Picture Perfect

Theme:
A History of Wapasha’s Prairie: This lesson plan helps students look for deeper meaning within photographs portraying history. It teaches them to break apart photos and look for context clues within each photo to search for deeper meaning and relations.

Time Period: 90 Minutes

Grade: Third

Materials/Resources Needed:
-One book per student or photos from the book, A History of Wapasha’s Prairie by Myron A. Nilles from Winona County Historical Society
-Photo Analysis worksheet for each student

Goal(s) for Today’s Lesson:
The students will gain a better understanding of the lifestyle of the Dakota Native American nation in Wapasha’s Prairie (Winona).

Objectives for Today’s Lesson:
*The students will identify the artifacts previously learned in the photographs shown.
*The students will break apart photographs and use context clues to verbalize the history of the Dakota nation of Wapasha’s Prairie.

Procedures
a. Introduction: Review the artifacts found in the Native American Learning Trunks from the Winona County Historical Society. Have the students explain the significance of each artifact and share other knowledge gained from the previous lesson. (12 min.)

b. Developmental Experiences:
1. Distribute copies of A History of Wapasha’s Prairie to each student. If there are not enough books available, have students pair up with a partner. (3 min.)
2. Distribute the Photo Analysis worksheet to each student. (2 min.)
3. Go through the questions on the Photo Analysis worksheet as a class. Some explanation may be required. (2 min.)
4. Analyze any photo in the book together as a class as an example. (12 min.)
5. Have the students pick one or two pictures found within the book to analyze on their own. (2 min.)
6. Using the Photo Analysis worksheet, have the students study the first picture for two minutes. (2 min.)
7. Have the students analyze their first photo choice. (10 min.)
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 for the second photo choice. (12 min.)

c. Closure:
i. Have students pick one of the two analyzed pictures. Ask them to journal their thoughts about the pictures. What was interesting to them? What surprised them? What questions do they have? (12 min.)
ii. Answer any questions the students may have. If the answer is unknown, research it and get back to the students. (6 min.)
iii. As a class, have each student share one artifact found in each photo and describe its use or relevance to the Dakota nation of Wapasha’s Prairie. (15 min.)

Assessments Used During the Lesson:
-The students are informally assessed through observation and discussion.
-The students are formally assessed based on the completion of the Photo Analysis worksheet and journal entry.

Photo Analysis Worksheet

The above photos are some examples of what the students will find in the book.

Wapasha Prairie

Theme:
Wapasha Prairie: This lesson plan introduces the children to some of the Native American history of Wapasha’s Prairie (Winona) and the everyday survival tools and items they used in the past and some may still use today. Since Winona is so close to the Wisconsin border, this lesson pertains to the Native Americans of Wisconsin because there were and are a lot of similar nations found within these two states.

Time Period: 90 minutes

Grade: Third

Materials/resources needed:
*Native American learning trunks checked out from the Winona Historical Society
*Guest speaker from Winona County Historical Society (WCHS) **The trunks include teaching materials, but somebody from the Winona County Historical Society is more than willing to talk about the items in the trunk as well. **The trunk’s item list is provided.
*Digital or Polaroid camera
*Computer to show WCHS’s powerpoint.

Goal(s) for today’s lesson:
The students will understand more about the lifestyle and the survival tools of the Native American nations in Wisconsin and Wapasha Prairie (Winona).

Objectives for today’s lesson:
*The students will correctly identify objects and their use found within the Native American learning trunk from the Winona County Historical Society.
*The students will create a short story or artwork portraying the lifestyle(s) of the Native American nations they learn about during today’s lesson.

Procedures
a. Introduction:
Introduce the guest speaker from the Winona County’s Historical Society. Explain to the children that Winona is very close to Wisconsin because it is just across the Mississippi River. Allow guest speaker to introduce him/herself and any information he/she wishes to share. (7 min.)
b. Developmental Experiences:
1. Explain to the students that Wapasha Prairie is today’s Winona. (1 min.)
2. Show some pictures and main ideas from the book, A History of Wapasha Prairie, found in the learning trunk. Pass around the two copies of the books, after reminding the students to treat the books with respect. Allow the children to look through the books and to take mental notes of what they see and/or notice. (8 min.)
3. Allow the guest speaker to go through the items in the trunks and explain what the history behind them and each items meaning and/or use in the Native American culture. Ask students to write down any questions that come up as the speaker goes through each item. Show PowerPoint presentation as the speaker speaks. (26 min.)
4. Allow the students to ask the questions they recorded. (10 min.)
5. Review list of items in the trunks and have students name the use and/or significance of each item. (7 min.)
6. The students may choose either to create a short story using the items taught today or they may create an artwork portraying the items in use in the Native American culture. They must include at least 5 of the items found in the trunks. They may look at the items in the trunks, use A History of Wapasha Prairie, or review with the teacher or guest speaker as references. (20 min.)

c. Closure:
Allow each student to share what he/she created. Ask him/her to share what was taught about the artifacts he/she chose to portray. (Note: Make copies of each student’s work. Send the copy to the Winona County Historical Society along as part of the Thank-You package.) The original works will be placed in each student’s portfolio. (11 min.)

Assessments Used During the Lesson:
Ø The students are assessed informally by discussion.
Ø The students are formally assessed by completing the requirements for the artwork/story assignment.

Native American Trunk List from Winona County Historical Society--List of Artifacts
Trunk 1
1-Teaching Manual w/red lesson folder
2-A History of Wapasha’s Prairie
1-CD of Powerpoint Presentation
Objects:
1-Ladle (wood)
1-Grinding Tool
1-Buffalo Horn
1-Feather Ornament
1-Bead Purse

1-Pair of Moccasins
1-Pair of Arm Wraps
Trunk 2
Objects:
1-Canoe Model
2-Arrowheads
2-Spearheads
1-Tom-tom
1-Pair of Fur Mittens
1-Hammer (wood)