Lesson
Instructional Overview
Lesson Plan: TLED 435
Lesson Author: Kayla Fredette Date: 11/12/2021
Grade Level: 4th/ VA History
Subject Area: Social Studies
Time Allotment: Few days
Short Description (50 words max): In this lesson students will learn key information about
three Native American groups, the ways in which their climates influence them, about Native
American and Colonist relationships, and about where Native Americans are in today’s society.
There will also be a minor emphasis on maps and weather.
Rationale
This lesson is used to teach students about Native American cultures and interactions. It is highly
important for students to learn about these things because it helps them to see how culture and heritage is
important, as well as help them to understand why it is important to celebrate different cultures.
Standards
Curriculum Standards met in this lesson:
SOL: VS.2
d) locating three American Indian language groups (the Algonquian, the Siouan, and the
Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia;
e) describing how American Indians related to the climate and their environment to secure
food, clothing, and shelter;
g) describing the lives of American Indians in Virginia today.
VS.3
g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the native peoples, including
the role of the Powhatan in the survival of the settlers.
Skill Standard: VS.1
c) interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or
events in Virginia history;
d) recognizing points of view and historical perspectives;
e) comparing and contrasting ideas and cultural perspectives in Virginia history;
f) determining relationships with multiple causes or effects in Virginia history;
National Standards: D2
Geo.5.3-5. Explain how the cultural and environmental characteristics of places change over
dsfadfdfdfsftime.
Geo.8.3-5. Explain how human settlements and movements relate to the locations and use of
sdsfsdfsdsff various natural resources.
His.4.3-5. Explain why individuals and groups during the same historical period differed in
ffffffffffffffftheir perspectives.
NCSS Theme:
1) Culture
3) People, Places, and Environments
Other SOL:
4.6 The student will investigate and understand how weather conditions and phenomena occur and can be
predicted. Key concepts include
a) weather phenomena;
Instructional Outcomes:
Following this lesson, students should have a well-rounded understanding of where the three main Native
American language groups are located throughout the country. Students should be able to look at a map and
identify where these groups are located, as well as how their locations influence their daily lives. Once
students have grasped these ideals, they will be introduced to the beginnings of the relationship between
Native Americans and the colonists. They will be asked to compare and contrast the two ways of life, while
also taking it a step further to envision the two groups’ different perspectives.
Big Idea (or Compelling Question):
After completing this lesson students should have an understanding of the following:
The three Native American groups
How the groups dealt with their climates and surroundings
How the colonists and Native Americans first interacted
How current day Native Americans differ from their ancestors
The goal is for students to understand why we study these past and present cultures, and how we can make
changes to preserve them by looking into our past mistakes.
Essential Questions (or Supporting Questions):
1. How is the weather related to the consistent movement of different Native American
peoples?
2. How might we prove that the arrival of the colonists changed the lives of many Native
Americans?
3. Why do you think many of these Native American languages are now considered
endangered?
Vocabulary:
Algonquian
Siouan
Iroquoian
Colonists
Jamestown
Endangered
Perspectives
Natural Disaster
Migration
Natural Resources
Procedures
Staging the Question:
I will be using the book “My Life in an Algonquian Village” to introduce students to the first Native
American group we will be learning about. This book gives not only insight on Native American daily life, it
also gives some information on the Jamestown settlement. Then I will go over a quick introductory
PowerPoint or Prezi to introduce students to the 3 groups we will be learning about, as well as to give them
some more knowledge on who the colonists are.
Essential/Supporting Question #1:
How is the weather related to the consistent movement of different Native American peoples?
Featured Sources and Activities
As a class, we will review a map of the United States that shows the weather across the country. While
reviewing this map, we will talk about how different types of weather can influence where people live, as
well as how weather can affect the eb and flow of natural resources. Natural disasters will also be
discussed briefly.
This activity will happen after students have learned about where each Native American tribe
lived/traveled predominantly.
Formative Performance Task
Students will be divided into 3 groups to represent each of the Native American groups. Each group will be
given a large (Probably poster paper sized) blank map of the United States. They will be asked to label the
primary location of their assigned group, the natural resources the group relies on such as food and shelter,
the usual type of weather the location experiences, and the secondary location the assigned group may
relocate too. Once completed students will be asked to present their posters to the class as a group, giving
examples such as, “The Siouan tribe often traveled from A to B because they needed to follow the buffalo
herds in order to survive.”
Essential/Supporting Question #2:
How might we prove that the arrival of the colonists changed the lives of many Native Americans?
Featured Sources and Activities
Students will be given primary resources that give a first account between Native Americans and the
Colonists, one from the Native American point-of-view, and one from the Colonists point-of-view. They will
be asked to analyze each piece and write a short description of how they interpreted them.
Formative Performance Task
Students will be asked to write a journal/dairy entry as if they were one of the Native Americans or
Colonists at the first meeting between the two. They will need to identify which tribe they are from, as
well as where they are having this meeting. The student will also need to include at least 3 vocabulary words
(can be other words than just what is listed above).
Essential/Supporting Question #3:
Why do you think many of these Native American languages are now considered endangered?
Featured Sources and Activities
As a class we will read the book, “We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know” by
Tracie Sorell. We will then have a class discussion regarding the topics covered in the book, as well as how
students were feeling about the book.
Formative Performance Task
Students will be asked to write a response to this book, as well as include their feelings about the loss of so
many Native American people and cultures. They will need to include 1 text-to-self connection and 1 text-
to-world connection is this response.
They will also be asked to include one way they think we could incorporate, encourage, and support the
inclusion of Native American cultures and practices in our classroom and community.
Summative Performance Task and Extension
This will be a group project. Students will be placed in groups of 3 or 4 if and asked to create a
short PowerPoint to educate the class about their Native American group. They will need to
provide a map showing where their group lived, as well as discuss their daily lives, cultural
practices, key members, and their experiences with colonists. Students will be given time to work
on the project during class time either on their devices or in the computer lab. They will then
present to the class.
If there are a number of students who do not wish to participate in the group aspect of the
project, they will be permitted to create the project on their own.
Taking Informed Action
Provide appropriate activities that represent the students’ ability to understand the issues evident from
the inquiry in a larger and/or current context, assess the relevance and impact of the issues, and to act
in ways that allow students to demonstrate agency in a real-world context. This activity should extend
on the lesson after completion of the summative performance task, and provide students with opportunities
to apply their learning in real-world contexts (e.g., classroom, home, school, community).
Understand -
Assess -
Act -
Reflection
Effective educators consistently engage in reflection-in-action (during) and reflection-of-action (after).
Reflection can also occur prior to instruction, known as “reflection-for-action.” In this reflection, you are
asked to reflect prior to instruction based upon your experiences developing the lesson, interacting with
peers in the developmental process, and after receiving feedback from your instructor. Consider what you
have personally learned from the developmental process, the fears and uncertainties associated with
planning, and the challenges and epiphanies that emerged during the planning.