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Pages Out of the Past
Students examine examples of rock art and the reasons why they were made. They translate the images into a creative writing piece that be attached to their own rock art.
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Sand Painted Teepees
Second graders create "Sand Painted teepees" using sand, paper, glue, and information about Native American culture in this 2nd grade Art lesson. The lesson includes a vocabulary list, a materials list, a resource link, and a short...
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Ft. Vancouver the Fur Trade: A Skin for a Skin
Students study Fort Vancouver. They discuss trading and what is meant by "a skin for a skin." They complete math story problems that represent possible trading scenarios. They explore the Chinook Jargon trade language.
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Wappo Indians of Napa County
Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...
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Rock Art Stories
Young scholars examine different types of rock art. They analyze them to try to figure out the meaning of the art. They create their own rock art that tells a story. They share their creation with the class.
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Picture Writing
Fourth graders create symbols. In this visual arts lesson, 4th graders study cave drawings, Native American pictographs, and Aboriginal Drawings prior to creating their own communication without using words.
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Create a Family Crest
Young scholars create their own family crest using prior knowledge and Japanese and Native American examples of symbolic art. Lesson extensions include the creation of a school crest or woodblock examples of crests.
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Rock Art
First graders create and share their own rock art. They listen and read stories: "Mathematics from Many Cultures" and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush."
Channel Islands Film
Telling Your Own Story
After watching and discussing a video on the Voyage of Cabrillo, individuals craft their own origin story and design and build an artifact they feel best represents their history.
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The Night Chanter Project
Students sketch a design based on "The Night Chanter." In this art design lesson, students listen to the Native American prayer, "The Night Chanter" and illustrate their personal vision of the chant. Students critique the sketches and...
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Comparative Folktales
Young scholars analyze Mongolian and Native American folktales and compare the two types. They discuss the importance of storytelling in nomadic cultures and read a story in small groups. Following the story, they answer questions and...
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Talking Rocks
Third graders explain the difference between Petroglyphs and Pictographs from Ancient Native American peoples. They create symbols that are representative of a story about their world.
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Designing Your Inner Self
Learners identify connections between various cultures and the symbolism used in them. Individually, they reflect on their own culture, beliefs and values and identify the symbolisms they use to show them. They discuss how their clothes...
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Westward Expansion and the War with Mexico
Students evaluate primary sources to develop their own opinions about Westward Expansion. In this Manifest Destiny instructional activity, students examine and respond to questions about Gast's painting titled American Progress Students...
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Talking Rocks
Third graders consider the differences between pictographs and petroglyphs. They create symbols from a story about their worlds. They make pottery art.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
B. Franklin, Printer and the Public Eye
Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...
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Chinese Calligraphy
Students explore Chinese calligraphy. In this art and social science lesson, students copy the Chinese character ideograms in order to create words or phrases.
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Rock Art
First graders create and share their own rock art based on Navajo and Hawaiian rock art.
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Animals in Art
Students look at how animals are shown in literature and art as representing emotions, telling a story, or sending a message in this elementary school Language Arts and Visual Arts lesson.
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Rockin' Chalk
Fourth graders access prior knowledge of rocks and minerals. In this petroglyphs lesson, 4th graders become familiar with artwork on rocks. Students create original artworks using rock art.
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One Grain of Rice
Learners complete a Know / Want to Know / Learned chart about India. They locate India on a map and read facts about India. They access the Internet and view a slide show about India. They read "One Grain of Rice" in the Scott Foresman...
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Labyrinths
Whether studying metaphors or Greek mythology, this labyrinth project is a fantastic lesson plan to add to your unit. It includes two versions of the labyrinth; making it with yarn or stone. If your materials are limited, you can even...
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The Three Faces of William Penn
Young scholars analyze art depicting William Penn. They analyze three different paintings discussing the symbolism, artistic elements, and depiction of Native Americans in each painting.
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Thanksgiving: Multiple Perspectives
Students examine different perspectives about Thanksgiving that include those of the European Settlers and the Native Americans. They read and discuss an article about Plymouth being "America's Hometown." They develop a landmark for...