The fourth Friday of September is designated as Native American day. What a great way to celebrate cultures and differences among your students. Finding the “right” resources to use is sometimes a daunting task. When evaluating resources keep the following criteria in mind.
Relevant- Not all Native American tribes live in Teepees. Select tribes that are close to your region or show a map to help students put it into context.
Appropriate- Will your students understand the information? Will it require additional background information to make sense of the topic.
Detail- Does the resources provide too much or too little detail?
Current- Check your copyright dates when evaluating resources. This will also help with bias most of the time. This is a great lesson to teach your students as well.
Authority- Who is the author? Does the author have a bias or are they an authority on the topic?
Bias- To often teachers are using resources that are biased. It is important to discuss bias with your students. Does the resources make one culture appear better than another?
Try these resources with your students.
Rourke’s Native American History and Culture Encyclopedia, Volume 1
ISBN: 9781604727074
Each volume contains information on a tribe or topic related to Native Americans.
Homes of the Native Americans
