Focusing Question Tasks

1. Write a paragraph summary of the informational text, “A New Nation Comes to the Indian Country,” that includes the main ideas and key details from the article.

FQT 1 PDF

• Determine main ideas in a text.

• Find evidence in a text, through key details, that support a main idea.

• Develop core background knowledge about the impact of U.S. westward expansion on a culture, the Nez Perce.

RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3,
W.5.2,
W.5.4

2. Write an informative/explanatory paragraph that explains how the Nez Perce homeland sustained one aspect of the tribe’s lifestyle and culture.

FQT 2 PDF

• Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of the Nez Perce homeland to its people, and how it shaped and sustained traditional culture.

• Craft a topic statement with one to two points.

• Develop an organized body paragraph with a topic statement, evidence, context, elaboration, and a concluding statement.

RI.5.1, RI.5.3,
W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.9.b,
L.5.6

3. Contribute ideas in a Socratic Seminar to analyze the roles that traditional stories play in Nez Perce culture, drawing comparisons between the stories “Coyote and the Monster” and “How Beaver Stole Fire from the Pines” to support responses. Following the seminar, reflect on learning by writing one or two paragraphs to explain how the two stories serve similar roles in Nez Perce culture.

FQT 3 PDF

• Demonstrate an understanding of how a culture’s beliefs and values are conveyed through different mediums.

• Synthesize understanding of central ideas and themes of texts.

• Compare ideas across texts, drawing on text evidence and elaborating on ideas.

• Communicate clearly in by punctuating and capitalizing titles correctly.

RL.5.1, RL.5.9,
W.5.2, W.5.9.a,
SL.5.1.a, SL.5.1.b, SL.5.1.c, SL.5.6

4. Write an explanatory paragraph contrasting the significance of the Nez Perce homeland to the Nez Perce tribe and to the U.S. government and settlers using evidence from Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, chapters 1–3 and the clip from the film A Landscape of History.

FQT 4 PDF

• Deepen understanding of the conflict between the Nez Perce and the United States government and the cultural values that motivated each group’s desire for the Nez Perce homeland.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how a culture’s values are conveyed through words and actions.

• Develop two ideas on the same topic with evidence and elaboration.

• Explain the significance of the Nez Perce homeland to its people.

RL.5.1, RL.5.9,
W.5.2, W.5.9.a,
SL.5.1.a, SL.5.1.b, SL.5.1.c, SL.5.6

5. Write an essay to compare and contrast Chief Joseph’s and Sound of Running Feet’s most important beliefs and values, explaining how these similar and different beliefs and values guide the characters’ actions in the novel, Thunder Rolling in the Mountains.

FQT 5 PDF

• Demonstrate an understanding of how beliefs and actions guide people, as individuals and as a culture.

• Develop an essential idea with two points, supporting each point with text evidence and elaboration.

• Analyze a body of evidence to determine an essential idea for an essay.

RL.5.1, RL.5.3,
W.5.2, W.5.4, W.5.9.a,
L.5.6

New-Read Assessments

1. Read a traditional Nez Perce story, “How Beaver Stole Fire from the Pines.” Complete a story map to describe the story’s main characters and setting, and summarize the problem, attempts to solve the problem, and resolution. Then, respond to multiple choice questions about characters, key events, and the story’s purpose.

• Determine and summarize central ideas of a text.

• Independently interpret and analyze the meaning of interesting word choices.

• Analyze key details about a character in a text and elaborate on what it reveals about the character.

RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, RL.5.4

2. Read a passage from chapter 9 of Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, annotating observations and questions. Then, respond to multiple choice questions to summarize the passage, interpret figurative language, and contrast main characters. Finally, using an Evidence Organizer, explain how key evidence reveals Chief Joseph’s most important beliefs and values, and how these values guide his actions in the novel.

• Analyze how Chief Joseph’s words in the novel reflect his most important beliefs and values.

• Independently interpret and analyze the meaning of figurative language.

• Cite text evidence to support interpretation of the text.

RL.5.1, RL.5.2, RL.5.3, RL.5.4,
W.5.9a,
L.5.5.a

Socratic Seminars

1. Analyze the roles that traditional stories play in Nez Perce culture, drawing comparisons between the stories “Coyote and the Monster” and “How Beaver Stole Fire from the Pines” to support responses.

SS

• Synthesize understanding of central ideas and themes of texts.

• Draw on text evidence to support analysis of a text.

• Build and elaborate on ideas to support a point.

RI.5.1, RI.5.9,
SL.5.1.a, SL.5.1.b, SL.5.1.c

2. Synthesize understanding of how Chief Joseph conveys important Nez Perce beliefs and values in his “Lincoln Hall Speech,” supporting ideas with specific evidence from the text.

SS

• Demonstrate an understanding of Nez Perce beliefs and values Chief Joseph conveys in the “Lincoln Hall Speech.”

RI.5.1, RI.5.2, RI.5.3,
SL.5.1, SL.5.6