Saturday, May 2, 2009
Lesson: 5th grade Winter People Website Questions
1. The Winter People is a work of historical fiction. A researcher, named Gordon Day, analyzed the actual events Bruchac incorporated in to his story. Click on the link to identify five facts, verified by Day, that Bruchac included in his story as the Bostoniak attacked the Abenaki village.
Website- http://www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/rrr_2.html
2. At the dance hall, the Abenaki people used several kinds of instruments. Explore the following website and summarize three characteristics of the music for native people of the Northeast.
Website- http://www.ohwejagehka.com/songs.htm
3. At the beginning of chapter ten, Saxso mournfully states, “There was no sense of time passing that morning. Perhaps it was because the church was gone. The church had kept the time for us with the ringing of its bell.” Use the following website to identify the time keeping devices others in Saxso’s village may have used during this time period. Support your answer with facts from the site.
Website- http://physics.nist.gov/GenInt/Time/time.html
4. The birchbark canoe was a vital tool for Saxso to use in order to save his family. Joseph Bruchac describes this canoe in great detail- from its appearance to the construction. Analyze the following photo of a birchbark canoe. Then, compare and contrast this canoe to Saxso’s using a Venn Diagram.
Website- http://nativeharvest.com/files/BirchbarkCanoe12.jpg
5. Saxso tells of many ways the Abenaki people used plants. Explain how the Abenaki people might have used the black cohosh plant?
Website- http://www.stevenfoster.com/education/monograph/bkcohosh.html
6. Bruchac does an amazing job of sharing Abenaki stories that teach a lesson. Read one of these Abenaki lessons and interpret the lesson it teaches.
Title of the tale read:
Lesson taught:
Website- http://www.native-languages.org/abenaki-legends.htm
7. Use the following online dictionary to find the meaning of the following words used throughout The Winter People-
epidemic-
concealment-
stealthily-
talisman-
concealed-
Now construct your own sentences using the words!
Website-
http://familyinternet.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=familyinternet&cdn=parenting&tm=4&gps=100_10_1003_599&f=00&su=p284.9.336.ip_&tt=3&bt=1&bts=1&zu=http%3A//kids.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/english
8. Judge Joseph Bruchac’s qualifications to write a story like, The Winter People. Do you believe he is highly qualified to write Native American literature? Support your opinion with five specific reasons.
Website- http://www.josephbruchac.com/
9. During the 1600 to 1800’s, Indian populations were decimated by epidemics. Identify five causes and assess how this happened.
Website- http://www.kporterfield.com/aicttw/articles/disease.html
10. Joseph Bruchac includes numerous examples of figurative language throughout his story. Locate one example for each type.
Personification-
Metaphor-
Simile-
Imagery-
Website- http://www.kidskonnect.com/content/view/343/27/
11. Listen to an Abenaki elder speak their language. Describe the emotions you feel as you listen.
Website- http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~abenaki/Wobanaki/index.htm
12. Construct a letter to your favorite character from The Winter People. Use the following website as a guide when filling it out.
Website- http://www.ed.gov/inits/americareads/kids_rwn_letter_text.html
13. Explore the following website that discusses Native Americans as dynamic agents of change. The author mentions, “One of history's most important tasks is to identify myths and misconceptions and correct them.” How do these misconceptions affect your attitude toward your education? How could you take an active role in changing this?
Website- http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/native_voices/nav1.html
14. Click on the following website to read an interview with a traditional Abenaki basket maker, Jesse Larocque. List three new facts you learned about the Abenaki culture through reading this interview.
Website- http://www.abenakination.org/interview.html
15. Visit this extraordinary site that explores the Raid on Deerfield. Which of the five cultures do the Abenaki people belong to? Conclude how this site is relevant to Bruchac’s novel, The Winter People.
Website- http://www.1704.deerfield.history.museum/home.do
16. Explore the following website and choose two new and interesting bits of information you learned about the Abenaki tribe. Explain how Bruchac could have integrated these facts in to his story, The Winter People.
Website- http://www.native-languages.org/abna.htm#language
RESOURCES: Indian Education For All
Books
Harvey, K. (1995). How to teach about American Indians: a guide for the school library media specialist. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
Seale, D. & Slapin, B. (Eds.). (2005). A broken flute: the Native experience in books for children. New York, NY: Altamira Press.
Slapin, B., Seale, D., & Gonzales, R. (2000). How to tell the difference: a guide to evaluating children's books for anti-Indian bias. Berkely, CA: Oyate.
Supahan, S. (2007). Points of view vs. historical bias: recognizing bias in texts about Native Americans. Berkeley, CA: Oyate.
National Museum of the American Indian, (2007). Do all Indians live in tipis?: Questions and answers from the National Museum of the American Indian. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
Websites
OPI-Office of Public Instruction
School Libraries in Montana have also received many of the following materials for IEFA:
Connecting Cultures and Classrooms: K-12 Curriculum Guide
K-12 Literature Units
Directory of Indian Education Programs in Montana
Model Lesson Plans: Social Studies Kindergarten-Grade 6
Traditional Games Units
American Indian Music: More Than Just Flutes and Drums: A Guide to American Indian Music
Evaluating American Indian Materials & Resources for the Classroom
Your Guide to Understanding and Enjoying Pow Wows
A History of Foundation of American Indian Education Policy
Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians
Social Studies Grade Level Expectations Tied to the Essential Understandings Regarding Montana Indians
Lesson Plans Featuring Montana State Parks Montana Indians: Their History and Location
