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• Describe your instructional challenge and how you identified it.

My target group contains 6th grade students. According to my (Evidence: (20) Needs Assessment most students have not received basic knowledge about the location and names of tribes and reservations in Montana. The major concerns I have in regard to adding IEFA into the regular classroom is that teachers claim they have no time to spare in their current curriculum. The other concern is that teachers do not know where to go to get IEFA lessons. Here is the ink to the questionnaire I sent to BPS 6th grade social studies teachers regarding IEFA lessons (Evidence: 21): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1olDrFF7OAVyozBKvk54OnvgKawPdjBQz7cyy8wK1Swo/edit#responses. My need Indicators come from the google form questionnaire I gave to 64 students in regard to their knowledge of the Montana Native American tribes. This questionnaire clearly shows that less than 30% of the 64 students who responded, know the names of and location of the Montana Native American tribes.

• Describe your learners (students and diverse stakeholders) for this project and how you selected them.

Before I created this formal lesson lesson plan for the Clovis Child, I had taught pieces of it at the beginning of the year, the last three years. This lesson has been taught to approximately 600 students. These students have also had the pleasure of listening to a professor as his presentation is part of my lesson. I have shared the Clovis Child lesson with IEFA and presented the information in a symposium made up of approximately 32 teachers. This lesson will also be available on the Montana OPI website.

• Why is it important for your learners (students and diverse stakeholders) that this challenge be addressed?

Along with calling this lesson a challenge, I also call it sharing of information. Students in the state of Montana need to have historically accurate information about the Native American culture, including the tribes of Montana. There are approximately 1787 Native American 6th grade students in Montana. It is vital that these students are represented and that their heritage be taught and respected.

2018 data of Native American population in Montana 6th grades: https://leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2017-2018/Education/Meetings/Sept-2018/AI%20Student%20Data%20Report%20Fall%202018.pdf

• In what ways will your addressing the challenge promote or support diversity, equity, cultural competence?

As we all know, the topic of diversity and equity are critical topics at this time. The lesson I have created encompasses an appreciation for the Native American culture via reading, a guest speaker, and creating three-dimensional art projects replicating artifacts. Students need to learn the unique history of Montana Native Americans and as an IEFA coach told me, "Indian Education should live in the regular classroom as it is where critical thinkers are built. Analyzing and responding to a claim. A well educated individual should be able to consider the multiple perspectives involved in both current and historical events. Indian Education for All provides that avenue to either introduce or solidify considering the multiple lens that an event can be viewed. In addition to the academia approach, we must consider the ethical consideration that our Montana Tribal groups are indigenous to this land. It is our duty to educate and learn about the native populations. This supports student engagement and interest as anywhere we step in Montana a tribal member has been.".

• Is it your intention to change an existing practice/program or implement a new practice/program? Explain.

I am not attempting to change any existing program; I would like to add to it. I am attempting to bring a deeper understanding of Native Americans to the children of Montana. I am supporting the IEFA program in my district as well as enhancing other teacher's instruction of IEFA throughout the state of Montana.

• Why might this practice/program be a viable solution for your challenge?

The lesson I have created is engaging. This lesson creates an interest in students as I have included all modalities and multiple intelligences. I have activities that appeal to all learners from introducing this lesson to the alternative assessments.

• • On which two Overarching Competencies will you focus in addressing the identified challenge? Why are they relevant to this particular challenge?

I am focused on Reflective Practice and Personal Effectiveness. I have found that in order to be truly reflective on my teaching I need to work with others in collecting data and creating strategic plans for not only our own growth but to support others in their growth. In order to make systemic changes in diversity and equality, I need to involve others. For all of us to be effective in these changes, we need to work together

• On which competency within Diversity-Equity-Cultural Competence will you focus in addressing the identified challenge? Why is it important for this particular challenge?

I am focusing on Explore and Challenge Inequity. My project is to disseminate historical and current cultural information about Montana Native Americans. The competency I am focusing on addresses all of the needs of my project.

• Which competency in the Instructional pathway will you focus on in addressing this challenge? Why is it relevant for this particular challenge?

Within Diversity-Equity-Cultural Competence, I am focused on Coaching and Mentoring. I have always wanted to mentor new teachers, but the district I am in does not have a district wide program that addresses this need. I am unable to do this desire at my home school. Therefore, I chose to create a lesson that would be used by many teachers and could be far reaching and affect hundreds of students.

• With whom will you work in addressing your identified challenge? Who else might you recruit beyond your own cultural and/or professional identity group?

In creating my lesson, I worked with the BPS IEFA Director and several curriculum coaches. I am unsure who I would share my Clovis Child lesson with, however, I do know this. My time working through the TLI Modules these past 8 months has given me an entirely new perspective. In my personal life, I have been focusing on making my close friends and family aware of their won biases and explaining how everyone benefits when there is equity in our world.

• Which resources (people, money, programs, time and space, etc.) do you have to address the challenge? What resources will you need? How will you obtain them?

The resources I needed to complete my lesson challenge were space, money, people and time. One of my favorite components to my lesson plan was including a guest speaker's presentation. It takes one of our curriculum coaches to schedule this presenter and it does cost money or him to present. The issue of time is present due to scheduling him to come into the school, finding the time and space for him to present, and hoping that other teachers are willing to adjust their schedules if need be. I have done a scaled down lesson similar to the Clovis Child lesson I created. I am blessed to work with an administrator who supported me in this project, as well as our IEFA director and curriculum coach who aided me in this process.

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