Method and Strategies
In this unit, the following strategies will be used to approach the topic, identity. Students will give their prior knowledge of the meaning of identity on the Diné Nation. Each identity will be posted on a learning wall for students to refer to.
Teacher and students will look at the past and present comparison of how identity was defined by using a graphic organizer, Venn diagram. Creating a map that shows the size and population. It can be used to help students appreciate their land and people. They will learn within the three to four weeks that the sacred mountain near the Diné land can teach them about their identity and how it is tied into identity.
KWL charts will be used to gauge students learning
"10-2' discussion, which allows students to discuss ideas for ten minutes followed by two minutes feedback from the teacher, will give students an opportunity to investigate their topic on identity. “Jig saw” reading is a strategy that allows students to read a long text fast by assigning paragraphs to groups and then sharing the main ideas of the text. Using these two strategies, “10-2” and “jig saw,” will organize text and lectures of Diné history and Diné leaders. There will be three reading materials that will be read in class among groups. Once we have covered the history of the Diné, activity one will be activated. The students will read informational text and a short story that shows how other ethnic groups show stories to tell about identity.
The graphic novel American Born Chinese will be the book to get students’ attention. This story will help students begin to see how the Chinese boy is treated at school because of his different ethnicity. Through group discussion, students will share their own experiences of how society treats them. By sharing their personal experience of being judged or mistaken for a different ethnicity, students can begin to see their own views of identity. The goal of finding self-identity will evolve freely through everyone’s experience.
Stories and poems of different tribal nations will be reviewed to compare how other tribes tell about self-identity. Students can use the story to design and present their understanding of self. The book How We Became Human by Joy Harjo can be a good resource for young readers in their journey towards self-awareness. Young leaners can take the path that I am taking to interview their own parents and grandparents. This will develop a discussion group that can help them with their working document on self-identity.
Another strategy that will play a key part in our unit is a picture input chart. This strategy will help students visualize the demographic and geological representation of the people who will be interviewed.
Comments: