Grading Criteria 
BOOK TALK ASSIGNMENT

Background Information
1.	What is your current teaching position? OR What is your projected teaching position? (Grade level and teaching field) 
My projected teaching position will be in the middle school area, teaching Texas History, American History or Social Studies. 
2.	What observations can you make about the level of use of trade books/supplemental materials at your school or in classrooms/schools where you have observed? 
Most of the textbooks books contain lots of ‘color’. Texas History books-The pictures and layout seem bright and busy, apparently designed to attract attention and try to get the students interested. To me, they also seem to be too condensed and sort of just ‘touching the tip of the iceberg’. I realize Texas History is rather varied and can be quite full, but I am not sure the textbook I have seen the teachers use is in-depth enough. I have looked at one new Social Studies (6th grade) book being used and found that quite interesting. Besides additional support materials for the teacher, it also contained interesting facts and photos for each culture and region talked about. It was also fairly well organized, easy to read, and used appropriate age-level vocabulary and structure.

Bibliography
1.	Use APA format for bibliographic citation with author, year of publication, title, place of publication, and publisher. 
Sherrow, Victoria                                                                                                  American Indian Children of the Past                                                                       Brookfield, Conn. Millbrook Press, 1997. 96 p.  ill., map ; 27 cm.

2.	Check to see if the book has a Web site with reviews and information and cite this URL and summarize the information provided. www.amazon.com 
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-6. Sherrow presents a historical overview of childhood in American Indian life. She addresses homes, spirituality, food, games, and coming of age among tribes in each of six geographical regions of the U.S. With an unvarying, dull style, the text suggests reference use for reports. Illustrated with archival photographs in sepia tones, plus one good map that shows the locations of the various peoples, this volume is serviceable. Evelyn Wolfson's Growing Up Indian (Walker, 1986) is organized in a question-and-answer format. There is a certain sameness to the information in Sherrow's text that makes for ponderous reading, but it is functional? Jacqueline Elsner, Athens Regional Library, GA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
3.	Using Amazon.com, your book must be listed as young adult or below. If there is no indication of age range, grade levels, or the notation young adult, then this book is considered to be for adults and is NOT acceptable for this assignment. Copy the age range information from Amazon.com into your assignment.
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Edition: Library Binding 

4.	Check the Library of Congress website at www.loc.gov to ascertain the original (first) publication date of your selected book and make sure it is 1995-present.  Copy this information to your webpage. 
LC Control Number: 96034619 Type of Material: Book (Print, Microform, Electronic, etc.) Brief Description: Sherrow, Victoria.
American Indian children of the past / Victoria Sherrow.
Brookfield, Conn.  Millbrook Press, c1997.
96 p.  ill., map; 27 cm. 
CALL NUMBER: E98.C5 S54 1997
Summary (What is the book about?)
The author details life of the Native American Indian child, region by region, describing the life of the village and family in times before the arrival of the White Man. Starting off with the tribes of the Northeast woodlands, including the Seneca, Iroquois and the Ojibwa tribes, she works her way through the North American continent, stopping to visit the Southeastern tribes (Choctaw, Caddo, Cherokee, Creek, etc.), Southwestern tribes (Pueblos, Navajo, Hopi, Apache, etc.), Plains Indian tribes (Sioux, Cheyenne, Comanche, Blackfoot, etc.), Far West tribes (Paiute, Shoshone, Ute, etc.), and ending her journey with the Northwest Coastal tribes (Chinook, Tlingit, Bella Coola, etc.). For each region, Ms. Sherrow describes the general lifestyle of the primary tribes, and includes sections on homes and shelters, food gathering, games and recreations, spirituality, childhood and ‘coming of age’. Each section is easy to read and highlights some of the important lifestyles of each tribe. Blow guns used by the Cherokee and other Southeastern tribes, Kachina dolls of the Pueblo Indians, corn grinding of the Hopi women, are just some of the bits of information the author includes. Along with the text, actual photographs of the clothing, housing, and tribal life occur throughout the book. These pictures are those taken back in the eighteen and nineteen hundreds, before the influence of the White Man entered and changed the lifestyles forever.  As this is a book about the early lifestyles and growing up in their native culture, the author sidesteps most of the conflicts and issues that occurred, allowing the reader to focus on the lifestyle. In her conclusion, she does mention the problems starting to arise from the American government and some of the effects their regulation had on the lives of the Native Indian children, but for the most part she focused on the pure Indian lifestyle. 
Justification for use 
•	Why is this book applicable to your teaching field? 
This book is a great support book for the areas of the American Indian cultures, either as part of the American History, Texas History or Social Studies courses for the middle school.  It allows a more in-depth look at how the Native Americans lived, pre-European interference. It is written in easy to read format and written specifically TO the student between the ages of 10-14.
•	What would students gain from exposure to this book? 
They would be able to see just how the Native American actually lived, without the distortion of Hollywood, prejudices, and stereotypes. This book would give them some insight into how simple life could have been, and what the Native Americans lost when the White Man moved westward.
•	Search for any Web-based links to this book that offer justification or classroom applications for the book. Cite these URLs and summarize the ideas. 
There were none that I could find.
•	Cite what subject area TEKS goals for K-12 students this book links to and explain how. 
The links below are for the Chapter 113 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies. As you can see when you read them, especially for the Grade 4, the students are to look at the influence of the Native American cultures on the incoming settlers, and vice versa.  If you look at 113.6 (b) knowledge and skills, it indicates that the student will know is expected to:
(A)  Identify Native-American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration and describe the regions in which they lived; and
(B)  Compare the ways of life of Native-American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration
Both of these knowledge areas are covered in the book in the description of the lifestyles, the culture, the religion and beliefs, the legends and other aspects of growing up in a Native American village. Other areas of the TEKS that included these areas of concern are:
 113.6. Social Studies, Grade 4.
(a)  Introduction.
(1)  In Grade 4, students examine the history of Texas from the early beginnings to the present within the context of influences of the Western Hemisphere. Historical content focuses on Texas history including the Texas revolution, establishment of the Republic of Texas, and subsequent annexation to the United States. Students discuss important issues, events, and individuals of the 19th and 20th centuries. Students conduct a thorough study of regions in Texas and the Western Hemisphere that result from human activity and from physical features. A focus on the location, distribution, and patterns of economic activities and of settlement in Texas further enhances the concept of regions. Students describe how early Native Americans in Texas and the Western Hemisphere met their basic economic needs and identify economic motivations for European exploration and colonization and reasons for the establishment of Spanish missions. Students explain how Native Americans governed themselves and identify characteristics of Spanish and Mexican colonial governments in Texas. Students recite and explain the meaning of the Pledge to the Texas Flag. Students identify the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to Texas and describe the impact of science and technology on life in the state. Students use critical-thinking skills to identify cause-and-effect relationships, compare and contrast, and make generalizations and predictions.
(b)  Knowledge and skills.
(1)  History. The student understands the similarities and differences of Native-American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration. The student is expected to:
(A)  Identify Native-American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration and describe the regions in which they lived; and
(B)  Compare the ways of life of Native-American groups in Texas and the Western Hemisphere before European exploration

113.7. Social Studies, Grade 5
(4)  History. The student understands political, economic, and social changes that occurred in the United States during the 19th century. The student is expected to:
(A)  Identify changes in society resulting from the Industrial Revolution and explain how these changes led to conflict among sections of the United States;
(B)  Identify reasons people moved west;
(C)  Identify examples of U.S. territorial expansion;
(D)  Describe the causes and effects of the Civil War;
(E)  Explain the reasons for and rights provided by the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution;
(F)  Explain how industry and the mechanization of agriculture changed the American way of life; and
(G)  Identify the challenges, opportunities, and contributions of people from selected Native-American and immigrant groups.
(23)  Culture. The student understands the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to the United States. The student is expected to:
(A)  Identify the similarities and differences within and among selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the United States;
(B)  Describe customs, celebrations, and traditions of selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups in the United States; and
(C)  Summarize the contributions of people of selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups to our national identity.

§113.21. Implementation of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Social Studies, Middle School.
(19)  Culture. The student understands the relationships among religion, philosophy, and culture. The student is expected to:
(A)  Explain the relationship among religious ideas, philosophical ideas, and cultures; 
(21)  Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:
(A)  differentiate between, locate, and use primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about selected world cultures;
113.23. Social Studies, Grade 7.
(a)  Introduction.
(1)  In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including the cultures of Native Americans living in Texas prior to European exploration and the eras of mission-building, colonization, revolution, republic, and statehood. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact. Students identify regions of Texas and the distribution of population within and among the regions and explain the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state. Students analyze the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as barbed wire and the oil and gas industries on the development of Texas. Students use primary and secondary sources to acquire information about Texas
2)  History. The student understands how individuals, events, and issues prior to the Texas Revolution shaped the history of Texas. The student is expected to:
(A)  Compare the cultures of Native Americans in Texas prior to European colonization;
(B)  Identify important individuals, events, and issues related to European exploration and colonization of Texas, including the establishment of Catholic missions;
(19)  Culture. The student understands the concept of diversity within unity in Texas. The student is expected to:
(A)  Explain how the diversity of Texas is reflected in a variety of cultural activities, celebrations, and performances;
(B)  Describe how people from selected racial, ethnic, and religious groups attempt to maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to the larger Texas culture; and

•	Cite what state/national teacher standards (IRA, TESOL, and TExES) that this assignment addresses and explain how.
Listed below are the TExES standards for the 4-8 Social Studies Teachers. Again, as you can see, they are specific in having the teacher relate historical, cultural and social information about the Native American Indian, for the times prior to and after Western Advancement. This book gives the student a detailed look at the life before the encroachment, something that the textbooks do not go into. 
Standard IV. History: The social studies teacher applies knowledge of significant historical events and developments, as well as of multiple historical interpretations and ideas, in order to facilitate student understanding of relationships between the past, the present, and the future.
4.1k traditional historical points of reference in the history of Texas, the United
States, and the world;
4.6k the causes and effects of European exploration and colonization of Texas, the
United States, and the Western Hemisphere;
4.7k the similarities and differences of Native-American groups in Texas and the
Western Hemisphere before European colonization;
4.8k common characteristics of communities, past and present;
4.5s Apply different methods of interpreting the past to understand, evaluate, and
Support multiple points of view, frames of reference, and the historical
Context of events and issues;
Standard IX. Culture: The social studies teacher understands cultures and how they develop and adapt, and use this knowledge to enable students to appreciate and respect cultural diversity in Texas, the United States, and the world.
The beginning teacher knows and understands:
9.1k similarities and differences among the ways various peoples at different times in history have lived and met basic human needs;
The beginning teacher is able to:
9.1s Apply higher-order thinking skills to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, organize, and use information relating to culture acquired from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including electronic technology;
9.2k the development and use of various customs, traditions, and beliefs within
families and cultures;
9.2s Understand and evaluate multiple points of view and frames of reference
relating to cultural issues;
9.3s Model and promote acceptance of various points of view;
9.4s encourage student respect for cultural diversity;
9.9k the concept of culture and the processes of cultural diffusion and exchange;
9.10k the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups to
Texas, the United States, and the world;
9.12k the various roles of men, women, children, and families in cultures past and present.
9.15k the similarities, differences, and relationships within and among cultures in
different societies;
9.19k the relationships among religion, philosophy, and culture;
9.21k the relationships between and among people from various groups, including racial, ethnic, and religious groups, in the United States and throughout the world;

Application to the classroom

At least 3-5 specific classroom applications/activities for the book in a specific content area. (NOTE: Supplemental reading is not a valid activity to include since any book can be used as a supplemental resource; be creative and highlight a specific activity to involve students with the book. For example, students might construct a graph with information from the book, or they might collect points for and against an issue discussed in the book and then participate in a class debate.)
1.	The students would divide into groups, each group taking one of the regions discussed in the book. Selecting the most prominent tribe, they would be instructed to collect data regarding that tribe from the internet searches, tribal databases and websites, as well as other books and articles from the library. They will then organize the data for presentation of their tribe’s life, both before and after the encroachment of the western civilizations. The students will use whatever means they wish to present their findings to the class. The presentation will be oral, but the groups will be encouraged to use graphic displays, multimedia programs, music, etc, to enhance their presentations.
2.	Sand painting. The students will be read a legend from one of the tribes covered in the book. Once the story is finished and discussed, the students will be a thin, 5x7x ¼ inch board. Using colored pencils, they will draw a picture of a scene they feel represents the story or one they especially liked. Once they are satisfied with the picture and the colors, they will proceed to start applying glue to the picture outline, one area at a time. With the glue outlining a section or characters in a section, all one color, they then can poor the chosen color of sand, covering the glue. Once all the glue is covered, they pure the remaining sand back into the container, and start applying glue to another section. This will continue until all the figures and areas are covered with sand. The painting will then be covered with a polyurethane sealant to hold the sand in place. After all students have finished and sufficient time has been given to allow them to dry, the students will explain their sand painting to the class.
3.	Letter Journal (non delivered letter). Students will pretend that while rummaging through the belongings of their great, great, great grandparents, they came across a letter they (the grandparents) had received from a relative living amongst the Native American Indians. The writer is the child of one of the adult relatives, and is writing to the grandparents (all the greats removed for brevity) and describing what she/he has seen and done. The students will need to include factual information about the culture and lifestyle of the tribe the ‘child’ is writing about. They can choose the tribe, or this can be done after a section (e.g. Plains Indians). The students will be encouraged to think ‘outside the box’ and include drawings of the ‘wondrous things’ the relative is writing about. After completion, the student will read the letter to the class.
At this stage, I am currently not teaching, thus I have to rely on someone I have access to that is in the age group I wish to teach, namely, my daughter (12) and the neighbor’s daughter (10). My daughter is currently attending T.A. Howard Middle School in Mansfield ISD and is, at this time, taking AP (Advanced Placement) Texas History. The neighbor’s daughter is a 5th grade student attending a private Christian school in Pantego. She is currently taking a Texas History class. Each was given the book to read and then tell me about what they thought.
Daughter: My daughter, about to turn 13, is what one could call a strong or voracious reader. She reads several books a semester outside of class for entertainment. She finished this book in a couple of hours. I had her do a re-read and make sure she read it as a text book, susceptible to testing. Once she finished, I asked her whether it would: a. be a good support book for her Texas History class; b. whether she found it interesting; c. whether she felt it was too hard, too easy or ok for her level; d. what did she like/dislike about the book and what would she do to change it; and e. what did she think about the projects.
a.	The book was a great look at the way the Indians used to live before the white men came along. They seemed to have a pretty good life before we got here. The book we are using in school right now told us a little about some of the tribes, but not this much stuff. It never mentioned games or the part about the coming of age or about their religion.
b.	I read the whole book and didn’t even mind reading it again. We went to Oklahoma over Spring Break and visited the Cherokee Museum and village. I got to play stick ball there like the book described it. It was pretty fun learning about how my ancestors lived before we got here. 
c.	I don’t think this book would be too hard for any 7th or 8th grade student and might even be good for intermediate school grades. Some of the words were hard to pronounce and there were only a couple I had to look up. It might be more words for younger kids.
d.	I loved the pictures and wish there had been more of them. They were mostly actual photographs, not drawings or paintings so you go to see how they really looked. I think there could have been more pictures. I also did not read anything about some of the bad things that happened. We saw the Trail of Tears Museum in Oklahoma, and the other night was a special on Custer and Little Bighorn. My father said that because this was a book on the life before we got there and she wanted to avoid making people angry so they wouldn’t read the book, she decided to not use those things. I would have liked to read more about some of their stories and games.
e.	I love the sand painting thing. We did it here for practice and they came out pretty good. I think the letter thing would be fun, but pretty hard.  The research project would be pretty interesting, especially since we get to use the computer. I would definitely be using that and playing some Indian songs.
10yr old: She is about to turn 11, and has been attending the private school since second grade.  According to her and her parents, she really doesn’t read much outside of assigned readings, though she has started reading a bit more. She started reading the book and got ‘bored’… it was too much like school, so I had her read the section on the Southeastern tribes, as her dad’s family was from Louisiana, and her mom’s family from Kansas. I figured this would be a good compromise. 
a.	The book was okay, at least better than the one we use in class about history. There is not information about the Indians in it so it was “kinda” interesting to read about them. 
b.	It was interesting. I liked the part about the games and the clothes they wore. Some of the pictures were pretty cool. 
c.	There were a lot of Indian words I needed help on, and some other words I didn’t know what they meant.  I don’t think it was all that hard to read and follow.
d.	More pictures and stuff about the clothes and games. 
e.	I did the sand painting thing too and it was fun, but messy. I am not sure about the other two things as they would seem pretty hard, but I guess school things are always supposed to be easy.