Native American Teaching Theme		Native American Theme, Vol. 2 Workbook
	Native American Theme, Vol. 1 Workbook		Native American Worksheets

Native American Lesson Plans

1. American Indian Leather Painting- Students will use paper bags to create stories that resemble old Indian leather paintings.
2. Earliest Americans: Native Americans- PDF format.
3. Lewis and Clark: Same Place, Different Perspectives- Students will compare how encounters during the expedition may have been viewed by the expedition and by Native American groups; and understand that peoples' perceptions of places and of other people are based on their own culture and experience.
4. Life of a Navajo Weaver- This unit for grades K-5 (including lessons for K-2 and 3-5 respectively) introduces students to Native Americans and various aspects of Native American weavings.
5. A Listening Doll- Students discuss the process of storytelling and listening to stories. Then, they create a listening doll in the tradition of the Native American storyteller dolls.
6. Make a Wampum Belt- Students will learn about the cultural and visual art traditions of coastal American Indian tribes. They will discuss the Native American barter system of economics, and explore wampum as a form of exchange.
7. Making a Rainstick- Students will learn about the history of the musical instrument called a rainstick. They will experience rain and create a poem about their feelings and thoughts in the rain.

1. Moccasins Are Made for Dancing- Students will read either of Tomie DePaola’s versions of two Native American legends: The Legend of the Bluebonnet or The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush. After learning basic dance movements, they will create a dance for the legend they read. They will also write about the dance for this legend.
2. Myth and Truth: The “First Thanksgiving”- Did the Wampanoag bring the pilgrims popcorn on the first Thanksgiving, as some versions of the story would suggest? Or is that just a myth?
3. Navajo Weaving- Through teacher-guided reading and discussion of Ten Little Rabbits, dance and hands-on activities students will explore various aspects of Native American cultures and Navajo weavings.
4. Native American Chants and Movement- This lesson will challenge students to create expressive movements inspired by traditional Native American chants and poetry. Background information on Native American tribes and their music and oral traditions will precede the reading of the chants and the creation of movement.
5. Native American Cultures Across the U.S.- How are American Indians represented in today's society? What objects and practices do we associate with Indian culture? What are some actual customs and traditions of specific Native American groups?
6. Native American Culture Continues to Change- As students prepare to learn about the monumental events of the late eighteenth century that created the cultural framework for our country as we know it today, it seems appropriate to reflect on what has happened to Indians in North America up to this point.
7. Native American Interdisciplinary Unit- "The Native American has for hundreds of years been stereotyped. To help children understand that what they see in movies and television is make believe and Hollywood scenarios and not the real life of the Native American, I teach this unit."
8. Native Americans- Students select a native american nation and research its culture. Students then complete a variety of on-line and off-line activities using the results of their research.
9. Native Americans- "Students will learn that many years ago there were many different Indian tribes who lived in America, and depended on the land for food, shelter and clothing."
10. Native Americans- "To introduce children to the culture of a variety of Native American tribes through literature and related activities."
11. Native Americans Across the Curriculum- PDF format.
12. Native Americans Today- Using this lesson plan, teachers can use photo essays to introduce students to Native children and their families, thereby countering the idea that Native people no longer exist.
13. Not 'Indians,' Many Tribes: Native American Diversity- One factor influencing Native American diversity is environment. Help your students study the interaction between environment and culture.
14. Not Just Another Native American Lesson Plan- PDF format.
15. Shelter of the Native American Tribes of the Eastern Woodlands Region- Students learn about the shelter used by many of the tribes that lived in the Eastern Woodlands region of the United States.
16. The Chesapeake Bay Watershed: Past, Present, and Future- In this Xpeditions lesson, students conduct research on the Chesapeake Bay, from Captain John Smith's explorations of Native American settlements in the early seventeenth century to the present, and examine how these changes over time can help.
17. Three Native American Groups- PDF format.
18. Totem Pole- As a result of this unit, the students will be able to produce Totem Poles to represent a story.
19. Traditions and Languages of Three Native Cultures: Tlingit, Lakota, & Cherokee- What are some of the traditions of the Lakota, Tlingit, and Cherokee? How is a people's language tied to its traditions? Why is it important to preserve the traditions and languages of native cultures?
20. What Was Columbus Thinking?- After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to: Identify three stated aims of Columbus's voyages.