Lesson Plan - Making Our People Proud

Watch a Video: Celebrating Our Traditions
After watching, ask: Why do these kids work so hard to keep their traditions alive?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know. 

• Indigenous
• heritage

Set a Purpose for Reading
Point out the “As You Read” question. Have students think about their own traditions.

1. What is culture? Based on the article, what do you know about Pojoaque culture?
Culture is a people’s traditions, beliefs, and habits. The text shows that hoop dancing is part of Pojoaque culture. Hoop dancing has been a form of prayer and storytelling. It is sometimes used in healing practices.
^{R.4 Determine Meaning}

2. Why is lacrosse important to the Haudenosaunee Confederacy?
Lacrosse is important to the people of the Confederacy because they play to honor their Creator. They have been playing games like lacrosse for more than 900 years.
^{RI.2 Key Details}

3. Why does the author write that “it’s not that easy” for Leeann to learn Yuchi?
Leeann can’t learn Yuchi in the same ways people learn other languages. There are no books printed in Yuchi, and few people can speak it.
^{R.1 Text Evidence}

FEATURED SKILL: Compare and Contrast
Use “Comparing Stories” to have students identify similarities and differences among the kids profiled in the article.
^{R.5 Comparison}