Lesson Plan - A Historic Journey
Learning Objective
Students will learn about Native kids who kayaked the Klamath River to celebrate the removal of dams.
Content-Area Connections
Social Studies
Standards Correlations
CCSS: RI.3.1, RI.3.2, RI.3.4, RI.3.5, RI.3.7, RI.3.8, RI.3.9, RI.3.10
NCSS: People, Places, and Environments
TEKS: Social Studies 3.3
Text Structure
Cause/Effect, Chronology
1. Preparing to Read
Watch the Video
Before reading, watch the video “Paddling Into History.” Discuss: Why is the Klamath River so important to Native groups in the area?
Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.
Set a Purpose for Reading
As students read, have them think about why the Klamath River is so special to many Native groups.
2. Close-Reading Questions
1. How did Keeya Wiki and the other teens make history?
Keeya Wiki and the other teens made history by paddling in kayaks along the whole Klamath River. They were the first people to kayak the full length of the Klamath in more than 100 years.
(RI.3.2 Main Idea and Key Details)
2. How did dams in the Klamath River cause harm to salmon?
Dams in the Klamath River caused harm to salmon by blocking the fish from many of the streams where the fish lay eggs. The dams also warmed the water. That allowed diseases to spread among the salmon.
(RI.3.8 Cause/Effect)
3. What evidence does the article give that the Klamath River has started to recover?
The article shows that the Klamath River has started to recover by explaining that scientists recently saw a salmon in an upper section of the river. The article says, “It was the first one seen there since 1912.”
(RI.3.1 Text Evidence)
3. Skill Building
FEATURED SKILL: Paired Texts
Use the skill builder “A Native Tradition” to explore an ancient ceremony celebrating the spring salmon run. Read the passage as a class, then have students work in pairs to answer the questions. Explain that salmon are still an important part of Yurok culture today.
(RI.3.9 Paired Texts)
