Direct Instruction Lesson Plan Template

Grade Level/Subject: 3rd grade

Central Focus: creating Catawba Indian shelters
Catawba Indians shelter
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
Date submitted: 10/20/16
3.G.1.3 Exemplify how people adapt to, change and protect
Date taught: 10/21/16
the environment to meet their needs.
Daily Lesson Objective: Students will be able to analyze Catawba Indian shelters and reflect on
how Catawba Indians used their resources to survive by creating their own Catawba Indian
shelters.
21st Century Skills:
Academic Language Demand (Language Function and
Creativity and Innovation
Vocabulary):
Communication and Collaboration
Analyze, Explain
Vocabulary- Resources
Prior Knowledge: Know who the Catawba Indians are and what area their tribe lived in.

Activity

1. Focus and Review

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

3. Teacher Input

4. Guided Practice

Description of Activities and Setting

Have students grab their daybooks and come and sit on a
square on the carpet.
I know you have been learning all about the Catawba Indians
in class. I want you to think of one thing you have learned
about them so far and write it down in your daybook.
Briefly discuss a few things students have learned about the
Catawba Indians. Call on a few students to share.
Students will be able to create their own Catawba Indian
shelters and compare them to how Catawba Indians used to
live. Students will write about how Catawba Indians survived
using their resources.
Once students have shared what they know about the
Catawba Indians, teacher will hold a mini lesson on what the
Catawba Indians lived in.
Teacher will present PowerPoint on Catawba Indian Homes.
Key questions include:
- What did the Catawba Indians live in?
- What were the wigwams made of?
- Who lived in the wigwams?
Imagine you and your family living in a wigwam. Turn and talk
to your neighbor about what it may be like.
- Pictures of wigwams and small villages
Share the difference between teepees and wigwams if there is
time.
Students will create their own wigwam with a partner.
Teacher will have materials in baggies and passed out to each

Time

5 min.

10 min.

30 min.

set of partners.
- You need to cut your paper bowls on the dotted line
- You will fold the bowl so that the white side is on the
outside
- You will fold each flap of the bowl on top of the other
- The teacher will walk around with the stapler and help
students connect their flaps on the bowl so that it
creates a dome shaped structure.
- You may cut a small square in the bowl to represent the
doorway
- Once you have your shelter stapled together, you can
start taping your brown strips of paper onto your
shelter
- If you would like to, you can rip your strips into smaller
pieces
- When you have finished taping your strips to your
wigwam, you will use your string to tie around the
wigwam.
Once all students have finished their wigwams and cleaned up
all their materials, they will come back to the carpet to
discuss and show how they made their wigwam. We will also
compare and contrast the wigwams from the power point and
the wigwams we have created.
Some questions for students to think about
What might you sleep on in the wigwam?
How would you stay warm?

5. Independent
Practice

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:
7. Closure
8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:

Journal prompt:
Imagine you and your family have just joined of the Catawba
Indian tribe long, long ago. Your parents tell you to collect
15 min.
materials in the forest to build your wigwam. What kinds of
thing might you collect to build your new house? How would
you build your wigwam? Write one paragraph.
Students will show mastery by demonstrating their understanding of
wigwams and how they are made in their journal entry. They should
include possible material to use when creating a wigwam and ways to
build a wigwam.
Briefly go over some things students wrote down in their
5 min.
journal entry.
Due to time, students did not have enough time to write their journal
entries. Some students started but did not finish.

Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:
Students can work in groups to create
wigwams. Other students can help them
create their wigwam. Visual learners will be
able to look at pictures of wigwams in the
PowerPoint as well as a modeled wigwam
premade. Students will also have access to
all materials at their table and the activity is
more hands on.
Materials/Technology:

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
Students who may need a little extra help creating
their wigwams can work in a group and teacher
can monitor group closely.

(Include any instructional materials (e.g., worksheets, assessments PowerPoint/Smart Board slides, etc.) needed to implement the lesson at
the end of the lesson plan.)

PowerPoint slides (Catawba Indian Homes)

Projector
13 paper bowls
Stapler
10 strips of brown construction paper per pair (130 strips total)
Scissors per pair
Tape per pair or shared between tables
3 pieces of string per pair (39 total)
References:
http://www.bigorrin.org/catawba_kids.htm
http://www.native-languages.org/houses.htm
Reflection on lesson: