just two of the many many medicines that the Native
Americans helped ot discover.
To finish the lesson I will give the students a sheet with 3
different categories.
They will have to outline the 3 different types of medicines that
the Native Americans used, along with 2 of the characteristics.
At the end the students will need to write what they think the
Native Americans biggest contribution was to modern
medicine.
Students will be assessed based on their final worksheet. They will be
scored on a 3, 2, 1 scale. High scores will be received if the students
can recall all three types of medicine used, and also examples.
27

Grade 3
Social Studies populations across the US
Mathematics estimation and graphing
Lesson Title
Where are some of the biggest Native Americans populations in the
United States?
Standards
RI.4. Geography: Human Systems. 4a. Student knows and
Common Core or
understands the spatial distribution of population.
AND
Mathematics (Common Core)
Math.3.MD.3 Draw a scaled bar graph to represent a data set
with several categories.
and ELA-use Common Mathematics (RI State Standards)
M:N&O:3:7. Makes estimations in a given situation.
Core for those)
in North America.
We will look at the different current estimated populations
of Native Americans in eight states.
The Common Core State Standards expect third graders to
begin creating bar graphs. The Rhode Island Mathematics
Standards want students to be estimating as a part of all
mathematical units.
Students will be asked to estimate to the nearest 10,000.
Each square on the graph will represent 20,000 therefore,
students may need to practice filling in half squares.
This lesson will be taught in the form of I do, We do, You
do so students can see the thought process of estimating and
drawing a bar graph.*
Students will complete their graphs individually, but I will be
walking around the room to assist them when necessary.*
Students will draw the graph on the SmartBoard and we will
discuss whether or not everybody agrees.*
I will intentionally ask one or two students to fill in a bar
partially or to give an incorrect answer so that we can
discuss the graphs more and so students can talk about why
common mistakes in graphing can cause skewed data.*
One copy of the populations sheet for each student
One copy of the graph paper for each student
Grade/Content Area
28
Objectives
Instructional
Procedures
8 colored pencils (or crayons) per student

Access to a SmartBoard
Estimate populations to the nearest ten-thousand.
Graph populations using a bar graph, given the information of
what each box means.
Demonstrate the correct way to display a bar graph with all of
the par completely filled in.
Opening:
We will begin with all students at their desks. Each student
will be handed the worksheet with the estimated populations by
state.
I will demonstrate for the class how to estimate and graph one
state. I will show that they must completely fill in each box if
the number if a multiple of 20,000. If it is not, then only half of
a box gets filled in (which will be emphasized with this state).
California = 309,000
As a class, we will walk through how to estimate and graph
another state. I will also emphasize to use a different color for
each graph.
Texas = 96,000
After removing the graph example, I will pass out the graph
worksheet to the students. I will have them re-graph the two
examples that I already showed them from my estimation and
the class estimation following the directions I give.
Engagement:
Students will individually complete the estimations (when
necessary) and graph for the remaining six states.
States remaining:
Alaska = 100,000
New York = 76,000
Arizona = 256,000
Oklahoma 263,000
New Mexico = 163,000
Michigan = 60,000
When they have finished, we will staple the graph to the back
of the estimation worksheet.
Closure:
As students finish, I will ask some of them to go up and fill in
29
Assessment
the graph on the SmartBoard. If there is any disagreement, we

will discuss them.
We will also discuss alternative methods for formatting the
graph. (Instead of listing the states along the bottom, we can
put them in the key with different color codes)
Informal Assessments:
I will be walking around throughout the time that they are
estimating the populations and filling in the graph. I will
answer any questions the students have and ask them
questions about what they are noticing.
Formal Assessment:
Students will be expected to fill out a graph of Native
American populations during the lesson.
The graph will be graded on a check system and given back
to the students by the beginning of the next days lesson. In
addition to the check system, I will write the students a
short sentence about how they accomplished the task.
A - indicates that the student has not attempted to fill
in the graph at all OR that I noticed it was not filled in
until the bars were being added to the SmartBoard.
A will indicate that some of the graph has been filled
out, OR that the graph is inaccurately filled out.
A + will indicate that the graph is filled out
accurately.
30

CULMINATING ACTIVITY
1. For our culminating activity the students will create a newscast about Native American
life. The class will be split up into seven different groups. Each one of these groups will be
assigned to one cross curriculum lesson. For example one group will focus on Native
American stories, another group will focus on the eight states of the Native Americans,
another group will be assigned dream catchers, the next group will talk about Native
American medicine, another group will focus on games and activities played, and the final
group will focus on rain dances. Each group will pull out what they believed was the most
important concepts from the unit. Then they will have the creativity to come up with how
they will present the material. The teacher would give them examples such as they could act
out the rain dances, show a video of Native American games, or give a demonstration of how
to create Native American homes. This freedom will help to establish motivation and get
everyone engaged in the video. Once the students come up with their idea they will write
scripts. Once they are finished they will each be videotaped doing their part. The video
camera also established engagement as all students have to be focused and participating or it
will show on camera. At the end the teacher would put all of the videos together into a
complete newscast.
2. The audience of this newscast will be the students parents. We will invite them into the
classroom and play the movie to show them what we as a class have been learning over the
past unit. The parents will be asked to judge what they thought their favorite lesson is. The
group with the most votes will win a prize. The idea of a prize will also help to establish
motivation for the students. For parents that cannot be there, we will make a copy of the
newscast for the students to bring home. This will make sure it is accessible for all parents,
even if they are working during the day. For ELL students whose parents do not speak
English at home we could try to add subtitles to the lesson. This will help to make sure our
unit is being culturally competent to everyone.
3. This movie day will take place in the classroom. It would be great if we could have it on an
open house night or parent teacher conference night so they parents are already there. If the
unit does not align with this in the school calendar, we could ask parents what time is best for
them. Obviously every parent would not be able to go, so having the option to have the CD
will make the lesson portable.
31

4. This newscast relates back to our unit goals by asking students to pick out what they
learned in the lesson. If each student focuses on one specific lesson then they will become
experts. After watching the video with their parents they will be able to become experts
on all other areas too. It also may be helpful to hear the information from their peers and
hearing terms that they can relate to. The lesson requires each group to look back at what we
have learned previously and focus on each of the objectives.
5. I believe this lesson will be a good way to pull the whole unit together. Instead of giving
them a unit test, the video allows them to express their creativity. This is something they do
not get to do often, so it helps to establish a high level of motivation and engagement. It also
at the same time pulls in another area of the curriculum with theater and acting out their
specific parts. The lesson also pulls in the parents, which can help to foster teacher/parent
communication, while allowing them to take part in their childs learning at the same time.
32

CULMINATING ASSESSMENT
1. The assesment will be given at the end of the unit And will include a field trip to the Pequot
Museum and Research Center in Connecticut. This is the largest Native American museum
which includes live performances, life size exhibits and walk throughs which transport
visitors back in time. During the field trip each student will be given a Native American
Scavenger Hunt worksheet that will be used as the overall unit assesment. Students will be
broken up into groups during the field trip for safety but are required to complete this form
individually. The unit is focused on culture, practices and traditions so it is appropriate for
the assesment to be interactive rather than a multiple choice test which would include an
enormous amount of information for third grade students to study. Students will use their
prior knowledge from the English, Math, Visual Arts, Science, Health, Physical Education
and Music lessons to aid their completion of the assesment. Each of the questions in the unit
test will involve an aspect of each lesson which can be identified within the museum
exhinbits, performances, educational programs, games and craft activities. This assesment is
appropriate because it allows students to apply the knowledge that they learned in a
meaningful way. hey will be able to actually experience the culture which establishes
motivation and engagment of students.
2. Students will hand in their Native American Scavenger Hunt worksheet at the end of the
field trip. To communicate the assesment data to students I will correct their scavenger hunt
unit tests with comments included and hand them back to them. Once students have their
individual worksheets I will have them sit on the rug and we will go over the questions as a
class and students will volunteer their answers. Through discussion students are able to
listen to their peers answers and clarify any misconceptions at the end of the unit. This will
also give the teacher a chance to close the unit in a collaborative manner rather than giving
the students a grade on their assesment and moving on.
33

EDC 458 - 3rd Grade Unit Plan

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Running head: Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Curriculum Planning: Native American Culture, Practices, and Traditions

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

UNIT ORGANIZER: Native American Culture, Practices, and Traditions

What are different Native American

What types of instruments are

Details chart to visually see what details

What goes into a rain dance?

Perform a rain dance.

How did the Native Americans build

Discuss features of non-local Native

Play a matching game to connect homes

What are dream catchers used for?

Reading groups each get a story to

Where did archery come from?

Making a dream catcher.

How do you use a bow and arrow?

Participate in an archery lesson.

What is a Medicine Man?

Estimating to the ten thousands.

How do I create a bar graph?

Graphing the Native American

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Context of the Lesson

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Students will be able to:

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

In their jigsaw groups:

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Context of the Lesson

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

performance to include an attribute of a Native American tribe. All

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

the opposite direction. Lastly, the softer taps are performed

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

A map that outlines the different parts of the country, with

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Keresztes, DeCourcey, Fabrizio

The second assessment will be formal based on where the

Native American Culture, Practices, Traditions

Context of the Lesson