Happy Tuesday! I was sorely disappointed this afternoon when I realized it was only Tuesday, because I was truly convinced that it was Wednesday all afternoon. That is not the kind of surprise that I like! It does mean though that it is time for Texas History Tuesday!
Last week we introduced our Native American research project. Our grade level studies five different tribes from around Texas and students choose one to specialize in. Students then create an artifact at home to represent their tribe and we hold a museum day. This project is A LOT of work, but it is also so amazing to see all of their hard work on museum day.
As we work through our project I will be sure to post pictures of all of our work, but for now I will give you some background.
We start our unit by giving some general information about a ton of different Native American tribes that have lived in Texas using a PowerPoint. I have students take general notes over each of the tribes so that they know which one they want to become the expert in.
After we have learned a bit about each tribe, students rank which tribe they would like to be a specialist in and I group them together. I try really hard to make heterogeneous groups, especially when it comes to reading level because a lot of the research is really intense reading and they need each other to lean on.
Students then begin their research. The areas that they need to know about their tribe are:
- what they used for shelter
- how they got food
- their clothing and jewelry
- their weapons and tools
- what region they lived in
- important things from their culture (pottery, paintings, sculpture, or instruments)
I have students take notes, and draw LOTS of pictures in their journal before they put it on a more formal research sheet that I check for accuracy.
Where do they find their information? I have something for you, and it is a FREEBIE too! Using QR Codes, students have instant access to pre-vetted Native American resources!
I look forward to posting more pictures next week for Texas History Tuesday!
No comments:
Post a Comment