Medium Post 1

The article I choose for my class is Why Grave-robbers Won’t Leave Native American Burial Sites Alone. Most people would be surprised that grave robbing still happens in the 21st century. To use this article in a high school social studies lesson would be intense but eye opening, hopefully leading to greater understanding.

To start the lesson the students will using tablets with access to google docs and a voice recorder. Or just a written utensil and paper. Once the students are ready, the article will be handed out to all or a link sent to their tablets. Students will read/listen to the article and write down or record questions, interest, and ideas they do not understand. Once all students are done reading they will form small groups of 4–6 and discuss this question; “Why does grave robbing continue in the 21st century especially on Native American burial sites?” There will be some heated discussion but with guidance, it will hopefully lead to understanding.

Students might ask questions such as; “Why does it matter they are dead and Indians?”, “Aren’t there laws against this already, so why should we be concerned about it?”, “Shouldn’t Indians be responsible for handling this, and not the federal government?”.

This lesson would fulfill the social studies content standard 2 - Students analyze how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance to understand the operation of government and to demonstrate civic responsibility. It would also help to understand the American experience from the Grand Challenges. By interpretation of the United States diverse communities and research on the contemporary movements of people and artifacts that connect cultures to the American experience.

Link to the article is below.

https://www.history.com/news/native-american-burial-site-theft