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Teaching about Native Americans and the Truth About Thanksgiving to Students

November 21, 2013 by Wise Guys 4 Comments

It's easy to get trapped in the misconceptions surrounding Thanksgiving and Native Americans! Here's some invaluable tips for covering the truth of both topics in the upper elementary classroom.

As a child, I was raised in a white, middle-class household. We did not live in a diverse area of central Wisconsin. In fact, I had never seen a non-white person in the city until I was a teenager. As a child, I had watched Westerns on TV, and often played Cowboys and Indians outside with my neighbors. It was common for my friends and I to get upset when we had to be the Indians.

When I attended elementary school, we did not really talk about Native Americans until Thanksgiving approached. I was taught by my teachers that the Pilgrims and Indians had this big feast together and that is why we celebrate Thanksgiving. I was under the impression that the Pilgrims shared their food with the Indians to be nice. I also made the assumption that because of the way the Indians dressed, as seen in drawings about the feast, they did not have a lot. 

It was not until when I became an elementary school teacher, did I take the time to educate myself about the struggles of Native Americans and the atrocities they went through during the formation of the United States. As an educator, my primary purpose in teaching social studies to my students, is so they can learn from the mistakes of the past, especially when it came to the treatment of the non-white groups living in the United States.

When teaching about Native Americans, I always ask my students the question, “What do you know about Native Americans?” I tell the students that I record all responses, whether they are right or not. It is amazing to see many misconceptions that still exist. I then share with them the below document and we discuss.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-American-Cultures-Unit-Activity-Aligned-to-Common-Core-553682


After the discussion, I show them a youtube video about the stereotypes of Native Americans in the movies. You can find the link here. I use the think-pair-share strategy to have the students talk about what they saw, and how it made them feel about how Native Americans were portrayed on the big screen.


I then begin teaching my unit on the Native American tribes before European settlers came. I make sure my students know that there were thousands of unique tribes in America, but we study four different regions were there were certain commonalities. In the unit, the eight strands of social studies are covered.  There are over 50 pages of resources and activities. Take a look below at some samples from the Native American Cultures Unit.

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-American-Cultures-Unit-Activity-Aligned-to-Common-Core-553682
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-American-Cultures-Unit-Activity-Aligned-to-Common-Core-553682
http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Native-American-Cultures-Unit-Activity-Aligned-to-Common-Core-553682


Then, of course, comes the discussion of Thanksgiving. After wondering about what actually happened before, during, and after the feast, I began to research this holiday that has become a day to give thanks nationwide. I uncovered a strained relation between the Pilgrims, new settlers, and Wampanoag after the gathering. I have created an informational text activity that takes a look at both the Pilgrims and Wampanoag’s viewpoints

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/History-Detectives-Pilgrims-vs-Native-American-Informational-Text-Activity-984704


If we are to learn from history, we have to uncover the truth and share it with our students. We have to move away from the eurocentric view of the world, to a view through all peoples’ lenses.

It's easy to get trapped in the misconceptions surrounding Thanksgiving and Native Americans! Here's some invaluable tips for covering the truth of both topics in the upper elementary classroom.
Photo credit. 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12, activity, Culture, Indians, lesson plan, Native Americans, Plains, resource, Southwest, Thanksgiving, unit, West, Woodland

Guided Reading in the Common Core Classroom

January 28, 2013 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

Guided Reading has been around for a while. It may have been called something different in the past, but this method is still the best way to help your students succeed in the Common Core reading classroom.
 
Guided Reading is designed to help students read both literature and instructional text at their instructional levels while incorporating reading strategies to help them make sense of text.
 
One of the most important parts of guided reading is the teaching and utilization of graphic organizers. These organizers help students make sense of text in a visual way. You can access three of the FREE graphic organizers we use in our classrooms by clicking on their names: Venn Diagram, KWL Chart, and Describing Wheel. We also have a super bundle of 25+ graphic organizers that you can access by clicking here.

A  second method we use during guided reading are reading comprehension guides. These guides are designed to teach students how to use various reading strategies in a fun and engaging way. Click here to access our FREE guided reading tips, hints, and strategies. This resource has been downloaded over 35,000 times!

 

 FREE Reading Guides

Click on the following names for two FREE examples of reading guides we use in our Common Core classroom: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and James and the Giant Peach. Each guide also includes an answer key.

 

To access over 50 guides we have created for intermediate level (grades 3-5) novels, you can click here. Title such as The Lightning Thief, Swindle, Bridge to Terabithia, Rules, The Red Pyramid and more can be found.
 
If you would like to get started on creating your own reading comprehension guides, remember to focus on reading strategies.  Guides can be adapted for any grade level and any book. Try to include some fun activities as well (end of book projects, word finds) to keep the students excited about the books!
 
Our students are actively engaged during guided reading and it has made all the difference. Watch your district and state assessment scores rise by using guided reading in your Common Core reading classroom!

Filed Under: common core, guided reading Tagged With: activity, classroom, lesson, resource

Common Core Standards are Here to Stay!

October 30, 2010 by Wise Guys Leave a Comment

 Common Core Standards

The Common Core standards are here to stay whether we like it or not. So, it is time to hop on board and start implementing the standards in your classroom. It’s not that hard, it just takes some time to figure out what the new standards are asking us teachers to do.

 

We have been working on correlating our resources with the Common Core Standards that most states have adopted. It does take time and effort to do this. We suggest working with colleagues and going through the standards together. As you go through the standards, you will want to do the following:

  • meet with both the grade level above you and below you to find out what is taught so there is a smooth transition between grades.
  • unpack the standards-break each standard down into key words and phrases and be able to understand what the standard is asking you to teach
  • see how the standards can be tied together across disciplines. Reading and writing are natural areas for this.
  • invite specialists into the conversation. These would be your Gifted and Talented teachers, Reading Resource teachers, English Language Learners, and Special Education to name a few. It is always better to get a broader perspective to best meet the needs of the students.
  • Make your units and lessons relevant and engaging. The Common Core allows you to do this!

Using the Common Core

 

“Common Core” does not have to be a bad word in your school district. It does lay a solid foundation for students. It also provides rigor in schools across the nation. Take this as time to look at what you are teaching. Truly evaluate the materials you are using are meeting your students needs.

The Common Core is the foundation of your overall goals in each content area. How you get there can be up to you! Make sure that you have a major seat at the table with any curriculum adoptions in your school district. Be a voice that matters!

 

Eric and I, from Wise Guys, pride ourselves on creating highly engaging and relevant Common Core lessons for our grades 3-6 students.  Check out our activities, lesson plans, printables, worksheets, reading comprehension guides, projects and more by clicking on our logo below!

Wise Guys logo red circle

Filed Under: assessment, common core, guide, informational text Tagged With: activity, common core, lesson, literature, resource, standards, worksheet

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Wise Guys from Teachers Pay Teachers Welcome to our site! We have been teaching for over 30 years at the intermediate grade level (4-6). We pride ourselves on creating lessons that are engaging, meaningful, and aligned with the Common Core Standards. We love teaching, and love sharing our resources with other teachers. We hope you can find some activities that you can use in your classroom!

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