Native American Vest
Name: Ashley Garcia
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Estimated number of days lesson will cover: 1 day
Lesson Subject/Title:
Native American Culture
Performance Standards:
SSKH1 The student will identify the purpose of national holidays and describe the people or events celebrated
d. Thanksgiving Day
MKG3. Students will identify, create, extend, and transfer patterns from one representation to another using actions, objects,
and geometric shapes.
Lesson Objectives (What students will know and/or do) :
The student will understand aspects of the Native American culture.
The student will enhance their ability to create different types of patterns.
Enduring Understanding:
In Native American culture it is common for men and women to wear decorative vest with symbols painted on them that have
symbolic meaning.
Essential Questions:
Why do Native Americans wear decorative vest?
Why is it important to learn about Native American culture?
Why is it important to know and understand patterns?
Key Vocabulary:
Vest
Native American Symbols
Chief
Patterns
Time
5 min
Procedures
Introduction/hook/activation of prior
knowledge
Do a KWL chart about Native American’s.
What do the students K-know about Native
American’s?
What we W-want to know?
Then at the end of the theme, 2 weeks, we
will fill in the L-learned and talk about what
all we learned in regards to Native
American’s.
Instructional activities
Demonstrate/Model (if appropriate)
15min
Differentiation
The KWL provides
organization to the
lower level groups
who thoughts may be
jumbled up, while
offering higher level
thinking to the higher
groups and to the
groups in between.
Our higher groups will
create complex,
enhanced patterns.
I will demonstrate by talking about a
Give them the time to
premade example of a Native American Vest. create such patterns
I will ask the students to notice the
and explain what they
pattern(s) used for symbols on the vest and are. Lower groups
ask them to tell me what they are.
may need extra
Depending on their answer I will either
assistance in
move forward and explain the lesson, or
answering questions
take a few minutes to explain why the
regarding patterns
symbols on the vest are a pattern and what
and why type it is. If
type they are.
needed tell them a
I will also explain the different symbols they specific pattern to
can use on their vest and that each Native
create to guide him or
American symbol has a meaning. I will draw her, then ask
Materials/Resources
Promethean Board to
make/use KWL chart.

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Brown Paper
Bags
Markers or
Paint
Pencil
Native
American
Symbol Chart
Scissors
Glue
Assessment
See if students are
answering
questions correctly.
What type of
pattern is this? Ex.
Answers: ab, abc,
aabb, etc.
Why is this a
pattern? Because it
repeats.
a few on the board and then write what they
mean.
Guided Practice (if appropriate)
While the students are working I will be
walking around asking: What type of pattern
they are creating? What makes it a pattern?
Do they think the Native American’s used
patterns when making their own vest?
questions. Walk
around classroom
while the students are
working to offer
assistance if needed.
Independent Practice (if appropriate)
Students will create patterns on their vest,
abc, aab, abbc, aabbcc, etc. on their vest.
Students will use a Native American Symbol
guide. (One for each table.) After creating
their pattern students can then decorate
their vest using other symbols and designs
that mirror Native American symbols. (dots,
wavy lines, etc.)
5min
Review and Closure
Talk about some of the things we learned
about by making vest and fill in the KWL
chart in regards to the vest. Tell students we
will fill in the rest when we complete our
Native American theme.
Previously made KWL If students can retell
chart.
the patterns they
created and why
they were
considered patterns
and if they can tell
me why Native
American’s
decorated their vest.
Lesson Reflection:
What worked well in your lesson?
I believe they students were all very engaged in the activity we did. The students really seemed to enjoy the KWL chart in the
beginning of their lessons. It really got them thinking about the topic we were about to discuss.
What modifications did you make in your instruction for varying abilities of students based on your formative assessments?
I noticed that some of the students were having problems with starting their pattern. I pointed out to those students to look at our
calendar because we had a pattern on it. (leaf, pumpkin,turkey…)
What follow-up instruction related to your objectives is needed either for remediation or extension?
I would say more work on patterns is needed. Some students got the pattern idea, while others did not.
What would you still like to learn that might help you to better meet the diverse needs of your students?
How can I help a student with dyslexia with this project? We have a student who could possibly be dyslexic but have no official
diagnosis. The student writes everything backwards and read backwards as well. We think it could be dyslexia or maybe it’s just
something developmental he is going through. Regardless, I always feel so terrible because I don’t know how to help him out.