The highest activity a human being can attain is learning for understanding, because to understand is to be free. ~Baruch Spinoza
Native American Indian Social Studies Unit
Welcome to Ms. Resch's Guide to the Native American Indian. The site is a Problem Based Assessment (PBA) for EDCI 554: Methods of Teaching Social Studies and Integrating Fine Arts in the Elementary Classroom. It is designed for student and teacher use based on national standards and 6th grade Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).
The purpose of this website is to explore concepts related to Native American Indians in order to develop student understanding. Misconceptions and lack of knowledge can lead to apathy, ignorance, fear, prejudice, hate, subjugation, oppression, and suffering. By learning about different people, students can better understand themselves, the world around them, and ultimately to become better citizens and productive members of society. Through cultural studies, students gain the ability to recognize injustice against others and work to solve real world problems.
Students can explore and gain understanding about American Indian peoples and related topics by completing each lesson, which are listed in the menu bar at the top is for student exploration. This website enhances student learning in the classroom by providing text, audio, and visual elements to illuminate concepts, frame questions, and challenge misconceptions and lack of knowledge. The variety of lessons and activities are differentiated and inconspicuously addresses Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory (i.e. included are activities to engage Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Musical/Rhythmic, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Spatial, Naturalist, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal Intelligences). The lesson plans and supporting materials for teachers can be found under the HOME tab.
The purpose of this website is to explore concepts related to Native American Indians in order to develop student understanding. Misconceptions and lack of knowledge can lead to apathy, ignorance, fear, prejudice, hate, subjugation, oppression, and suffering. By learning about different people, students can better understand themselves, the world around them, and ultimately to become better citizens and productive members of society. Through cultural studies, students gain the ability to recognize injustice against others and work to solve real world problems.
Students can explore and gain understanding about American Indian peoples and related topics by completing each lesson, which are listed in the menu bar at the top is for student exploration. This website enhances student learning in the classroom by providing text, audio, and visual elements to illuminate concepts, frame questions, and challenge misconceptions and lack of knowledge. The variety of lessons and activities are differentiated and inconspicuously addresses Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligence Theory (i.e. included are activities to engage Linguistic, Logical/Mathematical, Musical/Rhythmic, Bodily/Kinesthetic, Spatial, Naturalist, Intrapersonal, and Interpersonal Intelligences). The lesson plans and supporting materials for teachers can be found under the HOME tab.
Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it. ~Thomas Paine
Warm-Up Activity: What's in a Name?
- Ask the students:
"Did you know that many names of lakes, rivers, mountains, states, cities, towns,
and other places across the United States are from American Indian words?"
"Can anyone think of examples of words that might have Native American Indian
origins?"
- This map below comes from a National Geographic blog. They said that these words are translations that reflect the best scholarly opinion on the meaning of the Indian terms.
- Ask the students
"Which Native American Indian words do you think these English Translations refer
to?" - Click on the image to explore further on the web site.
"The most violent element in society is ignorance." ~Emma Goldman