Social Studies Strands Activities

1
Social Studies Strands Activities

• Unit- Native Americans
• 2nd grade
• By Katie Hickman, Rosemary Larger, Emily
  Miklasevich, and Holly Poor

2
Table of Contents

• History
• People in Society
• Geography
• Economics
• Government
• Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
• Social Studies Skills and Methods
• Following all Strands will be activities,
  materials ,and websites

3
HISTORY

• Read a book on Western expansion.
• The students will discuss how this changed Native
  American lives. Create a pros and cons chart.
• History Materials
• Book on Western expansion
• Markers
• Chart paper

4
History Activities

• As a class create a play depicting the first
  Thanksgiving. The students will create their own
  costumes using feathers cardboard and colored
  paper. Discuss the emotional component as they
  act out the scene.
• Materials
• Feathers, cardboard, paper, markers, pencils
• Discuss how Native Americans passed down their
  history. Have a Native American storyteller visit
  the class. The students will go home and learn a
  story from their history that will be presented
  in class the next day.
• Materials
• Storyteller

5
History Activities

• Compare and contrast the lifestyles of two
  different Native American tribes. Take a picture
  walk through books depicting the lifestyles. List
  the similarities and differences. Have the
  students write about where they would prefer to
  live.
• Materials
• Different books on Native American tribes with
  pictures, pencil, paper
• Research a specific Native American tribe. Create
  a calendar for that tribe of typical events
  during the year. Make sure to include seasonal
  preparations. Have the students create an
  illustration to accompany each month.
• Materials
• Blank calendar large enough to write in, marker,
  crayons , extra paper for illustrations

6
People in Societies

• The students will create a picture of a Native
  American house using a variety of materials. The
  students will then display the pictures and
  discuss where the house should be placed on a
  map. Ex- longhouse are found in Ohio
• Societies Materials
• Straw, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, clay
• Paper
• Map

7
People in Societies Activities

• The students will break up into small groups and
  choose a Native American tribe. The students will
  research the different types of food each tribe
  ate. The students will cut out or draw pictures
  of this food and glue it onto a paper plate. Then
  the class will walk around to observe the
  different types of food.
• Society Materials
• Computer, magazines, books ,glue, scissors, paper
  plate
• The students will break up into small groups and
  read a Native American legend. The students will
  then use that same topic to create a legend of
  their own.
• Society Materials
• Several different Native American legends, paper,
  pencils

8
People in Society Activities

• Discuss Native American jewelry as a class. Then
  the students will create their own Native
  American jewelry using beads, feathers and
  string.
• Societies Materials
• Feathers
• String
• Beads
• Pictures of Native American jewelry
• The students will research what role Native
  Americans play in our society today. If possible
  they should use a tribe they have studied in the
  past. Compare how there lives are the same as
  ours and how they are different.
• Society Materials
• Computers
• Chart paper
• Markers

9
People in Societies Websites

• www.crayola.com/calendar/detail.cfm?event_id2004
• www.nativeart.net
• www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/settlements/index.
  shtml
• www.ihawaii.net/story/loreindex.html
• www.mce.k12.net/indians/navigation/native_american
  _territories.html

10
Geography Activities

• The students will create a map with a scale of
  how to get from the school to Fort Ancient.
• Geography Materials
• Rulers, Large paper, Markers, Map
• Take a field trip to Fort Ancient. Have the
  students create a map showing the important
  points in and around the Fort.
• Geography Materials
• Field trip materials (bus permission slips),
  Paper, Markers, Clipboards

11
Geography Activities

• Compare and contrast maps of a Native American
  village then and the map of that area now.
• Geography Materials
• Maps of both areas, Chart paper, Marker
• The students will work together to create a three
  dimensional model of the Sunwatch village.
• Geography Materials
• Map of Sunwatch
• Boxes, markers, popsicle sticks, twigs, glue,
  paper, large cardboard base

12
Geography Activities

• Look at the foot trail the Native American used.
  Discuss the type of climate in those areas. The
  students will write a narrative of a Native
  American on a journey.
• Geography Materials
• Map of the foot trails
• Paper and pencils

13
Geography Websites

• http//www.shakerwssg.org/fort_ancient_hopewell_na
  tive_ame.html
• http//www.shakerwssg.org/olde_fort_ancient_villag
  e.html
• http//www.shakerssg.org/miamisburg_mound_state_me
  morial_.html
• http//www.sunwatch.org/special_events.html
• http//www.oldforester.com/trails.html

14
Economics

• Discuss the change in trade before and after
  settlers. Create a timeline of the ways trade has
  changed over time. Post this timeline on the
  walls.
• Economic Materials
• Paper Pencil
• Tape or magnets

15
Economic Activities

• Look at trade agreements. Role play how this
  would work.
• Economic Materials
• Look at how the Native Americans acquired
  different items. Compare that to how we buy
  items. Create a Venn diagram to show these
  differences.
• Economic Materials
• Pencil
• Paper

16
Economic Activities

• Discuss how foot trails were important to Native
  Americans. Draw a map to show the paths that they
  took to trade goods.
• Economic Materials
• Pencil
• Paper
• Crayons/Makers/Colored pencils
• Attempt to create a trade treaty with another
  classroom.
• Economic Materials
• Shoe, Sock, Plastic bottle, Chalk, Marble, Other
  random items

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Economic Websites

• http//www.thefurtrapper.com/
• http//www.eda.gov/Research/NativeAmerican.xml
• http//www.greattradingpath.com/
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_American
• http//www.42explore2.com/native.htm

18
Government

• Compare and contrast a Native American tribal
  government with the U.S. democracy. Create a
  poster advertising both.
• Government Materials
• Pencils
• Markers
• Construction paper
• Glue
• Poster board

19
Government Activities

• Have half of the class write a narrative on the
  Trail of Tears from a Cherokee perspective. The
  other half will write from the perspective of the
  U.S. government.
• Government Materials
• Pencil
• Paper
• Discuss the reasons behind Custers Last Stand.
  The students will then break up into small groups
  and invent their own ghost dance.
• Government Materials
• Music, CD player

20
Government Activities

• Students will be given roles of Native Americans
  in a matrilineal government. They will be given a
  problem and hold a tribal council.
• Government Materials
• Pencil
• Paper
• The flag is a symbol of our government. Have
  small groups look into the symbols of different
  tribes and create a flag for those tribes using
  those symbols. Display in the room.
• Government Materials
• Pencil, Paper, Markers, Construction paper, Glue

21
Government Websites

• http//www.nmai.si.edu/
• http//indy4.fdl.cc.mn.us/isk/stories.html
• http//www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/Native.html
• http//www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/pages/webnativ
  eaem.html
• http//cia-g.com/rocketstears.html

22
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

• Research the jobs held by men and women in Native
  American tribes. Create a Venn diagram to compare
  and contrast the jobs.
• Citizenship Materials
• Pencil
• Paper

23
Citizenship Activities

• Look at the responsibilities of children in a
  Native American tribe. Create a class book on the
  day in the life of
• Citizenship Materials
• Pencil, Paper, Markers
• Research the rights of a Native American tribe
  and create a Bill of Rights for them as a class.
• Citizenship Materials
• Chart paper, Marker

24
Citizenship Activities

• Have small groups create presentations on
  different jobs Native Americans must do.
  Presentations can be written, drawn, or
  dramatized.
• Citizenship Materials
• Pencil, Paper, Markers, Chart paper
• Compare and contrast the rights of two different
  tribes. Vote on the best and modify those rules
  to implement as a discipline plan for the rest of
  the day.
• Citizenship Materials
• Chart paper, Marker, Consequence cards

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Citizenship Websites

• http//www.pitt.edu/poole/eledHistNatAmer.html
• http//www.ccsd.k12.wy.us/themes/themes.html
• http//atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Native_American
  s/
• www.getty.edu/artsed.net/resources/Maps/battle.htm
  l
• http//familytic.net/issues/november2003/games_8.h
  tml

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Social Studies Skills and Methods

• As a class discuss archeology. Divide the class
  into small groups. Each group receives a box of
  dirt with artifacts to uncover. The students
  should make observations and inferences about the
  tribe the artifacts came from.
• Skills and Methods Materials
• Box of dirt
• Variety of tribal artifacts
• Paper
• Pencil

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Skills and Methods Activities

• The students will study the weapons used by the
  tribes and Europeans at that time. They will
  create a Venn diagram discussing the advantages
  and disadvantages of the weapons.
• Skills and Methods Materials
• Pencil, Paper, Information on the weapons
• Observe and discuss the Sunwatch poles. The
  students will then observe, at different times
  during the school day, how shadows change. A pole
  will be placed on the playground and its shadow
  marked throughout the day.
• Skills and Methods Materials
• Trip to Sunwatch, Pole, Chalk

28
Skills and Methods Activities

• Discuss with the students how Native Americans
  communicated over long distances. Separate the
  students into two groups across the playground.
  They then attempt to communicate using drums,
  mirrors and flashlights.
• Skills and Methods Materials
• Drums, Flashlights, Mirrors
• Demonstrate to the class how Native Americans
  used pictorial communication. Have the students
  look at the meanings of the different symbols and
  attempt to write a complete thought.
• Skills and Methods Materials
• Markers, Paper, Symbols with accompanying meaning

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Skills and Methods Websites

• http//www.kshs.org/places/nativeamerican/http//
  www.northpark.edu/history/WebChron/NorthAmerica/No
  rthAmerica.htmlhttp//www.geocities.com/diabutsu_
  place/http//www.snowwowl.com/naarttomahawk.html
  http//www.inquiry.net/outdoor/native/sign/pictogr
  aphs.htm