Exploring the History of Canyon de Chelly

The Plants

DESCRIPTORS

Curriculum Areas: Science, Culture, and Art

Recommended Levels: Grade 4-5

Time Frame: 45 minutes per day for a time span of 2 to 3 weeks

Tribal Affiliation: Navajo

Geographic Location: Southeastern Arizona (Chinle, Arizona)

Developed by: Irene Becenti

Email addresses of developers: ibecenti@hotmail.com

Date lesson was developed: July 26, 2001

American Indian Standards:

Science: Standards A; F1; B1; G1

Culture: Standard 2; Time, continuity, and change

Language and Literacy: Standard 6; Analyze and interpret information from stories and other text

Environment and Society: Standard 15; Understand how physical systems affect human systems. Benchmark B

INSTRUCTION

Goal: To have students develop a better understanding of the significance of native and conventional plants of Canyon de Chelly.

Behavioral Objectives:

• Collect data
• Analyze data
• Interpret data
• Describe and draw the physical description of plants
• Record information
• Identify a variety of plants and their usage
• Show respect for personal work and work of others

Culture Content and Strategies:

Students can interact with the Navajo elderly in the process of gathering data through interviews.

Prior Knowledge Needed:

Must know how to operate a cassette recorder

Must know how to operate a videocassette recorder

Lesson Summary and Performance Tasks:

Students will research native and conventional plants in Canyon de Chelly and surrounding area. Students are to collect, draw, and write about a variety of plants through researching at the library, on the Internet, through interviews with elders or community members, etc. Encourage students to use their imagination in creating their projects. In the descriptive writings, students should include a brief history of plant usage, stating whether or not the plants are still used by the native people of the local and surrounding areas. Consultants who are tribal members specializing in the teaching of plants can be brought into the classroom to make presentation, or demonstrations can be set up either on the school ground or nearby. An example would be to have a demonstration of wool dying using natural plants.

Assessment:

• Checklist that includes students’
• Participation in class discussion
• Staying on task
• Ability to listen attentively to presenter
• Portfolio of students’ completed project (hardcopy)

EXTENSION

Technology Integration:

• Tape recorders
• Video cameras
• Television
• Digital Camera
• PowerPointÔ

Enrichment/Remediation:

• Create a PowerPointÔ presentation of project and activities
• Use paint programs to draw pictures of plants
• Allow time for individual projects or reports
• Group work (pair students up to work on PowerPoint presentation)
• Peer tutoring
• Individual and group assistance

Teacher Reflections

Teachers using the lesson are encouraged to modify the lesson suitable to their class.