BALANCED LITERACY LIST

3RD GRADE NATIVE AMERICANS
MRS. AMANDA COONRADT
EDU 742
Balanced literacy is an approach using multiple media and text outlets to
provide a comprehensive, well-rounded curriculum. Providing different avenues for
student learning increases student knowledge and can keep students engaged
longer. Here is a list of resources that educators can use for their third grade social
studies thematic unit on Native Americans.
Non-Fiction:
The Native Americans: The Indigenous People of North America by Colin
F. Taylor & William Sturtevant. (1991) Thunderbay Press.
This book is a great for introductions into a Native American unit.
It is a wealth of information that would be best presented as a read aloud to
students. The reading level for this book is high, but the information and
photographs that are contained within are fantastic! The book is broken up into
chapters relating to the geographic location of the native tribes. They include the
southeast, southwest, the plains, plateau and basin, California, northwest coast,
northeast, and arctic. The way of life including Native American lodging, food,
community, struggles and developments are just some of what is touched on in this
read.
Pocahontas: An American Princess by Joyce Milton. (2000). Penguin
Putnam Books.
This book is great for students to read independently. It is good for
grades 2-3, having large print and easy sight words throughout. Students with
lower reading abilities would benefit from reading this book. It tells of the life and
journey of Pocahontas. It is full of fun facts and has some great eye catching
illustrations for young readers.
History Pockets: Native Americans Grades 1-3. By Karen Lowther. (2003)
Evan-Moor Products.
This workbook is not only chock full of information and data about
Native Americans and their way of life, but it has great activities and worksheet that
will help gain student understanding. Made up of 9 ‘pockets’, this workbook focuses
on 8 different tribes or geographic locations of the native people. It has vocabulary
word practice for students with a vast amount of words from dictionaries and native
stories. It also includes maps and other graphic organizers that students can fill out
and teachers can use to evaluate student knowledge.
Fiction:
The Earth Made New: Plains Indian Stories of Creation. By Paul Goble.
(2009). World Wisdom. ISBN: 978-1-933316-67-3
This beautifully illustrated Plains Indian Creation story celebrates a
new Earth after the flood and narrates the making of the buffaloes, mountains,
plants, colorful horses and Thunderbirds among others. Weaving together the
legends of the Plains Indian tribes, including the stories of the Cheyenne, Blackfoot,
Arapaho, and the Crow, this revised edition contains 8 pages of additional
illustrations and stories, as well as a new foreword. It also includes an extensive
reference list and detailed introductory note.
*This author has many other books similar in nature and would be a great mini-unit
on the author and Native Americans. These books include:
The Woman who Lived with Wolves & Other Stories from the Tipi
The Boys and His Mud Horses: And Other Stories from the Tipi
Tipi: Home of the Nomadic Buffalo Hunters
All Our Relatives: Traditional Native American Thoughts about Nature
This Land Is My Land by George Littlechild. (1993). Children’s Book
Press.
Winner of several prizes including the Jane Addams Picture Book
Award, This Land Is My Land is a vibrant collection of very short essays about
everything from the four buffalo spirits to the author's visit to New York. Illustrated
with amazing multi-media paintings by the author, this book challenges kids to find
specific elements in the pictures as they read the texts below them. This would be
great as an example for media literacy and visual learners.
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich. (1999). Hyperion Books for
Children.
Lengthy chapter book is great for read aloud, but especially for
guided reading for advanced readers. It chronicles traditional Ojibwa life and a girl
that struggles with chores, her little brother, and admiration for her older sister.
Students can follow changes through the book with the passing of the seasons (the
book is broke up into seasons), as well as the changes the white man bring. It is a
great read and can relate to students in more ways than one.
Internet Resources:
History Mystery: Native American Culture. Scholastic
http://teacher.scholastic.com/histmyst/start.asp?Game=14
This game is fun that it challenges students, or even teachers for that matter,
regarding history and facts relating to Native Americans. Spelling your answer to
the question is important! Dr. Facts provides a number of clues (the least number of
clues to the student the better), and challenges students to figure out the answer
from the clues. Each game contains up to five clues, and students can use the
Internet or any other form of research to identify the answer. This is good for
critical thinking, teamwork, as well as recall and research.
Internet Videos:
National Geographic Kids: Native Americans
http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/kids/historykids/native-americans-kids.html
This informative three-minute video gives a quick overview of how Native
Americans have changed from their ancient ways to modern times. It’s full of great
video images as well as a simple understanding timeline for students to grasp the
overall existence of Native Americans.
American History for Children (Native American Life) Part 1 & Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hroYJ7xVRFc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJWK9mFJqrQ&feature=related
These YouTube videos are interesting for student understanding and discussion
because they teach from the Native American point of view. This sometimes can be
argumentative and subjective. I think these videos do have many facts regarding
Native American life, and treatment from the ‘white’ Americans. Discussion and
higher-level interpretation would be valuable for student understanding.
Field Trips!
Children’s Cultural Center of Native America
Located in New York City
http://www.childrensculturalcenterofnativeamerica.org/
Students can watch and join in Native games, dancing and singing. Students
meet indigenous performers and teachers that teach about the native culture of
today as well as long ago. There are craft workshops and artifact demonstrations
for students to get a real hands on experience.
New York State Museum: Native Peoples of New York Exhibit
Located in Albany New York
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/longterm/np.html
I’ve explored this exhibit most of my life. It provides New York's cultural
history and natural landscapes from the last Ice Age 12, 000 years ago to present
day. Lifelike dioramas, scale models, artifacts, and a life size longhouse take the
visitor through New York's changing cultures and populations over time. New
computer stations bring the latest museum research, vast collections and new
information to each area. Teachers can use the guide
(http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/education/teacher/MohawkVillGuide.pdf) before,
during, or after the field trip to the museum to check student learning, observations,
and critical thinking.
Assignment Reflection:
I feel this assignment was both challenging and enjoyable. It was
challenging for me in the fact that I do not have a class of my own yet, a
sparse personal library of resources for my future students, and little
availability to technology in my cooperating class. Because of these
factors, I chose a subject that I am interested in and that fits in the third
grade curriculum that I work with more consistently. I chose Native
American history, which is fascinating and has such a wealth of
resources for adults and children to use for educational purposes. Many
of my other classmates have smartboards and high-tech electronics that
can provided greater media literacy possibilities than I can give my
students. Having a more traditional learning environment, I chose
multiple non-fiction and fiction books for my students to enjoy. Also, I
included a web game for students to play, as well as multiple videos we
can watch on our classroom computer. Lastly, I love field trips. Having
students get up and walk around during instruction can have a strong
lasting impression, and field trips always grab student interest. Two
museums are within a few hours of here and would be fantastic for
students to learn from. I tried finding virtual field trips, but was
unsuccessful. I do enjoy finding new resources and books to use during
instruction. I know that assignments such as this will benefit me for my
career in education, but I sometimes wish it was more relevant to what I
have in front of me now. I struggle with the fact that I’m not sure what I
will be teaching, be that grade level, subject, and level of student ability.
I know assignments like this one are preparing me for what I will be
facing once I do have my class, and how to research and access
educational aides to heighten my thematic unit.