Every spring, I ask folks to share their favorite Montana history or IEFA lesson, the one they would absolutely do again. Here are the responses from elementary teachers with some notes from me in brackets.
Angel Juarez, who teaches at Clinton Elementary, wrote: "I will always make time to teach the tribal homelands lesson! I was so excited to find transparency paper and see the students make amazing connections to the area we live in. I had some awesome feedback from students and saw students take control of their learning!" [This is a lesson from Unit 2: Montana's First People of the fourth-grade Montana: A History of Our Home curriculum.]
Savannah Buckner, who teaches fifth-sixth grade at Blue Creek Elementary, recommends 1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving [an IEFA lesson from OPI.]
Susan Seastrand, who teaches at Morin Elementary, loves the Lewis and Clark footlocker. [Learn how to borrow our hands-on history footlockers here.]
Johanna Trout, who teaches fourth grade in Billings, wrote: "I created mini unit on Star Quilts: Lessons in Leadership. It includes a literary component, a math component, a history component, and a civics and government component and Essential Understandings component." [Johanna has graciously shared her lesson, which is built around the book Shota and the Star Quilt. It includes having students create a class quilt and chose someone they wish to honor by giving it to them.]
Other teachers shared anonymously:
The Art of Storytelling is my favorite lesson that I will never miss, but I am going to describe the fishing lesson. This year, I read a story [a chapter from Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare] where a boy loses his fishing hook, and a Native American helps him make a new hook. The class replicated that hook along with a fish trap and a spear used for fishing. It was group projects where trios of students each made a fishing spear, a fish trap, and hooks. It turned out really great.
I loved the immigration push and pull factor lesson from Unit 3: Coming to Montana of the fourth-grade Montana: A History of Our Home curriculum.
Blackfeet and Crow Star Stories, Grades 5-8
Finally, a teacher recommended "The one about the stars." I assume she was referring to one of the following IEFA lesson plans from OPI:
- Montana Skies - Grade 3
- Montana Skies - Grades 4-8 Blackfeet Astronomy Teachers Guide and Blackfeet Astronomy Videos
- Montana Skies - Grades 4-8 Crow Astronomy Teachers Guide and Crow Astronomy Videos
- Montana Skies Blackfeet and Crow Star Stories Lesson for Students
Stay tuned for middle school and high school teachers' recommendations.
P.S. Don't miss the first of our monthly Monday Meetups, September 11, 4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. where I'll be sharing an Introduction to Montana Historical Society Resources. Register to earn one Renewal Unit.
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