Sacred Land Unit Plan
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Sacred Land and Native Nations
Dublin Core
Title
Sacred Land Unit Plan
Subject
We Are Still Here
Description
This unit begins by introducing two key types of colonialism. Students will explore lasting impacts of U.S. exploration and colonialism on Native sacred land. Students will learn more about sacred land, both in their own cultural experiences, and for various Native American tribes. Finally, students will connect what they have learned about colonialism, sacred land, and things that threaten sacred land by exploring Standing Rock and the #NoDAPL protests.
Beginning with a contextual overview, students will dive into the role of activism, the media, and the U.S. government in protecting or threatening sacred land. Students will leave this unit with a greater appreciation for grassroots movement and a greater sense of the Native sacred land that surrounds them. This unit involves a final project that allows students to practice creating historical narratives, creating arguments, and creating creative elements to tell the story of the #NoDAPL protests. Lessons from this unit can be taught individually or as a whole unit. Specifically, these lessons could be used to supplement students' understanding of exploration, Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, U.S. modern domestic policy, and modern activism.
Beginning with a contextual overview, students will dive into the role of activism, the media, and the U.S. government in protecting or threatening sacred land. Students will leave this unit with a greater appreciation for grassroots movement and a greater sense of the Native sacred land that surrounds them. This unit involves a final project that allows students to practice creating historical narratives, creating arguments, and creating creative elements to tell the story of the #NoDAPL protests. Lessons from this unit can be taught individually or as a whole unit. Specifically, these lessons could be used to supplement students' understanding of exploration, Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, U.S. modern domestic policy, and modern activism.
Creator
Amelia Johnson-Post
Language
English
Type
Unit Plan
Temporal Coverage
2000s
Late 1900s
Mid 1800s
Audience Education Level
Middle School
Low High School
Upper High School
Files
Citation
Amelia Johnson-Post, “Sacred Land Unit Plan,” Native History Project, accessed April 24, 2025, https://native-history.sites.grinnell.edu/items/show/722.