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The Kapok (Ceiba) Tree
Students explore the rainforest. They listen to The Great Kapok Tree and create a web using Inspiration software. They research kapok trees and create posters to make others aware of the plight of the rainforest. They role-play the...
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Conquistador
Eighth graders, after a warm up involving a professional basketball player playing a game against fifteen fifth graders, describe what a conquistador is and how they were able to take over the ancient Indian empires found in the...
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Paragraph Matching
Young scholars complete an activity sheet. In this paragraphs lesson, students discuss the essential parts of a paragraph. Young scholars practice thinking of body sentences to support a topic sentence. Students complete an activity...
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Prairie Voices: Iowa and the Civil War
Students study how the Civil War affected Iowa natives. In this Iowa history lesson, students read the provided article on Iowa and its Civil War experiences. Students analyze the article to determine how the war affected civilians and...
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Aztec and Mayan Mythology
Here's a fresh take on a mythology unit. Use the myths of the Mayan and Aztec peoples of Mesoamerica instead of the more traditional Greek and Roman stories. This abstract suggests possible approaches and resources that can be...
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American Indians and Their Environment
Learners create a storyboard of the three American Indian language groups showing the geography of where they lived and how they adapted to the environment. They compare European and American Indian views of nature and explain how these...
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Art to Zoo: India-Where Remarkable Differences Are Ordinary
Students "visit" India to learn about its culture and the lives of children in India. In this India lesson, students conduct research and report on the lives of Indian children in the form of a mock interview between a journalist and an...
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Navajo Code Talkers
Students investigate the Navajo Code Talkers and their role in World War II. They complete a Webquest, explore various websites, encode a short message, analyze maps, answer discussion questions, and read newspaper articles about secure...
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Our Natural Resources
Students discuss key terms used to describe ecosystems and how humans are altering natural resources. They listen to the book, Grandfather's Wisdom, and list the renewable and nonrenewable resources they have used or consumed in the past...
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Hello, How Do You Do?
Students role play proper greetings and etiquette in formal and informal work and social situations. Students compare and contrast introductions and conversational conventions in their native country and in the United States by writing...
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Water - Planning for the Future
Students explore and examine the increases and/or decreases for water user groups: irrigation, municipal, manufacturing, steam electric power generation cooling, livestock, and mining. They utilize percentage changes during their...
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New Netherland: The Early Years
Students examine the early years of the New Netherlands colony. In this Social Studies lesson, students role play from the perspective of the Dutch West India Company, the settlers and the native population.
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Sacred Art
Students view a PowerPoint about Tibetan monks to help them explain the culture's world views, myths and religious beliefs. They investigate Navajo sand paintings and compare how they are similar to the Tibetan monks' artwork.
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Conflict And Cooperation
Fourth graders engage in a study of how cultural indian tribal groups cooperated or had conflicts amongst themselves. The research is conducted using a variety of resources and students make connections to their own culture. The skills...
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American Indian Reservation Controversies
Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American history lesson, students research the reservation controversies of the 1870's. Young scholars use problem based...
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The Tempest
Students discuss cultural beliefs about magic. They investigate European exploration and colonialism. They create a cartoon strip of an episode that is described or dramatized in the play.
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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...
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Understanding Treaties: Students Explore the Lives of Yakama People Before and After Treaties
Students role play positions in the Walla Walla treaty negotiations. They identify the significance of the Sacred Circle and other beliefs of the Native Americans. They discover the complications the tribes faced after the treaties...
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Thanksgiving Unit
Second graders identify: why the Pilgrims came to America; how they adjusted to life in America; what impact the Native Americans had on the survival of the Pilgrims; and what events brought about the First Thanksgiving.
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Raven Mask
Students explore the artistic expressions of the Northwest Native American Indians and using traditional palette of colors, create a personal interpretation of the traditional raven mask.
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Teaching Lewis and Clark: Challenge to Communicate
Students note instances in the journals of Lewis and Clark where they relied on non-verbal communication (sign language.) They discover some basic sign language and play a game in which they must use their new sign language skills to...
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Broadcast from the Past
Pupils will be responsible for presenting (either performing live or videotaping and playing) a newscast dealing with an aspect of the Civil Rights Movement that connects to the unit topic of media and social justice. During the...
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Diplomatic Misunderstandings: Indian Treaties and the Black Hawk War
Learners examine and discuss the U.S./Native American treaty process of the early 19th century. They write essays describing the events behind the 1804 and 1816 treaties, and their assessment of U.S. diplomatic interactions with the...
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Quilts, Warmth with History
Students examine numerous quilts that show the culture and history of Nebraska. Using the internet, they view quilts from different points in history and discuss them as a class. They examine the role quilts play in discovering...