Becky Sellers

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Becky Sellers Ed 417 Elementary Social
Studies Ronald Helms

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The Culture of Native Americans Third Grade
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Objectives After doing the following lesson on
Native American culture the students will Name
several different Native American tribes and tell
how they differ from one another.
Explain and understand Indian Legends and their
importance. Explain and be experienced with the
arts and crafts of some Native American tribes.
Identify some of the common animals that were
important to the Native Americans.
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Web Sites National Museum of the American
Indian http//www.si.edu/nmai/nav.htm Art-links
to artists, art types, galleries http//indy4.fdl.
cc.mn.us/isk/art/art.html Music http//hanksvill
e.phast.umass.edu/misc/Namusic.html Nativve
American Resources-legends and stories http//indy
4.fdl.cc.mn.us/isk/stories/stories.html Schools-
link to native schools, pen pals http//indy4.fdl
.cc.mn.us/isk/schools/schools.html Childrens
Literature Web Guide http//www.ucalgary.ca/7Edbr
own/
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Native American Culture Activity 1 Native
American Music Materials Cassettes Myth, Music
and Dance of the American Indians by Ruth Cesare
Alfred Publishing, 1988. Songs about Native
Americans by Lois Skiera-Zucek Kimbo Education,
1994. Aarow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott
Weston Woods, 1974. The students will listen to
several different Native American songs. The
students will compare Native American music to
American music.They will discuss their likes
and/or dislikes of Native American music.
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Native American Culture Activity 2 Making
beads Materials flour, salt, water, paprika,
mixing bowl, string, and tooth picks Measure 1
1/4 cup flour, 1 1/4 cup salt, 1 cup water, 2
tbl. Paprika and put into a bowl. Add water and
mix until workable. Form clay into small balls
and tubes. Use different objects to add texture
to beads. Push a toothpick through the centers,
jiggling it around to form holes. Bake in
200degree oven for an hour. Make necklaces out
of beads.
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Native American Culture Activity 3 Native
American Art Materials Computer-Internet Have
students visit different Native American Art web
sites and look at different types of art. Have
the students look in Native American books to
view different art styles and types. Have the
students break into groups and talk about the
different types of art their likes and dislikes.
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Native American Culture Activity 4 Write to
Native American Pen Pals Materials
Computer-Internet Schools- link to Native
schools, pen pals http//indy4.fdl.ccc.mn.us/isk/
schools/schools.html Have the students get on the
Internet and find pen pals to communicate with.
This will help the students to really understand
Native Americans and how much they are just like
us. The students can write or email these pen
pals.
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Native American Culture Activity 5 Read stories
and poems about Native Americans Materials
Books Fiction Arrow to the Sun by Gerald
McDermott Good Hunting Little Indian by Peggy
Parrish Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin
Jr. Legend The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush
by Tomie dePaola Buffalo Woman by Paul
Goble Poetry How Rabbit Stole the Fire by
Joanna Troughton Dancing Teepees by Virginia
Driving
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Native American Culture Activity 5 (cont) Read
stories and poems about Native Americans By
reading different stories and poems the students
will understand about the living styles and dress
of the Native Americans. They will learn about
tribes and how there are several different
tribes, and how all tribes are different. They
will learn about the different animals and
products that are important to the Native
Americans. The students will learn about Legends
and why Native American write, enjoy and retell
Legends. They will see just how much Native
Americans are just like Americans.
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Native American Culture Activity 6 Watch Native
American Videos Materials Videos The Legend of
the Indian Paintbrush by Great Plains National
Institute, 1988 Hawk, Im Your Brother by
Southwest Series, 1988 The Indian and the
cupboard by Columbia Tristar Home Video.
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Native American Culture Activity 7 Make
Succotash Materials bacon, onion, cooked corn,
green pepper, lima beans Fry the bacon, drain the
fat. Add 1 chopped onion and 1/4 cup of chopped
pepper. When the onion is golden brown, add 2
cups of cooked corn and 2 cups of cooked lima
beans. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add
salt and pepper to taste.
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Native American Culture Activity 8 Make table
top teepees Materials paper towels, plastic
straws, clay, construction paper, straight pins,
and tape Have the students cover their desks with
paper towels. Secure three plastic straw s in
three small balls of clay. Connect the straws at
the top with a straight pin. Instruct each child
to cut the construction paper laying the paper
long ways. Cut a curve at the top of the paper
going from corner to corner. Then cut the bottom
of the paper to match the top curve. Both curves
should be curving the same way - up in this case.
This shape should fit around the teepee. Show
the children how to fit the teepee cover over the
straws and tape it in place.
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What is culture?
Culture is a way of perceiving, believing,
evaluating and behaving providing the blueprint
that determines the way we act in society.
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What is Multiculturalism?
Multiculturalism is being a part of more than one
culture. Being exposed to beliefs and values of
other cultures, learning about cultures other
than your own, and participating in these
cultures.
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What is prejudice?
Prejudice is a set of negative attitudes about a
group of people.
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What is a stereo type?
A stereotype is making false judgements about a
person before you get to know them.
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Why do we sometimes have stereotypes of people
from different cultures?
The way the media presents people to us effects
they way we think about them. The way people are
portrayed in books, cartoons and magazines also
has us form opinions about a group of people or a
culture.
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Is it okay to have prejudices and stereotypes
about other people?
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Native Americans Where do Native American names
come from?
Native American names often reflect (tell
something) Something about the person. Some
examples of Native American Names are Black
Hawk Boy who hunt Buffalo Can you think of a name
for yourself that would reflect something about
you?
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What is a tribe?
A group of people that have the same belief
system. They speak the same language, they may
have similar attitudes and values.
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• Native Americans
• Read First came the Indians by M.J. Wheeler.
• Introduce Different tribes living quite
  differently.
• In groups, compare several of the tribes from the
  story.

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• Native Americans
• In groups, assign each group a different tribe
  from the group.
• Groups- use additional information and resources
  to research tribe.
• Prepare a class presentation on your tribe.

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What is a Legend?
A legend is a short story that explains a natural
phenomenon- something that happens in nature.
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• Read The Gift of the sacred dog.
• Divide into groups of four or five.
• Write a legend to explain a certain event.
• Some examples

• How Mountains were created.
• How sunsets get their color.
• Why the sky is blue.

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• We are going to have Native American Day!!!
• Groups will share information about their tribe
  with the class.
• Show how your tribe dressed.
• Tell about its customs.
• Bring in food from the tribe. (if possible)
• Bring in music from the tribe.
• Bring in books or poems about the tribe.
• Bring art from the tribe.

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Questions for review 1. What are some different
tribes? 2. What are some of the differences
between these tribes? 3. What did you learn from
your pen pals about Native Americans? 4. What is
culture? 5. What is multiculturalism? 6. What is
prejudice? 7. What is a stereotype?
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Questions for review 8. What are some things
that you learned about Native Americans that you
didnt know? 9. What did you learn about Native
American music? 10. What did you learn about
Native American art? 11. What did you learn
about Native American dance? 12. What is a
Legend? 13. What is the importance of
Legends? 14. What is a tribe?