Robertson Lesson Plan 1
I saw this lesson taught (and got around to teaching it myself by the end of the school day)
during my student teaching. It was created by Mr. Jim Struzinsky and Mr. Cole Shepherd at
Hidden Valley Middle School, and I think it is one of the best examples of teaching to
accommodate the diverse needs of learners. In this lesson, students have the opportunity to
work both as a group and as individuals, meeting the needs of students that prefer group and
individual work. Students are asked to work with their hands to create Native American
shelters, meeting the needs of the tactile-kinesthetic learners. Students are asked to verbally
present their creations, allowing students an opportunity to practice their public speaking skills
and reaching those students who gain information best through listening. Finally, the students
are asked to complete a reflection (in the form of a worksheet) on the entire experience,
reaching students with a strong preference to introspection. Within 90 minutes, almost all
major learning styles and profiles are met, many of which are not catered to during the normal
school day.
Course: US History I (Pre-Columbian – 1865)
Age Group: 6th Grade
Time Allotted: 90 Minutes
SOL(s) Covered: USI.3c “The student will demonstrate knowledge of how early cultures
developed in North America by describing how the American Indians used the resources in their
environment.”
Objective(s): Students will use their knowledge of Native American cultures (Inuit, Kwakiutl,
Pueblo, Lakota, and Iroquois) to create a model of a Native American shelter and then defend
that shelter and their use of the materials to the class and the teacher.
Instruction: Students will be separated into groups of three-five and given one of the following
collections of materials:
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Inuit (igloo shelter)—65 white Styrofoam cubes, two hot glue guns, and a manila folder
Kwakiutl (plank house shelter)—25 wooden popsicle sticks, two hot glue guns, and a
manila folder
Pueblo (adobe shelter)—four cubes of clay, 15 tooth picks, and a manila folder
Lakota (tepee shelter)—three long toothpicks, 6x10 rectangle of fabric, one glue gun,
and a manila folder
Iroquois (long house shelter)—small cardboard box, collection of twigs and sticks, two
hot glue guns, and a manila folder
Robertson Lesson Plan 2
Students will then have 45 minutes to construct some sort of Native American shelter based on
one of the five shelters already discussed in class (shown above in parentheses). Once the
students complete their shelter (placed on the manila folder as a base), they will present their
creation the class and the teacher describing which Native American shelter theirs is supposed
to be modeled after, how they used their resources, why they chose to use them that way, and
which Native American tribe would’ve lived in that type of shelter. Clearly each set of materials
has a clear correct answer for which shelter would be the wisest to construct given the
provided materials. However, the important thing is that students construct a shelter based on
information covered in class and can defend their use of the resources to the class and the
teacher.
Once this is complete, the students will individually complete the attached worksheet which
assesses whether or not they understand the connection between available natural resources
and which shelter is constructed. It will also ask students to debrief about the group work
experience.
Assessment: The presentation given by the students at the conclusion of the group work will
serve as an ungraded formative assessment to judge whether or not the groups understand the
connection between natural resources and the shelters Native American constructed. The
attached worksheet will assess the same thing and how the groups worked together on an
individual level. That worksheet will be a graded formative assessment.
Materials: 65 white Styrofoam cubes, five manila folders, 25 wooden popsicle steps, four cubes
of clay, 15 tooth picks, three long tooth picks, 6x10 rectangle of fabric, small cardboard box,
collection of twigs and sticks, seven hot glue guns, extra glue sticks, and a worksheet for each
student.
Robertson Lesson Plan 3
Native American Shelter Activity
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1.) Which shelter did your group decide to create? Why?
2.) What resources was your group given and how did you use them?
3.) Which Native American group lived in the shelter that you constructed?
How did they use their natural resources to make shelters?
4.) What is the connection between available natural resources and which
shelter is constructed?
5.) Did your group work well together? How could you have improved how
your group worked?