Subject: Social Studies/ Language Arts
Native American Culture
Grade Level: 3-4
Website: http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/
Objective: After listening to a Native American story, students will retell it with a
different setting and reply to at least one classmate within the classroom forum.
Procedure:
1.
Post the following question in the forum:
(You may lock the topic until after you have introduced it to the class.)
Native Americans told many stories to explain things that they saw around them.
Click on the link http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/ and choose the story
“Rabbit’s Wish for Snow”. Then answer the following questions:
What did this story explain?
Retell the story, but change the setting to a place that never snows.
Remember to use correct spelling and punctuation. You will need to comment on
one of your classmate’s postings.
2. Read a Native American legend to the class. Talk about what the story describes.
Explain that many Native Americans used fables and stories to explain things that
happened in nature. Be sure to point out that depending on where the Native
Americans lived influenced the characters in their stories. Obviously a story told
by people living in Mexico would be different than stories told by people living in
Alaska. Have students give reasons why these stories may be different. Could the
story you read have taken place somewhere else?
3. Tell the students that you have placed a new activity and question in the forum
about Native American legends. Give students a date to have the activity
completed by.
Follow Up Activities:
Students can write a new legend, then present it to the class in the form of a digital
story.
Students can change a part of the story, “ Rabbit’s Wish for Snow”, and then act it out
for the class.
Assessment:
4
3
2
1
Student clearly
retold story with a
different setting.
Story had a
beginning, middle
and end. Story had
many details.
Student clearly
retold story with a
different setting.
Story had a
beginning, middle
and end. Story had
some details.
Student retold
story, but not
clearly. Story had
a beginning, middle
and an end. Story
had little or no
details.
Student attempted
to retell story. Story
may be incomplete.
Student replied to
at least one
classmate.
Student used proper
netiquette and
correct grammar
and spelling for
age.
Student replied to
one classmate.
Student used proper
netiquette and had
few grammar and
spelling errors for
age.
Student replied to
one or fewer
classmates.
Student used proper
netiquette, but had
some spelling and
grammar errors for
age.
Student replied to
one or fewer
classmates.
Student may or
may not have used
proper netiquette
and had many
spelling and
grammar errors.