(This is the abstract for Shane Doyle (Crow) and Megkian Doyle’s curriculum, “Living within the Four Base Tipi Poles of the Apsáalooke Homeland.”)
This curriculum is comprised of eight lesson plans varying in length from one to five 50- minute lessons. They span the history of the Apsáalooke (Crow) people and examine ideas, values and historical and contemporary perspectives that are directly tied to students’ daily lives and experiences. They are interdisciplinary covering such topics as history, art, music, archaeology, ethnography, literature, and oration. Each lesson is designed to reach James Bank’s social action level, the highest level of multicultural integration, so that students have the opportunity to apply their understanding to real world situations in ways that have significant lasting impact. The lessons rely heavily upon classroom discussion and interaction (a guide to enhancing classroom discussion is included below), seeking to establish a collaborative environment that gives students voice and agency, in addition to an opportunity to acquire a sense of dedication to and within a learning community.