In-depth Study Unit Topic or Title:
Western Montana Animals
Essential Question(s): How do Montana animals live and what different names do they go by?
Curriculum written by: Jessica Hughes
Content area:
Science, Language Arts
Grade level:
Kindergarten
Summary of Outcomes:
Students will explore Salish animals names and traditions through animals found in Western Montana. They will discover animal
traits through research and write a story. They will use the English and Salish names to write a song to the tune of Old McDonald
and present to the class.
Content Standards Addressed
Long Term
Student Learning Targets
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Content knowledge, reasoning and skills
Literacy skills: Reading, Writing, Speaking
Citizenship
Assessments
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Possible sources of assessment
information
Communication of understanding
Final tests and products
Montana Science Content Standard

I can collect information on a Western Montana
animal.
o I can find what my animal eats.
o I can find how my animal moves.
o I can find what my animal looks like.
o I can find how my animal sounds.
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Book made with Reading Buddies.
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I can find similarities and differences of two books.
-Annie and The Wild Animals and Old McDonald.
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Orally: Teacher writes comments
on Venn Diagram.
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I can collect information on a Western Montana
animal.
o I can use this information to write a story.
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I can retell a Salish legend about a Montana
animal
I can match English Animal names to the Salish
names
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Partner retellings
New Song “Western Montana Had
A Forest”
3.1. identify that plants and
animals have structures and
systems that serve different
functions for growth,
survival, and reproduction
Montana Language Arts Content Standard
1.1 make predictions and connections between new
material and previous information/experiences.
1.5 accurately retell key elements of appropriate reading
material.
Essential Understandings:
Diversity 1-There is a great diversity among the twelve
tribal nations of Montana. Each nation has a distinct and
unique cultural heritage that contributes to Montana
Culture 1-Each tribe has their own oral history.
Culture 2-The ideologies of Native American traditional
beliefs and spirituality persist into modern day life as tribal
cultures, traditions, and languages.
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Sequence of scaffolding lessons
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What sequence of steps will best engage, support and hold students accountable to reaching the above learning targets?
What student and teacher involved assessment for learning strategies and routines can you build in?
What instructional practices and protocols will you use?
1. Identify Farm Animals:
(Hook) Sing the song Old McDonald Had A Farm
Group Write: List of farm animals.
-put animals on wall with both photos and student drawn pictures.
Instructional Practices selected:
2. Annie and the Wild Animals
(Hook) Give students pictures of farm animals and Montana animals that have been cut in half. Students
find matches and glue together on piece of paper then share to class.
1. Read Annie and the Wild Animals: discuss similarities and differences of wild and pet animals.
2. Create Venn Diagram.
3. Group write: list of Western Montana animals-put on word wall. (Student drawn and photos.)
Comprehension
Post Its
Venn Diagram
3. English/Salish Vocabulary Development
1. Gather Salish spellings and pronunciations for Montana animals.
2. Go through each Montana animal and show students the Salish spelling and as a whole class practice
how to say the name in Salish.
3. Put Salish name next to English name and picture on word wall.
Inquiry
Song
Vocabulary Development
Word wall
Oral Participation Protocols
“Western Montana Had A Forest”
Partner story retellings
Represent-to-Learn
4. Story telling
1. Divide the class into two groups. Read a different Salish story about Western Montana Animals to each
group.
2. Have student pairs from the same practice retelling the stories to each other.
3. Next partner students from the different groups to retell the different stories
5. Information About Western Montana Animal
1. Give students 2-3 books about their animal.
2. Discuss what looking for in their book; how the animal moves, eats, sounds, looks.
3. Students will mark the pages with a sticky note.
4. Reading Buddies will read the information on the marked pages and students will discuss what was
read.
5. Students will make a book with their Reading Buddies using both the English and Salish names for their
animal.
Book: This is a English name.
A Salish name eats__________________.
Here is a English name.
A Salish name looks__________.
This process will be done for each; eats, moves, sounds, looks. Then students will illustrate their book.
6. Students will share their book with the class.
Write-to-learn
Book about Western Montana animal
6. Group write song modeled after Old McDonald.
1. Student will write a song for the tune Old McDonald using Montana Animals; “Western Montana had a
forest…”
2. Students will be split into two groups and sing the song for the class holding up pictures for each animal.
7. Salish Old McDonald
1. Using same frame “Western Montana had a forest…” students will sing the song using the Salish name.
Resources: (e.g. Anchor Texts, District adopted materials, Supplementary resources, Web-sites)
Book: Annie and the Wild Animals
Book: Old McDonald Had a Farm
Song: Old McDonald Had a Farm
Salish names of Montana Animals.
Photos of Montana Animals.
Western Montana animal books.
Salish legends and picture books about Montana animals (see the Indian Reading Series)