Name: Maricela Cordova

Title: Pre-Columbian Settlements

Grade: 5th grade
Understanding By Design Unit Template
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
What teaching and learning experiences will you use to:
 achieve the desired results identified in Stage 1?
 equip students to complete the assessment tasks identified in Stage 2?
Where are your students headed? Where have they been? How will you make sure the students know where they are going?
What experiences do the learners bring to the unit? How have the interests of the learners been ascertained? Have the learners been
part of the pre-planning in any way? What individual needs do you anticipate will need to be addressed?
Learning environment: Where can this learning best occur? How can the physical environment be arranged to enhance learning?
Students enter fifth grade with a background understanding on California history, which is important for teachers to know in order to create a
unit on the pre-Columbian settlements. Students come in with a general foundational understanding about geography, government, economy,
structure, power, and who Native Americans were. In this unit, students will examine the major-pre-Columbian settlements: Native
Americans across the U.S. To do this, students will examine the human and physical geography of the United States by studying primary and
secondary sources and making connections with how geography and the places Native Americans lived influenced the way they lived—
shelter, food, clothing, technology, art, government, and religion. Throughout the unit, students should understand that the Native Americans
of the past had different perspectives and way of living that may not be similar in the present. It is anticipated that some students will hold
strong biased beliefs regarding the Native people due to what pop culture and the media portrays the Natives to be and look like. To shift
their implicit biases, using images and reading texts from different perspectives, including from the Native Americans, can change their
views. It is encouraged to bring in as many of the Ubd’s Six Facets into the classroom to establish an effective and supportive learning
environment. Given that, learning will occur inside and outside the classroom. That is, students will go on a field trip to the Autry Museum to
further enhance their knowledge about the different regions the Natives populated. It will serve as a tactile experience for all students, thus,
making learning purposeful. In addition, this learning experience may generate burning questions students may have. They may have
questions regarding how some tools were used. These are great questions great scientists make, so it is highly encouraged and welcomed! In
other instances, students will work individually and in pairs during activities and applications to create connections among peers, establish
great teamwork skills, learn from each other (supports ELs), and to polish one’s meta-cognition.

How will you engage students at the beginning of the unit? (motivational set)

Students will be engaged at the beginning of the unit by pondering on a burning question: “Were we truly the first people in America?” The
question is both enticing and engaging because students get to reflect on their prior knowledge about U.S. history, and they also think back to
stories told to them about the first people that lived in America. This questions calls for student knowledge that the teacher can use to
construct a unit on the Native Americans. Moreover, in the beginning of the unit, the teacher will have students participate in a class game
locating where the regions are and what tribes they will find there. The use for KWL charts also provides as other evidence to determine
what students “think” they know (analyze as either knowledge or understanding) and “how” can the teacher facilitate and provide the skills
and content needed to fulfill the state standard and aim towards success for the final performance task. Lastly, students will also be engaged
and motivated to learn about the Native American culture by being told that they will write a persuasive letter about the Native people to a
friend. It is crucial to inform students in the beginning that they will be learning about a “silenced culture” in the United States. With that, the
goal of the unit for the students and teacher to tackle stereotypes about the Native American culture with cross curriculum activities to help
them grow into mindful, attentive, and active citizens.
 # Lesson Title Lesson Activities Resources

1 Who Were - KWL Chart: Who Are the Native Americans? Google images,
the First - History lesson plan: Tribes of Our Nation [I Have, You Have] Library of Congress
Week 1 Settlers?  Emphasis: What is geography, economy, and government? KWL chart. images
 Picture PowerPoint of the many diverse tribes. (can make own) KWL chart
Landform photos: https://www.slideshare.net/montathomas/north-america-landforms U.S. map
Map: https://mapofthemonth.com/site/products/usa-regions-of-native-american-culture-map/

2 - Watch short YouTube video on the Woodland People YouTube links

Woodland  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1K5JMVrSqo
Week 1 Peoples - Read articles on tribes: Cherokees and Mohawk https://www.warpath
 Cherokees: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/cherokee-tribe.htm s2peacepipes.com/
 Mohawk: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/mohawk-tribe.htm Website
- Fill out tree map for each tribe. Draw picture under each column.
- A Day in Life with the Woodland People Journal* Literature book#1
- Read Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare (**throughout unit** & if possible, or during
English) Comprehension
 Make inferences, comprehension questions, write the sequence of events using a questions handout
flow-map, & create postcards art of one event of the book (additional)
Thinking map

Journal prompt

3 - Watch short YouTube videos on the Nations of the Great Plains YouTube links
Nations of  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYlYKYJRqNQ
Week 2 the Great  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQWKYyh-Bfo https://www.warpath
Plains - Read articles on tribes: Sioux and Cheyenne s2peacepipes.com/
 Sioux: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/sioux-tribe.htm Website
 Cheyenne: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/cheyenne-
tribe.htm Thinking map
- Fill out tree map for each tribe. Draw picture under each column.
- A Day in Life with the Great Plains People Journal* Journal prompt

4 - Watch short YouTube video on the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest YouTube links
Pacific  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJzsXEk9SAs
Week Northwest - Read articles on tribes: Inuit and Chinook tribes https://www.warpath
2-3 Americans  Chinook: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/chinook-tribe.htm s2peacepipes.com/
 Inuit: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/inuit-tribe.htm Website
- Watch video on Totem poles and answer handout questions (Note: On art lesson plan)
 Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lht4XGkk0k Thinking map
- Fill out tree map for each tribe. Draw picture under each column.
- Art lesson: Create totem poles, write a story for your totem pole, and share (feedback by teacher Art lesson
and peers). (resources attached)
- A Day in Life with the Pacific Northwest People Journal*
Journal prompt

5 - Watch short YouTube video on the Pueblo People and Cliff dwellers YouTube links
 Cliff dwellers  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7IOowc544U
Week and Pueblo - Read articles on tribes: Hopi and Pueblo people https://www.warpath
3-4 People of the  Pueblo people: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/pueblo- s2peacepipes.com/
Southwest tribe.htm Website
 Hopi: https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/indian-tribes/hopi-tribe.htm
- Fill out tree map for each tribe. Draw picture under each column. Thinking map
- A Day in Life with the Pueblo and Cliff dweller People Journal*
Journal prompt

6 - What does it mean to persuade someone? (Circle map) Thinking map

Can You - What is a letter?
Week 4 Persuade - Prompt: “Persuade your teacher to take a field trip.” Students will make a decision, use evidence, Prompt
Me? and explain their reasoning.
 Fieldtrip to the Autry Museum* --students fill out set of questions as they explore the Field trip questions
Native American section. Reflect on the experience; 2 stars, 1 wish.
2 stars, 1 wish slips
7 Native - Picture Walk through the four regions across the classroom Library of Congress
American  Fill out handout: What Do You See? (teacher can create own questions) & Autry Online
Week 5 Technology  As a class: Compare and Contrast the items using a T-chart Collections
- Prompt: What technology did the Native Americans use and how does it reflect Native American http://collections.the
culture? autry.org/mwebcgi/m
web.exe?
request=keyword;ke
yword=native
%20americans

Handout questions

Thinking map

Writing prompt
8 - Customs & Traditions handout: https://www.k12reader.com/reading- K12 Reader site
Native comprehension/Gr5_Wk3_Customs_and_Traditions.pdf
Week 5 Americans - Use a circle map and divide it in four (one for each region); write facts and understandings of each Thinking map
Customs region based on readings assigned previously.

9 - Define and discuss theme. Literature book #2

“Circle of - Define and discuss literary devices. Examples and definitions:
Week 6 Thanks” https://i.pinimg.com/736x/10/0c/b2/100cb28a78645e9c46b02fb4bf54d13c--poetry-unit-poetry- Worksheet handout
terms.jpg
Imagery: https://literaryterms.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Imagery.png Prompt questions
- Read some pieces of literature by different tribes in pairs, then as a class.
- Handout: Identify theme, examples of literary devices: symbolism, personification, rhyme, and YouTube link
metaphor/simile. Analyze the art.
- Written assignments: Google images
1. Write about someone or something you are thankful. Explain and use the literary devices
learned in class.
2. What customs do the songs and poems communicate about Native American culture?
*if able: Pow-wow dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ITu9KaiIF4 *
10 - Jeopardy on Native Americans Jeopardy link site
500 Tribes  Link: https://jeopardylabs.com/play/fifth-grade-native-american-jeopardy
Week 6 and Counting

11 Letter to a - Prepare and write a persuasive letter to a friend who strongly believes that all Native Americans Writing prompt
Friend: Who share same beliefs, customs, speak similar, dress the same, and share a similar life style. Argue
Week Truly Are the your position by providing evidence/facts, and a thorough explanation.
7* Native
Americans?

From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, ISBN # 0-87120-313-
8 (pbk)