Part I: Lesson Overview

a.) Lesson Title: Artifacts of Native American Tribes

b.) Author: Emily Contino
c.) Subject: Social Studies
d.) Grade Level: 3rd Grade
e.) Duration: 45 minutes
f.) Unit Description:
Native American Tribes in Michigan.
Students will be learning about the various tribes of Michigan (arrowheads, wigwams),
and how the origin of the term Indian and different tribes of Odawa, Ojibway, and
Potawatomi. They will also be learning about the Three Fire Tribes and gifts from the
tribes that we use today in Michigan.
This lesson focuses on applying students knowledge of Native Americans while looking
at artifacts from Michigan Native American Tribes.
g.) Lesson Goals:
1. Identify an artifact as a material from the past and understand how it relates to that
time period.
2. Demonstrate understanding of how the Native Americans adapted to the land in
Michigan.
3. Describe the differences in Native Americans culture in the past and how it is today.
4. Students will demonstrate understanding that history is not static by doing the work of a
historian.
h.) Common Core Standards:
3 H3.0.2 Explain how historians use primary and secondary sources to answer
questions about the past.
3 H3.0.5 Use informational text and visual data to compare how American Indians and
settlers in the early history of Michigan adapted to, used, and modified their
environment.
Historians use artifacts to unpack details of the past, and during this lesson students
become historians to learn how Native Americans adapted to their environment and
developed tools and technology to meet their needs. Characteristics of the artifacts such as
tools used by Native Americans in Michigan will be used to show the resources they had to
work with and how they developed their way of life. They also will be able to look at

differences between the culture of the Native Americans and people who live in Michigan
today. Students will then be able to relate the artifacts to materials in their life, and see
how the difference in the artifacts change with the environment they live in. By doing this
they will be able to recognize by doing work of historians that history is not static, and that
it is changing all the time. In understanding that history is always changing the students will
become better citizens and aware that history is important to their own lives.
i.) Big Ideas:
This lesson will begin with taping into students prior knowledge about Native Americans
including where they lived and what their purpose was. They will use this knowledge to
progress into a discussion about what an artifact is and how artifacts can leave clues to a
societys way of life. I will introduces 4-5 artifacts to the students and they will have time to
observe them and figure out how they would have been used during Native American life. The
artifacts will be used to help students understand the differences in resources during that time
to what we have in Michigan today. Students will be encouraged to relate the artifacts to an
item that students may use today in their life. The lesson will end with students discussing an
item that students would like to leave behind as a footprint on our life today. They will develop
a time capsule to put the discussion into perspective.
j.) Barriers
Student misconceptions about artifacts only being something very old (not recent).
o Concept of time can be difficult for students to understand. Students may not
know that history is something that happened long ago as well as 5 seconds ago.
Students may not know what an artifact is.
Variety of levels of background knowledge about artifacts and Native Americans.
o Some students may have personal connections to Native American culture, such
as being a native to a tribe themselves, and some may not have any connection
to the culture.
o Note: This lesson would be done as a supplement to a unit on Native Americans.
This lesson will not be students first exposure to information about Native
Americans.
Students who have difficulty with behavior in group settings, as well as students with
group anxiety will have difficulty with the group assignment.

Part II: Methods

a.) Anticipatory Set
Question for class: You all have been learning about Native Americans in Social Studies this
year. You have learned facts like how they came to North America, and what kinds of
activities they did when they were here.
o How do we know these things? What do historians use to find out
information about the past? (Give students a chance to raise their hand and
answer these questions)

Explain that Historians look for clues to find out information about the past. They look for
pieces of history to find out what life was like back then. Historians make predictions about
items that they find to make decisions about life in the past.
Have students turn to their partner and talk about what kinds of things historians might find
when looking for clues in the past.
o Allow students to share their ideas they talked about with their partner

b.) Introduce and model new knowledge

Explain to students that items that historians use to find clues about something are called
artifacts. An artifact is an item from the past that historians look at and analyze to figure out
information about peoples lives back then.
Write the definition of an artifact on the white board for student reference during the
activity. (it is also included in the assessment)
Explain to students that today they are going to become historians and will be using
artifacts to find out more information about Native Americans life.

c.) Guided practice

Put 5 artifacts on each table.
o Explain to students that they will be looking at each artifact and trying to
decide what that item might be called, what it was used for, how it is or isnt
similar to something we use today, and how the Native Americans used their
resources to get/make this item.
o The artifacts will rotate from each table so each student is able to look at 5
artifacts. Students will be given 4 minutes to analyze each artifact and record
their findings on a worksheet given to them.
Teacher circulates the room guiding student thinking and scaffolding student ideas.
After everyone has seen each artifact, we will go through each artifact and students will be
given a chance to share their ideas about the artifact
Investigate:
o What does it look like? Students can draw a picture and describe its shape.
o What do you think its called?
o What do you think its used for?
o Is there something similar in our life today to this item? Explain.
o What resources did Native Americans have that made this item useful? Did they
make it? Did they find it?
Teacher will give the real name of the artifacts and tell students what they are used for.
o Students are encouraged to make changes if their ideas were different from
the actual use of the artifact.

d.) Independent Practice

History is always changing.

o Native Americans used different tools than people living in Michigan today.
Whats so cool about history is that it happens in your life every day.
o See if students realize that theyre making history right now by having them
raise their hand if they agree with the statement I am making history right
now.
Just like you are making history every day, you can also leave behind artifacts about your
life today.
o What is one thing in your life that you cherish or enjoy that you would like to
leave behind for people to learn about you? Ask students to share out loud.
o What if we put these items in a container and people 10 years from now
were able to open it and learn about us? Now draw an item that you would
like to put in our pretend class time capsule. Write why you chose this item
in 1-2 sentences.

e.) Assessment
Task:
Learning of the objectives?

Diagnostic features:

In the assessment, students will

make observations about the
artifact about what it may be used
for.
They will use understanding of
Native American resources to
identify what this item could be
used for.

This assessment will assess

student understanding of what an
artifact is and how they can be
related across history.

I will look for expression of student

ideas in their work on the artifact.
I will assess the task by completion
of each question and by accuracy of
the responses of each question.
As evidence for understanding, I will
collect data on their responses for
what an artifact is, how they use
their skills to relate it to an item in
our life today, and their effort in
describing what they believe it was
used for.

Support:
What resources can you draw
upon (or adaptations can you
make) in assessing children
with special needs?
Re-direction, prompting, and
verbal cues will be given to
students with special needs to
make sure they remain on task
and understand the
expectations of the activity.

Out of school learning: Students will be asked to do a journal entry for homework reflecting on
their experience in class with the artifacts in class, and where they see artifacts throughout
their daily life. This will involve students applying the material to their own life and using what
they know about artifacts beyond this activity in school.
f.) Materials
Materials for
whole class:

Materials for groups:

Materials to accommodate individual student needs:

Pencils
Worksheets
about artifacts

Artifacts from MSU Historical

Museum:
1. Roll of birchbark
2. Quill box
3. Quill earrings
4. Sweetgrass braid
5. Porcupine quills
6. Birchbark with sweetgrass
work)

Multiple Modes of Representation (Written on

worksheet, tangible artifacts, verbal descriptions)
Teaching students in relatable terms using prior
knowledge of artifacts to support student
understanding.
Redirection and verbal cues will be given to students
who need more explanation of the task. Using
relatable terms will help students understand the
material more easily.
Teacher support, prompting, and redirecting will be
used to keep the students on task and guide their work.

SAMPLE ASSESSMENT:

Name:_____________________
Date:____________
Today, you will become a historian!
An artifact is an object that is made or used by someone in the past.
An artifact tells historians clues about the life of a person in the past.

Artifact 1 is _________________

Artifact 2 is _________________

Sketch of the artifact:

Sketch of the artifact:

What was it used for?

______________________________
______________________________

What was it used for?

______________________________
______________________________

What resources did Native Americans

use to make it?
______________________________
______________________________

What resources did Native Americans

use to make it?
______________________________
______________________________

What is an object like it we use today?

______________________________
______________________________
____________

What is an object like it we use today?

______________________________
______________________________
______

Artifact 3 is _________________

Artifact 4 is _________________

What was it used for?

______________________________
______________________________

What was it used for?

______________________________
______________________________

What resources did Native Americans

use to make it?
______________________________
______________________________

What resources did Native Americans

use to make it?
______________________________
______________________________

What is an object like it we use today?

______________________________
______________________________
____________

What is an object like it we use today?

______________________________
______________________________
______

Sketch of the artifact:

Sketch of the artifact: