Native American Origin Myths

Differentiating for Readiness and Product

1. Students will be able to choose which origin myth they would like to read (so they are getting
interest differentiated as well as readiness). However, they will get two options instead of four.
2. The myths are The World on Turtles Back, When Grizzlies Walked Upright, The Navajo
Origin Legend and a Lakota Origin Myth.
3. The lower readiness students will do The World on Turtles Back or the Lakota origin myth.
4. The higher readiness students will do The Navajo Origin Legend or When Grizzlies Walked
Upright.
5. These choices are somewhat arbitrary as all myths are at a similar reading level, but the groups
need to be similar readiness so if I offer choice, I cant end up with mixed groups.
6. After the lower readiness groups read, they will act out the myth. They will keep the myth as it
is, but summarize the key elements. They can do a skit, a drawing/stop-motion, a video, a
puppet show or any other format they can think of.
7. The higher readiness kids will create a modern version of this myth. They have all the same
choices of how to present this.
8. At the end of class, we will discuss what the Native Americans myths all had in common. If we
can I would like to discuss how that could relate to what they know of Puritan beliefs which
could also function as a pre-assessment.