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First Nations Past and Present

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Lesson 8#                    First Nations of the Plains - Past.

SUBJECT:   Social Studies

TOPIC:  Research and Mural Creations of Plains First Nations Past

TIME FRAME:  3 - 4 Classes

COMMON ESSENTIAL LEARNINGS:  Communication, Critical and Creative Thinking, Independent Learning, Personal Social Values and Skills.

MATERIALS: 

1. OBJECTIVES:    Saskatchewan Social Curriculum

Cognitive:  Students will...

- become aware that First Nation peoples have lived for tens of thousands of years.

Psychomotor:  Students will...

- record the main ideas and supporting details using written language.
- use various resources to identify perspectives and points of view.

Affective/Spiritual:  Students will...

- appreciate and value the cultures and traditions of various peoples.
- work cooperatively to complete a task.
- respect the ideas, language and communication styles of others.

2. RESOURCES:

                         http://collections.gc.ca/luxton

3. PURPOSE/TEACHER BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

  The purpose of this lesson is to give the students' an opportunity to research historical information on the lives of the First Nations people from the Plains.  The students' will be using the internet to organize this information into a presentation.  The presentations will cover all aspects of life from daily life to spiritual life and include a mural representation.

4. ACTIVITIES/IDEAS:

The focus is on First Nations in the past and present.  The students' can be divided into groups.  This unit was designed for seven groups but can easily be divided into two groups, it will just take more class time for the students' to complete the task.   An introductory lesson that allows the students' to go on their computers and access the Luxton Museum Web site would be appropriate.  This format assists the students' in researching the information.

The group presentation can be very detailed or very brief depending on the ability level of the students'.  Questions may include:

Group one -->      Indians of the Plains before 1700, First Nations and Europeans

1. How did the First Nation people arrive in North America?
2. How did the First Nations of the Plains adapt?
3. When did their lives begin to change? why?
4. What were the Europeans looking for?
5. How were the First Nation people most affected by the arrival of the Europeans?

Group two -->  Hunting Buffalo and Other Animals, Guns, Bows and Arrows

1. What kinds of things did the buffalo provide?
2. How were the buffalo hunted before European contact and how were the buffalo hunted after European contact?
3. What other animals were hunted?
4. What did bows and arrows replace on the Plains?  why?
5. What was introduced to the First Nation people in the early 1700's?

Group three -->  Clothes for Warrior/Hunter, Transportation, Arrival of the Horse

1. What were the clothes made of?
2. How did the clothing reveal their culture and traditions?
3. What were the main forms of transportation? Describe.
4. What did traders introduce? Describe.
5. When did horses arrive on the Prairie?

Group Four --> Relationship with Nature, Traditions

1. What is the First Nations' main belief?
2. What are some spiritual animals? Explain.
3. How were the children taught?
4. Why were Eagle feathers given?
5. Name two functions of Dancing Societies?

Group Five -->  Pipes and Flutes, Sweat Lodge, Sun Dance

1. What was the flute used for?
2. What is special about the pipe?
3. Describe the Sweatlodge.
4. What is a Sun Dance?
5. How did Sun Dance begin?

Group Six -->  Food, Clothing, Tipi

1. What was the main food source?
2. How was the meat stored?
3. List the steps for preparing clothing.
4. Why were the Tipis used?
5. Why was the design important?

Group Seven -->  Birth and child Rearing, Quillwork/Beading

1. Was there a special place for the birth?
2. How did the mossbag and cradleboard assist the mother?
3. How did women collect quills?
4. What was used to dye quills and how were the quills used?
5. How did First Nation people acquire beads?
6. Were beading styles different from quilling styles?
   

Once the research has been completed, have the students' browse for pictures on the various websites to get ideas on how to create their murals.  One example of how to illustrate the Plains past and present would be using brown poster paper.  Drawing, then painting the pictures give depth to the meaning of the mural.  An attempt to create an authentic representation of the mural would be to burn the outer edges of the paper so it may look like old paper.  Display the murals when completed.      

5. EVALUATION:

Travelers on the Plains.