Native American Studies

This week we have been studying various Native American tribes from across the country.  Students read sections of the book Children of Native America Today in groups and then worked in their group to create posters with symbols that represented the tribe they studied.  

When they're done we'll have a classroom gallery walk to learn more about each Native American group they researched.  Then we'll discuss the similarities and differences between those ten groups, and then talk about the similarities and differences between our own culture and the groups we studied.

Star of the Week

Htoo Wah was our star this week!

It was fun to learn more about her during her presentation.  She did a fabulous job on her poster and poem.  We really enjoyed seeing her photos; especially the one of her when she lived in Thailand.

We learned that one of her favorite books is Three Good Deeds, her heroes are her parents, she was born in Thailand, and lived in St. Paul before she moved to Albert Lea.

Htoo Wah's special guest was Mrs. Neid.

Thanks for doing such a great job, Htoo Wah!  

Red 'Writing' Hood

The 4th graders performed Red Writing Hood in a Readers' Theater format for their 1st grade reading buddies.  While they were rehearsing for their performance they focused on perfecting their fluency, accuracy and expression.  They did an excellent job and I think the 1st graders really enjoyed it!

Larry Yazzie

Wow!  We had an awesome day with Larry Yazzie!

Larry worked with our 4th grade classes privately to teach us two dances that are common in Native American culture; the fancy dance and the jingle dance.  Men and boys traditionally participate in fancy dance, and girls traditionally participate in jingle dance.

We learned a lot about American Indian culture, music, art, pow-wow, and indigenous traditions during Larry's presentation.  The students also got a good workout while they danced with Larry and his colleague, Crystal!

In the afternoon Crystal and Larry presented an assembly for the entire school.  At this presentation we got to see Larry in his dance regalia.  It was amazing!

The entire school got to learn all about pow-wows, they heard Crystal sing and play the drum, and they listened to Larry play the flute.

We all got to witness Larry's dancing talents while he was in his full dance regalia.  It was amazing to see how his outfit moved and how the bells on his outfit sounded as he danced!

Some lucky students got the opportunity to dance with Larry.  They had a lot of fun learning new dance steps.  The teachers even got the chance to dance with him.  I think the students enjoyed watching their teachers attempt to move like Larry!

At the end of Larry's presentation he and the students chanted, "I am special!  I am powerful!  I am a leader!"  This was a great message for our kids!

Star of the Week

Our star this week was Jacob!

Jacob taught us a lot about himself through his poster, poem and photos.  

He told us about how he participated in the Bike-a-thon last year where he rode his bike 43 miles!  We also learned that his favorite books are The Boxcar Children series, he likes to play video games, and his hero is his grandpa.

Jacob's special guests were his mom, sister, and grandma.

Thank you for doing such a great job, Jacob!

Larry Yazzie

As a part of our arts integration grant with the Perpich Center, Sibley will be hosting Larry Yazzie, the coordinator of the Native Pride Arts Group.  He will be leading a workshop with the fourth graders, and since he was coming we thought it would be great if he could share his expertise with the whole school!  We will be having an assembly for all students on Monday, March 25^th at 1:00.  

 

“The mission of the Native Pride Arts Group is to educate, inspire, motivate and empower diverse communities to bridge cultural gaps through Indigenous traditions.

Mr. Yazzie and his colleagues are particularly good at breaking common stereotypes and providing non-native people with a better understanding of the modern native experience. The presentation will enable us to address the Minnesota Arts Standards for our elementary students at Sibley.” 

Check out his website  www.nativepridearts.org to learn more about him and his presentation!

Star of the Week

Our star this week was Tyler!

During Tyler's presentation of his poster, poem, and photos we learned a lot about him!  He shared with us that his favorite TV show is Duck Dynasty, his favorite movie is Red Dawn, and his favorite book is Hatchet by Garry Paulsen.

It was obvious to all of us that Tyler loves everything to do with the outdoors.  He also loves baseball and wasn't able to decide which one he likes more when we asked him to choose.

Tyler's special guests were his mom and grandma.

Thanks for doing such a fantastic job, Tyler!