Why did People Develop Different Cultures?

Rick Tousley, 5th grade

(A Middle School Unit of Discovery/Inquiry- Level II) 

This unit  includes the following Idaho State Standards:

Social Studies: 446.01.c& e, 448.01.a, 449.01.e, 451.01.e, 452.01.d, 457.01, 458.01.a,b, 458.03.a

Language Arts: 716.01.a,c,d,j,k,i,m,  716.02.c, 716.03.a,c, 716.04.a,b,c,d, 716.05.a,b, 717.01.a,b,c,d, 717.02.a,c, 719.01.a,b, 719.03.a,b,c

(2-3 days) At the beginning of  this unit, students will:

• Brainstorm to develop topics of investigation for Native Peoples of North America (We create an initial list using Word. The teacher as well as the students at their desks are feverishly writing down all topics or words introduced.)
  
• Recognize and create categories based on the above topics  (Students use the,� list of words� sheet created in Word or can simply create categories and subtopics from their notes created in the first exercise above)
  
• Develop a hierarchy of the categories and discard redundant or superfluous topics. (This is an excellent exercise for helping students understand the process of limiting a  research topic)

The above tasks are created by the students and guided by the teacher. The end product of this portion of the unit is a working outline of the information students will gather. (What�s important here is that the students arrive at what�s important to learn.) The software, Inspiration is an excellent tool for going through this process in a large group discussion. A projector/SmartBoard setup or a television hookup to the computer can be very helpful as well, but isn't essential. (All can be done on large paper or a section of board that will not be erased.

When the above tasks are completed the student will then:

• (1 day) Recreate a map of North America that shows the different cultural regions of the Native Americans (This can be a copied North American map. Students will label tribal names to show  where different peoples lived. They will need to show the different cultural regions by coloring them and creating a key to show explanations of the colors used.  (25 points)

Those cultural regions include:

• Focus on two dissimilar cultural regions to study. (I do this because I want students to see very different types of cultures. I also won�t allow them to use Plateau Peoples because of our strong ties to the Nez Perce Tribe. I want them to learn of things foreign to them)
  
•  (1 day) In a class discussion, determine how groups will be developed (2-3 students per group) (This process helps the students articulate why they want to research certain regions.  They also develop partial compromises they try to create the best workable groups. I always have the right of veto in collaborative group making. )

(3-4 days) Research:  

• Students use their text, library resources, and websites  (researched by the teacher) to carry out their investigations.
  

  
  

• Students will research tribes within the cultural regions to develop a �general� feel for most of the cultures within that region. They will generate notes from their research and keep them in their "Social Studies" notebook. At the end of each day they must enter a reflection/journal entry within their notes. It must answer three questions:

  What did I learn today?

  Why is it important?

  What should I do tomorrow (next)?

• Students will create tentative proposal of HOW they wish to share what they have learned. (This can be changed later with the teacher's permission) This is a good time to introduce the mini-lesson, "Vehicle and Cargo"  This end product can be a hardcopy report with illustrations, a webpage, a slide show, the creation of diaramas, etc. 

• Project Scoring Rubric

When students have completed the research (100 points) portion of the project they will:

• Develop a narrative for the information they have gathered. (Here students are working at changing information from words and phrases into sentences and paragraphs.)

• Create a storyboard (20 points) to show how will design their product. (it must be ok'd by the teacher)
  
  

• (2-3 days) Create a finished product. It must include examples of what they have learned and answer the fundamental question- Why did people develop different cultures? (200 points)

(Slide shows should be a minimum of 15 slides. They must have a title slide at the beginning and a "resources used" slide at the end.)

After students have completed and presented their end products, they will:

•  Take the "Wrap Up" test. (50 points)

Why did Native Peoples of the Western Hemisphere