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Grade 4 3-1 A, B; 3-2 Instructional Resources

Page history last edited by Pam Merrill 1 year, 7 months ago

 

Northeast Region 

Lesson Ideas

Inquiry Tasks

  • Ask students to brainstorm prior understandings related to the concept of culture. Invite students to interview each other, using the My Culture, Your Culture guide, and seeking similarities in family customs. Ask students to consider how geographers look at culture and the characteristics that make up a people's culture, using the presentation, What is Culture, provided by the Oklahoma Council for Socials Studies. Ask student groups to create an illustrated graphic organizer depicting major cultural traits. How do cultures change over time? 

  • Invite students to consider how food is cultural trait that people from the same geographic region often share. But why? Using photographs from What We Eat, courtesy of Material World, ask students to analyze types of food they see in family kitchens and what this evidence can tell us about physical geography and family cultures. Encourage students to use the photo analysis guide to note their observations and guide their conclusions. 

  • Invite students to engage in an overview of the Indian cultural regions of the United States, using the PBS 3-minute videoclip Native American First Look, and the classroom presentation American Indian Cultural Regions. Ask students to create a flipbook foldable for noting how each group used natural resources of the region and adapted to its climate in order to develop a unique culture.   

  • Engage students to brainstorm what they think they know about American Indians and their culture, using the lesson, Representing Native Americans Today, provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Are all Indian cultures alike? What might account for differences, as well as similarities? Ask students to compare their prior understandings throughout the year, as they learn more about the different indigenous peoples of each region. Consider using children's literature suggestions from the lesson to guide comparisons. 

  • Ask students to examine the culture of the Algonquian people of the Northeast, using a narrative, Northeast Early Life. Create Super-Sized Summary notes of how the Algonquian used the environment to develop their culture and economy. Continue to examine another group of indigenous people of the region- the Iroquois of the Northeast, noting significant details about the Iroquois on a graphic organizer.  Ask student groups to create a wall-sized Venn Diagram noting similarities and differences between these groups and their own cultural group.

  • Use the classroom presentation, People of the Northeast, provided by O.C.S.S., to explore how early American Indians of the region used their environment to develop unique cultures and economies, based on the natural resources of the area and trade networks.   

  • Introduce students to the concept of alliances among indigenous people by examining the purpose and accomplishments of the Iroquois League, as presented in Our League of the Iroquois, provided by O.C.S.S.  How did the league compare to agreements by the early American colonies to unite? How does it compare to modern states or cities who cooperate together for specific needs or projects? 

  • Engage students in an extended analysis of the impact of immigration to the Northeast over many years, using the inquiry task, Immigration, developed by the C3 teachers of New York. Challenge students to investigate the experiences faced by immigrant groups who traveled through ports, such as New York City (Ellis Island) in order to appreciate the cultural diversity of the Northeast region. Ask students to consider the initial hopes of immigrants and their reasons for coming to America versus the realities of establishing a new life. Ask students to analyze the set of provided print and visual primary sources to debate the question, “Did the American Dream come true for immigrants?” 

  • Ask students to consider if they believe the United States has its own unique culture, which could be called an "American" culture. Because our country is the home of many different indigenous people and immigrants from many countries, ask students if the image of a "melting pot" accurately defines an "American" culture. Using ideas from the article American Culture  and the lesson America Home for Everyone, provided  by the Kennedy Center, ask students to brainstorm traits they might identify with an "American" culture, noting their ideas on the graphic organizer. Invite student groups to create a Culture Time Capsule of American or community cultural traits; open the time capsule at the end of the school year. How have student ideas and understandings changed regarding culture?

  • Encourage students to conduct independent research of three early European settlements in the Northeast Region: Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, which remain some of the most populated cities in the nation. What environmental features made these cities prosperous settlements?  Use online references (suggestions below) and physical maps to draw conclusions and comparisons. Ask students to note their findings on a three-way Venn Diagram. 

Primary and Secondary Sources

 Southeast Region

Lesson Ideas

Inquiry Tasks

  • Ask students to examine the cultures of the Southeast region's indigenous people and how they interacted with their environment, using the classroom presentation, Native American People of the Southeast, provided by O.C.S.S.  Encourage student partners to compare the resources available to Indians of the Northeast and Southeast regions which impacted cultural differences. How did encounters with European explorers and English settlers affect the culture and way of life for Southeast Indian people? Ask students to create an illustrated timeline of the most significant historic events that altered the early cultures of Southeast Indians. 

  • Invite students to examine modern ways people of the Southeast enjoy the climate and physical features of the region, comparing information from two narratives, Island Life  and the Southeast Sunbelt, provided by O.C.S.S. Ask students to create a postcard from one of the Southeast's favorite tourist beaches or vacation centers, describing cultural traits related to climate and the environment.

  • Ask students to describe the unique cultural features of the region through engagement with primary sources that reflect Appalachia Culture, provided by the C3Teachers Consortium. Ask students to collaboratively analyze the cultural diversity of the region by examining examples of artisan crafts, artifacts, music, and literature. Ask students to challenge some of the stereotypes of the region's people, exploring where stereotypes originate and how to dispel them.  

  •  Ask students to explore the cultural traits of music and art, listening to the collection of Music of the Mississippi Delta, noting reactions with the Music From Across the Nation analysis guide, and viewing paintings from Music in Art. Encourage students to discover and share other examples of music from the Southeast region, including jazz, blues, and bluegrass. To extend the lesson, invite students to explore other cultural traits of the city of New Orleans.  

Primary and Secondary Sources 

Midwest Region 

Lesson Ideas

Inquiry Tasks

  • Reinforce student application of the Five Themes of Geography by using the classroom presentation, People of the Plains, provided by the Oklahoma Council for Social Studies, to examine how early American Indian groups used the natural resources of the Great Plains and adapted to its environment. Ask students to note important information on a Five Themes graphic organizer, focusing on the question, "How is culture affected by the natural environment?" 

  • Ask students to compare the cultures of two of the larger groups of American Indians whose homelands are in the Midwest Region: the people of the Great Plains and the People of the Great Lakes, using student-friendly research engines, such as Kiddle. Ask student groups to create an illustrated Venn diagram comparing the two cultural groups of the early Midwest. What could each group have taught the other about adapting to the environment? 

  • Assist students to trace on a blank map the migration of selected American Indian tribes from their homelands in the Midwest to what was known as Indian Territory and would become the state of Oklahoma, using a map of Indian homelands and a map of Indian Territory. Ask students to color-code the movement for selected tribes and create a corresponding legend for their maps. What challenges would tribes have encountered related to different climates, landforms, bodies of water, or environments? What do students know about the cultural richness of Oklahoma because of the presence of many diverse tribes? Encourage students to discover and attend community events celebrating Indian cultures. 

  • Ask students to compare cultural similarities and differences of American Indians of the Midwest to European immigrants who arrived later and modified the environment or adapted to it. Use the classroom presentation, Immigrants to America's Great Plains, to examine why immigrants came, the challenges they encountered, and the ways they interacted with their surroundings. Invite students to engage in a silent conversation, sharing their experiences as they assume the roles of a pioneer or American Indian. 

  • Encourage students to examine the cultural traits of Scandinavian immigrants to the Midwest by identifying examples of the Swedish culture that can be seen in the United States today. Ask students to use research, such as that provided by the Library of Congress' online exhibit. What about the culture makes it unique? What do Scandinavian immigrants seem to value? Provide time for students to demonstrate what they have learned about cultural traits of Scandinavian immigrants, composing a RAFT writing from the perspective of a new immigrant of an American Indian observing their new neighbors. 

  • Encourage students to participate in mock interviews of Detroit citizens to demonstrate their understanding of the cultural diversity of the city, using resources from the lesson, Ethnic Detroit, developed by the Detroit Historical Society. Ask students to compare the diversity of Detroit to that of Chicago, using information from the narrative Chicago, A Global City. What are advantages of living in a diverse Midwestern city like Detroit or Chicago?

Primary and Secondary Sources 

Southwest Region 

Lesson Ideas 

Inquiry Tasks

  • Ask students to consider why one of the oldest group of indigenous peoples seems to have disappeared into the Southwest's environment, using the presentation, Anasazi Mystery. provided by O.C.S.S. Ask students to describe cultural traits of the Anasazi which may have been handed down to contemporary tribes of the Southwest.  

  • Encourage students to compare the Navajo and Hopi People based on information provided in a brief narrative. Ask students to note their conclusions on a Comparison Analysis guide. Encourage students to examine the original homelands map of the Navajo. How would the climate and natural surroundings have influenced their culture? Invite students to hear the story of the Long Walk by a Navajo elder, provided in a 5-minute documentary by Navajo Traditions. Ask students to examine a map of the Long Walk, advising students to consider how the experience might have impacted the Navajo culture. How does the Long Walk compare the experiences known as the Trail of Tears?

  • Introduce students to the significance of Latinx culture of the Southwest and contributions of Hispanic-Americans to our national culture and history, using the presentation, Speak Up for Hispanic Heritage, provided by O.C.S.S. Invite students to investigate common cultural traits of Latinx people, including roots and extent of the Spanish language, traditional foods of Latinx in the Southwest, traditional mariachi bands, the Christmas Posadas, the Día de los Muertos holiday, and the Semana Santa holy week. How important is religion to many cultures? Ask students to create a Culture Cube, noting one important detail about each aspect of Latinx culture of the Southwest.

  • Extend student learning and understandings of the significance of Spanish colonial history to the culture of the Southwest by using the presentation, Missions of New Spain, provided by the Oklahoma Council for Social Studies. Provide an overview of the reasons for Spanish settlement, the interactions with indigenous peoples, and the legacy of Spanish religion and culture in the region. Ask student partners to create an illustrated map of the locations of three Spanish missions of the Southwest; trace the Los Caminos Real trade routes, along which many missions were established. How could trade throughout New Spain influence the culture of the region today?

  • Ask students to consider how language is a cultural trait with a lasting affect on the names of places and geographic regions. Using the lesson, What's in a Name, provided by PBS Learning, challenge student partners to examine historic and contemporary maps to understand the historic roots of Spanish settlements in the Southwest, current Hispanic/Latino population trends of the Southwest, and examples of places still known by their Spanish names. 

 

 

Primary and Secondary Sources 

West Region 

Lesson Ideas

Inquiry Tasks

  • Introduce students to the early settlements of the West and as a place where Cultures of the West Meet. Using the narrative, Focus on the West, ask students to develop a list of the diverse cultures they would encounter in the region. Does the West's population support the concept that America is a melting pot? Reinforce student understandings of the cultural traits that all groups of people share by encouraging students to create Cultural Mandalas, an idea provided by the Asia Society. Remind students to keep these cultural traits in mind as they investigate the diverse people of the West.

  • Ask students to compare indigenous tribes of the Southwest and West, gathering information from the narrative, Apache and Ute People, and using the Changes in Way of Life analysis guide to note their conclusions. Ask students to consider cultural aspects of living on a reservation, such as the Uintah and Ouray reservation in Utah. Encourage students to compare their prior understandings with facts provided by the Ute tribe. Ask students to identify another tribe of the western states, using the Tribal Reservations map, to produce a mock newsletter from the tribal council, describing cultural events on a modern reservation. Examples for student reference include news from the Nez Perce, Yakama, or Crow.

  • Encourage students to examine indigenous people who live far to the northwest, using the narrative People of the Northwest and noting information on the People of Northwest note-taking guide. Dig deeper into the cultures of the northwest, using the classroom narrative, Living in the Far North: Inuit and Aleut People. Ask students to create a Venn diagram, noting differences and similarities of the Inuit and Aleut people. 

  • Invite students to reflect upon the role of art and artists in preserving a people's culture, using the classroom presentation, Totems-Traditional Art of the Northwest, provided by O.C.S.S.  What prior student assumptions about totems were supported by factual information? Which were stereotypes or misunderstandings? Ask students to compare the people of the far north to the indigenous people farthest West, reading the passage, Focus on Hawaii and its People  Ask students to the describe the differences between tiki statues of Hawaiian culture and the totems of the Northwest. How does learning about cultural similarities and differences show respect for our nation's diversity?

  • Encourage students to review the state seal of Oklahoma, noting its images and symbols. How is our American Indian heritage reflected on our seal? Using the collection and guided analysis questions from Great Seals of American Indian Nations provided by O.C.S.S. ask student so consider sample seals of Indian tribes of the United States. What images and symbols on each seal reflect a cultural trait of the tribe? How does the seal represent ways of life, economic activities, or the way the tribe interacts with natural resources of its environment. Conclude be asking students why seals are important to a group of people?

  • Remind students of the analogy of America's people as being that of a "melting pot" as they examine the culture of Asian Americans. Ask students what groups belong under the umbrella of "Asian Americans"? Ask student groups to create a spider map of the different groups of people who fall under the umbrella of "Asian."  Encourage students to examine data related to Asian Immigration to the United States, using graphs from Asian Americans-Mapping Diversity and describe settlement patterns using maps provided by Scholastic.com. Ask students to identify a city in the West region with significant Asian populations and create a cultural tour brochure of the sites and experiences they think visitors would enjoy. To extend the lesson, engage students to research and compose bio-poems about notable Asian-Pacific Americans.  

 

 

Primary and Secondary Sources 

 

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