Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
Teacher(s) Name: Michelle Syzmczak
Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: Pre Columbian Native Americans/ 5th grade
Wiki space address: http://fifthgradekerness.wikispaces.com/
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: Day 4 / The Native American Historians of Song and Dance
Learning Objectives
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What will students
accomplish / be able to do at
the end of this lesson?
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NCSS Theme/Sunshine
State Standards List each
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standard. Cutting and pasting
from the website is allowed.
These can be downloaded from the
Florida Dept of Education
http://flstandards.org.
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Student Activities &
Procedures
Teacher Activities/Student
Activities
 What best practice strategies will
be implemented?
 How will you communicate student
expectation?
 What products will be developed
and created by students?
The student will be able to depict geographical and cultural aspects of 5
different Native American groups through poetry and movement.
The student will recognize that Native American poetry and movement can
transmit oral history and culture.
The student will be able to name and analyze the aspects of Native American
poetry and chants.
SS.5.A.2.2: Identify Native American tribes from different geographic
regions of North America (cliff dwellers and Pueblo people of the desert
Southwest, coastal tribes of the Pacific Northwest, nomadic nations of the
Great Plains, woodland tribes east of the Mississippi River).
SS.5.A.1.1: Use primary and secondary sources to understand history.
LA.5.2.1.3: The student will demonstrate how rhythm and repetition as well
as descriptive and figurative language help to communicate meaning in a
poem;
LA.5.5.2.1: The student will listen and speak to gain and share information
for a variety of purposes, including personal interviews, dramatic and poetic
recitations, and formal presentations; and
1. To start class students will be played an audio clip of a Native American song.
Students will then see a clip of a Native American dance.
2. The class will discuss the two clips, with the teacher providing guided questions:
What do you notice about the music? What kind of rhythm or beat is there? Do you
hear repetition in the songs? Even though you cannot understand the words what do
the movements tell you about the content?
3. The class will then use their notebooks to make a KWL and the whole group will
brainstorm what else they think they know about Native American dance and song.
The teacher will record responses on a large KWL on the board as well.
4. Some direct instruction will take place next relating that Native American songs
were their version of poetry and were used to pass on oral traditions. The defining
characteristics of Native American songs will be gone over as well.
5. Guided Practice:
Different examples of Native American songs from the five tribes we are currently
studying (Iroquois, Sioux, Kwakiutl, Pueblo and Inuit) will be passed out as well as a
Native American poetry checklist (ARTSEDGE). One song will be examined
together as a class. Using the checklist we will discuss the elements of the song and
how they transmit the elements of that tribe’s culture and geography. Having already
discussed the geographical features, lifestyle and culture of the tribes, students will
have the opportunity to make connections between what they see in the songs and
what they know about the different groups.
6. Group Practice:
Students will then break up into groups of four and each will be assigned one poem to
evaluate. They will discuss what elements of the culture and lifestyle of their tribe are
seen in the song by utilizing the checklist. Students will also look for the unique
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
elements and characteristics of the Native American form of song: repetition, written
in the first person, represents a personal reflection and teaches a lesson. During this
time the teacher will circulate around the class monitoring comprehension and group
work. The teacher will also be available to answer questions and help lead students
into the right direction if they get off track. At the conclusion of the activity each
person in the group will be asked to present a finding from their group discussion to
the class.
7. After each group presents their findings we will begin a discussion on how
movement and dance are incorporated into the Native American song. A
demonstration will be done modeling how movement can enhance the meaning in a
song. First the class will brainstorm different kinds of movements like run, hop,
jump, walk, leap, swim etc; teacher will record brainstorming on the board. Three or
four volunteers will be needed to perform The teacher will then read a song and ask
the class to come up with a movement for a line, groups of lines or idea which the
volunteers will then perform. Depending on the outcome and response this activity
may need to be repeated based on student understanding.
8. Students will break up into the same groups and with the same tribe that was
assigned to them earlier in the class. Each student will have a role: poet,
choreographer, performer, and fact checker. Together they will collaborative to write
a song and create a dance to go with it. Students will be given a rubric which will set
specific criteria for both the song and dance. They will have access to numerous
poems from the tribes to choose from. Also students will have access to the particular
websites to review their tribe’s culture, hear Native American songs, and view clips of
Native American dances. Also a media station will be set up where students can view
videos on Native American dance. Once completed each groups song and dance will
be presented.
Resources/Materials
Books:
The Earth Under Sky Bear’s Feet: Native American Poems of the Land by
Joseph Bruchac & Thomas Locker
Chants and Prayers by Stan Padilla
Earth Always Endures: Native American Poems edited by Edward S. Curtis
Videotape:
American Indian Dance Theatre: Finding the Circle produced by Catherine
Tatge and directed by Merrill Brochway
How to Dance Native American Style by Drumbeat Indian Arts
Websites:
Audio of songs - http://www.folkways.si.edu/index.aspx
Video clips - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQGW5a0q51w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl8-AeMtdpM
http://www.desivideonetwork.com/view/34931gpz7/powwow-mens-teamgrass-dancing-native-american-indian-1/
http://www.freespiritgallery.ca/nativevideohuronstick.htm
Cultural information http://www.indigenousgeography.si.edu/home.aspx?lang=eng
Papers:
Native American Poetry Checklist (ARTSEDGE)
Assessment Rubric
Group Work Reflection Worksheet
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
Technology:
TV/ VCR/ DVD
Computer
Assessment
 How will student learning be
assessed? Authentic/Alternative
assessments?
 Are you using a rubric?
 Informal assessment: participation
rubrics, journal entries,
collaborative planning/presentation
notes
Be sure to include Pre/Post assessment in your lesson plans!
Pre-Assessment: The pre-assessment will consist of the students completing a
KWL on Native American song and dance.
Monitoring: Students will be informally assessed and monitored during both
group discussions and group work.
Post-Assessment: Students will be authentically assessed by their end project
and KWL.
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Exceptionalities
What accommodations do you make
for ESOL, Gifted/Talented students,
Learning/Reading disabilities, etc
Discussion Notes
The project will be done in groups of four with each member choosing
a role. However all students will be responsible for contributing to all aspects
of the project Students will be held accountable to their participation
within the group by the group work reflection worksheet in which they
rate themselves and their group members.
Students will be assessed on their written song based on a rubric which
would be given out before the project began. The rubric would
include: adherence to the poetry checklist, appropriate use of form and
characteristics of Native American song, song depicts accurate content
of the tribes’ culture, lifestyle and values and dance movements
demonstrate the ideas of the song.
Students will also be assessed on the completion of their individual
KWLs and reflection on the day’s lessons and activities.
ESOL/SLD: These students will benefit from a lot of the elements of this
lesson that are already built in. The use of music and dance provide non verbal
ways for students to both comprehend ideas and show their knowledge. I
would also encourage those students to take leadership roles in their group like
choreographer or performer. In addition to the dance components I would
include graphics images with the poems so students could have visional
support when learning the content. Our use of the KWL, the support of group
work and assessment on a product versus a test all help to make this lesson
more accessible to all students.
Gifted/Talented: These students could be given a supplementary assignment
in which they compare and contrast the poems/songs from different regional
areas or go more in depth into a specific ceremony where a specific song and
dance takes place. Students could even have the option to present their
findings to the class.
Extensions:
 An extension of the lesson could be for students to create clothing or
masks for the presentation of their dance that is in keeping with their
tribes’ ceremony and culture.
 An extension of the lesson more focused on language arts could be for
students to compose a song and dance based on their own personal
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
lifestyle and culture. Parents could be asked to help at home in this
project and detail for the student an oral history of where they come
from.