6th grade Social Studies: Close Reading of a secondary source
“Homes” from Roots: Dakota and Ojibwe People in Minnesota by Frances Densmore
Resources needed: copies of text, Venn Diagram, drawing paper & utensils
Social Studies Common Core Reading Standards utilized:
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source
4. Determine the meaning of vocabulary specific to history/social studies
5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., comparatively, descriptively)
10. Read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
Learning Target:
I can read to understand the difference between wigwams and tepees and how they were used by the
Dakota and Ojibwe people of Minnesota .
To be able to this I will use the reading strategies of monitoring comprehension & visualizing
I will show I can do this by drawing a wigwam and tepee using details from the text and then
participating in a round table discussion.
Before Reading:
1. Go over learning target
2. Access prior knowledge of ….. (Ojibwe/Dakota/ect.)
During 1st Read: Read through once to get the overall information
Set Purpose for Reading: “We are going to read through the article and monitor our comprehension to
make sure we understand what we are reading.”
1. Model Monitoring Comprehension using Read/Cover/Retell activity with first paragraph. Model
the fix-it strategy of rereading when my thinking breaks down.
2. “Do Together” with 2nd par.
3. “Do with a partner” 3rd & 4th par. (teacher confers)
4. “Do alone” 5th-7th par. (teacher confers) OR continue with partners (teacher confers)
Whole class discussion questions:
1. How did Read/Cover/Retell help you monitor your comprehension? Turn & Talk/Share out.
2. What is this main idea of this article? Turn & Talk/Share out.
During 2nd Read:
Set Purpose for Reading: “Read the article a second time paying attention to the descriptive language
the author uses. Try to visualize or create a mental picture as you read.”
Model VISUALIZING information in the 1st & 2nd paragraphs using the author’s language & think alouds.
1. Students work with partners to read and visualize paragraphs 3 & 4. Students highlight words
that are descriptive and help them visualize.
6th grade Social Studies: Close Reading of a secondary source
“Homes” from Roots: Dakota and Ojibwe People in Minnesota by Frances Densmore
2. Using paper/pencil/colored pencils, they draw the outside and inside of a teepee using the
details from the text and photographs. (teacher confers to check on visualizing strategy)
3. Students read paragraphs 5-7 and practice visualizing as they read. They then draw a picture of
a wigwam using details from the text and photographs. (teacher confers to check on visualizing
strategy)
4. Students independently complete the Venn Diagram to compare & contrast the wigwam &
tepee
Whole class discussion:
1. “Now that you’ve read this text, I’d like you to visualize an entire family living in a tepee or
wigwam.” What thoughts or questions are you having as you visualize? Share out.
2. “ In one particular sentence the author made a contrast between the poles used for a wigwam
and the poles used for a tepee. Let’s play detective with the text and see if we can find that
sentence. What signal word or clue word did the author use that tells the reader a contrast is
being made?” turn & talk/share out (answer: 5th paragraph – “while”)
After reading: Discussion Round Table
1. Fold a piece of paper into four quadrants
2. Put your name in the upper left-hand corner and then respond to the following prompt: “What
can we infer about the Dakota people and the Ojibwe people based on the type of home they
built? ”
3. Form discussion round tables – 2 sets of partners come together to make a group of 4.
1. Write the names of the other 3 students in the remaining 3 quadrants
2. Each person shares their ideas to the prompt using these sentence starters:
i. “I can infer that the Dakota people_____________”
ii. “For example, ______________” (student refers to specific examples in the text)
iii. “I can infer that the Ojibwe people_____________”
iv. “For example, ______________” (student refers to specific examples in the text)
3. As each person shares their thinking, take notes about what they say on your paper
4. As a group decide on the best answer to the prompt. Write on the back of your paper.
4. Come back as whole group and share out responses.
Closing: Whole group share out