Curated OER
Native American Literature
Introduce your class to the writing of the indigenous Americans and, even more well known, their story telling. An engaging presentation describes what kinds of texts would be included in the oral stories performed and some common...
Curated OER
Native American Legends
Students create a "legend" about an animal. In this Native American legends lesson, students define the purpose and importance of Native American legends. Students read "Why the Possum's Tail is Bare" and "Earthmaker's Lodge"...
Curated OER
Moccasins Are Made for Dancing
Students explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Students then study basic Native American dance movements prior to...
Curated OER
Songs of Native Americans
Students listen to chapter from novel When Legends Die by Hal Borland, listen to traditional Lakota song, discuss feeling song induces and in what circumstance it may be used, and examine connection between cultural music and family...
Curated OER
Native American Storytelling
Eleventh graders examine the background of Native American myths and legends. In this American History lesson plan, 11th graders read a myth out loud to their classmates. Students compare and contrast their myths with other...
Annenberg Foundation
Placing Artifacts in Time
Can history distort the true story behind famous people? Scholars analyze the many faces of the Native American Pocahontas. Incorporating technology and historical thinking skills, they uncover the many different sides to the Pocahontas...
Annenberg Foundation
Native Voices
The Navajo people build their dwellings with the doors facing the rising sun in the east to welcome wealth and fortune. Pupils learn about the traditions of the Navajo people in the first part of a 16-part unit. They explore American...
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...
Curated OER
Anonymous Patriots: Songs of the Revolution
Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...
Curated OER
Comparing Land Views of Different Cultures
Students research various legends and write a script based on that legend. In this cultural awareness lesson, students read the Native American legend telling of the origin of the earth. Students analyze how the concepts in...
Channel Islands Film
Dark Water: Lesson Plan 3 - Grades 6-12
After watching the documentary Dark Water about a traditional Chumash ceremony and reading a Chumash origin story, viewers are asked to create a coat of arms and to craft an essay that details a family tradition or their own origin story.
Curated OER
Gluskap Story Skits
Students read and analyze a Gluskap (Algonquin legend) story. Together, they discuss the morals and values these stories demonstrate and in groups, create and perform an imaginative skit based on one of them. They perform their skits for...
Race Briges Studio
I am Indopino: Or, How to Answer the Question, "Who Are You?"
In our increasingly multi-ethnic society, many students find it difficult to identify themselves as belonging to any one ethnicity. Gene Tagaban, a Tlingit, Cherokee, Filipino offers his personal experiences with these questions in his...
Curated OER
Folktales: "The Storytelling Stone"
Learners create a folktale after finding out the importance of folktales in different cultures. In this folktales instructional activity, students determine the definition of a folktale and read a "The Storytelling Stone." ...
Curated OER
First Nations Contributions
Eleventh graders recognize the contributions made my Indigenous people around the world. In this research skills instructional activity, 11th graders research native peoples of several countries and create presentations that feature the...
Curated OER
Mountain Myths
Students become familiar with Native American myths and legends created to explain volcanic activity. They apply the clustering, writing process and peer-editing techniques to the writing of an original myth about Mount St. Helens
Curated OER
Pocumtucks In Deerfield
Students read a story about the Pocumtucks' religious beliefs. Using the text, they discover their concept of land ownership and how they migrated within their territory in different seasons. They use primary and secondary sources to...
Curated OER
Native American Folklore
Students create a paper that differentiates between written and oral history. They also create a visual narrative that is interpretative.
Curated OER
The Cherokee: The Principal People (Ani-Yunwiya), 1700 - 1838
Students read passages and research the Cherokee Tribe and write an account of a typical day as a Cherokee Native American. In this Cherokee lesson plan, students listen to Cherokee music, read Cherokee passages, fill out worksheets, and...
Curated OER
Myths of the Wild West
Students examine the Wild West as it was depicted in films and books. In groups, they compare this information to what it was really like as they find out in books. They also discover the role of the Native Americans in the Wild West...
Curated OER
Worksheet #5 Questions - Tribes of the Southwest
In this Tribes of the Southwest term quiz, learners define the meaning of several terms so that they may further their own historical knowledge on the aforementioned topic.
Curated OER
Hoosier Artists
Students examine the paintings of various Indiana artists. Using the internet, they relate the landscapes shown to the history of the state and how it affected Native Americans. Using the information they gathered, they write story...
Curated OER
ESL Thematic Unit
High schoolers explore a thematic unit to strengthen literacy skills. The search for literacy is based upon the using of myths and legends to encourage the appreciation for other cultures. The varued activities strengthen literacy by...
Curated OER
Pocahontas: Ambassador to the New World
Students watch the video "Pocahontas: Ambassador to the New World," complete a vocabulary list and discuss the video using the provided questions.