Lesson 1: Language Arts
Objectives:
The students will write a class A,B,C book based on people and events important
to the class. The students will use capital letters at the beginning of
sentences and for proper names. They will use periods at the end of sentences.
Materials:
- A,B,C's The American Indian Way by Richard Red Hawk
- 1 sheet of chart paper
- map of United States
- 1 marker
- plastic binding ring
- 1 sheet of paper for each student
Procedure:
- Ask students if they can name any Indian tribes or people or objects
Indians make.
- Introduce the book A,B,C's The American Indian Way and read the
dedication. Inform students that the author is a Wyandot Indian.
- Before the story, point out where California, Arizona, and Northwest
states (Washington and Oregon) are located.
- Read the story and point out that the letter of the alphabet is the first
letter in the word being described.
- After reading J, Joseph, discuss Indian names. Explain that some names
represented a skill that person was good at. After N, Navajo, review what a
reservation is.
- After the story, brainstorm with the students to derive a list of people
involved with the class and activities important to the class. Write these
ideas on chart paper matching each letter of the alphabet with a word.
- Assign each student a letter of the alphabet and one student the
dedication page. Following the structure of the book, have each student write
the letter, the word, and 2-3 sentences about the person or activity. Have the
student then illustrate it.
- After the students complete their page, have them read their sentences
aloud to the class and show their illustration.
- Bind the pages into a book and display in the class library.
Evaluation of student learning:
During the brainstorming, I will assess if the students can suggest activities
that are important to the entire class. I will assess if the students were
able to logically write about their chosen topic, if their sentences were about
the person or activity important to the class, by reading their page of the
book. I will read the students' sentences to check for capital letters
and periods.
Reflection:
The lesson went well. The students remembered a lot from the book and they
really enjoyed thinking of activities important to the entire class. During
the discussion, I had the opportunity to address some misconceptions students
had about Native Americans. During the brainstorming, everyone had a chance to
participate and I wrote down each response so it encouraged others to
participate.
Return to the Native American Mini-Unit