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This Land is Our Land Inquiry Unit: "How did (does) Europeans’ view of land impact their (our) relationship and interactions with Indigenous peoples?" From the unit overview:
"In addressing the compelling question, How did (does) the Europeans’ view of land impact their (our) relationships with Indigenous peoples?, students go beyond a chronological understanding of historical events of Michigan history and instead consider the belief systems motivating these events on a larger scale. Students analyze how Europeans’ view of land impacted their relationship with Indigenous peoples as they:
1. Investigate the Indigenous and European perspectives on land.
2. Analyze how these differences influenced the complexity of the interactions with one another for better or worse.
3. Examine the change and continuity of these relationships by analyzing current events."
HTK Note: This unit was created with 3rd graders in mind; however, since it could be easily adapted, we have included 5th, 6-8 grade standards below.
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Lawmakers or Lawbreakers? The Crosswhites and Community of Marshall, Michigan "In addressing the compelling question Lawmakers or Lawbreakers? The Crosswhites and Community of Marshall, Michigan, students consider the radical actions of the community of Marshall, MI through the experiences of the Crosswhite family. Through inquiry, students explore the journey of the Crosswhite family, fugitive slaves, through the underground railroad as they escape from Kentucky to settle in the unique community of Marshall, Michigan. In doing so, they examine sources that highlight the significance of a community’s resistance to injustice.
Note: This inquiry as a cumulative unit assumes prerequisite knowledge of slavery and the underground railroad. Teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiries to meet the needs and interests of their particular students. The inquiry is to be done over several class periods, virtually, hybrid or face-to-face. See Teacher Reference - Sutori (hyperlinked in lesson plan) for building teacher content knowledge."
- From the lesson plan
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Cultural Diversity This third-grade inquiry expands students’ understandings of how groups represent themselves through what they wear. The compelling question—“What do things I wear say about me?”—engages students in an examination of material culture by considering the factors impacting their own choices of what they wear such as geography, culture, and religion. Students will examine the similarities and differences they share with their classmates, as well as diverse cultures in their communities and around the globe.
