Curriculum Template
Cultural Relevance – Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings
OSEU 1: Land and Environment
Standard 1.3 – Demonstrate understanding of the interrelationships of Oceti Sakowin people, places, and environments within all tribal lands in South Dakota.
OSEU 4: Kinship and Harmony
Standard 4.2 – Describe the traditional behavior patterns, codes of respect and values promoted within the Oceti Sakowin tiospaye.
Lesson Objective
Interactions of life within the South Dakota grasslands. How do/did factors interact on the South Dakota grasslands? Students will explain how factors on our lands interact.
Standard
MS.LS2.2- Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
Science practice standards
Construct Explanations and Designing Solutions- Construct explanations in why different organisms interact. No “wrong” answers as long as students are able to construct reasonable explanations.
Develop and use models- Construct a model to explain the interactions between organisms.
Cross Cutting Concepts
Patterns- identify cause and effect relationships
Lakota Virtues:
Respect and Compassion
Lakota Story: The Meadowlark and the snake (Tȟašíyagnuŋpa na Zuzéča)
Told by Lakota Elder Duane Hallow Horn Bear in both Lakota and English
Materials
PowerPoint
Creatures of the Badlands- Handout
Scissors
Notecards
Glue/Tape
Markers/colored pencils
11×17 paper for posters
Length of Activity: One class period, 45-60 minutes
Core Problems/Outline of Lesson
Hook/Lesson Introduction-Video of a buffalo interacting with its environment- Notice and Wonder
Engage- The Meadowlark and the Snake
Engage- How are the animals interacting in their environment?
Explore- Card sort- How do the provided animals interact with each other and the environment? Make a web of interactions.
Explore- Good stewards of the land and scientists gather more information and adjust their thinking. Watch the video of Tatanka a way of life from 9:00-13:00, students will adjust their thinking.
Explain- create a poster that explains the interactions of the animals with their environment
Closure- Explain one interaction from each poster.
Closure- Star Trails image- New thoughts, what is this showing?
