The Blackfeet
Petra Press
Subject: English/History
Grade Level: Second
Standards of Learning:
History 2.5. The student will demonstrate map skills by constructing a
simple map of the North American continent, which will include
the essential map elements of title, scale, key, directional
indicator, and date.
English 2.2. The student will continue to expand listening and speaking
vocabularies.
• Use words that reflect a growing range of interests and
knowledge.
• Clarify and explain words and ideas orally.
English 2.3. The student will use oral communication skills.
• Use oral language for different purposes: to inform, to persuade,
and to entertain.
• Share stories or information orally with an audience.
• Participate as a contributor and leader in a group.
• Paraphrase information shared orally by others.
English 2.7. The student will read fiction, nonfiction, and poetry using a variety
of strategies independently.
• Preview the selection.
• Set purpose for reading.
English 2.9. The student will write stories, letters, and simple explanations.
• Generate ideas before writing.
• Organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end.
• Revise writing for clarity
• Use available technology.
English 2.10. The student will edit final copies for grammar, capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling.
• Use declarative, interrogative, and exclamatory sentences.
• Capitalize all proper nouns and words at the beginning of
sentences.
• Use correct spelling for frequently used words.
English 2.11. The student will locate information in reference materials.
• Use a table of contents.
• Examine pictures.
• Use dictionaries and indices.
.
• Use available technology.
Techniques:
Directed Reading Activity (DRA)
K-W-L Chart
Strategies:
Activate prior knowledge
Making connections
Apply background knowledge
Asking questions
Gain important facts
Use of picture clues
Skills:
Identify cause and effect
Compare and contrast
Use of picture cues
Increase sight word vocabulary
Increase meaning vocabulary
Use of dictionary
Locate specific information
General Objectives:
The student will . . .
1. expand listening and vocabulary knowledge.
2. locate information through various references and technology.
3. organize writing to include a beginning, middle, and end.
4. share work through oral communication with peers.
Specific Objectives:
The student will . . .
1. provide background knowledge about Native-American Indians.
2. listen and participate in Directed Reading Activity, using Petra Press’ The
Blackfeet.
3. create a map locating the Blackfeet tribe.
4. locate and research information from various resources and technology on
the Blackfeet tribe.
5. present information by creating a newspaper article.
6.
organize peer articles to collectively create a classroom newspaper from
the 1700’s.
Procedures for Teacher:
The teacher will . . .
Before Reading:
1. discuss the students’ personal background schema for clothing, food,
living quarters, family traditions, etc. List student responses on chart
paper.
2. use the students’ personal schema to apply their knowledge to the
“Know” section of the KWL chart to ascertain their background
knowledge of Native Americans.
3. point out Montana on a United States map to show where the
Blackfeet tribe lived and have the students use the map as a model to
create a simple map of North America to indicate where the students
live and where the Blackfeet tribe lived.
4. introduce the setting by conducting a picture walk with selected
pictures from the text, The Blackfeet by Petra Press. The students
may predict information that the expository text may contain by using
the title and pictures.
5. guide students in setting the purpose for reading by listing what the
students “Want to Know” section of the KWL chart.
During Reading:
6.
7.
8.
allow pairs of students to choose to read one of the ten sections listed
in The Blackfeet table of contents text. Sections are assigned on a first
come first served basis.
allow students time to silently read the section, discuss the information
of the section with their partner, and list important details of the section
together.
guide student pairs in retelling their chosen section to classmates. The
teacher may have certain students read aloud later if comprehension
of text seems unclear.
After Reading:
Respond to the text:
9.
have students respond to the “What I Learned” section of the KWL
chart by compiling the list of section details in third column of the KWL
chart.
10.
have students compare what they thought they knew before reading to
what they know after the reading. If the details are different, have
students explain why or how they are different. Also, have students
evaluate if the purposes of their reading for “What I Want to Know”
have been met.
Exploring the text:
11.
12.
instruct the pairs of students to search through their chosen section to
identify words and share vocabulary words that are unique to the
Blackfeet culture with the class. Allow students to use the dictionary or
other resources to clarify the students’ understanding of the word.
After the vocabulary words have been discussed and clarified to all
students, add the new words to the word wall. Possible words could
be: reservation, customs, moccasins, Great Plains, travois, nomadic
hunters, bands, bison, tanned, ceremony, treaties, boarding school,
rodeo, etc.
have students individually complete a crossword puzzle, designed by
the teacher, by using the new vocabulary identified on the word wall.
Applying the text:
13.
14.
15.
have students locate and research other topics of interest on the
Blackfeet tribe indicated in the “Want to Know” column of the KWL
chart by using various resources such as library books, Internet,
encyclopedia, etc.
Over a period of a week:
have student (or partners) use information from the text or from
personal research, The Blackfeet text, the KWL chart, and the word
wall vocabulary to create a rough draft article depicting an aspect of
the culture of the Blackfeet tribe. The student may submit various
types of articles such as a recipe for a Blackfeet tribal dish, a news
report on a ceremony, a report on a historical event that occurred
between the white settlers and the Blackfeet tribe, instructions on how
to create moccasins, etc. Some articles may be fictional with a factual
basis that pertains to the Blackfeet culture.
have students edit their own articles and then submit the article for
peer and teacher editing for grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling to achieve a final article copy
Closing: The lesson will end by having students orally share their final article
drafts with the class. The class will then compile the students’ articles into a
published newspaper to be displayed in the school library.
Evaluation: During this lesson, the teacher will also observe student
conversations during “during reading” of the Directed Reading Activity through
anecdotal notes. The teacher will also evaluate the students’ comprehension
based on the nonfiction-retelling rubric (See Materials). The teacher will also use
the guided reading technique with individual students who display difficulty with
reading comprehension. The teacher will assist students with editing their article
drafts after the articles have been self-edited and peer-edited. The teacher will
specifically look for use of the new word wall vocabulary and factual information
provided by the text and other credible sources.
Materials:
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The Blackfeet by Petra Press,
Chart paper,
Word wall cards for new vocabulary,
Teacher created crossword puzzle,
Encyclopedias, dictionaries, library access, internet sites, and other
means and resources for research,
Classroom Based Assessment by Bonnie C. Hill, Cynthia Ruptic, and Lisa
Norwick. (1998). Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc. Form: 9.18B.
Paper, writing utensils
Extension: Have students create a Venn diagram comparing the cultural
characteristics of the Blackfeet tribe (nomadic tribe) to the Pueblo Indians
(agricultural tribe) to meet the second grade History 2.3 Standard of Learning.
Lesson plan written by:
Angela Cupp