Native American Writing Activities

Integrating social studies into writing can be a lot of fun - whether it be creative, informational, or argumentative writing, kids never seem to get writer's block with Native American culture! 

Here are some we did: 

After studying the Northwest coastal tribes, students chose spirit animals to represent each person in their family. They then wrote a paragraph about why they chose which animal and what the animal represented, all wrapped up nicely between an introductory and conclusion statement. 

We also created totem poles using THIS template you can purchase from Rockin Resources on TPT. And a LOT of paper towel and toilet paper rolls! Pringles cans work well too, we discovered.  

Using a Scholastic Article, students argued whether the use of Native American mascots in sports was insulting or honoring. 

While studying American Indian legends, we recognized the symbolism of birds. Birds were often used as clan symbols by many native regions. Previously, in reading small groups, we had analyzed "How The Raven Stole the Sun" - free copy here. 

We also did a close read on Eagles and Owls, identifying compare and contrast signal words. Using this information, we wrote short paragraphs comparing and contrasting the two. 

Great FREE information from the US Army Corps of Engineers to go along with an Eagle study HERE (articles, activities, build an eagle wing, etc.) 

Pilgrims and Refugees

Thanksgiving - the moment we pause and remember that we were all once refugees - seeking asylum in an unknown place. What a powerful history we have of immigration. I think of this every time I look around my classroom - the diversity we experience in this country is incredible. So many roots - European, African, Asian, Middle Eastern, Latino. Five continents represented in my small, mid-west classroom. 

Because of this, I use Thanksgiving as a time for students to reflect on their own heritage through a family history project. This research continues after break and turns into our Christmas Around the World Study. You can read more about the Heritage project HERE. 

During reading, I love reading the beautiful and powerful How Long Till America. It is a great read aloud and really helps generate lots of discussion on immigration, beliefs, rights, and governments - all fifth grade social studies topics! Win. Win. Win! 

We watch the classic school house rock highlighting America as a "Great Melting Pot" and our great immigrant heritage: 

In addition, the day before break we do a little Thanksgiving celebration. Because we are in the middle of Native American studies, we do a Southwest American Indian craft - Sand Art! 

Students Sand Art Creations! 

In math, we use fractions and measuring to make cornbread - again referencing Native culture and the use of Maize as a diet staple. We also discuss the mixing of cultures when the Pilgrims came - hence the making of butter for our cornbread, something that could not have been done in North America prior to the arrival of European livestock. 

Student taking his turn "churning" our butter in a jar. 

And of course, what Thanksgiving celebration would be complete without the very American tradition of Charlie Brown??

Andrew Jackson's Face...

...is soon to be leaving our 20 dollar bills ... this was cause for cheers and celebration in my classroom earlier this school year. Prior to the announcement that Harriet Tubman, a minority AND a woman - GO AMERICA! was going to be replacing Old Hickory, we had studied the Trail of Tears.

As you know, the Trail of Tears marks one of the most controversial actions during Andrew Jackson's presidency - and an unfortunate study during any Native American Cultural unit. 

Blending both reading and social studies, I do a sequence activity summarizing the dreaded Western march of the Cherokee Indians. 

Together, we do a close reading of an article on the Trail of Tears, sharing our thinking in the margins and circling key sequencing words In the beginning, next, finally. 

Using this information, we number the the travel sequences (6) and students work in pairs to summarize each event on a slip of square paper. Students than recreate the journey on a map and place the sequenced events on it, in the order that they occurred. 

Students gain a lot of insight during this activity and come away from the experience with a lot of knowledge and empathy for the Cherokee people. 

"So get Back, Back, Back to ...Native Americans"

Yes, this is totally a Sugarcult reference! "back, back, back to where we lasted..."

Since this is my life...

and yours, I'm sure. 

I just want you to know, all of you who find time to blog ... you are my heroes! 

I am playing blog catch up!

So come back, back, back with me to our Native American Unit: 

Before studying each Native American Region, I try to present artifacts that I have collected over the years in different ways to help engage the kiddos in inquiry. 

For the Great Plains, since it is our first region, I show then the items, and break down the inquiry thought process (really it is to model where I want their thinking to go when they do the activity later independently). 
For the Southwest, students observed the items as groups and discussed together their uses, what they would have been made from, etc. and which region we were about to study. 

For the Eastern Woodland the kids completed museum inquiry sheets as they walked our "museum" of artifacts. They were not allowed to touch the artifacts this time - observing like it was a museum. 

For the Northwest Coast, I had the students do a picture thought walk of the different artifacts. I placed them in the middle of large posters and they students walked around jotting down their thinking on each item. 

For the Southeast, we pretended to be Archaeologists who had uncovered artifacts in the ground pertaining to daily life. We had learned that Archaeologists take detailed notes about the items they discover and often add a labeled sketch in their notebooks. The students practiced describing the item, sketching the item and, like good historians, predicted what they thought the item would have been used for. 

For the Arctic, they look at the items and come up with inquiry questions of their own as if they were creating a test/assessment as a teacher. 
Overall, using artifacts and pictures in the classroom has proved to be a great way to help students develop good thinking skills, get them excited about learning and the new unit, and it gives them something tangible to connect with and discover. 

Aztec vs. Spanish Points of View

In reading, we have been focusing heavily on Point of View (first person, second person, third person-objective, limited, omniscient). I am always trying to integrate social studies into every subject and this particular standard blends perfectly! 

ELA: RL. 5.6 Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.

Social Studies (MI): 5: 4.1 Describes the convergence of Europeans and American Indians in the Americas after 1492 from the perspective of each group. 

After learning about the reading skill through our reading program, we read two different accounts on the early interactions of Cortez and the Aztec empire. Using the pronouns, students identified whether the accounts were first, second, third (objective, limited, omniscient). 

If you are interested in trying this activity out with your kiddos, pick it up FOR FREE HERE!

We than did a CLOSE reading on an article that shared the misconceptions and cultural differences between the two groups. Students shared their thinking notes that they had jotted down with their table groups. 

Next, they worked on creating three different points of view from either an Aztec or a Spaniard. I required them to write a minimum of two sentences per point of view. Since fifth grade really only needs to know first and third person, I added a bonus where they could practice second person and third person limited - some did! 

Finally, they added their sentences to our class chart depending on who's POV they chose. 

 First Person POV - Spaniards

 Third Person limited POV - Spaniard

 Third Person Omniscient POV - Aztec and Spaniard perspective

In the end, it was really good for them to actually write in the different points of view and it really helped them be able to articulate "How a narrators point of view change how events are described." If you are interested in trying this activity out with your kiddos, pick it up FOR FREE HERE!