Middle school collection; specific grade not stated.
Archived standards are preserved as originally published and may differ from current standards.
Compelling question
How are the Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories, and star knowledge related
to each other?
Standards & practices
Indicator 2: Analyze the Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories, star
knowledge, and how they relate to each other
3-5 Standard: Students are able to describe the relationship between the
sacred sites, star knowledge and creation stories.
6-8 Standard: Students are able to use geographic tools to design a map of
sacred sites.
Staging the question
What is the importance of the sacred sites, creation stories, and star knowledge?
Supporting inquiries
Supporting question 1
What are the Oceti Sakowin
sacred sites and where are
they located?
Formative performance task
Students will choose a
notecard with names of
sacred sites to conduct
research on. Students will
be grouped according to
the notecard they picked
with the sacred site.
There will be no more
than 4 students per
group. Each group will
make a list (T-chart) of
sacred sites that they
already know and the
location of the site. They
will share the list with the
class to create class list
for discussion prior to
research.
Students will conduct
research on their sacred
site to create an
informational poster. The
poster will include the
importance of the sacred
site, its name, and
location. Students will
post their posters in
classroom for a walk-
through parade. All
groups will rotate through
each poster. Students will
individually reflect on
their posters and other
classmates’ posters in
their journals. Students
will use resources from
EROS data center and
from their classmates’
posters to design their
own map (individually) of
the locations of all of the
Oceti sakowin sacred
sites.
Featured sources
*EROS data satellite images
*Oceti Sakowin Interactive
Map and Dr. Craig Howe
story:
http://nmai.si.edu/nk360/pl
ains-belonging-
homelands/oceti-
sakowin.cshtml
Supporting question 2
What are creation stories?
Formative performance task
Students will work in groups to read
various creation stories that relate to
Oceti Sakowin sites and Lakota
Constellations. Students will orally
retell a story to the entire class,
while demonstrating the location of
the sacred site and/or the
Lakota constellation being talked
about in the story.
Featured sources
*Paul Goble books (Star Boy, The
Great Race of the birds and animals,
etc.)
*Story telling with Duane Hollow
Horn Bear:
https://www.wolakotaproject.org/s
torytelling duane hollow horn bea
_ _ _ _
r/
*Lakota Stories:
http://www.wolakotaproject.org/la
kota-stories/
Supporting question 3
What are the Lakota constellations?
Formative performance task
Students will watch a section of Dr. Craig
Howe’s Lakota Star Knowledge video.
Students will also view the planetarium
showing of the Lakota Constellations and
Greek Constellations. Students will then
create star maps (compass) using information
gained from the video, Lakota Star knowledge
book, and planetarium. The star maps will
include the Lakota names for the
constellations.
Featured sources
*(Dr. Craig Howe-Lakota Star Knowledge):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEyJraiv
n8M
*Lakota Star Knowledge by Ronald Goodman
*Pierre Discovery Center-Planetarium
Summative performance task · Argument
Write an essay or complete a drawing with
labels to explain the relationship between the
Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories,
and star knowledge.
Extension
Choose an Oceti Sakowin sacred site and a
sacred site from another culture to complete a
venn diagram to compare and contrast the
two sites.
Taking
Informe
d Action
Students will research the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and current controversies
surrounding sacred site preservation and environmental issues (IE: pipeline, Devil’s Tower/rock climbers,
etc.) Write a short speech to present to class in favor for or against preserving sacred sites. Include
supporting evidence.
5/31/2018 8:49:00 AM
Taking informed action
Students will research the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and current controversies
surrounding sacred site preservation and environmental issues (IE: pipeline, Devil’s Tower/rock climbers,
etc.) Write a short speech to present to class in favor for or against preserving sacred sites. Include
supporting evidence.
Elder sources included in this lesson
No specific Elder video could be matched to the archived lesson’s source references.
Also named in the source: Duane Hollow Horn Bear. A specific video was not identified for these references.
Original text & supporting materials
The complete archived text is retained here, including details that may extend beyond the inquiry blueprint.
Read the full archived lesson text
Teana Heinert
5/31/2018 8:49:00 AM
Inquiry Design Model (IDM) Blueprint™
“Sacred sites” | OSEU 3: Culture & Language: The origin, thought and philosophy of the
Oceti Sakowin continues in the contemporary lifestyles of Tribal members. Tribal cultures, traditions and
languages are incorporated and are observed by many tribal members both on and off the reservations.
2-3 week project
Compelling CC
How are the Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories, and star knowledge related
to each other?
Standards and Practices
Indicator 2: Analyze the Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories, star
knowledge, and how they relate to each other
3-5 Standard: Students are able to describe the relationship between the
sacred sites, star knowledge and creation stories.
6-8 Standard: Students are able to use geographic tools to design a map of
sacred sites.
Staging the Question
What is the importance of the sacred sites, creation stories, and star knowledge?
Supporting Question 1
Supporting Question 2
Supporting Question 3
What are the Oceti Sakowin
sacred sites and where are
they located?
What are creation stories?
What are the Lakota constellations?
Formative Performance Task
Formative Performance Task
Formative Performance Task
Students will choose a
notecard with names of
sacred sites to conduct
research on. Students will
be grouped according to
the notecard they picked
with the sacred site.
There will be no more
than 4 students per
group. Each group will
make a list (T-chart) of
sacred sites that they
already know and the
location of the site. They
Students will work in groups to read
various creation stories that relate to
Oceti Sakowin sites and Lakota
Constellations. Students will orally
retell a story to the entire class,
while demonstrating the location of
the sacred site and/or the
Lakota constellation being talked
about in the story.
Students will watch a section of Dr. Craig
Howe’s Lakota Star Knowledge video.
Students will also view the planetarium
showing of the Lakota Constellations and
Greek Constellations. Students will then
create star maps (compass) using information
gained from the video, Lakota Star knowledge
book, and planetarium. The star maps will
include the Lakota names for the
constellations.
will share the list with the
class to create class list
for discussion prior to
research.
Students will conduct
research on their sacred
site to create an
informational poster. The
poster will include the
importance of the sacred
site, its name, and
location. Students will
post their posters in
classroom for a walk-
through parade. All
groups will rotate through
each poster. Students will
individually reflect on
their posters and other
classmates’ posters in
their journals. Students
will use resources from
EROS data center and
from their classmates’
posters to design their
own map (individually) of
the locations of all of the
Oceti sakowin sacred
sites.
Featured Sources
Featured Sources
Featured Sources
*EROS data satellite images
*Oceti Sakowin Interactive
Map and Dr. Craig Howe
story:
http://nmai.si.edu/nk360/pl
ains-belonging-
*Paul Goble books (Star Boy, The
Great Race of the birds and animals,
etc.)
*Story telling with Duane Hollow
Horn Bear:
https://www.wolakotaproject.org/s
torytelling_duane_hollow_horn_bea
*(Dr. Craig Howe-Lakota Star Knowledge):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEyJraiv
n8M
*Lakota Star Knowledge by Ronald Goodman
*Pierre Discovery Center-Planetarium
homelands/oceti-
sakowin.cshtml
r/
*Lakota Stories:
http://www.wolakotaproject.org/la
kota-stories/
Summat
ive
Perform
ance
Task
Argument
Write an essay or complete a drawing with
labels to explain the relationship between the
Oceti Sakowin sacred sites, creation stories,
and star knowledge.
Extension
Choose an Oceti Sakowin sacred site and a
sacred site from another culture to complete a
venn diagram to compare and contrast the
two sites.
Taking
Informe
d Action
Students will research the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and current controversies
surrounding sacred site preservation and environmental issues (IE: pipeline, Devil’s Tower/rock climbers,
etc.) Write a short speech to present to class in favor for or against preserving sacred sites. Include
supporting evidence.
5/31/2018 8:49:00 AM