Mini-Unit Topic: Native Americans
Tresa Maul
Table of Contents
Lesson One- Language and Literacy
Objective:
The children will practice pre-writing, creating a first draft,
and revising by creating/writing a story of how a person got his/her
name. The story may be written about themselves or someone else, and
may be true or made up. A connection will be made between the reasons
Native Americans got specific names and the reasons behind the names
the children come up with.
Materials:
- squares of white paper (24)
- VCR
- tape: Dances With Wolves
- construction paper
- writing paper
- published book, The Story of Rising Sun
Procedures:
- Anticipatory Set- (10 min.) We will begin a discussion
on names and meaning behind them by asking children to raise their
hand if they have a nickname. Tell them to think about how they
got the name and why. Ask such questions as "What happened that
you got the name?" "Did you do something or did someone do
something to you? Who gave you that name?"
Provide a concrete example by reading, "The Story of Rising
Sun", and discussing the reason for the child's name. In
addition, show the clip from Dances With Wolves that is
preset to the part where the main female character in the story
explains how she got her name (2-3 minutes)and discuss with the
children the reasons or explanation for how she received the name
"Stands-with-a-Fist".
- Statement of purpose- "We are going to create stories
of how people get nicknames (using yourself, someone else, or a
character you make up). These stories are going to be put together
in a class book that will stay in the classroom for you to read.
If everyone will give me permission, I would then like to take the
book to my class at the U of I and show your stories to them.
- Instruction: Writing on at least half of the page, each
child will make up her own story using the examples we have
discussed involving the meanings behind names given in the Native
American culture, or in your own life. On a blank sheet of
construction paper, she will illustrate her story, allowing room
to glue on the piece of notebook paper, which contains the story.
After each child completes the story and illustration, the sheets
of construction paper will then be put together for a class
book.
- Guided Practice (10 min.)- The children will work with
their partner they are seated next to and create a name for one
another. The square cards will be handed out, and each person must
write on it the name they are giving their partner and why. Some
questions to start the conversation would be, "What is your
favorite food, sport, color, or type of music?", "When or where
were you born?" and "Were you ever injured, sick, or in the
hospital?" Then ask the children to again tell you the group rules
used. They will name 1) quiet voices, 2) take turns, 3) No put
downs, and 4) use please and thank-you. Put my name on one side of
the board, and "Class" on the other side. As the teacher notices
these rules being abided by, the "class" will receive points. If
the rules are not being abided by, the teacher will receive
points. See who wins!
- Independent Work- After guided practice, children will
begin to work on their own story. Allow approximately 10 mins. to
begin work, and ask that the rest be completed in one week (due
the following Tuesday). The first draft will then be looked over
by their partners, who will make and suggest revisions. The final
draft and illustration will be due on Thursday.
Evaluation:
During the time for revision and on the final draft, informal
evaluation will be done by the teacher as she looks for the name
given, the explanation for it, grammatical errors such as capital
letters, periods, questions marks, and commas. In addition to these
specifics looked for in the first draft, a evaluation will be made
regarding whether or not the story makes sense, and how well the
children are putting what is in their mind, onto paper. Formal
evaluation and grades will not be given because this is one of the
first writing activities done this year.
Lesson Two- Social Studies
Objective:
Using the Social Studies text, chapter five on deserts, the
children will be introduced to certain topics. According to the topic
given to the specific group, the group will demonstrate knowledge of
their topic by writing two questions and answers regarding their
topic by working together in their cooperative groups.
Materials:
- Social Studies Text
- notebook paper
- pencils
Procedure:
- Anticipatory Set- focus the attention of the children
to the picture on pg. 92 of the text. Begin a discussion about
deserts and what they are like by asking the children to come up
with answers like what can you tell me about deserts from looking
at the picture. Come up with ideas of what types of animals and
plants might live in a desert and why from prior knowledge
children may have and also from the picture.
- Statement of purpose- "We are going to be studying
deserts this week. Some things we will find out are: The kinds of
animals that live in a desert; temperature fluctuations in a
desert; where a famous Native American, Maria Martinez, is from;
what Maria does that is unique to her and why; and how she makes
her famous artwork. You will be coming up with questions and
answers about these topics that will later be used in our review
game and on our test."
- Instruction- The children will be working in their
cooperative groups. Group one will develop two questions and
answers to the kinds of animals that live in a desert. Group two
will develop two questions and answers to the what the temperature
is like in the desert. Group three will develop questions and
answers to where Maria Martinez lives. Group four will develop two
questions and answers to what Maria does that has made her famous.
Group five will develop two questions and answers to what is
unique about her artwork. Group six will develop two questions and
answers that deal with how the artwork is created. Have children
generate the four rules they must follow when working in
cooperative groups- quiet voices, please and thank you, no put
downs, and taking turns.
- Guided Practice- Instruct the children to get into
their cooperative groups (they will turn their chairs around to
create a group of four). Each group will use the information in
their texts to develop questions and answers to this topic- wind
and water in the desert. The recorder will write the questions and
answers on paper, and the reporter from each group will then read
their groups questions to the class (the children will know who
the reporter and recorder is by looking at the group job board).
Remind the children to think of questions that would be good to
include in our review game and on our test. Also remind them to
read the questions and answers aloud to their group members to
make sure that they make sense. Allow 8-10 minutes.
- Independent group work- According to the topics to be
assigned to the groups, write the group number and topic on the
board for all groups, 1-6 (these are listed in part 3 of
instruction). The recorder from each group will write the
questions and answers from his group on a piece of paper to be
turned into the teacher. From these questions, and others, the
teacher will generate questions for the review and the test. Allow
approximately 10-13 minutes.
Evaluation:
Formal evaluation will be given when the papers have been turned
in. There will be a possibility of earning three bonus points which
will be applied to the test taken on this chapter. One point will be
given to each member of the group if they are working together in
their group cooperatively by following the four rules. A second point
will be given if the group has come up with two questions an answers
(as they were instructed to do). A third point will be given if the
questions and answers are relevant to the material in the chapter,
and if the questions are worded so they make sense and can be easily
understood.
Lesson Three- Math
Objective:
The children will practice problem solving by working in
cooperative groups to write the answer to the questions provided (see
attached page).
Materials:
- handout with the two questions
- scratch paper
- pencils
Procedure:
- Anticipatory set- Begin the discussion by asking the
questions, "Have any of you cook, helped your mom cooked, or done
something else that you needed to follow a recipe?" Allow time for
the children to explain what they have done. Continue to ask such
questions as: Was it hard to follow a recipe?; What types of
materials did you use to measure?; or What happens if a recipe is
not correct, and if you leave out one of the ingredients?
- Statement of Purpose- "We are going to be making clay
pots similar to the clay pots that Maria Martinez has made". "Like
some of you have done before, we are going to have to follow a
recipe. However, I have run into a few problems with making this
recipe large enough to serve the whole class. Therefore, I need
your help in solving these two problems."
- Instruction- The children will work in their
cooperative groups to solve the two problems on the handout to be
passed out to them. The answers will be written by the recorder on
only one sheet. This sheet will be turned in with all of the
members in the group receiving the same grade. The children will
generate the same rules they always use in their cooperative
groups and will follow them. The children are expected to include
two things in their answers: the thought process they used to come
up with the new recipe (one sentence is not acceptable- I am
looking for at least three sentences that explain why they changed
the recipe in the way that they did), and the new recipe generated
by the group.
- Guided Practice- In their groups, the students will
imagine that they are using the same natural resources in the
desert to create a recipe for making the clay pots that Maria
Martinez did. They will need to discuss how she made the pots,
what types of natural resources she would need to make the pots,
and other information about Maria and the desert in which she
lives. In their groups, the students will make up a recipe that
they would use to make the clay dough for a pot if they were
living in a desert. Allow approximately 10-15 minutes for this.
Then have the children share their solutions with the class.
- Independent work- The paper passer will then pass out
the handout with the two math problems on it and the children will
complete it in their cooperative groups. Allow 15-20 minutes for
this.
Evaluation:
Formal evaluation will be done by assigning a group grade to each
person in a group. The teacher will look for a demonstration of
problem solving skills through explanation of the thought process,
and arrival at the solution. There will be a possibility of five
points total. Three points will be given if the group included at
least three sentences that clearly explained the thought process they
used. One point will be given for coming up with a new recipe, and
the last point will be given if the recipe is correct. The points
will then be converted to percentages.
Math Recipes
Original Recipe:
2 Cups flour
1 Cup salt
1 Cup water
Mix the ingredients together in one large bowl. The recipe will
make enough dough to be shared among 4 people.
1.) This recipe will serve 4 students. However, there are 24
students in our class. How would you have to change the recipe to
serve 24 students? How much of each ingredient will you need?
.
.
.
2.) Half of the class is going to be with Ms. Denzin during the
time that we will make the dough. We don't want to make too much
dough because what we don't use right away will dry out. How will you
change the recipe to serve the amount of people that will be in the
classroom during that time? How much of each ingredient will you
need?
.
.
.
Lesson Four, part one-
Art
Objective:
Students will apply the techniques they have learned about making
clay pots, by making a clay pot of their own.
Materials:
- dough
- wax paper
- 12 hard chalk boards
- examples of clay pots
- pictures of clay pots
Procedure:
- Anticipatory Set- Cooperative group #6 will present
the questions and answers that they came up with in the social
studies lesson. The students will generate a discussion of how
Maria Martinez created the clay pots. The teacher may bring up
such questions as "How long do you think it took her to make one
pot?" or "Do you think it would be easy or hard to make a clay
pot, why?". Concrete examples of pottery will be provided and
illustrations will also be included. The class will discuss where
the pieces of pottery might have come from and how they were
created in that specific shape and color.
- Statement of Purpose- "Each of you are going to be
creating a clay pot from the dough we mixed during math. You will
imagine that you are in a desert, and you are making a clay pot
from actual clay. You will later complete the process of making
pots by painting them".
- Instruction- The children will arrange their desks in
their cooperative groups. The materials manager will get the
dough, four chalkboards, and four sheets of wax paper for her
group. The children will place the dough on the wax paper which
should be place on top of the chalkboard. The children will take a
ball of dough and shape and mold it in to the style of pot they
choose.
- Guided Practice- The teacher will first demonstrate the
approximate amount of clay to begin making the pot. She will begin
to form her own pot by discussing possible shapes and sizes. The
teacher will also discuss how to begin shaping the pot by creating
a flat bottom and then shaping the pot upward. In addition, the
teacher will demonstrate the collapsing of the pot and how this
situation should be handled by starting again without quitting the
project because of frustration.
- Independent work- The children will begin by putting
their desks in their cooperative groups and the materials manager
will get the materials. The children will be given approximately
30 minutes to make their pots. Discussion of how this activity
relates to the procedure Maria Martinez used will be
encouraged.
Evaluation:
Informal evaluation will take place to ensure that each child has
made one clay pot.
Lesson Four, part two-
Art
Objective:
Given their own clay pots, the students will continue the process
of creating a clay pot by painting it. Through open discussion, the
students will demonstrate an understanding of the difficult process
of molding and painting clay pots.
Materials:
- Paint- primary colors
- paint trays
- can of paint brushes
- clay pots
- butcher paper
- Xerox copies of sample paintings
- color pictures of clay pots
Procedure:
- Anticipatory Set- The children will be given the following
scenario: "Now that your pots are hard enough to paint, the next
thing we are going to do is paint them". "Pretend that you are in
the desert in the time and place that Maria Martinez was in, and
there aren't paint brushes or bottles of paint around". "What
would you use for paint?" "How would you make different colors?"
"What would you use for brushes?" Write these questions on the
board. Instruct the children to get into their cooperative groups
to come up with answers to these questions. Allow 5 minutes for
them to discuss these questions.
- Statement of Purpose- The children will paint their own clay
pots using some of the designs on the xerox copies or a design of
their own, in order to create a colorful and unique piece of art.
In addition the children will compare the advantages or
disadvantages that they have with those that Maria Martinez had by
discussing these as they work.
- Instruction- Students will work in groups of two with the
partner they are seated next to. Ask the children to generate the
four rules they use in cooperative groups which are to also be
followed during this activity, and write these rules on the board.
- Quiet voices
- Please and Thank you
- Taking turns
- No put downs
Explain to the children that we will use the same game as we did
the last time where I (the teacher) am considered to be one team,
and the entire class is considered to be the other team. Write
"Mrs. Maul" on one side of the chalkboard and "Class" on the other
side. As the teacher observes the four rules being followed, she
will comment on them and give a point to the class. An example of
this would be, "I like the way Jamie said thank you, therefore the
class gets a point". On the other hand if a child is not working
cooperatively, the teacher may say, "We do not use put downs n
this class, and I just heard one, therefore, I get a point (add
one point to the teacher's score). This continues until the entire
activity is over. If the class earns more points than the teacher,
the teacher must add an item to the junk store. If the teacher
gets more points than the class, an item gets taken out of the
junk store for the teacher to keep.
- Guided Practice- The teacher will talk about example designs
and colors that the students will see when they get their packet
of xerox copies. The teacher will discuss the width of lines and
compare that to the size of brush used, and will provide an
example of the consistency of the paint to be used.
- Independent Work- The children will be allowed to begin
painting. Have the paper passer pass out sheets of butcher paper
to cover the desks. Call rows 2,4,6 to get brushes. Make sure each
child from these rows takes two brushes, one for her partner and
one for her. Announce that when I see a group that is ready with
their paper and brushes, I will call them to get their pot, and
they may start painting as soon as I give them a paint tray and
the xerox copies that have designs and examples on them.
Evaluation:
Informal evaluation will take place to ensure that each students
completes the process of painting their clay pot. Through open group
discussion, the teacher will informally evaluate the depth of
understanding of the process needed to go through for Maria to
complete her clay pots, and for the students to complete their clay
pots.