IN-DEPTH STUDY UNIT TOPIC: COUNTING COUP: BECOMING A CROW CHIEF ON THE
RESERVATION AND BEYOND
Essential Questions: How can traditions in the past influence the present and future?
What made a person a leader in past Crow society and what makes a leader today?
Curriculum written by: Donna McKinsey
Content area:
Language Arts / Native American study
Grade level:
Middle School and high school special education
Description, Purpose and Summary of outcomes:
The students will increase their knowledge of the Crow reservation in Montana.
They will learn the four deeds that a chief of the Crow tribe had to achieve and
compare them with leadership requirements of leaders of today. The students
will look at influences in Mr. Medicine Crow’s life. They will make a family
tree, a warrior shield, as well as write a brief memoir from their lives. The final
outcome of the unit will stress the importance of cultural traditions in all societies
on modern life.
Text summary: This book is the memoirs of Joseph Medicine Crow. The story begins when the Crow
tribe was transitioning from the old tribal days and ends with Joseph telling about his return from
Germany at the end of World War 11. Mr. Medicine Crow was the first Crow man to obtain a Master’s
degree. He continues to lecture at the Custer Battlefield Museum, Little Bighorn College and throughout
the nation. He is the last traditional Crow chief and the tribe historian. He wrote this autobiography
when he was in his 90s with assistance from Herman Viola, the Curator Emeritus of the Smithsonian
Institution.
Materials:
Books
Medicine Crow, J, Counting Coup: Becoming a Crow Chief on the Reservation and Beyond. Washington
D.C.: National Geographic Society
Medicine Crow, J, From the Heart of Crow Country
Junior Library of American Indians, The Crow Indians, North American Indians Today
Snell, Alma, Grandmother’s Grandchild
Froud, Brian, Good and Bad Faerie
Huygen, Wil, Gnomes
James Gurney, Dinotopia
Maps:
Montana Indians – Their History and location
Tribal Territories
Outline of Montana maps-to be filled in by students
Videos and movies:
“Crow – Indians of North America”
“Last Stand at the Little Big Horn”
“Whale Rider”
“Code Talkers”
“The Black Stallion”
On line resources:
http://www.opi.mt.gov/pdf/indianed/resources/essentialunderstandings.pdf
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.food.recipes/browse-thread/thread - recipe for pemmican
http://www.worldwisdom.com/public/authors/Joe-Medicine-Crow
http://www.pbs.org/thewar/detail-5177
http://inkspell.homestead.com/memoir.html
http://montanakids.com/cool_stories/famous_montanas/Crow.htm
http://video.answers.com/how-to-make-a-native-american-shield-part-1-1452441776
Printed handouts :
Blank outline of Montana
Character chart
A warrior tradition
Mr. Medicine Crow’s family tree
Vocabulary words/pictures
Thematic web
Recipe for pemmican
Vocabulary words/pictures
Content Standards:
Learning Targets:
SS 3.2-locate on a map or globe
physical features, natural features
and human features
I can draw and identify
the Indian reservations on
a Montana map
SS 6.4-Identify characteristics
of American Indian tribes and
other cultural groups in MT.
I can name the four coups
needed to perform before
becoming a Crow chief
SS 6.7-Identify roles as learned
behavior patterns in group situations
Writing 1.2-Develop a main idea
through some supporting detail
Assessments:
Using an outline of Montana,
student will draw reservations
List and describe four actions
or coups to preform before
becoming leader.
Discuss the way Joe was raised
by his grandfather to be tough.
I can write a memoir of some
time period in my life.
Writing 1.1-organize text into
paragraph
Literature 2.3-increase vocabulary
Using a thematic web, students
will organize main ideas for
personal memoir
Students will write and edit
memoir to share with class.
I can learn new vocabulary
to help me read the selection
Students will match pictures
with vocabulary words
through the use of context clues
and reference sources
Literature 4.2-respond to traditional
and contemporary works representing
diverse perspectives,
I can compare and contrast
traditional tribal leadership
qualities with those of
today’s leaders
EU 3 The ideologies of Native
traditional beliefs persist today
SS 4.3 Examine stories and folk tales
to understand the lives of people today
Students will list folklore
characters cross culturally
Sequence of scaffolding lessons:
Lesson 1
I can locate the seven reservations in Montana
Introduce book, Crow tribe and Joseph Medicine Crow
Introduce four war deeds needed to preform before becoming chief
Read chapters 1-3 in class
Exit ticket – hand in blank Montana map with reservations indicated
Lesson 2
I can describe what makes a leader in the Crow tribe.
What makes a person a leader?
Are you a leader?
Read chapters 3-4 in class
Exit ticket – list the four deeds required for Crow chief to perform
Lesson 3
I can fill in a web including my family members
What was your childhood like?
What was his relationship like with his parents, grandparents, friends and other family members?
Begin writing personal memoir.
Read chapters 5-7
Exit ticket – Turn in rough craft of memoir
Lesson 4
I can write a paragraph describing an incident in my past that made an impact on me.
Start working on family war shield to go with the memoir
Continue reading chapters 8-10
Exit ticket – turn in completed memoir
Lesson 5
I can make a traditional food eaten by Native Americans.
Read about pemmican, find recipes on line, make it in class to eat
Read chapter 11
Exit ticket – eat the mixture and describe taste
Lesson 6
I can list imaginary characters from four different cultures.
Draw picture to go with description
Talk about importance of legends to cultures. Why do people create them? Discuss little people of Crow
legends.
Read chapters 12-13
Exit ticket – Write a sentence about a legendary being student is interested in.
Lesson 7
I can describe the four deeds Joe did while in Germany that met the requirements for becoming chief
Review war deeds
Relate to experiences in WWII
Discuss how Medicine Crow was able to count coup while fighting in Germany
Read to end of book
Exit ticket – Write a paragraph telling student’s own opinion of qualifications for leadership
Write three questions to ask Mr. Medicine Crow
Assessments :
 Match vocabulary pictures with new words
 Write personal memoir about incident in life
 Relate two ways older family members were influential in life
 Draw and note reservations in Montana
 Name country leaders of today and list four characteristics
 Make a family tree
 Make a warrior shield
 Make and eat pemmican
 List four ways to count coup and tell how Joseph was able to accomplish them
 Explain what a giveaway is
 List three questions to ask Joseph about his life