Curated OER
Caloric Expenditure in Powwow Dancing
Sixth graders investigate the meaning of different types of Native American music and dance. They determine how this music and dance has contributed to modern music and dance. They problem solve to determine the average length of the...
Curated OER
Reading Images: Maconaquah
Students examine a portrait of Maconaquah and compose a list of things they observe about her. They look at her age, clothing, jewelry, and her emotions based on her facial expression. Conclusions are drawn as they "read" the pictures...
Curated OER
VH1's When Disco Ruled the World
Young scholars choose a minority culture or an event and research the musical influences of that culture or event on American popular music. They discuss how minority cultures and events in American society influenced the Disco era.
Curated OER
The Four Corners Region of the United States Cultures, Ruins and Landmarks
Students who live in the inner city are introduced to the four corners region of the United States. In groups, they examine how the region differs compared to where they live and their culture. They develop maps of the area and locate...
Curated OER
Maps of Indian Territory, the Dawes Act, and Will Rogers' Enrollment Case File
Students, in groups, analyze one map at a time, first the 1885 map, then the 1891 map. After they have completed the analysis sheets, they compare the two maps and answer questions imbedded in the plan.
Curated OER
Ta he thaw nu ha la tu-Traditional Oneida Song
Students practice singing a traditional Oneida song. They discuss the meaning in both the English and Oneida languages and how the words to this song demonstrate important feelings for the Oneida people.
Curated OER
No Man is an Island
Students sing the melody of the song, "No Man is an Island," in the Oneida native language. They memorize the song and discuss how the words demonstrate important feelings of the Oneida people.
Curated OER
Tapping the Trees-Traditional Oneida Song
Students practice singing the song, Tapping the Trees. They discuss the meaning in both the English and Oneida languages and how the words to this song demonstrate important feelings for the Oneida people.
Curated OER
Jazz in America
Young scholars explore jazz and its origins by focusing on the people in which Jazz came from.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hopi Traditional Dance and Song
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
Curated OER
Baroque Composers
Fourth graders study Baroque composers. In this music activity, rotate trough three stations, collecting information on particular Baroque composers. Worksheets, information cards, and procedure included.
Curated OER
Music ; Oneida Harvest Song
Students practice singing the harvest song in their native Oneida language and English. They sing the lyrics to the melody of "Children Go Where I Send Thee." Students discover the meaning of the song as it expresses thankfulness to...
Curated OER
Music - Touch the Wind
Students study the Oneida song "Touch the Wind". They discuss the meaning and sentiment of the piece. Students use important singing techniques including good breathing, dynamics, and pitch. Students illustrate of the meaning of the song.
Curated OER
Music: The Earth Is My Mother
Students sing The Earth Is My Mother in English and discuss its meaning to the Oneida people. They copy the words in the Oneida language and practice singing it in their native tongue. Students discover how the song relates to the...
Curated OER
California's Mission/Rancho Era
Fourth graders complete a variety of activities as they study the Spanish colonization of California, including the relationships among missionaries and Indians and their interactions with soldiers and people in the pueblos and ranchos.
Curated OER
Traditions of Tribal Sharing
Students examine the idea of tribal sharing in the Native American community. They read a story about Native Americans and note the ways they are helping others. They draw a picture showing one of these acts.
Curated OER
The Cherokee: The Principal People (Ani-Yunwiya), 1700 - 1838
Learners read passages and research the Cherokee Tribe and write an account of a typical day as a Cherokee Native American. For this Cherokee lesson plan, students listen to Cherokee music, read Cherokee passages, fill out worksheets,...
Curated OER
Story Writing
Students master their compare and contrast writing skills by choosing an American cultural element (fashion, food, religion, etc.) and comparing it to the same element of another culture.
Curated OER
Rhythm
Fifth graders listen to a song from a compact disc called "Talking Spirits" and discuss whether they have ever heard music like that before and who might be playing the instruments and the music. They try to identify the instruments...
Curated OER
Picturing America: Images and Words of Hope from Romare Bearden and Langston Hughes
A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...
Curated OER
Christopher Columbus: The Man, the Myth, the Legend
Learn more about maps by examining Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. Kindergartners will learn about basic map skills and how to identify the compass rose, oceans, and land masses. They will also discover the purpose of...
Curated OER
Nature's Magic Elixir
Students do research to discover the importance of water in the world and its effect upon our daily lives. They will also appreciate the beauty of water and how it is so adaptable within nature.
Curated OER
Facial Tattoos or Face Painting
Students use a grid-like method to create a life-size self-portrait from a 3X5 black and white photo. They explore the different customs and rituals surrounding face painting from ancient through modern civilizations. Students create a...
Curated OER
Coyote and Anansi
Students explore the structure of folktales. For this coyote and Anansi lesson, students discuss the attributes of folktales as they read versions of tales featuring coyote and Anansi. Students collaborate to write and perform their own...