Unit Title: Georgia’s First People: Creek and Cherokee Native Americans / Grade Level: 2nd
Lesson Title:
First Day: Introduction to the Creeks and Cherokees
Curriculum Areas Addressed: Social Studies, Art
Time Required:45 minutes / Instructional Groupings:Whole Group ,small groups
Standards:
SS2H2 The student will describe the Georgia Creek and Cherokee cultures of the past in
terms of tools, clothing, homes, ways of making a living, and accomplishments.
a. Describe the regions in Georgia where the Creeks and Cherokees lived and how the
people used their local resources.
ELACC2W1: Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply reasons that support
the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
ELACC2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and
larger groups.
As a result of this lesson/unit students will…
Be
Students will become respectful and well informed citizens, who are accepting of other’s traditions and beliefs.
Understand
Essential Questions:
-How did the Cherokee and the Creek meet their basic needs? (food, water, shelter, clothes)
Enduring Understanding:
-It is important for Georgians to understand that Native Americans inhabited our land first.
-Because they played a pivotal role in the creation of our country/state
-It is important for us to understand the significance of nature to Native American life.
-Students will learn that many of the foods, tools and clothing they have came from the environment around them
-It is important for us to understand how Native Americans shaped our history.
-It is important for us to understand that environment can influence how a group of people attain the goods and services they need.
-The students will learn that Native Americans hunted, fished, and farmed the resources they did because of the terrain they lived in
Know
-The Creek and Cherokee peoples were the first to inhabit Georgia.
-The Creek and Cherokees got most of the things they needed from the environment around them.
-The Creeks and Cherokees lived in villages made up of different tribes, or groups of families.
-Both the Creek and the Cherokee Indians had two houses. They lived in one house in the winter, and another house in the summer.
-Native Americans were fishermen, hunters and farmers; the women did the farming and the men did the hunting.
-The Creeks and Cherokees planted corn, squash, beans, and other vegetables, these were their main crops.
-Creeks built their towns near creeks or rivers.
-The Creeks lived in two different regions of Georgia; Upper Coastal Plains and Piedmont.
-The Cherokees lived in three different region of Georgia; Blue Ridge, Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley regions.
Vocabulary:
Creeks
Cherokees
Bartering
Trading
Environment
Do (Skills)
Discuss, Define, Describe, Identify, Know
Steps in the Lesson: Include the attention getter or the hook for the lesson, the introduction, the lesson procedures including ideas for whole‐class, small group, and individual instructions; differentiated activities
Attention Getter or Hook:
When the students come in from recess, there will be a slide show of pictures of Creek and Cherokee tools, dress, traditions, homes, villages, etc.
Introduction: We will begin the lesson by watching a brainpop video about the Creeks and Cherokees.
Body or Procedures:
I will introduce the unit by creating a class KWL chart (on the smart board)
We will leave the “Learned” section blank until the last day of the unit.
I will ask students what they already know about Native Americans, and what they want to know about them.
After we have completed our KWL chart, I will have the helpers of the day pass out the Social Studies Weekly subscription for this unit (title Creek and Cherokee Native Americans).
In two groups, we will read aloud and discuss ( one group will be formatted like a shared reading/teacher lead discussion, the other group will popcorn read to each other, but will have teacher guidance during discussion) what the magazine teaches about Creek and Cherokee life.
After we have read (10-15 minutes), I will bring the class back together and the students will take part in a 5 minute think-pair-share. (I will do my best to create mixed ability pairs) Each pair will have the chance to “share” with the class. The purpose of this activity is to ensure that everyone is on the same page; making sure that both reading groups will have learned the same material. We will go over things such as tools, clothing, houses, regions etc.
Closure/Wrap up: As a closing activity, I will have the students write a “ticket out of the door” by writing a quick write about some things that they learned from the lesson.
What will I differentiate? Content/Process/Product
-I will differentiate process (groupings/procedure for each reading group)
-I will differentiate according to multiple intelligences
How will I differentiate?
For the reading section; I will group according to skill level: those who struggle with reading will read aloud with either me or Mrs. Page. That group will be designed more like a shared/guided reading exercise.
The higher level group will popcorn read to each other, they will have less guidance and they will be given less guidance (but with a teacher guiding discussion after they have completed the reading)
Think-Pair-Share: Pair up students who are of a mixed skill level in order to expose lower level students to deeper thinking, and provides higher level students a chance to teach someone something
- For lower- level students, give those students ample time to answer questions when called on during discussion/creating the KWL chart, provide extra time to complete their quick write
- This lesson includes visual aids (slide show, KWL chart, pictures in the Social Studies Weekly magazine for students who are visual learners.
-This activity includes group work that caters to students who are interpersonal (and to those who are not, because no matter the personality, working with others is an essential skill)
-This lesson caters to students who are linguistic learners by providing a writing exercise at the end.
How will I differentiate for featured student 1?
Provide extra time to complete final write-up
Place him in the group with lower skill level students
Give him multiple opportunities to share his thoughts and opinions (interpersonal)
How will I differentiate for featured student 2?
Group him with the higher level students during the reading exercise.
Assessment: How will you evaluate the KNOW, DO, and BE? What type of assessment will you use? What constitutes success for the students?
-KWL chart (pre-assessment) : I will assess what students already know about the content, what misconceptions there are and what topics to focus on
-observation/discussion(formative): I will assess what knowledge (of Creeks and Cherokee) students are gaining from the reading/discussions and what they are comprehending
-Quick-write(formative): I will assess what the students have learned about Native American Culture (I will also assess punctuation, capitalization, structure, etc.)
**Students should begin to explore Creek and Cherokee culture and begin to understand what kinds of resources they used, what their clothing, tools and homes are like and a general knowledge of vocabulary (natural resources, Creeks, Cherokees, etc.)
Materials, Additional Resources, and Background Information: any websites, materials, and background that you will need or use
Materials
-smart board (brainpop video and KWL chart)
-note cards (quick write)
-Social Studies Weekly (Creek and Cherokees)
-pencils
Websites

Background Information



Social Studies Weekly (Creek and Cherokees)
Clear Links to Theories:
Multiple Intelligences
Scaffolding (Vigotsky): Scaffolding is alearning: Howard Gardnercame up with multiple intelligences as a model ofintelligencethat differentiates intelligence into various specific (primarily sensory i.e. visual, kinesthetic, auditory)modalitiesrather than seeing it as dominated by a single general ability. (Examples of different types of intelligences: visual, kinesthetic/spatial, linguistic, auditory, etc.)
-I differentiated using multiple intelligences by catering to different types of learning
process designed to promote a deeper learning. Scaffolding is the support given during the learning process which is tailored to the needs of the student with the intention of helping the student achieve his/her learning goals.
I used scaffolding through discussions with students (individually and as a group) and providing compelling activities
Connections to Technology and/or the Arts:
Technology:
Smart board: KWL chart/brainpop video
Description of Collaboration with Others:
I will collaborate with my host teacher about what we will bring up during discussions about the Social Studies Weekly content.
Unit Title: Georgia’s First People: Creek and Cherokee Native Americans / Grade Level: 2nd
Lesson Title:
What would it be like to be a Native American?
Curriculum Areas Addressed: Social Studies, Writing, Reading
Time Required: 45 minutes / Instructional Groupings: whole group/individual
Standards:
SS2H2 The student will describe the Georgia Creek and Cherokee cultures of the past in
terms of tools, clothing, homes, ways of making a living, and accomplishments.
a. Describe the regions in Georgia where the Creeks and Cherokees lived and how the
people used their local resources.
SS2G2 The student will describe the cultural and geographic systems associated with the
historical figures in SS2H1 and Georgia’s Creeks and Cherokees.
a. Identify specific locations significant to the life and times of each historic figure on a
political map.
b. Describe how place (physical and human characteristics) had an impact on the lives of
each historic figure.
ELACC2W7: Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a report; record
science observations).
ELACC2W8: Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
ELACC2SL1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and
larger groups.
As a result of this lesson/unit students will…
Be
Students will become respectful and well informed citizens, who are accepting of others’ traditions and beliefs.
Understand (essential questions, big ideas, principles, generalizations, rules, etc.)
Essential Questions:
-How did the Cherokee and the Creek meet their basic needs? (food, water, shelter, clothes)
Enduring Understanding:
-It is important for us to understand the significance of nature to Native American life.
  • Students need to understand that Native Americans relied on natural resources to get what they needed
-It is important for Georgians to understand that Native Americans inhabited our land first.
-It is important for us to understand the similarities and differences between life then and now.
  • Because it is important for students to have a concept of time and distance and be able to differentiate between different types of cultures and time periods

Know
-The Creek and Cherokees got most of the things they needed from the environment around them.
-Native Americans were fishermen, hunters and farmers; the women did the farming and the men did the hunting.
-The Creeks and Cherokees planted corn, squash, beans, and other vegetables, these were their main crops.
-The Cherokees lived in three different region of Georgia; Blue Ridge, Appalachian Plateau and Ridge and Valley regions.
-Arrowheads, tomahawks, fishhooks, and spears were popular tools used by Native Americans.
-Arrowheads were made out of stones. Fishhooks were made out of bones and bent sticks.
Do (Skills)
know, recall, construct, design, relate, recognize, list, name assemble, identify
Steps in the Lesson: Include the attention getter or the hook for the lesson, the introduction, the lesson procedures including ideas for whole‐class, small group, and individual instructions; differentiated activities
Attention Getter or Hook: I will bring in some artifacts to pass around while I read; I will also wear my moccasins in order for the students to see what kinds of shoes Native Americans wore.
Introduction:
^ This will set up the lesson by allowing the students to make a text-to-self/real world connection to the content. We will discuss what sorts of connections they can make
Body or Procedures:
-To begin this lesson, I will start by reading If you Lived with the Cherokees by Peter and Connie Roop. (I have dog-eared certain pages out of the book to read: because it is long and some pages cover topics that are not included in the second grade standards. The pages I have tabbed teach about houses, clothing, tools, families, villages, and foods.)
- As I read, we will stop and discuss certain topics; I will ask questions in order to invoke thought. After we have read, we discuss how the Cherokee way of life is very similar to the Creek way of life. I will ask if they can come up with any differences between the two and we will have a brief discussion about it.
-After I have completed the read aloud, I will explain that the class will be divided into 6 research groups
Groups:
There will be three groups that research Creeks and three groups that research the Cherokee. Out of those three groups; one will research homes and villages, another will research tools and jobs, and the other will research clothing.
(before I go on, I will ask the class who can explain what research is and why people do it)
-I will provide each group with a piece of chart paper on which each group will write about what they learned.
-I will give the students the option to choose which topic they would like to cover and I will do my best to permit them to join that group while also making sure each group is mixed ability. This way I will be able to differentiate by interest and skill level.
I will also state that if they would like to write to or about a Creek Indian they may do that as well.
-As the students research and write, I will walk around and visit each group, asking probing questions and checking for understanding.
-After about 15-20 minutes, I will ask the students to return to their seats and give each group the chance to share what they have researched, they will present they chart paper to the class
** I will hang up each of the charts throughout the room for the remainder of the unit (to serve as visuals and reminders)
Closure/Wrap up:
We will discuss at the end what we learned from each group’s research. I will draw the students’ to the many similarities between the Creeks and Cherokees.
What will I differentiate? Content/Process/Product
-I will differentiate the progression of the lesson (by grouping them according to skill level and choice)
-I will differentiate also according to multiple intelligences
How will I differentiate?
I will differentiate according to interest by giving students the opportunity to choose which group they want to be part of.
I will differentiate according to skill level by providing each group with different reading level books- at each group, there will be books that challenge the high level students as well as provide the lower level students with books that they will be able to read
- For lower- level students (or higher level) I will provide lined chart paper so as the give the students with illegible hand-writing the chance to practice writing neatly.
- This lesson includes a read aloud for students who are auditory and visual learners.
- The activity includes a research activity for those students who are linguistic and interpersonal (working as a group)
-This lesson allows students who are outgoing to express themselves when they share their work/ideas with the class.
- This lesson incorporates creating a chart recording/ creating a visual of what they have learned for the students who are kinesthetic/spatial learners.
-This lesson also utilizes outside resources that apply to content such as library books (differentiating according to interest)
How will I differentiate for featured student 1?
Group him students who are mid to high skill level so as to encourage him to participate and put forth his best effort
Give him some guidance about what kinds of things to research
Praise his performance and acknowledge his strengths
How will I differentiate for featured student 2?
Allow all groups to draw a picture on their chart paper to cater to visual and kinesthetic learners (he is included in this type of multiple intelligences)