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The Buffalo: A Way of Life for the Plains Indians
Eighth graders complete a KWL chart on the Plains Indians. After watching a video, they state the difference between legends and facts about the importance of the buffalo to Native Americans. They also practice their note-taking skills...
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How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun
Students explore U.S. history by reading a Native American tale in class. In this cultural storytelling lesson, students read the story How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun and discuss the characters and themes of the Native American...
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Dream Catchers
Fourth graders, after researching legends and the origin of Native American beliefs and thoughts about the use and importance of dream catchers in Native American cultures, create a Native American dream catcher. They use similar...
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The First Conservationists
Students read a story. In this Native American activity, students learn about Native Americans and their responsibility to take care of a place called Turtle Island. Students learn the vocabulary words generation, befall, interdependence...
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The Sun and Moon
Students understand basic concepts about Earth, the Sun and the Moon,
such as relative movement and the phases of the moon. Through discussion, looking at pictures, listening to Native American stories, observing, and building models,...
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Worksheet #3 Questions - Pacific Native American Indians
For this Native Americans of the Pacific worksheet, students test their knowledge through ten fill in the blank questions related to the aforementioned topic.
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Investigating the Earth-Moon-Sun System
Eighth graders research Native American legends involving the sun, moon, and stars and compare them to the origin of present day knowledge. They create a written report and make an oral presentation of their findings to the class.
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Osage, Legend, and Arkansas History
Elementary schoolers evaluate the legend of Norristown Mountain by looking at facts about the Osage Indians and the legend itself. They do an exploration of Arkansas' Native American groups which includes a look at their legends,...
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Pocumtucks in Deerfield
As part of a study of colonial and Native American history, class members focus on the beliefs and land use of the Pocumtucks, who settled near Deerfield, Massachusetts. Students examine their beliefs about land use and ownership, the...
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Native Americans
Students are introduced to the culture of a variety of Native American tribes through literature and related activities.
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Turtle Legends
Students listen to the legend, Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back. They create a new moon for the calendar based on this natural part of everyday life in the seasons. They illustrate it under the story using water color paints.
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Let's Look at Legends: Oregon quarter reverse
Analyzing historical legends is a fun way to develop critical-thinking skills. Pupils will use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast two historical legends relating to volcanoes. While this activity focuses on the image of Crater...
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Technology Rich Native American Unit
Student groups retell stories from Iroquois storytellers. They role-play Iroquois women, men and children and explain their roles. They read "Knots on a Counting Rope" and make up their own stories. They create timelines. They visit a...
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La Leyenda de Betsy Ross
Is your native Spanish-speaking class learning about American legends and the history of the United States? Introduce them to Betsy Ross, the woman often credited for the making of the first American flag! After reading the short...
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Native American Cultures
Learners investigate the Native American Heritage and explore their customs cultures. They discover characteristics of the Native Americans through the study of their art, artifacts, stories and symbols.
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Comparing Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl
Pupils examine similarities and differences between cultures. They'll see that literature, reading, and story telling is something all cultures have in common. They should construct Venn diagrams to help them compare and contrast the...
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Te Ata Fisher: The Award-Winning Chickasaw Storyteller
Storytelling is a time-honored way to keep a culture alive. Introduce middle schoolers to Te Ata Fisher, the famous Chickasaw storyteller who shared her stories, songs, and dances across the United States and Europe. Young historians...
Smithsonian Institution
Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth
There is a grain of truth in myths. Young historians investigate the truths surrounding the popular beliefs about the First Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After reading the information in a study guide, they use what they...
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Trickster Tale Comics: The Cunning Coyote
The trickster tale "The Coyote Places the Stars" tells how a coyote is sneaky but helpful. After listening to the tale, scholars use their imagination to create a trickster tale about a coyote, displaying their journey through a comic...
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Create Your Own Book: The Different Tales of Raven
The raven is the focus of a lesson that examines trickster tales and the different stories about the bird. After listening to three tales about the raven, scholars pinpoint and discuss descriptive words. Pupils use one story to...
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Mountain Creation: A Drama Exploration
Learners explore mountain formation. In this cross curriculum earth science and legend writing lesson, students listen to the poem "The Way to make Perfect Mountains" by Byrd Baylor and identify examples of vivid language used. Learners...
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Storytelling
Students study and participate in a Native American traditional learning experience--storytelling. They read legends and choose a legend to tell and illustrate.
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Kansas Clues
Students examine the Kansas state quarter and the Buffalo nickel and look for clue to help them identify why the bison was so important to the Native American. They perform "freeze frames" depicting Native American use of the bison.
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Contributions
Students explore the history of Canada by analyzing the First Nations' citizens. In this Native Canadian contributions lesson, students research the geography of Canada and create a book about the First Nations' involvement in the...