This blog post exploring the true facts of Columbus’s journey, the history of Columbus Day, and different sources for information.
In this lesson, students examine classic Maya art and monumental inscriptions, as well as an excerpt from an Aztec encyclopedia, to explore how the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan influenced other Mesoamerican societies. Students also reason about contemporary scholars' commentary on the historical sources.
On the shore of Lake Winnebago, Joan Schadewald tells how the Brothertown Indians unknowingly gave up their tribal recognition status and have been working for 30 years to have it restored. An amalgamation of tribes that were forced from the East Coast to Indiana and then Wisconsin, the Brothertown cling determinedly to their Indian heritage.
By the banks of the Lemonweir River in what for ages had been Ho-Chunk territory, Andy Thundercloud shares the oral tradition of his people. Thundercloud tells of a traveling people who migrated across the land to become many different tribes, of the importance of maintaining the traditional language, and of the wonderful way of life he has known.
Recorded in the natural settings of the regions that native people have called home for centuries, the Tribal Histories series features tribal members sharing the challenges, triumphs and time-honored traditions that have shaped their vibrant communities. In this program, educator and former tribal chairman Rick St. Germaine tells of the Ojibwe band's history.
On the bank of Crawling Stone Lake, Ernie St. Germaine shares stories handed down by the Lac Du Flambeau Ojibwe. He tells of the migration from Madeline Island to their present location, describes how the original six clans were given to the people, remembers the volatile spear-fishing controversy, and explains the importance of passing on stories to future generations.
Along the banks of the Wolf River, tribal elder and preservationist David Grignon tells the oral tradition of the Menominee people. Grignon shares not only who the Menominee are, but why they’re in Wisconsin, and how he is striving to preserve their traditions.
Recorded in the natural settings of the regions that native people have called home for centuries, the Tribal Histories series features tribal members sharing the challenges, triumphs and time-honored traditions that have shaped their vibrant communities. In this documentary, Tribal elder Fred Ackley shares stories of the Mole Lake Band of Lake Superior Chippewa.
This is an introductory unit on coding for students. Students will gain knowledge on how to create a culturally responsive arcade/video game using coding. They will increase their understanding in project building through technology. This unit will involve community and/or Elder connections.
NOTE - As long as the 'Acknowledgement Protocol' is followed to honor the Land and the People where a lesson plan originates, lesson plans appearing on NCCIE.CA may be adapted to different places and different ages of learners.
Not afraid to stand up for what he believed in, this member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa dedicated himself to protecting the rights and lands of First Nations people in Wisconsin.
Resources available for exploring this story include:
- A short animated video with captions and transcripts in English and Spanish
- A short biography book accessible as a slide deck, with per-page audio for listening along, and maps of key locations in the story
- Questions that can be used for conversation, reflection, and connection with the story
- A historical image gallery full of primary and secondary sources to explore
- A guide for activating the media with learners that includes story stats, extension activity ideas, and standards supported
This story is part of Wisconsin Biographies, a collection of educational media resources for grades 3-6. Explore the full collection at pbswisconsineducation.org/biographies.
Mark Antonio Daniels Jr. is an enrolled member of the Forest County Potawatomi and is also of Menominee descent. Learn how he is part of a long history of American Indian participation in the sport of boxing, viewed as a test of skill, courage, bravery, physical endurance, and respect.
This resource is part of The Ways, a collection of educational media resources for middle and high school classrooms from PBS Wisconsin Education.
Explore the full collection: https://pbswisconsineducation.org/theways/about/
Most students recognize the name Christopher Columbus. They may be aware that his voyages ushered in the first period of sustained contact between Europeans and the Americas and its people. They may not know, however, why Columbus traveled to the New World or what happened to the native people he encountered.
In this lesson, students read excerpts from Columbus's letters and journals, as well as recent considerations of his achievements. Students reflect on the motivations behind Columbus's explorations, his reactions to what he found and the consequences, intended and unintended, of his endeavor.
In this lesson, students will address misconceptions they likely have about Christopher Columbus and the colonization of what is now the United States. Students will watch a video to dispel some of the myths associated with Columbus and gain a better understanding of how Columbus Day became a national holiday. Students will then read interviews with Indigenous youth and identify the reasons that celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day matters to them. This lesson can be taught on Columbus Day or leading up to it.
Explore a rich collection of educational videos, teacher professional development resources, lesson plans for all grades, and learning tools for your classroom and library!
This collection of resources provides educators and pre-service teachers accurate and authentic educational materials for teaching about the American Indian Nations of Wisconsin.
The struggle to maintain rights to harvest and fish as defined through treaties with the US government is documented through six video stories from the Ojibwe/Anishinaabe/Chippewa tribes. In this collection, students will be able to explore answers to the question, "What motivates individuals or groups to work for change in society?"
The Ways is a series of stories from Native communities around the central Great Lakes. This online educational resource explores connections between traditional ways and those of today. The engaging series features tribal communities of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. An interactive map shows story locations and compares treaty lands, reservations, and Native population around the central Great Lakes. The Ways supports educators in meeting the requirements of Wisconsin Act 31, seeking to expand and challenge current understanding of Native identity and communities.
Wisconsin Life celebrates the people, places, history and culture of the state. Come with us as we kayak the Mississippi River, interview musicians in Milwaukee, and bake pasties in Rhinelander. We connect you with diverse people and ideas through short stories updated twice a week.
This resource is informational; the podcast alone will not meet any social studies standards.
The Surface Water Data Viewer is a mapping tool for the State of Wisconsin. It provides interactive web mapping tools for a variety of datasets, including chemistry, physical, and biological data. The data managed in layers that can be turned on and off as needed. The Homepage of the Surface Water Data Viewer (SWDV) has many commonly used features labeled. Descriptions of the features are as follows:
Toolbars: There are a variety of toolbars with different themes to help complete tasks using the SWDV. The toolbars can be used to display the layers available to the map, add or remove shapes, text, or measurement features, identify points, print maps, and more!
Search Bar: Using the search bar, you can search monitoring stations by number, locations by keyword, and waterbodies by WBIC. Be careful when using the search bar, partial matches do not always appear in the results.
Navigation Pane: The navigation pane is where results will appear from searches, where you are able to select layers for the map, and features for printing. You will be able to refine the data that is shown here, if desired. You can hide the navigation pane by clicking the left-facing arrow at the top.
Coordinates and Coordinate System: The coordinates will display for any point moused-over on the map. Click the black triangle to select your preferred method for displaying lat/long (DD, DMS, DDM, Mercator). The right-most option in this pane allows you to manually manage thescale of the map. Click on the scale tool, and selected the desired scale at which you wish to view the map. Select Go to implement changes.
Scale Bar: The scale bar shows the current extent of the map.
Whole State View: This view describes what is being shown on the main map relative to the entire state. A blue rectangle will cover the region of the state being shown on the map. You can also navigate the map by moving the blue square around the state-view map. If you print a map, this whole state view will print in the corner as a reference. You can minimize this view by clicking the corner-facing arrow in the top left edge of the box.
Show/Hide Toolbar: Use this button to hide the toolbar for a larger view of the map. If you have hidden the toolbar, you can also use this button to show it again.