California Native Indians Project: Date TBD
California Native Indians Project:
Group Research, Presentation, & Art Showcase
Grade 3, Dr. Bober, Cubberley School
OVERVIEW:
Your child is beginning a 3-week class study of the history of California’s Native Americans. 3rd grade students will be working in groups to complete a Poster Board Presentation on Indian tribes that lived in various regions throughout our state. The essential question we will be researching is: How did the physical geography, including climate, influence how the local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment before European settlers arrived?
Each group of 3 to 4 students will choose a California region and will be studying, reading, and researching in class at least two tribes that resided within that specific area. Those regions include:
- Northern Coastal region (Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, Wiyot, Pomo)
- Southern coastal region (Chumash, Gabrielino, Luiseño)
- Central valley and mountains region (Achumawi, Maidu, Miwok, Nisenan, Yokuts)
- Desert region (Cahuilla, Serrano, Mojave)
Students will have access to research resources from our class and school library such as books and web sites. Research will be done both during instructional time at school as well as at home.
Please visit: http://www.mrnclass.com/native-californians-project/ for a list of links and resources.
POSTER BOARD PRESENTATION GUIDELINES (COMPLETED IN CLASS):
During class, students will create a poster board and give an oral presentation of their findings.
The poster must include:
1. Title at the top of the board. This should include the name of your region and topic of study.
2. Tribe names. You will include the names of two or more Native American tribes in your region.
3. A map of California that includes a detailed representation of the region you are studying and where the tribes lived.
4. Other information about your tribes should include:
a) FOOD- What type of food did the Native Americans eat? How did they get it? Include hunting and gathering techniques.
b) HOUSING- What type of housing did they build? Think about how they built their houses, how they lived in their houses, and the weather and climate of their location.
c) CLOTHING- What did they wear? Why did they dress that way? How did the climate affect their clothing choices?
d) TOOLS- What tools did they make and use to build, hunt, gather, and work?
5. Include illustrations, sketches, and pictures of some or all of these attributes.
6. Groups may include other interesting facts, such as customs, daily tasks, trade, and transportation.
AT-HOME RESEARCH QUIDELINES:
At home, students are allowed to expand on their group research by collecting text evidence from at-home research resources such as the public library, Internet sources, oral histories, or other resources. Students can also print or collect illustrations, photographs, or realia (artifacts) that they can bring to share with their group. Students are not required to conduct additional research for their Poster Board Presentation at home, but are encouraged to continue their study outside of class to add to their group project.
GROUP ORAL PRESENTATION:
Student groups will present their research to the class, using their poster board as a visual to showcase their findings. They will have class time to orally rehearse their presentation (clearly articulated, all group members have a part in speaking).
STORYTELLING ARTWORK (COMPLETED AT HOME):
To show what they have learned about Native Americans on an individual level, students will create ONE piece of artwork to showcase in our California Native Indian Art Showcase. Students will share the “oral story” behind their artwork, or how it represents the culture of California Native Indians. A short “oral story” template will be provided for students to practice so they are prepared to share.
Students can choose from the menu below, or may opt to create a different work of art to represent their knowledge of California Native Indians (teacher pre-approval required):
STORYTELLING ARTWORK IDEAS:
Leather moccasins
Shell necklace for trading
Diorama of housing for a chosen tribe
Woven basket
Clay pottery
Handmade soap
Model of a Native American home
Headdress, mask, or Costume for a Pow Wow
Dry soup mix
Sand painting
God’s Eye
Carved wooden sculpture
Painted or carved totem pole
Leather good
Handmade Native American musical instrument
Tool for harvesting or hunting (no real working tools or sharp edges)
Final Assessment (in class):
Culminating On-Demand Written Essay (Opinion Writing): Which region of California offered the best environment for Native Indian tribes? Explain your reasoning, using evidence from your research.
Grading and Due Dates:
Assignment Due Date Points
In-Class Research and Evidence Collection (see paperwork sent home) 20
Group Poster Board creation (completed in class) (see paperwork sent home) 20
Group Oral Presentations (see paperwork sent home) 10
Storytelling Artwork Due (completed at home) (see paperwork sent home) 20
Culminating On-Demand Writing Assessment (see paperwork sent home) 20
California Native Indian Art Showcase (see paperwork sent home) 10
100 pts total
Scoring Rubrics, Note-taking Organizers, and Presentation Guidelines will be provided for students during this unit of study. Additional resources and assistance will be provided to individual students and groups as needed.
Group Research, Presentation, & Art Showcase
Grade 3, Dr. Bober, Cubberley School
OVERVIEW:
Your child is beginning a 3-week class study of the history of California’s Native Americans. 3rd grade students will be working in groups to complete a Poster Board Presentation on Indian tribes that lived in various regions throughout our state. The essential question we will be researching is: How did the physical geography, including climate, influence how the local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment before European settlers arrived?
Each group of 3 to 4 students will choose a California region and will be studying, reading, and researching in class at least two tribes that resided within that specific area. Those regions include:
- Northern Coastal region (Yurok, Karuk, Hupa, Wiyot, Pomo)
- Southern coastal region (Chumash, Gabrielino, Luiseño)
- Central valley and mountains region (Achumawi, Maidu, Miwok, Nisenan, Yokuts)
- Desert region (Cahuilla, Serrano, Mojave)
Students will have access to research resources from our class and school library such as books and web sites. Research will be done both during instructional time at school as well as at home.
Please visit: http://www.mrnclass.com/native-californians-project/ for a list of links and resources.
POSTER BOARD PRESENTATION GUIDELINES (COMPLETED IN CLASS):
During class, students will create a poster board and give an oral presentation of their findings.
The poster must include:
1. Title at the top of the board. This should include the name of your region and topic of study.
2. Tribe names. You will include the names of two or more Native American tribes in your region.
3. A map of California that includes a detailed representation of the region you are studying and where the tribes lived.
4. Other information about your tribes should include:
a) FOOD- What type of food did the Native Americans eat? How did they get it? Include hunting and gathering techniques.
b) HOUSING- What type of housing did they build? Think about how they built their houses, how they lived in their houses, and the weather and climate of their location.
c) CLOTHING- What did they wear? Why did they dress that way? How did the climate affect their clothing choices?
d) TOOLS- What tools did they make and use to build, hunt, gather, and work?
5. Include illustrations, sketches, and pictures of some or all of these attributes.
6. Groups may include other interesting facts, such as customs, daily tasks, trade, and transportation.
AT-HOME RESEARCH QUIDELINES:
At home, students are allowed to expand on their group research by collecting text evidence from at-home research resources such as the public library, Internet sources, oral histories, or other resources. Students can also print or collect illustrations, photographs, or realia (artifacts) that they can bring to share with their group. Students are not required to conduct additional research for their Poster Board Presentation at home, but are encouraged to continue their study outside of class to add to their group project.
GROUP ORAL PRESENTATION:
Student groups will present their research to the class, using their poster board as a visual to showcase their findings. They will have class time to orally rehearse their presentation (clearly articulated, all group members have a part in speaking).
STORYTELLING ARTWORK (COMPLETED AT HOME):
To show what they have learned about Native Americans on an individual level, students will create ONE piece of artwork to showcase in our California Native Indian Art Showcase. Students will share the “oral story” behind their artwork, or how it represents the culture of California Native Indians. A short “oral story” template will be provided for students to practice so they are prepared to share.
Students can choose from the menu below, or may opt to create a different work of art to represent their knowledge of California Native Indians (teacher pre-approval required):
STORYTELLING ARTWORK IDEAS:
Leather moccasins
Shell necklace for trading
Diorama of housing for a chosen tribe
Woven basket
Clay pottery
Handmade soap
Model of a Native American home
Headdress, mask, or Costume for a Pow Wow
Dry soup mix
Sand painting
God’s Eye
Carved wooden sculpture
Painted or carved totem pole
Leather good
Handmade Native American musical instrument
Tool for harvesting or hunting (no real working tools or sharp edges)
Final Assessment (in class):
Culminating On-Demand Written Essay (Opinion Writing): Which region of California offered the best environment for Native Indian tribes? Explain your reasoning, using evidence from your research.
Grading and Due Dates:
Assignment Due Date Points
In-Class Research and Evidence Collection (see paperwork sent home) 20
Group Poster Board creation (completed in class) (see paperwork sent home) 20
Group Oral Presentations (see paperwork sent home) 10
Storytelling Artwork Due (completed at home) (see paperwork sent home) 20
Culminating On-Demand Writing Assessment (see paperwork sent home) 20
California Native Indian Art Showcase (see paperwork sent home) 10
100 pts total
Scoring Rubrics, Note-taking Organizers, and Presentation Guidelines will be provided for students during this unit of study. Additional resources and assistance will be provided to individual students and groups as needed.