Daily Life — Part 2

Overview:

After completing Part 1 of Daily Life, students will have a base knowledge of life of historic Native American people. Now each team, comprised of one person from each of the fact-finding groups and armed with their fact sheets, will work cooperatively to write a play about one day in the life of a Native American boy or girl.

 

Video Synopsis:

Historic Native Americans
What was the daily life like for Ohio’s historic Native Americans? What did they eat? How did they dress? What were their houses like? The answers depend on where people lived and what their tribal traditions were. Historic Native Americans shows how our ancestors used the gifts the Creator gave them to feed, clothe and house their families.

Goal:

Students will work cooperatively in teams to write plays about one day in the life of an Ohio Native American boy or girl. Students will:

• Include at least three characters in their story

• Develop a believable setting (time and place)

• Create and resolve a simple conflict/problem in their story

• Demonstrate knowledge of their fact-finding research

 

Objectives:

Language Arts Content Standards

Grade 4 Writing: People in Society

Indicator: Prewriting

1. Generate writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material.

2. State and develop a clear main idea for writing.

3. Develop a purpose and audience for writing.

 

Indicator: Drafting, Revising and Editing

8. Vary language and style as appropriate to audience and purpose.

9. Use available technology to compose text

10. Reread and assess writing for clarity, using a variety of methods (e.g., writer’s circle)

12. Rearrange words and sentences to clarify meaning

15. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist, feedback) to judge the quality of writing.

 

Indicator: Publishing

16. Prepare for publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others) writing that follows a format appropriate to the purpose, using techniques such as electronic resources and graphics to enhance the final product.

 

Procedure:

1. Do a freewrite about daily life. (Freewrite)

2. Share freewrites. Discuss and list on board similarities and differences between daily life now and that of an Ohio Native American boy or girl in the early years.

3. Divide students into new groups. Each new group should consist of a member from each of the original fact-finding groups.

4. Challenge each group to create an outline or skeleton of a prose story based on their fact-finding research. Guide them in:
       Creating at least three characters
       Developing a believable setting (time and place)
       Creating and resolving a simple problem using facts gathered previously

5. Once story skeletons have been completed, brainstorm and record on the board the differences between writing prose and writing scripts. If possible make available to students a copy of each. Be sure to include importance of dialogue and stage directions. Share playwriting checklist. Depending on the ability of the group, you may need to have a lesson or more on writing plays. (Tips for Writing Plays)

6. Using “character description” and “time/place/at rise” sheets, guide students in developing the introductory section of their plays. The “character description” section should include all characters in the play with a brief description of each. The “time/place/at rise” section includes the setting and the action taking place as the curtain opens. Discuss with students the reasons for including these sections.

   Distribute “Playwriting Checklist.” Discuss. Instruct students to continue/complete their scripts.

Evaluation:

The final products may be evaluated in a variety of ways. If time permits, plays can actually be acted out for an audience of students and parents. Plays may be presented in a Reader’s Theater format.

The rubric below may also be used.

CATEGORY	20	15	10	5
Characters	Three characters are named and clearly described. Most readers could describe the characters accurately.	Three characters are named and described. Most readers would have some idea of what the characters looked like.	Fewer than three characters are named. The reader knows very little about the characters.	Fewer than three characters are named and no descriptions are given.
Setting	Many vivid, descriptive words are used to tell when and where the story took place.	Some vivid, descriptive words are used to tell the audience when and where the story took place.	The reader can figure out when and where the story took place, but the author didn’t supply much detail.	The reader has trouble figuring out when and where the story took place.
Problem/ Conflict	It is very easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face and why it is a problem.	It is fairly easy for the reader to understand the problem the main characters face but it is not clear why it is a problem.	It is not clear what problem the main characters face.
Factual Information	Many facts about historic Native Americans are used and information is accurate.	Some facts about historic Native Americans are used and information is accurate.	Few facts are used about historic Native Americans or information is inaccurate.	Few facts are used about historic Native Americans and information is inaccurate.
Creativity	The story contains many creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader’s enjoyment. The author has really used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions that contribute to the reader’s enjoyment. The author has used his imagination.	The story contains a few creative details and/or descriptions, but they distract from the story. The author has tried to use his imagination.	There is little evidence of creativity in the story. The author does not seem to have used much imagination.