Alaska Day Mini Lessons
1st Grade
Embedded Files
Overview
Overview
In 1st grade, students explore Alaska Day through the theme of land and place. They learn that Indigenous peoples lived with the land long before 1867 and that Alaska Day marks a transfer of leadership that changed, but did not erase the connection to the land. Students study landforms, create models or maps, and reflect on how cultures are represented in Alaska Day celebrations, especially in Sitka’s parade.
Lesson Summaries
Lesson Summaries
Lesson 1 What is Alaska Day?
In this lesson, students explore the land, ocean, and rivers around Sitka (or their local community). They learn about Alaska’s landforms; mountains, islands, glaciers, and rivers and how the Tlingit people lived with and cared for the land long before Alaska was sold to the United States. Students create simple landform models using sand trays, clay, or playdough and label features with Lingít words. The lesson emphasizes the importance of place, land, and water as central to community life.
Lesson 2 The Land We Live On
This lesson introduces students to Tlingit, Russian, and American cultures which are all part of Sitka’s history and are represented in different ways during Alaska Day. The focus is on the Alaska Day parade as a celebration that brings together many groups and stories.
Teacher Prep
Teacher Prep
Lesson 1: What is Alaska Day?
Lesson 1: What is Alaska Day?
Prepare slides
Print the Alaska Day Flipbook
Lesson 2: The Land We Live On
Lesson 2: The Land We Live On
Gather Berry Magic by Teri Sloat
Prepare clay/sand for building their own models or gather construction paper and drawing tools/scissors.
LESSON HOW-TO-GUIDE
To view all the lessons, select the button "View Lessons"
Some lessons may have Lesson Slides that accompany the lesson plan. Select "Lesson Slides"
Some lessons may also have a worksheet or activity. Select "Print Outs"
Read this background information document to learn more about Alaska Day before teaching students:
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