A favorite of the four units of Social Studies at Bedwell Elementary School, is that of Native American History.
To begin the unit, the 3rd grade team of Beth Rudin, Sarah McShane, Lauren O’Day and Ally Thoms modeled research skills. The teachers encouraged students to explore a variety of resources including books and websites to learn about different Native American cultures. Trips to the library, as well as combing through photos and items collected throughout the years by their teachers, enhanced the research process.
Some nations from which the 3rd graders could select to study were the Lenape, Hopi, Navajo, Inuit, and Sioux. They were able to work individually or in small groups, gathering information on the people, climate, homes, food, clothing, and culture. Teachers provided scaffolding along the way, to differentiate the needs of all students.
Essential questions guided their learning, such as the following: What are some of the fundamental beliefs of different Native American cultures? In what ways are Native American cultures similar and different? Students used critical thinking, made evidence-based inferences, and discussed life skills such as problem solving and perseverance. They took notes, organized their research, and had many interesting discussions with their classmates. A central focus of the research was learning about different traditional dwellings and then exploring how one can infer more about the unique cultures by studying dwellings.
A STEM challenge was also available to students when they completed their research. They were given various materials, along with the challenge of building a type of Native American dwelling where they had to take into consideration the natural resources available to particular locations across the United States. Once again, the students were elated to have opportunities to design and create, while researching and learning. “The majority of my class told me that they loved the hands-on element,” shared Rudin.
To conclude the unit, students presented their projects to their peers, honing their public speaking skills with confident voices and eye contact. The whole Bedwell 3rd grade is looking forward to a field trip this spring that ties in to the Native American History unit, where they will visit Waterloo Village in Stanhope, New Jersey.