4 SS6

LO 3

Native American Trioramas

Formative Assessment:

· Have you ever found a Native American arrowhead or any Native American tools?

· Have you ever seen anything made by Native Americans?

· Thousands of years from now, how will people be able to learn about our homes, businesses, schools, religions, and family life?

Instructional Strategies or Activities:

Prepare a graphic organizer that relates to the Plains Indians. Headings that should be included in the graphic organizer are: shelter; clothing; food ; family life; art, sculpture and design; political structure; religious life; and topic of your choice.

Students should make drawings in each area of the graphic organizer as it relates to the Plains Indians. Below each drawing they should write facts about the topic that will help them to write a paragraph about it.

Students will use the information from two of the categories on the graphic organizer to create two triorama displays.

Provide construction paper, string, cotton, markers, craft sticks, and other materials so students can make the triorama scenes look as three-dimensional as possible.

On the bottom flap of each scene, students will write a complete, detailed paragraph describing the scene. They should use the information from their graphic organizers to help them write the paragraphs.

Glue the two trioramas together and the staple them to a bulletin board.

Teacher Tip: Students could also work in groups of four with each member being responsible for creating one scene. The four scenes can be glued side by side to form a four-sided pyramid display. The pyramids can be displayed on table or countertop.

Summative Assessment:

Have students share their trioramas with the class. Use a teacher-created checklist to assess the content and paragraph description of each scene of the triorama.