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Pow Wow
Teacher Resource Web Sites

American Indian Lesson Plans
http://members.aol.com/MrDonnHistory/American.html#NATIVE
This page of links compiled by fellow educators includes multi-grade level lesson plans and activities that cover the various Native American groups from different regions. Good links for other U.S. History topics are also available here.
American Indian Heritage Month
http://www.infoplease.com/spot/aihm1.html
Visit this site to find links to and articles about American Indian cultures of today, including census and language information, along with descriptions of reservations. Almanac, encyclopedia and dictionary links are also featured, along with “infoplease for teachers.”
Education World Index to Native American Links
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson209.shtml
Check out this site for more ideas on how to celebrate American Indian Heritage Month in your classroom as well as other classroom activities.
Powwow Listings and Links
http://www.ihs.gov/misc/links_gateway/sub_categories.cfm?Sub_Cat_ID=081101
The Indian Health Service compiles this page of powwow links and resources, including information on the largest powwow, the Gathering of Nations: http://www.gatheringofnations.com/
Native American Curriculum from the Heard Museum
http://www.heard.org/edu-curriculum.php
The Heard Museum has developed curriculum materials, based on its exhibits and educational programs. Visit this site for a list of curriculum materials available in downloadable format, CD-ROM or as a kit. Topics include: Native Peoples of the Southwest, rain and art.
The Cradleboard Teaching Program
http://www.cradleboard.org/main.html
This is an extensive site of interactive learning activities and additional resources to learn about traditional and modern Native traditions.
Native Americans Across the Curriculum
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson038.shtml
Visit this site to learn how you can help disprove stereotypes of Native Americans in your classroom. Activities include links to reading, writing and listening resources.
Stocktown Unified School District: Annual Powwow
http://www.geocities.com/nativeteacher/
Visit this Native-authored site to find general history and information on powwows.
Anthropology/Native American Resources
http://www.nmnh.si.edu/anthro/outreach/outrch1.html#native_americans
Find out what the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History provides free of charge to educators in order to help teach about Native cultures.
Learning Cultural Etiquette
http://www.techlearning.com/db_area/archives/WCE/archives/hinman.htm
From a starting point in Dickens-era England, a teacher uses this plan to teach etiquette in other cultures. It includes links to Southern powwow etiquette for visitors and newcomers.
Southern Pow Wows
http://library.thinkquest.org/3081/index.htm
Visit this site as a good starting place for words you might hear, rules to be followed and information about the regalia worn at powwows.
Campfire Stories with George Catlin
http://catlinclassroom.si.edu/teachers.html
This is a site from the Smithsonian American Art Museum, offering extensive lesson plans related to the intersection of European and Native cultures. It is a good resource for historic presentations.
The Mississippi River of Song
http://www.pbs.org/riverofsong/project/educational-outreach.html
Visit this site to listen to drumming from an Objiwe, the (Northern Minnesota) powwow as part of a Smithsonian/PBS project about the musical history of people along the Mississippi river. The site features specific lesson plans.
American Roots
http://www.pbs.org/americanrootsmusic/pbs_arm_itc_lesson_four.html
Learn about the power of Native American music at this PBS site (including powwow music). The site includes lesson plans.
The Homeland: Sorry Day
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/homeland/educators4.html
This site features information related to the PBS series “Homeland,” including features on Lakota families and a lesson plan on discussing the relations between the U.S. Government (Bureau of Indian Affairs) and Native Americans.
Reservation Controversies, Then and Now
http://learning.loc.gov/learn/lessons/97/reservation/teacher.html
The Library of Congress presents this overview of Native Americans’ struggle with reservations, including current perspectives. It features problem-based learning classroom activities.
PBS’s Circle of Stories
http://www.pbs.org/circleofstories/educators/index.html
This site features teacher resources for the PBS series “Circle of Stories,” to teach about the importance of storytelling in Native cultures.
Tracking the Buffalo Storytelling Activity http://www.americanhistory.si.edu/kids/buffalo/index.html Visit the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for Tracking the Buffalo on-line classroom activities for grades 4-12.
Printable Classroom Worksheets from the Witte
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[Also see related activity sites in the Kid Zone section of this Witte TeleVentures section.]