Iroquois Unit

Jonathan McCrum

Touro College

A. General Plan for the Unit

1. Class Description : The class that will be learning this unit will be a fourth grade, regular education classroom. There will be between twenty and twenty five students in the class. The socioeconomic class of the students ranges from low to middle class. The native language of each student is English but the level of proficiency that each student exhibits varies, as well as each student’s cognitive abilities in the classroom.

2. Title of Unit : The IroquoisCurricular Theme: Culture and History

3. Objectives :

1. Students will be able to gather and organize information about the important accomplishments of individuals and groups, including Native American Indians, living in their neighborhoods and communities.

2. Students will be able to recognize how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next.

3. Students will be able to gain an understanding of the History of the United States and New York.

4. Students will be able to understand the everyday lifestyle of an Iroquois Native American.

5. Students will be able to identify individuals who have helped to strengthen democracy in the United States and throughout the world.

6. Students will be able to create a model of an Iroquois village.

7. Students will be able to construct their own model longhouse.

4. Standard s :

NYS English Language Arts: Standard 1: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding.

NYS English Language Arts: Standard 2: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for literary responses

NYS English Language Arts: Standard 4: Students will read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

NYS Social Studies: Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Key Idea 1: The study of New York State and United States history requires

an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and

multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values,

practices, and traditions.

Key Idea 3: Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and

religious developments in New York State and United States history

involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals

and groups.

NYS Social Studies Standard 5: Civics, citizenship, and government

Key Idea 1: The study of civics, citizenship, and government involves

learning about political systems; the purposes of government and civic life;

and the differing assumptions held by people across time and place

regarding power, authority, governance, and law.

5. Strategy : In this unit the students work as a group to develop an Iroquois village. Each group will be identified as one of the five Iroquois tribes. The students will work together to develop a longhouse, false face mask, and eventually a model of a Iroquois village. The students will eventually gather as a group to demonstrate and reenact America’s first democracy, Iroquois League of Five Nations. This will help the students see from a firsthand experience what it was like to be a part of each of the Iroquois tribes during this time.

Theme: Culture and History - The

IroquoisProduct: Model of an

Iroqouis villageObjectives: Students will: understand the everyday lifestyle of an Iroquois Native

American, to identify individuals who have helped to strengthen

democracy in the United States and

throughout the world, to create a

model of an Iroquois village.

Students will construct a model

longhouse How to effectively

research a theme or model

Group will participate/reenact in an

Iroquois League of the Five Nations meeting

How to outline, write and present a

presentation or reenactment to an

audience

Group develops a model Iroquois

village and presents this to the class

6. Rationale : By the end of this unit, students will be able to talk and discuss about their specific Iroquois village they built as well as all the other groups’ villages. They will also be able to recall the facts about each Iroquois village from the development of the information booklet throughout the week. Students will grasp an idea of how the first American democracy was developed by having a hands-on experience with the reenactment. The content of this unit is taken specifically from the New York State Content Area for Grade 4. The content understanding is Native American Indians of New York State, while the concepts/themes I have hit are: culture, needs and wants, civic values, and Government.

7. Content : …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine, paper, pencil, construction paper (brown, green, black), popsicle sticks, markers, crayons. The students will also be filling out graphic organizers. One on the differences between men and women and differences between each of the Iroquois tribes.

8. Student Preparation : Students will have to read sections of the book …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine. They will need to research and take notes on each section such as daily life, longhouses, the first democracy, etc. Students will also be preparing a model of an Iroquois village with a longhouse in their groups (tribes).

9. Motivation : Students will be able to not only learn about these individuals through reading but they will also be able to create many things that were used in this time period, such as longhouses, canoes, and even act out the first democracy. Also, the students will be able to get an understanding for the way they lived and what their government was like. This will be motivational because the students will act out a tribe meeting and be able to understand their way of living at this time.

10.Technology : Smart board will be used in a few of the lessons in this unit. As well as a video or two from Teacher Tube/YouTube. I would also like to incorporate a possible virtual tour so I will be looking for a website that will work well for that. If I do not find anything I will then have the students go on a web-quest instead retrieving information from multiple websites I will find.

11.Student Product/Performance : Students will produce their information booklet, longhouse, village, and perform first American democracy reenactment. Each student will be making their own longhouse but when combined in their groups(tribes) they will create the entire village with each students longhouse displayed in the village.

12.Assessment : I will determine if the students learned the instructional objectives by informally and formally assessing the students individually and in group settings throughout each session. I will be walking around checking on students work throughout this unit and also keeping a close eye on what groups and individuals are working well together and which are not. Students will each receive individual grades on their villages because each student will receive credit for his/her longhouse contributed to the project and also collaboratively how well they work in a group setting. This can be seen in the rubric below which is out of 20 points total.

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1Delegation of Responsibility

Each student in the group can clearly explain what is needed by the group, what s/he is responsible for creating/designing, and why this is important to their village.

Each student in the group can clearly explain what s/he is responsible for creating/designing.

Each student in the group can, with minimal prompting from peers, clearly explain what s/he is responsible for creating/designing.

One or more students in the group cannot clearly explain what they are responsible for.

Plan for Organizing Information

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information on the village as it is gathered and in the final product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the village.

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information for the final product. All students can independently explain this plan.

Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan.

Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan.

Longhouse The longhouse shows that the creator was took great pride in his/her work. The design and construction look carefully planned. The item is neat (free of unwanted bumps, drips, marks, and tears).

The longhouse shows that the creator took pride in his/her work. The design and construction look planned. The item has a few flaws (unwanted bumps, drips, marks, tears), but these do not detract from the overall look.

The design and construction were planned. The item has several flaws (unwanted bumps, drips, marks, tears), that detract from the overall look.

The longhouse looks thrown together at the last minute. It appears that little design or planning was done. Craftmanship is poor.

Attractiveness The village shows that the creators

The village shows that the creators

The design and construction were

The village looks thrown together at

was took great pride in his/her work. The design and construction look carefully planned. The item is neat (free of unwanted bumps, drips, marks, and tears).

took pride in his/her work. The design and construction look planned. The item has a few flaws (unwanted bumps, drips, marks, tears), but these do not detract from the overall look.

planned. The item has several flaws (unwanted bumps, drips, marks, tears), that detract from the overall look.

the last minute. It appears that little design or planning was done. Craftmanship is poor.

Authenticity The village has all of the appropriate features that belong in an Iroquois village.

The village has most of the appropriate features that belong in an Iroquois village.

The village has a few of the appropriate features that belong in an Iroquois village.

The village has little to none of the appropriate features that belong in an Iroquois village.

13.Modifications/accommodations : One student raises their hand for every question; make sure to get answers from other students. Some students have trouble staying on task so I will make sure they are sitting up front and are paying attention. One student has difficulty measuring and also with craft like activities so I will keep a close on this student to make sure they do not fall behind. When using the PowerPoint I will also make sure people who have trouble seeing move to the front of the class.

B.*Session by Session PROCEDURE/IMPLEMENTATION PLANS

Lesson 1

a) Iroquois Information Booklet

b) Time – This lesson will go for 45 minutes total. The students will have a 5 minute introduction at the beginning of the class. The students will then be given approximately 30 minutes to work on their Iroquois Information Booklets. Students will then clean up and come back together as a group for a closure activity that will be approximately 5 to 10 minutes.

c) General Description of the session – Students will come in and have a seat at their desk to begin the lesson. As a class we will discuss the Native Americans in New York State. We will be learning about the six Iroquois tribes and taking notes on them in their information booklets. We will be going over each tribe

d) Goal(s) - The students will:

Understand that specific individuals and ideas had a great impact on history.

Know about the first inhabitants who lived in the state or region. Know the origin of the names of places, rivers, cities, and countries

and know the various cultural influences within a particular region.

e) Logistics - Students will sit at their desks for the entirety of this lesson. They will be organized in their normal seats and facing the front board so that it is easy for the students to see the front overhead projector. The introduction will be set up in a whole class discussion type of exercise. Then the time given to work on their information booklet will be individual learning along with whole group instruction as well as the closure activity. The booklet will be collected on Friday at the end of the week when completed.

f) Teacher Narrative – I will lead the introduction by asking the students to think of some of the names of lakes, rivers, and counties nearby. I will then wait a few second and then ask students to raise their hand if the name they are thinking of is one of these words I have written on the board (Oneida, Cayuga, Mohawk, Seneca, Tuscarora, and Onondaga). I will explain that these are the names of the Iroquois tribes and I will show the students with a map that they lived in the area that they are currently living in as well. I will

then explain that today we will read about the six Iroquois tribes and take notes in our journals. After the packets are handed out I will model what should be written about the first tribe for them and then as well go over the other five tribes the students will need to write information down into their journal that will later be copied into the information booklet. I will be walking around the room facilitating this activity to make sure that all students are staying on task and completing their work. At the end of the class we will come back together as a group and discuss things we have learned. Students will then have to take a couple minutes to write a paragraph or two summarizing what they have learned about the Iroquois tribes. I will model a topic sentence for them. For example, Today I learned that the Iroquois had six tribes. Their names are Seneca,…etc.

g) Materials and Resources – Iroquois Information Booklet for each student, students’ own writing and coloring utensils, and journals.

Lesson 2

a) Where did the Iroquois live?

b) Time – This lesson will be around 1 hour in total. The introduction to this lesson where students will discuss what they need to survive will take 10 to 15 minutes. The reading of …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine will take 10 to 15 minutes as well. The activity “Make a Longhouse” will take approximately 25 to 30 minutes and the closure activity and cleanup will then take an additional 10 to 15 minutes as well.

c) General Description of the session – The students will be reading a few pages from …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine. We will discuss as a class many of the features of where the Iroquois lived and what they used for shelter, longhouses. The students will then be given materials and instructions to build their own longhouse. Each student will be given the opportunity to create his/her own longhouse and write 3 things about their particular longhouse that makes it unique. A the end of the session we will discuss as a class what a longhouse if made of and why it is exactly called a longhouse.

d) Goal(s) - The students will:

Gain an understanding of the history of the United States and New York.

Apply mathematics in a real-world setting. Construct their own model longhouse and answer questions about the

properties of a longhouse.

e) Logistics - Students will work as a whole class/large group at the introduction of this lesson and during the reading. Then students will break up back to their seats or area with enough work space and make their longhouses individually. All longhouses will be placed on the window sill to dry and will be used again for another lesson.

f) Teacher Narrative – As an introduction I will ask the students “what do we need to survive?” I will then write the responses on the board. I will focus on food, sunlight, shelter, and air, as these items are necessary for life to continue. Today we will focus specifically on the shelter aspect of the Iroquois life. I will describe to the students that they lived in homes called longhouses and the Iroquois actually called their selves Haudenosaunee, which means “people of the longhouse”. We will then read over pages 16-18

in …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine. We will discuss any words that may be difficult to understand or any parts they may be unclear about. I will then distribute the “make a longhouse worksheet” and all the materials needed. Students will begin to put their structures together as I walk around the classroom, observing each student to keep them on task. I will assist any student who is having trouble and if multiple students have trouble with the same thing I will demonstrate the task at the front of the classroom. After all students are finished I will instruct students to begin cleaning up their areas and come back to their seats for a closure activity. I will then have students take out their journal and answer two questions: what is a longhouse made of? And why is it called a longhouse? We will then discuss these questions as a class.

g) Materials and Resources - …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine, “Make a Longhouse” worksheet, shoe box, construction paper, markers, paper, pencil, glue, popsicle sticks, wooden sticks from tree, newspaper.

Lesson 3

a) The First American Democracy

b) Time – This lesson should take approximately 1 hour. We will need 10 minutes for the K-W-L chart at the beginning of class. Then we will need 15-20 minutes to read and discuss pages 65-76 in the book …If You Lived With the Iroquois. Students will be given 20-25 minutes for the first democracy reenactment and another 10 minutes for the closure activity to fill in the L on the K-W-L chart.

c) General – In this lesson students will learn about what a democracy is and how the Iroquois may have impacted the way our democracy is run today. We will complete a K-W-L chart as a group and then read the allotted pages from the …If You Lived With the Iroquois book. Students then will be reenacting what a confederacy council meeting may look like and then filling in a worksheet and the rest of the K-W-L chart for comprehension.

d) Goal(s) – Students will:

Gain an understanding of civics, citizenship, and government. Gain an understanding of history of the United States and New York. List similarities between the Iroquois Confederacy and U.S.

democracy.

e) Logistics - Students will be seated at their individual seats but working as a class to finish the K-W-L chart. Students will then be broken up into small/collaborative work groups and must pick their “sachem” to speak in the confederacy council meeting. Students will gather in a circle in the reading rub and watch this discussion take place.

f) Teacher Narrative - I will start off the lesson with a question: “What type of government do we have?”(A democracy) If the students have difficulty coming up with an answer or understanding the question, guide them towards the answer or understanding the question. “Were we the first democracy of this country?” This will be a question that we will answer in today’s lesson. What do we know about the Iroquois form of government? Start K-W-L chart. Answers will be confirmed or rejected later in the lesson. “We are going to read about the Iroquois government, which was known as what?” (Iroquois Confederacy or League of the Iroquois) What are some things you might want to learn from today’s lesson? Write these down under the -W- on the K-W-L chart. We will then read pages 65-76 in …If You Lived With the Iroquois as a class. Discuss any words they do not

understand and have the students repeat key terms, such as Hiawatha, sachems, wampum, Deganawidah, etc. A key point to make sure the students understand is that the sachems were chosen by the clan mother, with the help from other women of the tribe. Students will be formed into the six tribes and each tribe must have at least 1 boy and 1 girl. Tell the class we are going to have our own council meeting, regarding an issue of their choosing (I.e. No homework for the night, I supply snack for next class, or 5 point bonus on test) Have tribes discuss which issue they would like to address. The meeting will take place on the “reading rug”. Each tribe should send their sachem to the “reading rug”. While the meeting is going on, all the students are to sit quietly and pay attention. Only the teacher and the sachems are allowed to talk. After calling the meeting to order, the teacher will preside over the meeting as the “council elder”. The first order of business, you tell the sachems to decide which issue we will address. Each sachem will then, in the tribal order stated in the reading, present their tribes chosen topic. After all the topics are presented, the council must choose only one to vote on. Remind the sachems that 100% agreement is required and that if they do not choose a topic by the end of the allowed time then no topic will be discussed. Each sachem will be given his turn to speak and cannot be interrupted. After the topic is agreed upon it is put to vote and the council must “speak with one voice”. When the agreement is reached, the meeting is adjourned. After the conclusion of the council meeting, sachems will return to their tribes. The students will return to their own desks and put away anything on their desks. We will then fill in the –L- on the K-W-L chart by asking the students to share what they have learned while they color. For example, what kind of government the Iroquois have? After finishing this column, discuss similarities and differences of our government and that of the Iroquois. After this discussion, have the students copy down the -L- column from the K-W-L chart to study for the test.

g) Materials and Resources - …If You Lived With the Iroquois by Ellen Levine (p 65-76), K-W-L Chart, Confederacy handout

Lesson 4/5

a) Native American Village

b) Time – This lesson will be set over the period of two, one hour, class periods. Each class will begin with a 5-10 minute introduction and 5-10 closure. The rest of the class time will be given for students to develop their villages with their groups.

c) General – Thes two sessions will be given to the students to come together in their groups and develop a plan and actual design of their Iroquois village. Each student has already made a longhouse on their own and this will be used in their village as well. Students will be coming together to create a man made village for each tribe (Cayuga, Seneca, Mohawk, Onondaga, Oneida, and Tuscarora).

d) Goal(s) – The students will:

Actively engage in the processes that constitute creation and performance in the arts.

Be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.

Compare and contrast their life to that of an Iroquois child. Create a model of an Iroquois village.

e) Logistics - Students will be working in their small/collaborative work groups (tribes). Materials will be brought in by the teacher and students and used to construct their villages. The village will then be collected at the end of the 2nd class and each student will receive an individual grade on the Iroquois village project.

f) Teacher Narrative – Day 1- The students will be placed back in to their original groups (tribes). Students will then get materials from their bags and materials table at the back of the room. Students can then start creating their villages as a group. Remind students they need to have basic needs for survival and to use their knowledge of the Iroquois people. After about an hour the class will come back together as a whole and explain that you will be giving them another night to think of other things or ideas they may want to add to their village. Explain they may want to bring in more materials from home or ask me if I can bring anything in to help. Students will finish cleaning up until class is dismissed. Day 2 – Students will be given about 45 minutes to work on their villages and finish up what they have started from the day before. After this time I will have them put their villages in the designated area (a table or two on one side of the room). Students will then clean up all their materials and return to their original seats. As a closure

activity I will be explaining what a peer evaluation is. We will brainstorm an evaluation scale out of 5 points. I will then have the students evaluate each of their group members using this scale we have created. Students will need to have an explanation of why a grade was given so that students are not just giving good grades to friends and poor grades to people they just do not like. These evaluations will be averaged out and each student will receive an overall peer grade out of 5 that will be added to their project rubric which is already out of 20 points.

g) Materials and Resources – Students will bring in materials needed for their village from home. Also I will supply the class with big pieces of cardboard, boxes, markers, construction paper, paint, etc.