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Lesson Planning Resources

The lessons plans, instructional resources, and curriculum included on this webpage have been selected to illustrate ways in which teachers can integrate and infuse American Indian Studies content into their classroom or school district. The information from each of these resources can be woven into a school district’s curriculum through a balanced, comprehensive, and aligned framework adaptable to local circumstances.

Furthermore, each of these suggested resources are intended to help teachers and students of all ages and in all communities make the connection between the knowledge, skills, and ways of knowing for teaching and learning about Native people, cultures, and nations.

*The inclusion of any material or resources on this page should not be construed as an endorsement or recommendation by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Educators are encouraged to preview all the resources and materials and to use their own judgment about appropriateness depending on grade level and/or class preparedness.
 

Academic Standards 


The Wisconsin Academic Standards specify what students should know and be able to do in the classroom. The Wisconsin’s Guiding Principles for Teaching and Learning inform the design and implementation of all academic standards. The Literacy in All Subjects is a resource that is created for educators to provide the space to spark discussion, share, and network about disciplinary literacy in their subjects matter. Each of the following links serve as goals for teaching and learning. 

Course, Unit, and Lesson Plan Templates

 
The course plan, unit plan, and lesson plan provide guidance around instructional planning for including, integrating, or infusing American Indian Studies content into a classroom.
 

WISELearn: Wisconsin's Educator Portal
 

WISELearn provides a centralized location for connecting Wisconsin educators and sharing classroom and professional learning resources. This free site brings Wisconsin content to one easy-to-search spot. The website includes the following information:

BadgerLink

 
From personal interest to educational research, BadgerLink is Wisconsin's Online Library, providing Wisconsin residents with licensed content not available through regular search engines. The website includes the following information:
 

A Tiered Purchasing Plan for Supporting Wisconsin Act 31 in Your Classroom or Library

 

The Tiered Purchasing Plan for Supporting Wisconsin Act 31 in Your Classroom or Library packet is meant to support educators and librarians in identifying and collecting materials to support American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (often referenced as Wisconsin Act 31). The packet was developed to actively promote, support, and advocate for culturally relevant, authentic, and accurate depictions of Native nations in classrooms and libraries to be used for teaching and learning with students.
 
Furthermore, the packet that was developed contains a tiered purchasing plan of free and paid electronic and print materials (each tier expanding upon the previous one), available curricula, and a note on the process and purpose. Please click on the link above for suggested materials on American Indian Studies and learn about what criteria were used in the selection of these resources.

 

Resource Manual: American Indian Studies in Wisconsin (Act 31)

 
This resource manual focuses on listing quality materials that are representative of Wisconsin tribes. In addition, it offers a wide selection of resources pertaining to tribes and significant events outside of Wisconsin. It was decided to provide this wider range in order to introduce the exceptional new Native authors and resources now available. This offers the opportunity to show that American Indians do not fit generic modes but are unique individuals who are members of distinct nations throughout this country. Some of these newer Native materials often represent today’s trends. There is a wide range of Indigenous graphic novels, teen genres including dystrophic and paranormal fiction, science fiction, and bi-lingual materials along with the more traditional history and culture resources. In this manual an effort has been made to include materials that are readily available for purchase or for loan through libraries.

 

Native Knowledge 360°

 
Native Knowledge 360° (NK360°) from the National Museum of American Indian (NMAI) provides educators and students with new perspectives on Native American history and cultures. NK360° provides educational materials and teacher training that incorporate Native narratives, more comprehensive histories, and accurate information to enlighten and inform teaching and learning about Native America. Furthermore, NK360° challenges common assumptions about Native peoples—their cultures, their roles in United States and world history, and their contributions to the arts, sciences, and literature. NK360° also offers a view that includes not only the past but also the richness and vibrancy of Native peoples and cultures today. The following information in available on the website:
 

Lessons of Our Land

 
Lessons of Our Land teaches the Native American story of this land from historical to modern times. The developed the curriculum provides students with broader insight and understanding of land, cultures, inherent rights and tribal sovereignty. The larger goal of the initiative is to have people identify with the land they live on and be better prepared to solve the difficult issues that impact communities on or near reservations today. Although Lessons of Our Land positions Native American tribal issues and values at the forefront, the curriculum emphasizes the fundamental relationship between land and people in general, not just Native Americans. The following information in available on the website:
 

Gikinoo’wizhiwe Onji Waaban (Guiding for Tomorrow) or G-WOW

 
The G-WOW curriculum is a unique approach to increasing awareness environmental issues impacting and affecting Lake Superior’s coastal environment, people, cultures, and economies that is organized into four seasonal units corresponding to these traditional Ojibwe lifeways:
 
Each of these traditional practices depends on the sustainability of a key plant or animal species with place-based evidence of environmental impacts that is affecting traditional Ojibwe lifeways and people of all cultures. The initiative also includes a teachers corner with the following information:
 

Sacred Little Ones Project: We Will Make a Path for Our Children

 
The College of Menominee Nation’s Sacred Little Ones Project is an early childhood instruction model to enable Menominee children to gain academic skills, motivation, support, and confidence necessary to succeed in elementary education. The program is being developed within existing infrastructure for program sustainability. The following information in available on the website:
 

Culture-Based Arts Integration Curriculum

 
The Culture-Based Arts Integration Curriculum website seeks to enhance interest, understanding, enthusiasm, and performance in standards-based subjects among American Indian and non-American Indian students in grades K-8. Furthermore, the website supports students and teachers understanding of Ojibwe culture and art and then work with project staff to design lesson plans in order to integrate this new knowledge into their existing curricula. The lesson plans are available on the link above website for teaching and learning. The following information in available on the website:
 
For questions about this information, contact David O'Connor (608) 267-2283