Native Americans Today Lesson plan evaluation
Photo taken form the Read Write Think: Native Americans Today lesson by Debbie Reese
I chose to look at the lesson written by Debbie Reese titled Native Americans Today. This lesson's objectives are met by the material covered as well as what the students are asked to do. I really like the way the lesson is set up kind of in a KWL idea. The first session has students learning the terms in a definitional way and then asks them to add on their own notions, ideas, and knowledge over the topic. I think getting student’s raw knowledge first is the best way to go especially when addressing history and other cultures because it can help teachers see what kind of biases are already in the classrooms so that any myths or misinformation that can be corrected. I think it also helps students see the misconceptions on their own especially when they are the ones who added the original information. By having the students find the information and learn about the information as they go helps them challenge their prior knowledge and stereotypes they may have over Native Americans. There are two things I really love about this lesson and they are as follows:
1.) I really love the extensions to this lesson; the extensions of comparing occur by having students write essays comparing the portrayed Native American Indian to the real Native American Indian which helps students uncover the idea of biases and how they are placed on different minority groups and the harm that comes from them.
2.) I love how assessment and reflection is one that is centered around the students’ participation over the topic. The teacher is actively involved with the conversations but is also evaluating the students on the students’ interactions with one another and their own thinking. I think it’s a good way to lower student’s affective filter by not having their evaluation be a test over the right answer. It also allows for them to explore and develop their own thinking and thoughts and they aren’t afraid to share them in the setting of participation.
Something I would add to the Assessment, however, would be at the very end of the lesson having the students write in their own private journal questions or thoughts about anything they are confused over anything said or learned while reading that could be addressed the next class period. This could also stand as a participation grade.
Hey Jessicakay,
ReplyDeleteI also reviewed the Native Americans Today lesson plan, but rather than teaching it as is, I think it has a strong foundation to build upon. The premise of the lesson bases Native Americans as something to be studied and examined, which is the very definition of racial spotlighting (Howard, 2010). Using an offshoot of the K,W,L chart to approach this sort of education forces Native American students to become experts or social justice defenders when peers joke about things they think they know.
The references and materials posted for the lesson are over 20 years old, which further proves how outdated the lesson is. Students today will not be engaged in the books they are reading, and disconnected learners will not develop empathy for a culture that has suffered. The Reflection Questions in the lesson are extremely general and vague. These questions seem like such throwaway answers and based upon opinion versus fact. We can do better.
I’m sure it was a powerhouse lesson plan back then, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be updated to suit today’s standards and students. You yourself cited how you loved the extension lessons. Those are exciting and up to date! They fit the needs of today’s social issues.
I do like your last point about having a private moment with the students, about addressing myths for the next class period. You could incorporate exit slips for students that they hand in at the end of the class period. Learning about the atrocities that Native Americans endured in America is going to be a difficult subject, and you could ask them how they are doing. What questions they may have about tribes, or treaties, or laws, etc. You should be specific at times, and general in others.
I wanted to share some updated materials and references that I found while reviewing the lesson, should you decide to incorporate this into your toolbox.
The American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL).
https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/
The AICL is a fantastic link for approved Native American literature.
There is a review which may have links to the tribe ascribed in the book, and other links, such as author bios and such!
Social Justice Books
https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/american-indians/
They have social conscious books that pull from the AICL, and have handy ratings as well.
They are also broken down into separate categories by grade level, from Pre-K to Educators!
References
Howard, T. C. (2010). Why race and culture matter in schools: closing the achievement gap in America's classrooms. Teachers College Press.
Hello JessicaKay! I actually decided to do the other lesson plan but wanted to response to ones that chose this lesson plan to get a better understanding and more knowledge. Your response was very well written and I love how you were afraid to include changes as well as aspects of the lesson that you liked. I liked how you include that the lesson was strongly student centered with the students being relied on for a lot of participation. Lesson plans that work along with the student's knowledge are important because us as teachers get to see what the students do or don't know about the topic and like you pointed out the misconception and stereotypes that the students have been exposed. The comparison essay aspect is also a good tool for students to see misconceptions the harm they do and is something I will look into using in my classroom lessons. Again, I really liked how you added the suggestion of having students write their thoughts or questions and I think it would add a lot to the lesson and student's experience.
ReplyDeleteHey Jessicakay,
ReplyDeleteI also decided to reflect on this lesson plan and was with you on mainly all your ideas. For this lesson, I also liked that students could take Initiative in finding information about the misconceptions they might have about Native Americans and stray them away from continuing to have those stereotypes. I really like the extensions to this lesson plan as well because I feel like doing the comparison by writing down their findings and what they thought before helps them reflect and uncover those biases. I loved your idea of having them write in their private journal because if there is any confusion the teacher can either answer their question in a one to one conversation or in a whole group discussion because others might have the same question as well. One idea I had added in my discussion to extend this lesson plan would be to write a reflection about a time they felt like their culture was misrepresented because I think it goes well with this lesson plan on learning misconceptions they have of other cultures. These reflections on their own culture could also be shared as a whole group and they could learn about misconceptions other people might have about other cultures.
Hey Jessicakay! I really liked reading your blog post about Debbie Reese's lesson, "Native Americans Today." I also chose to review and reflect on this lesson plan. I think you really nailed the key points and highlighted why this approach is so effective in promoting cultural understanding among students. I believe that the lesson extensions you talked about, where students compare portrayed Native Americans to real Native Americans could be a real eye-opener for students. It's essential for them to see how biases can harm minority groups and how media can sometimes misrepresent cultures. Such activities can really broaden their perspectives. I think your idea of having students jot down their questions or thoughts in a journal at the end of the lesson is great. Not only would it help them reflect, but it'd also give teachers valuable insight into areas where students might need more clarity. One thought that popped into my mind was that the addition of some hands-on activities or multimedia resources could potentially enhance this lesson. Some ideas to do this would be including Native American storytelling, art, or music which I think could make the lesson even more immersive and engaging. Thank you for sharing your reflection and I look forward to reading more blog posts from you!
ReplyDeleteHi Jessicakay!
ReplyDeleteI loved how the lesson empowers students to find information themselves, challenging their prior knowledge and stereotypes. The student-led exploration promotes critical thinking and self-awareness. Comparing portrayed Native American Indians to real ones through essays encourages empathy and respect for diverse cultures, fostering critical thinking. Evaluating interactions and thinking creates a supportive environment for open expression, lowering the affective filter. Your suggestion to add a reflective element is great! Journal writing helps students clarify their understanding and offers valuable feedback for the teacher.