Grade 3
1. Theme/Title of the day’s lesson with a brief description:
“Learning about Native American Life from their Clothes and Games." The students will learn about Native American life through artifacts of clothing and and toys and my participating in unique Native American games.
2. Materials/resources needed:
*Pictures of Native American clothing
*Pictures of toys
*4 shoes
*A pebble
*A stick
3. Goal(s) for today’s lesson: (This shows people how your lesson “fits” into the MN standards)
Students will examine Native American’s dress and toys/games. They will look for similarities and differences to present day clothing and activities.
3. Objectives for today’s lesson: (This tells people what kids will know or be able to do at the end of the lesson
There will be three different activities going on, the students must complete all three activities and join in the group discussion at the end.
5. Procedures
a. Introductory experiences: 5 minutes
The room will be set up in three different stations. One station will have pictures of clothing, dolls, and toys from Native American cultures. Another area will be set up for “The Moccasin Game,” and another section for the game, “Sep.”
b. Developmental experiences: (Please number the steps and include approximate time each step will take): (35 minutes-each station will take 10 minutes)
1. Break the students into three groups. Assign each group to one station. (5 minutes)
2. At the artifacts station, have the students examine the pictures and answer the following questions:
*How would they describe the item?
*What present day objects is it similar to?
*What are some differences you notice between the artifacts and the object(s) they are similar to?
*What do you think these items were made out of?
3. At “The Moccasin Game” station, teach the students the rules:
The Moccasin Game: The Moccasin Game was a noisy game. You had to get permission from the village elders to play the Moccasin Game. To play, you needed four moccasins, a pebble, and a stick. The players were divided into two sides, the finders and the keepers.
The Singer: One player of each team was the singer. The singer's job was to encourage his or her own team, while jeering at the other team.
The Keeper: One player was the keeper. His job was to hide the pebble in one of the moccasins. The keeper would move his hands rapidly over the moccasins. Even after he dropped the pebble, he would continue to move his hands rapidly, to fool the other team. When the drum stopped, he stopped.
The Finder: One player was the finder. The finder had to turn each moccasin over until he found the pebble.
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/ojibwa/games.html
*Have the students compile a list of characteristics needed to succeed in the game.
4. At the Sep station, explain the rules:
Sep: Sep was a fall asleep game, rather like a funny bedtime story, with a prize. After a good meal at night, it was time for the kids to quiet down. Sometimes the kids were so wound from the activities of the day that they could not fall asleep easily. When that happened one of the elders might say, "Let's play Sep!"
Sep was a silly game that everyone loved. It worked like this - someone would sing a song with very funny words. Without warning, the singer would suddenly stop singing and say, "Sep!" Everyone had to be very quiet until one of the adults picked up the song again. Any child who made a sound during Sep - the quiet period - was out of the game. There was a prize for the person who stayed in the game the longest. During the quiet times, the children would fall asleep. Then the parents and adults could talk. In the morning, the game was completed, and the prize awarded.
Sep could be played quietly in one wigwam, or could be played with the occupants of many wigwams at once. Because the wigwams were in a circle around a central open area, when the wigwam flaps were open, everyone could hear the silly songs, just as they could hear the night messages.
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/ojibwa/games.html
*Have the students compile a list of characteristics needed to succeed in the game.
5. Switch the groups from stations every 10 minutes.
c. Culminating experiences (closure) : 5 minutes
The students will join the circle again, and share what happened at each station. The teacher will write on the board what they learned from each station.
6. Assessments used during lesson:
The assessment is the group discussion and answers to the questions.
