Lesson Title: a Hidden America Children of the Plains

Lesson Title: A Hidden America – Children of the Plains Time Frame: two classes

Overarching Theme for the Year –

- How can we understand things (stories, novels, situations, people) better by looking at those things from another person’s perspective?

Essential Question for the Unit –

- How do communities and their expectations shape our lives?

Materials – Children of the Plains T-Chart (handout) / Children of the Plains Documentary (part 1 and 2)

Overview Day One

1) Essential Activity – Review essential question and tie to the activity.

2) Note Taking –

- Take notes on things in their community that have a big impact on children as they grow up. On the left side EVIDENCE (specific things that could have a negative impact on a kid growing up), and on the right side possible INFERENCE (specific possibilities that might to them).

3) Documentary – Watch ABC News documentary: A Hidden America – Children of the Plains (41 minutes total, will watch 21:40 this class)

- Watch first 4 minutes up until Robert says that he wants to be president.

- Give groups 3 minutes to confer and share notes – specific EVIDENCE (not just a blanket statement like “poverty” but “the water soaked ceiling leaks.”

- Have individuals list a cause, then the effects from that EVIDENCE, then have the rest of the class list other possible INFERENCES stemming from that cause.

Mention that some students are doing a good job of taking short notes as they watch, but others are losing themselves in the story. You need to be able to take at least short notes as we watch.

- Continue watching (statistics, Robert, etc.) then stop at the first commercial break (8:40). MENTION how Robert has an opposing view to Arnold’s about poverty – Three minutes for notes, then share examples. - Watch (Louise, suicide attempt, and school) until next commercial (14:40). Three minutes for notes, NO SHARING WITH FULL CLASS!

- Watch (little kids in school, education, Elana American Idol) until next commercial (21:56). Three minutes for notes.

4) Homework: due class after next

- Finish making inferences from the evidence you gathered during the documentary.

- PTIndian read Because Geometry is not a Country Somewhere Near France / Hope Against Hope / pgs 25 – 43

- Kira-Kira read chapter three, pgs 24 - 41

Overview Day Two

1) Essential Activity – Review essential question and tie to the activity.

2) Note Taking –

- Take notes on things in their community that have a big impact on children as they grow up. On the left side EVIDENCE (specific things that could have a negative impact on a kid growing up), and on the right side possible INFERENCE (specific possibilities that might to them).

- These notes should be very short and will be a reminder during our full class discussions.

3) Documentary – Watch ABC News documentary: A Hidden America – Children of the Plains (41 minutes). Watch the second half of the documentary (from 21:40 to 41:00).

- Watch segment with the Ironhorse family / Whiteclay and alcohol and arrests / Stop after funeral. Three minutes for notes, then share examples.

- Watch segment on Subway, business / health and life expectancy / government food and broken treaties. Three minutes for notes, then share examples.

- Watch wrap-up segment (8 minutes from the end of class) 4) Homework – Due next class (be sure to review these pages if you’ve read ahead to have it clear for the writing assignment)

- Finish making inferences from the evidence you gathered during the documentary.

Overview Day Three

Materials – Finished notes from Children of the Plains with inferences from the evidence gathered during viewing

1) Group Share – Students share their notes, and find new inferences (while I check HW)

2) Ball Throw Review – Students pass the ball sharing specific things from the documentary they remember.

3) Surprised? – Is there anything that you didn’t realize / understand about life on a Native American reservation, or about life in poverty?

4) Evidence and Inference – Students volunteer pieces of evidence, and their inference. Then open it to the class to add to that inference, or make other inferences based on that same evidence.

5) Homework