Distance Learning Week Seven: Native Nations

Hello fifth graders, and welcome back to another week (your last full week!) of distance learning. Can you believe it?!

You are almost all the way finished with your year of fifth grade United States history. So far this year, you have learned a ton of American history. This week is your last unit of US history, and we are learning about indigenous peoples, the people who were here before Christopher Columbus invaded America.

Monday: Columbus and the “Discovery” of the Americas

The dominant narrative says that Christopher Columbus discovered America. But did he really discover it? How can you discover a place that millions of people already know about and claim as home?

Today, we will be taking a closer look at the story of Christopher Columbus. Watch this Flocabulary video and complete the assigned activities.

Tuesday: the Taino

We often hear the story of Christopher Columbus, but rarely do we hear about the people who he first met, the Taino. Read this Newsela article, annotate, submit the quiz, and don’t forget to join me for a read aloud on Zoom at 1:00pm today! We will be learning more about the Taino people and their encounter with Christopher Columbus.

Wednesday: The Sioux

Along with the Taino, there were hundreds of other native nations in the land that we now call the United States. Today and tomorrow, you are going to be reading about two specific indigenous tribes. Today, we will focus on the Sioux. Read this Newsela article, annotate it, and submit the quiz.

Thursday: The Navajo

Today we are going to learn about another native tribe, the Navajo. Watch this Flocabulary video about the Navajo, and complete the assigned activities. We will have another read aloud on Zoom at 1:00pm today!

Friday: Current Day Indigenous Leaders Fighting for Change

One of the most harmful lies that we hear about native people is that they only exist in the past tense. It is common for people to only learn stories about how native people existed in the past, but the truth is, thousands of indigenous people still live in the United States today, and are still active in fighting for their land and their sovereignty. You might remember examples of this from a few weeks ago when we made connections between westward expansion and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

In 2018, for the first time, two Native Americans were elected to the United States Congress. We are going to read more about them today. Read this Newsela article, annotate, and submit the quiz.