This is one of my favorite units! It motivates students to want to learn about the Native Americans of North America (Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Southwest, Northwest Coast, Southeast). I have included 54 pages of lesson plans and printables. All printables fit paper size 8.5 by 11 inches.

For each region, there is a 2-page informational text that gives information about the climate, religious beliefs, resources, homes, food, etc.  Along with the informational text, there is a printable for with a reading skill.  This one shows context clues/vocabulary.






1.  We begin the unit by playing Native American Music - fun fun fun!  This is a must and we play it anytime we are making one of our crafts!  



2.  We create our own Native American names. Cute!!!  There are two versions!  Printable to draw yourself as a Native American or printable with craft.








2. Then students get a symbols printable and create their own picture writing on brown grocery bags.



3. A project with directions is given using the Informational Text printables and rubric for easy grading!














5. Students map the regions by coloring the map according to how they create the map key.





6. Dream Catchers is a motivational activity to lead to writing! (information about dream catchers, step-by-step instructions on how to make them, printable for Writing center to write about them.)






7. Students create Totem Poles with animals that have meaning to their family dynamics.  It also leads to a great writing piece! (information sheet, animal meanings printable, totem pole parts printables, Writing Center printable, Student and Teacher writing printable and rubric.)



8. Also included are Rain Dance instructions.
9.  Quiz. 
10.  Acrostic Poem

Fun fun fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   If interested in this unit- best seller on Teachers Pay Teachers:    Native American Unit

Need more ideas?

 

I am so excited to see my post on Rachel Lynette's site!

Go to Rachel's website:  Minds In Bloom to learn more about high-level thinking activities and freebies!!!!!!

Oki Ni-Kso-Ko-Wa (Hello my relatives)!  What better way to teach Native American culture than to make a dream catcher!  Whenever I want to motivate my fourth graders for a writing assignment, I like to incorporate a craft or something fun.  We are studying the Native Americans in North America and this is one of the crafts I made with my class.  I taught paragraph writing with this craft.  What dreams do you want the web to catch?  What dreams do you want to go through?

 Oh yeah, I had to dress for the part.  I had parent volunteers cut out the center of the plastic plates and hole punch them.  Other than that, you need beads, yarn and feathers and you are ready to go!

1.  Create a knot and then start weaving in and out of holes and even through the yarn. 
2.  Don't forget to leave a center hole for the good dreams to filter through!
3.  Put beads on yarn whenever you please.
4.  Knot at the end.
5.  Cut another string, put beads, and tie feathers hanging down.