The Medicine Bag – Traditions and Inference
Sue Pulido
Bloomington Jr. High School
Summer 2009
Northwestern University Library, Edward S. Curtis's 'The North American Indian': the Photographic Images, 2001
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.award/iencurt.cp05001
Copy and paste one of
Students
will read
The Medicine Bag. Students will view and respond to photos from the
the thumbnail
images
Library
of
Congress.
related to this learning
experience from your
resource table. Overview/
Resize Materials/Historical Background/LOC Resources/Standards/
Procedures/Evaluation/Rubric/Handouts/Extension
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Overview
Objectives
Recommended time frame
Grade level
Curriculum fit
Materials
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Students will:
 Create an inference flow chart of The Medicine Bag
 Compare and contrast and place in a venn diagram
the students family traditions and traditions from
The Medicine Bag
 View, select, and complete a photo analyze of the
Native American photos
Five 40 minute class periods
8th grade
Language Arts
 Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, The Medicine Bag.
Prentice Hall Literature - Timeless Voices, Timeless
Themes Silver Level Copyright 2000 ISBN 0-13436018-4
 Inference Flow Chart
 Native American Photo Gallery
 Photo Analysis
 Traditions Venn Diagram
Illinois State Learning Standards
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Language Arts:
GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency.
 1.B. Apply reading strategies to improve
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
understanding and fluency.
 1.B.3c Continuously check and clarify for
understanding (e.g., in addition to previous skills, draw
comparisons to other readings).

1.B.3d Read age-appropriate material with
fluency and accuracy.
 1.C. Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.
 1.C.3c Compare, contrast and evaluate ideas
and information from various sources and
genres.
GOAL 2: Read and understand literature
representative of various societies, eras and ideas.
 2.A. Understand how literary elements and
techniques are used to convey meaning.
 2.A.3d Identify ways that an author uses
language structure, word choice and style to
convey the author’s viewpoint.
 2.B. Read and interpret a variety of literary works.
 2.B.3a Respond to literary material from
personal, creative and critical points of view.
 2.B.3c Analyze how characters in literature
deal with conflict, solve problems and relate
to real-life situations.
GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of
purposes.
 3.B. Compose well-organized and coherent writing
for specific purposes and audiences.
 3.B.3a Produce documents that convey a
clear understanding and interpretation of
ideas and information and display focus,
organization, elaboration and coherence.
Procedures
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Day One:
 Introduce The Medicine Bag and the author Virginia
Driving Hawk Sneve.
 Discuss background information about the Sioux.
 Review the literary elements of inference.
 Read the The Medicine Bag out loud.
 Discuss the setting, images, character’s actions,
dialogue and plot.
Day Two:
 Review The The Medicine Bag story
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



Introduce the venn diagram for traditions
As a class brainstorm two ideas for each of the venn
diagrams.
Students work in groups of two to complete the venn
diagrams for family traditions.
Students share their venn diagrams with the class by
writing their responses on the smart board.
Day Three:
 Review The Medicine Bag story.
 Discuss the reactions and feelings of the characters
in the stories.
 Introduce the inference flow chart.
 As a class brainstorm two ideas for the inference
flow chart.
 Students work in groups of two to complete the
inference flow chart.
 Students share their inference flow chart with the
class by writing their responses on the smart board.
Day Four:
 Introduce the photo gallery to students.
 Model how to use the links to get to the Library of
Congress site.
 Discuss citations and demonstrate how to use the
site.
 Students will select and analyze a Native American
picture from the photo gallery.
 Students will complete a photo analysis of the
Native American photos.
Day Five:
 Students will share their photo analysis with the
class. Students will compare responses with
classmates that picked the same picture.
Evaluation
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Students will be evaluated on:
 Inference Flow Chart
 Photo Analysis Rubric
 Traditions Venn Diagram
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Extension
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Students will continue to practice inference
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Analysis Guide for Photo
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Use this to guide your analysis of the photo you selected from the Native American
photo gallery. To start, view the image and look for clues to each of the questions
below. Then, note answers and important information as you go.
Your name:
Title of photograph:
Name of photographer:
Describe what you see in the photo:
Are the people showing any emotion – describe it:
What details do you notice about their clothing:
What is the setting for this photo:
Is there anything out of place (unusual) in the photo:
Based on your analysis of the photo describe the persons life and what you think his
or her situation is?
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Historical Background
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Before this lesson student have been introduced to and have practiced making inferences.
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Illinois State University
Native American Photo Gallery
Primary Resources from the Library of Congress
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_______________________________________________________
Native American Photo Gallery
Review the photos below. To see an enlarged version follow the directions to click on the
URL which will take you to the Library of Congress site? Select and analyze a Native
American’s picture from this group. Complete the photo analysis.
. Northwestern University
Library, Edward S. Curtis's
'The North American Indian':
the Photographic Images,
2001.
Original photogravure
produced in Boston by John
Andrew & Son, c1907.
http://memory.loc.go
v/cgibin/query/r?ammem/
curt:@field(DOCID+
@lit(cp03002))
1 photogravure : brown ink ;
46 x 35 cm. Original
photogravure produced in
Boston by John Andrew &
Son, c1907. Original
source: The Teton Sioux.
The Yanktonai. The
Assiniboin [portfolio] ; plate
no. 78 Seattle : E.S. Curtis,
1908. Northwestern
University Library, Edward S.
Curtis's 'The North American
Indian': the Photographic
Images, 2001.
photogravure : brown ink ; 45 x 33 cm. Original
photogravure produced in Cambridge, Mass. by
Suffolk Engraving Co., c1926. Original
source: The Chipewyan. The Western woods
Cree. The Sarsi [portfolio] ; plate no. 619 Seattle :
E.S. Curtis, 1928. Northwestern University
Library, Edward S. Curtis's 'The North American
Indian': the Photographic Images, 2001.
http://memory.loc.go
v/cgibin/query/r?ammem/
curt:@field(DOCID
+@lit(cp03003))
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/curt:@field(D
OCID+@lit(cp18004))
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
1 photogravure : brown ink ;
33 x 45 cm. Original
photogravure produced in
Norwood, Mass. by Plimpton
Press, c1924. Original
source: Southern California
Shoshoneans. The Diegueños.
Plateau Shoshoneans. The
Washo [portfolio] ; plate no.
543 Seattle : E.S. Curtis, 1926.
Northwestern University
Library, Edward S. Curtis's
'The North American Indian':
the Photographic Images,
2001.
Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952.
Description by Edward S.
Curtis: This portrait exhibits the
typical Brule physiognomy.
NOTES 1 photogravure : brown
ink ; 46 x 24 cm. Original
photogravure produced in Boston
by John Andrew & Son, c1908.
Original source: The Teton
Sioux. The Yanktonai. The
Assiniboin [portfolio] ; plate no.
89 Seattle : E.S. Curtis, 1908.
Northwestern University Library,
Edward S. Curtis's 'The North
American Indian': the
Photographic Images, 2001.
1 photogravure : brown ink ;
46 x 33 cm. Original
photogravure produced in
Cambridge, Mass. by Suffolk
Engraving Co., c1927.
Original source: The Indians
of Oklahoma. The Wichita.
The southern Cheyenne. The
Oto. The Comanche. The
Peyote cult [portfolio] ; plate
no. 685 Seattle : E.S. Curtis,
1930. Library, Edward S.
Curtis's 'The North American
Indian': the Photographic
Images, 2001.
Curtis, Edward S., 1868-1952.SUMMARY
Description by Edward S. Curtis: Not a true
Mandan type. The face shows evidence of alien
blood, possibly Dakota.NOTES
1 photogravure : brown ink ; 45 x 29 cm.
Original photogravure produced in Boston by
John Andrew & Son, c1908. Original source: The
Mandan. The Arikara. The Atsina [portfolio] ;
plate no. 149 Seattle : E.S. Curtis, 1909.
Northwestern University Library, Edward S.
Curtis's 'The North American Indian': the
Photographic Images, 2001.
http://memory.loc.g
ov/cgibin/query/r?amme
m/curt:@field(DO
CID+@lit(cp15036
))
http://memory.loc.go
v/cgibin/query/r?ammem/
curt:@field(DOCID+
@lit(cp03014))
http://memory.loc.go
v/cgibin/query/r?ammem/
curt:@field(DOCID
+@lit(cp19034))
http://memory.loc.gov/cgibin/query/r?ammem/curt:@fiel
d(DOCID+@lit(cp05002))
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Students Name:_______________________
Date:_______________________
Class Period:_______________________
Photo Analysis Guide Rubric
Excellent
Very in depth
comments for all
4 points
Good
Good in depth
comments for most
3 points
Fair
Limited in depth
comments for
some
2 points
Poor
Little in depth
comments for
few
1 points
Describe what you
see in the photo:
Are the people
showing any
emotion – describe
it:
What details do
you notice about
their clothing:
What is the setting
for this photo:
Is there anything
out of place
(unusual) in the
photo:
Based on your
analysis of the
photo describe the
persons life and
what you think his
or her situation is?
Total Points
24 points possible
Teaching with Primary Sources
Illinois State University
Venn Diagram - The Medicine Bag - Traditions
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After reading The Medicine Bag compare and contrast the traditions in the story to your family traditions.
Some traditions in the story are not pointed out to you. Read carefully! Label one circle for each story.
The overlapping (center) part of the diagram is for similarities you found between the two sources.
This page is from: www.2Learn.ca's Tools: Graphic Organizers - Venn Diagrams
http://http://www.2Learn.ca/construct/graphicorg/venn/vennindex.html
After creating this diagram what statement can you make about
family traditions.
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Inference Flow Chart For The Medicine Bag
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Detail
Reflection
Inference