Lesson Plan #: CC-0043
Unit I: A World of Their Own: The Americas to 1500



Lesson 3: Describe the Economic, Social, and Political Life of the Iroquois Indians of l6th Century New York State
IN THE LIBRARY
Objectives: The students will be able to:
1. demonstrate classroom and library research skills.
2. locate information about the Iroquois Indians.

Description of lesson/activities:
1. This lesson will initiate the writing component of the unit. You and the librarian should work cooperatively to introduce students to the various methods and tools needed for gathering information to complete a research project. The librarian and/or students may decorate the 970s area of the library with artifacts or symbols of Indian culture to create an atmosphere that will motivate students to want to visit that area of the library. Students should be cautioned about including stereotypic images in the display. (Stereotypes and stereotypic images will be discussed in Lesson 5.)

2. The librarian should either introduce or review the function of tables of contents and indexes with students by modeling how to find particular topics by using these two parts of a book. Students should be reminded, however, that some books may not have a table of contents or an index, and other strategies may be used for locating information in those sources (headings, captions, skimming pages for information, etc.).

3. Working with their tribal group, each student should go to the 970 section and select a book on Indians. When everyone has a book, the librarian should give students topics to look up in both the table of contents and the index so that students understand how these two resource tools differ. Students may work cooperatively to find information and should be given the opportunity for additional practice by choosing topics that members of their group can look up.

IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE LIBRARY

Objectives: The student will be able to:
1. actively participate with his/her tribe in "hunting for" and "gathering" information on a articular aspect of the Iroquoian Culture.

2. select and locate three appropriate sources of information in addition to the textbook and encyclopedias when "hunting for" information.

3. write one or more paragraphs about the cultural aspects researched.

4. work with tribe members to produce a final product on the particular tribe to which students belong.

Description of lesson/activities:
1. This lesson is really several mini-lessons that will take anywhere from one to two weeks to accomplish. Expository writing skills and the steps of the writing process (pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) should be emphasized. It may be necessary for teachers to give some students direct instruction and practice time before they can actually produce a draft. Working in cooperative learning groups, however, provides a built-in opportunity for students to help each other during the course of the lessons.

2. Topics to be researched should be taken directly from the "Culture Web." Depending on the number of students in each tribe, some students will need to write about more than one topic. (Topics: FOOD, SHELTER, CLOTHING, BELIEFS, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION, ECONOMY, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS, GOVERNMENT, TECHNOLOGY, ART.)

Tribe members should hold a "council" meeting to decide the topics about which each member will research and write.

3. Students will generate Who, What, Where, When, How, and Why questions about their topic before beginning their research. This will force students to organize their thoughts about the kinds of information they should be looking for when they begin their research. These questions should be written on a piece of paper and reviewed with members of the tribe to make sure appropriate questions are being asked about the topic. (e.g., What were the houses called? Who built the houses? What kinds of materials were used to build the houses? Where were the houses built and Why were they built in this location? How many people lived in the houses? What did it look like inside the houses? How were the houses heated? etc.)

4. After you approve each student's question list, distribute 5" x 8" cards. There should be at least one card for each topic the students are researching--provide more cards when needed. Students are expected to use sources other than an encyclopedia to find information. They should record these sources on their notecards. You may direct students how to make appropriate bibliographical notations for each source of information used during the "hunt" for facts and details.

Students will use the research skills covered in the first part of this lesson to "gather" information and answer the questions on the notecards while working in the library. Students should be advised to print on the cards and to be as neat as possible. When notecards are completed students should share their cards with tribe members to make sure that important information about a topic is not missing. At this point, students will also need to share their cards with either you or the librarian to check for comprehension of the topics being covered.

5. Students will use information recorded on the notecards to generate paragraphs about the information they have "gathered." Before they begin drafting these paragraphs, model correct paragraph form and content by composing a paragraph with students on an overhead projector. Use an aspect of American culture as the subject of the paragraph.

6. In addition to conferencing with you, students should also have peer conferences with fellow tribe members on the paragraphs they have written. Peer conferencing continues to foster a cooperative spirit within the groups. Students who have difficulty with writing will benefit from working with the small group. Since there will be the inevitable overlap of material, students can share information they come across that is relevant to topics assigned to another student.

7. After paragraphs have been approved by you and fellow tribe members during the revising and editing stage of the writing process, students will be ready to prepare a final product on their tribe. Students should cooperatively decide on the format for this product; possible examples might be written or oral reports, posters, dioramas, or hypercard stacks.