Teaching American History 3

TEACHING AMERICAN HISTORY 3

LESSON PLAN

TEACHER: Beth Burleson, 4th grade, Altadena PUSD

SUBJECT: Customs and Folklore of California Indians

TITLE OF LESSON: Customs and Folklore of Four California Indian Tribes

STANDARD: 4th Grade 4.2.1

Discuss the major nations of California Indians, including their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends, and religious beliefs; and describe how they depended on, adapted to, and modified the physical environment by cultivation of land and use of sea resources.

OBJECTIVE:

4th grade – Students will analyze and identify pictorial representation of Indian practices as custom, tradition, folklore, ceremony. Students will identify use of natural resources.

Material Needed:

·  PowerPoint presentation “Pictorial Views of the Indians of California” by Lilia Careon

·  Handout “Identify Indian Practices”

·  Classroom notes from previous reading lessons

·  Social Studies textbook

·  Environmental Education Initiative (EEI) curriculum: California Indian Peoples and Management of Natural Resources

Content Delivery:

Students have working background knowledge from previous lessons of how California Indians used natural resources without waste. Students will have class notes and EEI for reference in discussion. PowerPoint will be presented with brief discussion of each slide: how natural resource was used and if there was any potential waste of resource; how “left overs” might have been used; whether picture is example of custom, tradition, folklore, ceremony.

Activity:

·  PowerPoint frontloads vocabulary review. After presentation and whole class discussion, students will complete handout “Identify Indian Practices” independently or in small groups. Explanations need to include how natural resources were used.

·  Follow up: Students will read pages 7-21 in EEI for deeper comprehension of use of natural resources.

Student Assessment:

Students will write summary paragraphs for one of four California Indian tribes identifying custom, tradition, folklore, ceremony with descriptive examples of each. Students will use examples from pictures, class notes, textbook, EEI, noting use of natural resources.