Reading Response #2

This reading response is based on activities found in "Teaching in Secondary Schools" by Baldwin, Keating and Bachman. They are designed to get our team started and focused on creating a professional level ITU.

Activity 7.1

At this time we have decided to use the following resources in creating our ITU: state standards, local curriculum guides, public libraries, internet resources, student interests, textbooks, and my PLN.

Brainstorming Native American theme: segregation, conflict, equality, tribes, reservations, land, manifest destiny, sovereign nation, removal, culture, political organization, missions, religion, geographic location. We did our individual web diagrams on a white board. Mallory is constructing the consolidated visual web for our team.

The process we used was to initially discuss ideas on the phone and then we met at the library as a group to further discuss the ideas and decide on out theme. We debated the the theme's scope and decided on a larger scale as opposed to concentrating on a single tribe. We then did the brainstorming.

Activity 7.2

Our theme is going to be Native American Indians.

Native American Essential Questions

English:

• How did the Native Americans contribute to the history of literature and writing in America?
• What is the importance of resurrecting “dead” American Indian languages for historical or linguistic purposes?
• Many Native Americans were forced to attend schools that removed them from their families for long periods of time often returning unable to communicate with their own families. How would language isolation effect the family unit? How would language isolation affect a person’s self esteem of perception of themselves? How does language isolation effect Native Americans today?
• How are Native Americans portrayed in the media? How does their representation effect public perceptions of Native Americans? In what ways do these representations progress Native American values and ideals? In what ways do these representations further Native American stereotypes?

History:

• What impacts have Native Americans made on American culture?
• Based on the injustices endured by the Native Americans what, if any, reparations should the government provide the Native Americans with? Why?
• Why is it important that we as a country value minority cultures

Biology:

• Should Native Americans use DNA research to prove tribal ancestry?
• In what ways do Native American cultural beliefs about their environment relate to current day environmentalist issues?

Over-arching

• What insight can we gain from Native American culture in our push for a greener Earth?
• What are the impacts, either positive or negative,  of tribal casinos on the surrounding communities?
• What defines a Native American?