In this remixed lesson plan from “Art Show with the Masters” by Daniella Garran and Lisa Brizendine, students will research information on American Indian artists' lives and works. They will prepare works of art based on their understanding of the artists, their time and place in history (if applicable), and their works. Students then create an art show for to feature their artists and the artists' paintings/sculptures/artwork. Students, pretending to be artists, are interviewed on video alongside their artwork. This video will be shown as part of the exhibition.

First Nations communities are part of the fabric of our state, our country and our world. The contemporary video stories, maps and questions to consider in The Ways can be woven into many experiences you create with students in your learning space. Educator guides for each story offer supplemental essays and Wisconsin state standards alignment.

Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School has an annual sugarbush within a few miles of the school.  During the Spring sugarbush season, students are bussed to the site, by class, to do the variety of daily tasks required to successfully produce maple syrup.  The LCO middle school students follow the Ojibwe traditions.  They hear the traditional stories, learn words and phrases in the Ojibwemowin language, tap trees, collect and boil sap, chop wood and build fires. The students learn about tree identification, photosynthesis, and aging trees using cross sections.  They also learn about the importance and uses of Maple trees.  The students learn that the environmental conditions needed to make maple syrup are only found in a very small part of the world that includes Wisconsin.  The combination of hands-on exploration and culturally - relevant texts personalize the learning experience for this region.   

This unit focuses on the southern tribes of Wisconsin. Students will learn about the location of each tribe. They will also learn about a brief history of the tribes. Students will be asked to do some of the research on their own . This unit contains links to two individual lessons focusing on the Brothertown and Potawatomi band of Native Americans. Each lesson contains links to necessary material.

The Treaty of 1837 signed between the United States Government and the Ojibwe Tribe called for annuity payments to be made at Madeline Island. This video features the movement of the annuity payment location from Madeline Island to Sandy Lake, Minnesota in 1850, the difficult travel of the Ojibwe and the death of 400 tribal members, the trip of Chief Buffalo to Washington, D.C., and the decision to move the payment location back to Madeline Island.

The Treaty of 1837 signed between the United States Government and the Ojibwe Tribe called for annuity payments to be made at Madeline Island. This video features the movement of the annuity payment location from Madeline Island to Sandy Lake, Minnesota in 1850, the difficult travel of the Ojibwe and the death of 400 tribal members, the trip of Chief Buffalo to Washington, D.C., and the decision to move the payment location back to Madeline Island.

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.

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.