American IndiansSecond Grade Level

Simone Dahlem

FocusAsk the students what they know about Indians and their cultures.

Knowledge questions:

Are Indians still around?

Were all Indians violent like lots of people think?

Is there just one kind of Indian?

• Materials: Power point presentation, clay, brown paper sacks, markers, related texts, and access to a computer.

• Lesson Time: Approximately one week.

Objectives

• By the end of the lesson the student will be able to:– Name at least three different Indian tribes during class

discussion.– Name three animals that Indians used in everyday

life.– Look at a map and point out where different Indian

tribes lived.– Name two different plants Indians used for dying

fabrics. – Identify at least three tools used by Indians on a work

sheet.

Related Texts

Title: Whale in the Sky Author: Anne SiberellPublisher: Houghton Mifflin

Title: When Clay SingsAuthor: Byrd BaylorIllustrator: Tom BahtiPublisher: Charles Scribner’s Sons

Related TextsTitle: The Goat in the RugAuthor: GeraldineIllustrator: Nancy Winslow ParkerPublisher: Four Winds Press

Title: In My Mother’s HouseAuthor: Ann Nolan ClarkIllustrator: Velino HerreraPublisher: Viking Press

ThinkingLearning

Technology

Speaking

Art

WritingDramaturgical

Devices

Reading

Viewing

Listening

Read books in theclassroom that relate

to our lesson. They willbe set up by the teacher.

Use clay to make their own versions of Indian pots. Take brown paper

sacks and rub them together until they are soft

like teepee covers anddraw Indian symbols on them.

The children will discuss different Indian tribes in groups

then present their findingsto the class.

The children will get onlineand look at maps with site links

to areas in the US wheredifferent Indian tribes lived.

The children will sit and listen to stories read bythe teacher. Possible

guest speaker. (Real Indian)

Children will sit and watch other groups

perform their own versionof a rain dance.

Children will develop their own rain dance and make Indian costumes to wearwhen they perform the

dance for the class.

Children will write ashort paragraph describing their favorite things Indians

made and why.

http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us/ALVE/NativeAmerhome.html/nativeamhome.html

For more informationon these tribes click on

the link above.

Modifications

Instead of having kids write a paragraph you could have them write a couple short sentences about their favorite things about Indians.

Also you could have one of the GT students read the Indian books to the kids instead of the reading on their own.