Happy Indigenous People's Day Activity
Short video and ideas for WIDA Levels 1, 2, and 3
In the United States, many people are celebrating the contributions of indigenous people and acknowledging history from their lenses. Indigenous Peoples Day has been recognized for decades in different forms and under a variety of names. The day is significant as it celebrates the history and culture of indigenous people in North America and acknowledges the challenges they continue to face due to past trauma and current policies.
In 2021, United States President Joe Biden issued the first-ever presidential proclamation of Indigenous Peoples Day. He sent out a statement indicating the importance of “honor[ing] America’s first inhabitants and the Tribal Nations that continue to thrive today.”
It’s important for students of all backgrounds to recognize the contributions of indigenous people, especially Multilingual Learners who might identify as indigenous. By highlighting the incredible knowledge that has been passed down and developed for ages, we uplift and disrupt negative stereotypes that still exist.
Here’s an open-access video that highlights a few inventions. I appreciate this video for Multilingual Learners because (1) it’s current, (2) has options for closed captioning and slowing down the speech, and (3) isn’t too long—8 minutes.
VIDEO: 8 Incredible Inventions of the Indigenous People of the Americas
Depending on the age of the students and their levels, you can make adaptions.
WIDA Level 1:
Create a Storyboard: Provide MLs with a blank, gridded storyboard template and have them draw or write short sentences to summarize the key (8) inventions in the film. This can also be a creative way for students to practice storytelling after by sharing in pairs or small groups. Here’s an example from edit.org, but you can also create a simple table and have the students write Invention #1, Invention #2, etc.
WIDA Level 2:
Dialogue Practice: Divide the class into (8) small groups. Create a handout with a screenshot of a scene from each of the (8) inventions in the film. Assign students to create a short dialogue exchange about the invention with sentence starters such as What is this invention? This invention is ______. Why is it important? This invention helped _______. Encourage students to practice reenacting the dialogue with their group, focusing on pronunciation and intonation.
WIDA Level 3
Discussion and Connection: In small groups, have students discuss the relevance and importance of the information presented in the film. Why is this topic or subject matter significant? How does it relate to the real world or the lives of the audience? Students can create a concept map on a poster board to share the making points of the discussion to share with the class. Here’s the source where I found this one:
What are you doing to highlight the contributions of indigenous people this week?