Native American Unit
3rd grade
Embedded Files
Welcome to 2024/2025 School Year!
In order to access some of the pages and/or files, you will need to login using your PSUSD Google Drive credentials. Anything UNDERLINED is a "Clickable Link".
The Palm Springs Unified School District, in collaboration with The Foundation for PSUSD and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, have created a 10 Lesson Unit of Study to address the History / Social Science Content Standard:
3.2 - Students describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent past.
3.2.1 - Describe national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions.
3.2.2 - Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food, clothing, tools).
3.2.3 - Describe the economy and systems of government, particularly those with tribal constitutions, and their relationship to federal and state governments.
3.2.4 - Discuss the interaction of new settlers with the already established Indians of the region.
Lesson
Lesson
1
1
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Introduction: Misconceptions about the Agua Caliente People
Standards Addressed
3.2
Essential Question
Who are the Native Americans in our community?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will identify misconceptions they have about the "American Indian nations in their local region"
Activity Summary
Create a K-W-L Chart for the duration of unit; Sorting Activity of "Agua Caliente People" and "Not Agua Caliente People"
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
2
2
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Folklore / Stories
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.1
Essential Question
Why is the Migration Story important toward understanding the history and culture of the Agua Caliente People?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will describe Agua Caliente People's identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions.
Activity Summary
Review Oral Storytelling and purpose; give examples of why people move/migrate; view storytelling/oral traditions video; create thinking map as students view a oral storytelling of Agua Caliente migration story; create a picture book; extension activity - Bird Songs presentation / assembly / video.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
3
3
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Forms of Language / Communication
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.1
Essential Question
How were different forms of language used by the Agua Caliente People to communicate?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will describe various plants and animals using Cahuilla words and create simulated rock art images.
Activity Summary
Study significant rock art images and oral traditions; draw own rock art and label images; virtual field trip; journal writing; extension activity - Bingo.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
4
4
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Importance of water
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.2
Essential Question
Why is water central to the Agua Caliente People's way of life?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the Agua Caliente People adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food / water, clothing, tools).
Activity Summary
Read or listen to various short examples about the different uses and sources of water in the lives of the Agua Caliente People (past and present); memory (card) game to reinforce water sources in the valley; collaboratively rank the various water sources and importance (giving reasons "WHY"); journal writing on three sources and why they are important; extension activity - research / log individual student water usage in a day / week.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
5
5
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Tools for obtaining food, clothing, shelter; and games
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.2
Essential Question
How were tools used by the Agua Caliente People for obtaining food, clothing, and shelter?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will discuss the ways physical geography, including climate, influenced how the Agua Caliente people adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food, clothing, tools).
Activity Summary
Students will take on the role of an Archeologist and try to solve "The Case of the Unknown Artifacts); observe and predict the uses of several artifacts by using their senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell; hands-on, hand-made artifacts for students to experience; extension activity - create drawing/posters of the artifacts for display.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
6
6
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Indian Canyons Introductory Lesson
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.2
Essential Question
How did the Canyons influence how the Agua Caliente People adapt to their environment?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the Agua Caliente People adapted to their natural environment.
Activity Summary
Brainstorm why people move from place to place (permanently / temporarily; read/engage collaboratively with online book actual reasons as well as life in the Indian Canyons; create thinking map to summarize material; short video of the Indian Canyons to preview what the students will experience; extension activity - creation of a three-panel storyboard outlining what the students are looking forward to seeing.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
7
7
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Indian Canyons Field Trip Lesson Follow-Up
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.2
Essential Question
What did you learn about how the Canyons influenced the Agua Caliente People?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the Agua Caliente People adapted to their natural environment.
Activity Summary
Practice oral and written storytelling; become published authors; read and complete activities in the Jr. Ranger book; discuss field trip in whole group and small group setting; create a picture/story; combined stories will create a class anthology of the field trip; extension activity - complete activities in Jr. Ranger book and/or select students to bind the anthology and make a cover.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
8
8
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Map Activity: Pre-European Geography and Villages
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.2, 3.2.3
Essential Question
What was the relationship between the physical features and the location of the Clan's settlements?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will discuss the relationships between Native American Tribes in Southern California, their relative regions, and their trading practices.
Activity Summary
Using PowerPoint Slides and laminated maps create a map of the major geographic regions in Southern California; study the major goods that were traded throughout Southern California; create thinking maps of traded goods; role play trading.
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
9
9
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
Timeline: Post-European Encounter (approximately 1775 - 1950)
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.3, 3.2.4
Essential Question
How did interactions with the Spanish and European settlers impact the Agua Caliente People?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will participate in a readers' theater activity on Agua Caliente historical characters and create a Historical Newspaper.
Activity Summary
Students will role play being newspaper reporters focusing on the 5-W's; reader's theater / autobiography monologues of historically significant Agua Caliente People telling the story of this area; students record the 5-W's in a Reporter's Notebook; small groups will write a short paragraph on one of the characters (different paragraph for each member/partnership); extension activity - finished "articles" are typed up and compiled into a "Historical Newspaper".
Resources
Resources
Lesson
Lesson
10
10
Teachers: Please Leave Feedback(Click Above)
Topics
The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Today and Tomorrow
Standards Addressed
3.2, 3.2.3
Essential Question
Who are the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians today?
Objective / Learning Target
Students will engage in a WebQuest investigation on who the Agua Caliente People are today and write a friendly letter to the Tribe.
Activity Summary
Students will investigate through a WebQuest, who the Agua Caliente People are today; students will be allowed to select 3 or more of the 10 choices in the WebQuest; after a short reading / short video, students will take notes on a thinking map on ones that they feel most connected to or interested by; using a friendly letter writing structure, students will write a letter that will be sent to the Tribal Office.
Resources
Resources
Page updated
Report abuse