Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary

Understanding by Design
Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: _The American Indians__

Grade Levels: ___2nd_________

Topic/Subject Areas: __American Indians_____________________________________

Key Words: __Culture, Contributions, Region, Environment_______________________
Designed By: _____Jenny Leary________________ Time Frame: ___4 weeks________
School District: Regent University

School: Teacher Ed & IDS Dept.

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

This unit allows students to engage and explore American Indian cultures and examine their
importance to our past and our present. Students will be able to compare the lives and contributions of
American Indians, with focus on the Powhatan Indians, the Lakota Indians, and the Pueblo peoples.
Students will develop a deeper understanding of how one's environment affects how they live, and that
all people have basic needs for survival. Students will not only study the American Indians of the past,
but also look how their culture is still very much alive today.

Unit design status:

X Completed template pages stages 1, 2, 3

X Completed rubrics

Completed blueprint for each performance task

Directions to students and teacher

Materials and resources listed

x Suggested accommodations
Status:

x Suggested extensions

Initial draft (date: ___________)

Peer Reviewed

Content Reviewed

Revised draft (date: ____________)

Field Tested

Validated

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Anchored

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary
STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS
Unit Title: _____The American Indians______
Established Goals (cite specific VA SOL):
Standard 2.2:
The students will compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with
emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands, the Lakota of the Plains, and the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest.
Understandings: Students will understand that
(Provide 3 to 5)

People develop different cultures because they

live in different environments.

American Indians have made and continue to

make contributions to present-day life.

People who lived in the past had the same

basic needs for existence as do people living
in the present.
o Need for food and water

o
o

Essential Questions:
(Provide 3 to 5)

How can a culture change and impact a

society? How can you personally change or
impact your society?
Why is it important to learn about people from
the past?
How have American Indians changed over
time? How have they stayed the same?

Need for protection from the elements

Need for transportation

People today can have a positive impact on

their society and the environment
Students will know:
(Give at least 5)

Students will be able to:

(List at least 5 skills)

The different lifestyles of the American Indian

cultures including location, housing,
occupation, and transportation.

Collect, organize, and record information on

the three groups of American Indians: The
Powhatan, The Lakota, and the Pueblo peoples.

That American Indians had a deep respect for

the environment in which they lived.

How the American Indians have contributed to

the arts and to farming.

Construct and explain simple charts that show

how American Indians have changed over time
and in what ways they have stayed the same.

American Indian cultures have changed over

time.

That the Powhatan Indians lived and continue

to live in Virginia today.

Compare and contrast past and present

American Indian lifestyles.
Gather and interpret information on how
American Indians have contributed to everyday
life and to the environment.
Summarize the information gathered about
American Indian culture and design a way to
display that information in a creative way.

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Tasks:
(Briefly describe 1 to 3 authentic assessments)
"Seven Generations to Come"- After
learning how the American Indians
contributed to their environment, students will
research an environmental issue and come
up with a way to take action to solve it..
Grasp- Students will create an exhibit
displaying the Powhatan peoples culture and
contributions for the National History Museum

Other Evidence:
(List 3 including MC quiz)
Graphic Organizer (Compare and Contrast)students will compare and contrast the
lifestyles (shelters, food, clothing, means of
survival, transportation) of the different
American Indian cultures.
Multiple Choice quiz (MC)- Students will
complete a quiz on the lives of the three
American Indian cultures.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary
in Virginia.

Interactive Notebook- Students will record

notes on lessons, books, research, and
observations and reflect on them throughout
the unit.

Student Self-Assessment and Reflection

(List at least 2)

Individual Participation Rating Sheet (pg. 163)- students will rate themselves and then their teammates in the
"Seven Generations to Come" group project.

What I Studied and You Didn't Ask- After talking and reviewing the multiple choice quiz I will ask students to
indicate information they thought was important or especially interesting that I did not include in the quiz.

Interactive Notebook Reflection- Students will reflect on one of the following three questions at the end of their
interactive notebook:
1. How has studying American Indians changed my thinking on their culture?
2. In what ways did the American Indians change or contribute to their society? How can I contribute to
my society?
3. How have American Indians changed over time? How have they remained the same?

STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN

Summary of Learning Activities:
(list by number here and then complete the week-by-week planning calendar below using the same information)

1. Hook w/Corners-teacher poses a question and there are four corners representing 4 different answers to the question.
Students choose the corner that they believe is the reason we study people from the past and provide their rationale for
their choice. No wrong or right answer (Instruction for All Students, p. 90).

2. Frayer Model- teacher will instruct how this strategy will help students learn vocabulary by listing the definition,
facts/characteristics, example, and non-examples for a specific word or concept in our unit.

3. Frame of Reference- to pre-assess what students already know about American Indians student will complete a frame
of reference where they will put the word American Indians in the center of the frame (picture), then list words or phrases
that they think of when they think of or picture American Indians in the "mat" area. Students then jot down how they came
to what they know or think about American Indians. These reactions go into the "frame". Students share out. (Rutherford,
2008, p. 91)

4. Maps- Students will be given a picture of the United States of American and will shade in the region where each
American Indian group lived. The students must shade in the area that correlates with the color that is assigned to that
American Indian group (ex. The Powhatan=purple)

5. Centers-Each center will be focused around a different aspect of Powhatan Indian life (occupation, transportation,
location, and housing). Centers will be differentiated so that they can address students' different learning styles.

6. Interactive Notebooks (Stage two) (Rutherford, 2008, p. 228)- student will be writing down observations, examples,
notes, and their reflections throughout the unit.

7. Graphic Organizer (Comparison Chart)- (Stage two)- students will be filling this out during and after each lesson or
learning activity on the three American Indian groups and will be comparing their lifestyles.

8. Slates-Students are provided with white boards and the teacher will ask a serious of questions relating to what
students just learned about the Powhatan Indians. Students will write down their answer and hold their board up when
they are finished. Teacher checks for students understanding on subject matter. (Rutherford, 2008, p. 156)

9. Making Teepees- Students will construct a teepee with materials provided by the teacher. They will draw a diagram of
their contrasted teepee in their notebook and respond to the journal prompt.

10. Journal Prompts- students respond to questions posed by the teacher and write down observations and reflections
in their interactive notebooks.

11. Role Playing- students will be assigned a tribe, either the Powhatan or the Lakota, and they cannot tell their
classmates. Students have to get into their tribes by asking other students questions such as: Where do you live?, How
do you travel?, etc, in order to figure out who is in their tribe. Students share out the differences they discovered between
the two tribes.

12. KWL Chart- Before watching the video students will fill out what they know about the Pueblo Indians, and what they
want to know. During and after video students will write in what they learned.

13. Partners- Students will pair up and quiz each other on their comparison charts in order to prepare for the quiz.

14. Multiple Choice quiz (Stage two)

15. What I Knew and You Didn't Ask (Stage two)

16. Seven Generations to Come performance task (Stage Two)

17. I Predict- Students will write down in their journals what they think that we will see and/or learn about at the Museum.

18. American Indians Long Ago and Today worksheet- Student will be asked to write and draw their responses to
three questions: 1. How were American Indians long ago different than American Indians today? 2. What American Indian
traditions have stayed the same over time? 3. How are American Indians today similar to you and your family?
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary

19. 3-2-1- Students at the end of our field to Virginia's Natural History Museum will be asked to write (Rutherford, 2008,
pg.114):
1. 3 things that really interested you
2. 2 things you'd like to know more about
3. 1 idea that you will write about tonight in your journal
20. Grasp (Stage Two)

Stage 3 Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Day 10.
Day 5:
14. Multiple Choice quiz
Friday

8. Review Activity: Slates

Instructional Strategy: Re-teach
concepts and/ or information to
individual groups that need
further instruction. Other
students can do independent
reading.

Thursday

Day 9:

Day 4:
Students finish centers
7. Graphic Organizer (Compare and
Contrast chart)- students fill it out the
section for the Powhatan Indians.

Graphic Organizer (Comparison Chart):

have student fill out the section for the
Pueblos using their KWL chart as a resource
13. Learning activity: Partners
Student will quiz each other using
their graphic organizer in
preparation for the quiz

Wednesday

Day 8:
Day 3:
Pose EQ: What do people need in order
to survive?
Class Discussion
5. Centers- exploring lives of the
Powhatan Indians (Model what students
will do)
6. Interactive Notebook-Record
information and observations

Direct instruction on Pueblo peoples and

how their lives and culture were different
from the Lakota and the Powhatan.
Instructional strategy: Video
Elaborate when necessary
12. Learning Activity: KWL chart
Demonstrate

Tuesday

Day 7:
Day 2:
3. Pre-assessment: Frame of
Reference worksheet
Direct Instruction on the three
American Indian cultures and
the region and environment that
they lived in.
4. Learning Activity- Maps

Instructional strategy: Summarize learning

from last class with the compare and
contrast graphic organizer.
11. Learning activity: Role playing

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Monday

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary

Weeks 3 to 4

Friday

Day 1:
1. Hook w/corners- Why is it important
to study people from the past? Students
will go to the corner that best matches
why they think this is important. Let a
few students share their reasons.
Introduction to Unit
Goals, standards, and
expectations
Performance tasks
Key vocabulary

Day 6:
Direct Instruction on the Lakota
Indians: transportation, housing,
occupation, and review location.
9. Learning Activity: Making Teepees
Students will make actual Teepees
with materials provided by the
teacher.
10. Journal prompt in interactive
notebook: What would it be like to live in a
Teepee?

Day 15:
Tell student that they will be
visiting the Virginia Natural
History Museum next week.
17. Learning activity: I PredictStudents will predict what we will most
likely see at the museum.
Instructional strategy- Preview
museum website with students.

Day 20.
Students prepare their presentations and
then will present their final product. The
teacher will collect and grade students work
based on rubric.

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Day 19:
Students continue to work on "Grasp"
Day 14:
Give students some time to finish Seven
Generations to come Performance task.
Student choose if they wish to
present their project
Individual Participation rating sheetsStudents will rate themselves as well as
their group members.
Day 18:
20. Learning Activity: Grasp: Explain how
student will complete "Grasp" performance
task. Set goals and expectations and are
given the rubric they will be graded on.
Cooperative Learning groups
Day 13:
Students continue to work on Seven
Generations to Come performance task
Day 12:
First person account: A Native American
will come in and talk about how their
ancestors and their culture today took
care of the environment.
EQ: How can you contribute to your
society?
16. Describe performance task:
"Seven Generations to Come"

Day 17:
Instructional Strategy: Field trip to the
Virginia Museum of Natural History.
19. Learning activity 3-2-1. At the end of
the field trip students will be ask to write:
3 things that really interested you
2 things you'd like to know more
about.
1 idea that you will write about
tonight in your interactive journal

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary

Monday

Day 16:
Day 11:
Instructional strategy: Review quiz
15. Learning activity: What I Knew
and You Didn't Ask
Direct instruction on the contributions of
the American Indians.
EQ: How did the American Indians
impact our society today?

Instructional strategy: Mini-lesson on

American Indians Today
EQ: How has American Indian cultures
changed? How have they stayed the same?
18. Learning Activity: Student Research
and American Indians Long Ago and
Today worksheet.

Instructor: Jenny Leary

2nd Grade Social Studies
Topic: "American Indian Exhibit Design" Performance Task Rubric
Chief (level 3)
Warrior (level 2)
Content
We have a deep
We have some
Knowledge
understanding of
understanding of
the Powhatan Indian
the Powhatan
culture and their
Indian culture
importance to the
and their
past and the
importance to
present history of
the past and the
Virginia.
present history
of Virginia.
Organization of
Our exhibit drawing
Our exhibit
Required
is very well
drawing is
Elements
organized and
somewhat
displays deep
organized and
thought.
displays some
thought.
We have clearly

We have labeled
labeled the location
of all five required
3 to 4 of the five
components.
required
components.
We have written 3
We have written
to 5 complete
sentences correctly
at least 3
describing each of
sentences
the five components
describing most
without any
of the
grammar errors.
components with
few grammar
We have included
mistakes.
12 relevant artifacts
We have
in our exhibit.
included at least
8 relevant
artifacts in our
exhibit.
Presentation
We all participated
Most of us
Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Tribesman (level 1)
We have little
understanding of
the Powhatan
Indian culture
and their
importance to
the past and the
present history of
Virginia.
Our exhibit
drawing is
organized poorly
and displays little
thought.
We have labeled
less than 3 of the
five required
components.
We have written
less than 3
sentences
describing the
components with
many grammar
errors.
We have
included less
than 5 relevant
artifacts in our
exhibit.

Only two or less

6

Design Topic _American Indians_ Subject(s) _History_ Grade(s) _2nd_ Designer(s) Jenny Leary

in our presentation.
We spoke clearly so
that everyone could
understand us.
We included all the
required items in
our presentation.
Our presentation
displays creativity
and excellent work.

participated in
our presentation.
Most of the time
we spoke clearly
so that everyone
could understand
us.
We included
most of the
required items in
our presentation.
Our presentation
displays some
creativity and
good work.

Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

of us participated
in our
presentation.
We had trouble
speaking clearly
so that everyone
could understand
us.
We left out a
significant
amount of the
required items in
our presentation.
Our presentation
lacks creativity
and is poorly
done.