Lesson Plan Organizer for Ootham Interactive Learning Center

Month: January/ Auppa Iivakithak Mashath

When the cottonwood is in bloom, and flowers
are blooming on the tree
Topic: Beginning of a New
Year/Legends/Cottonwood trees

Objective: Children will learn what a calendar stick is, and why we use them. Although we
dont usually count our calendar sticks from Jan. to Dec., but we are going to do it for the
children in order for them to get the concept.
Talking about the Cottonwood trees, and the significance of it blooming.
Tell children some of the local legends.

Literature / Listening:
The Desert Giant
The Saguaro cactus
How rabbit got his long ears

Language Arts / Writing:

After going on our field trip, have children
describe a saguaro cactus.
Have children dictate one of their favorite
legends, and draw a pictures for it (ART)

Music / Art:
Vocabulary: (words/phrases)
Sing song about the cactus
Cactus-Hashan
Have children make a calendar stick using
Cottonwood-Auppa
some of the cactus ribs.
Rabbit (Thothob)
Have children draw a picture of their favorite
Ears-na:nk
legend
Parents / Classroom Guest: Parents will be invited to come help find cactus ribs, and parents
will be encouraged to help their child make a calendar stick, and for themselves to make a
calendar stick.
Have a speaker (s) from the tribe come in and tell us legends that they know and were passed
down to them.
Assessment:
1. What did children like?
2. What changes are to be made?

Math / Science:
Have children help us clean the cactus ribs,
and talk to them about why we use these for
the calendar sticks.
Talk to children about how the cottonwood tree
is used to make houses, and vatos.

Field Trips: Go to the desert and see a

saguaro. Have children help pick the ribs of a
saguaro cactus, because that is what they are
made of.

Misc.: