Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Group Members/Group Name: Coral Ortiz, Meredith Price, Helena Hawn, Jamie Jensen____
Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: _Native Americans/ Second Grade__
Group Wiki space address: _http://nativeamericantribes-sse.weebly.com__
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: _Day 2/ Navajo Tribe____
Lesson Length (ie. 30 minutes): _45 Minutes___
Rationale for Instruction
A rationale is an essential part of
thoughtful planning of classroom
instruction. This is a brief written
statement of the purpose for instruction
and the connection of the purpose to
instruction that has come before and will
follow.

Learning Objectives
What will students know and be able to
do at the end of this lesson? Be sure to set
significant (related to NGSS Themes,
CCSS, and NGSSS), challenging,
measurable and appropriate learning
goals!

Archaeologists suggest that people arrived in tribes to America, at least 15,000 years ago. Tribes
of Native Americans spread across the land, depending on nature for food and shelter.
Elementary students should begin to understand the different migrations of tribes and how
environments shaped their cultures.

Students will become familiar with the culture of the Dine (Navajo) tribe. They will be able to identify
characteristics of a Hogan and locate where on the current US map the Navajo tribe lived compared to
their home state.
Students will be able to identify characteristics of a desert habitat based on the reading and successfully
create a picture with at least 4 characteristics.
Students will be able to compare and contrast on a Venn diagram, a desert region and their home state
region. They will have successfully identified 6 main points in a group.
Students will be able to answer questions about the key details in the text. They will successfully
chronicle the steps taken by the weaver in the story to make the rug and create their own.
Students will be able to show an understanding on the Navajo culture by creating a journal entry in
which they detail what job they would like to have best and what live would be like for them in the
tribe.

NCSS Theme/Next
Generation Sunshine State
Standards/Common Core
Standards (LAFS/MAFS)
List each standard that will be addressed
during the lesson. Cutting and pasting
from the website is allowed. You must
have a minimum of 3 standards that
represent multiple content areas identified

People, places, and environment Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for
the study of people, places, and environments.
SS.2.A.2.1
Recognize that Native Americans were the first inhabitants in North America.
SS.2.A.2.2
Compare the cultures of Native American tribes from various geographic regions of the United States.
SS.2.A.2.3
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

in this portion of the lesson plan.

These can be downloaded from the
Florida Dept of Education
www.cpalms.org/homepage/index.aspx.

Student Activities &

Procedures
Design for Instruction
What best practice strategies will be
implemented?
How will you communicate student
expectation?
What products will be developed and
created by students?
Consider Contextual Factors (learning
differences/learning environment) that
may be in place in your classroom.

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Describe the impact of immigrants on the Native Americans.
LAFS.2.RL.1.1
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
LAFS.2.RL.1.2
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central
message, lesson, or moral.
Anticipatory set: I will have a picture of a Hogan up on the screen. I will ask the students what they think

this is. We will brainstorm as a class and write down on chart paper the students ideas. I will tell them
that we will be learning about the Navajo tribe today.
1. I will read them the following book This House is Made of Mud by Ken Buchanan. After
reading the book I will again ask the students to share what they learned from the story.
2. Based on the pictures in the book, I will ask the students where they think the Navajo live. I will
inform the students that the Navajo lived in the four corner states of the United States and point
out Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado on the big map.
3. Every child will have a map where they will color in the 4 corner states and mark a key on the
map to show that is where the Navajo lived.
4. Explain that this region of the four corners is made up of desert. Show the children different
pictures of the desert. Point out the different characteristics that they see in the desert.
5. The students will draw a picture of the scenery described in the book (will reread if necessary).
6. They will compare and contrast the differences that they see between their region and the desert
as well as their homes and the Navajo Hogans in groups. Listing these in a Venn diagram.
7. The children will be marked for completion and participation. They will have to correctly
identify the corner states on their maps as well as list at least 6 similarities and difference on
their Venn diagrams (group). They will also have to include at least 4 main characteristics of a
desert in their pictures (individual).

Now that we know where and what the Navajo lived in lets read a story about the way this Native
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

American tribe contributed to art, Using the book The Goat in the Rug.
1. I will explain that this story is about a Navajo Indian and her goat.
2. After the story I will ask the students questions about the story like:
What was the goats wool used for?
How did she change the colors or the wool?
How long did it take to make the rug?
Do you think you could make a Navajo rug?
I will ask students to list the steps it takes to make a rug in order and have them listed on the
board.
3. Then I will instruct the students to get into groups. They will be making their own small Navajo
rugs.
4.

I will pass out the yarn and the cardboard looms.

5. Students will watch a short video and then begin working on their project.
6. I will give the children plenty of time to complete their small rugs (if not completed in time
during this lesson they can work on it in their centers later). While they work I will be asking
them the following questions:
How does it feel to be making the rug?
Do you think it will look the same as your friends rug or different?
Do you think this is easy or hard work?
7. I will be walking around and observing the children as they work.
As a closing activity the children will need to write in their journals about what it would be like for
them to live in the Navajo tribe (what their favorite job would be ie: weaver, hunter, jewelry
maker, gather of Hogan supplies, chief, ect) based on what they learned about their habitats and their
culture.
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Resources/Materials

Assessment
How will student learning be assessed?
Authentic/Alternative assessments?
Does your assessment align with your
objectives, standards and procedures?
Informal assessment (multiple modes):
participation rubrics, journal entries,
collaborative planning/presentation
notes

Buchanan, K., & Davison, P. (1994). This house is made of mud. Flagstaff,Ariz.: Northland Pub.
Blood, C. (1990). The goat in my rug. New York, NY.: Macmillan Publishing company.
Chart Paper
Pictures of Hogans
Map
Map worksheet
Venn Diagram worksheet
[Finleyholiday]. (2013, 6, Feb). Navajo Rug Weaving ~ Monument Valley Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeAlIgHhPAE
Cardboard looms
Yarn
Student Journals
Unit Pre-Assessment: 10 question pretest questions taken from
http://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans_questions.php
Unit Post-Assessment:
Students will complete 2 of the options below:
Picture sort - Students will have to show their understanding of the differences and similarities of
the Navajo and Cherokee tribes by completing a picture sort on a Venn diagram.
Biocube Students will complete a biocube about a famous Native American from the Cherokee
or Navajo tribes. Necessary information will include: persons name, when and where they lived,
major events in their lives, descriptive characteristics, why they were important, and challenges
they overcame. Along with this information, they will include a picture of this important person
on the final side of the cube.
Diorama Students will create a diorama of either a Cherokee or Navajo village. This
assignment will be brought of the students attention on the first day of the unit, allowing them to
work on it throughout the week. The diorama must contain the correct items that correspond
with the specific tribe, such as examples of food, clothing, housing, living environment,
weapons, and activities (arts and crafts, pottery, etc.). Points will be deducted for missing item
categories.
Daily Lesson Plan Assessment:
Formative throughout the unit. Students will engage in:
Discussions
Mapping
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Group discussions
Individual Maps colored and keyed
Individual desert drawings
Group Venn Diagram
Individual weaving projects
Individual Journal entries
Questions during activity
Exceptionalities
What accommodations or modifications
do you make for ESOL, Gifted/Talented
students, Learning/Reading disabilities,
etc.

ESOL:
Students with Learning Differences:

SLIDE (Show, Look, Investigate, Demonstrate, Experience) and TREAD (Tell,

Read, Explain, Ask/Answer, Discuss) http://education.ucf.edu/stll/edg4410New.cfm, graphic organizers,
cooperative learning/ groups, multiple visuals (pictures and video)

These accommodations and/or

modifications should be listed within the
procedures section of the lesson plan as
well as in this section of the document.

Gifted/Talented: Opportunity

Additional Comments and

Notes

Students will add their home state to the map they colored and key it properly; they can continue their
work on their rugs if necessary and journal entries if necessary.

for individual project (creating a Hogan), Exploring points of view and

making connections between multiple habitats and their effects on the living conditions and culture.
Interactive lesson. Flexible grouping.

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding