Special Collection: Celebrating Native American Heritage

Celebrate the richness and diversity of Native American cultures with these plays, poems, and articles from Storyworks.

Fancy Dancer

Rory doesn’t believe in himself—until a special
person helps him realize how strong he is

Read the Story
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this story
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Watch a Video
Meet three kids who dance at powwows
Character
Answer the questions to understand the character of Rory
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Autumn

A lyrical poem by Alexander Posey celebrates the
pleasures of autumn’s sights and sounds

Read the Poem
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
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PDF
Poetry Kit
This activity will guide students through understanding the poem
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Poetry Read Aloud
Listen to the poem read aloud
Listen

Code Talkers

The incredible true story of the Navajo Marines 
and the unbreakable code that helped the United States
win World War II

Read the Article
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
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Behind the Scenes: Code Talkers
Author Joseph Bruchac takes you behind the scenes of his article
PDF
What's the Main Idea?
Find the main idea and supporting details in the article
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The Save

Is Oren a lacrosse star—or just plain lucky?

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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this story
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Author Visit
Meet author Joseph Bruchac and learn about his writing process
PDF
Research Kit
Go on a research journey inspired by the story
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More Than a Sport

Wesay Metoxen celebrates the deep history of lacrosse,
paired with an article about how a teen from Puerto Rico
changed baseball—and America—forever

Read the Articles
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching these articles
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PDF
Compare and Contrast
Think about both the articles
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PDF
Research Kit
Go on a research journey inspired by the stories
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Remember

A poem by Joy Harjo reminds us to think about our roots
in the world

Read the Poem
PDF
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this poem
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PDF
Poetry Kit
Use this kit to understand the poem
Download
Poetry Read Aloud
Listen to the poem read aloud
Listen

The Vanishing Beast

Two hundred years ago, millions of giant creatures
roamed the Great Plains. What happened to them?

Read the Articles
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Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching these articles
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Podcast
Listen to the Storyworks Learn More Podcast
Listen
PDF
Research Kit
Go on a research journey inspired by the stories
Download

The Mystery of Roanoke

How could an entire village of people just disappear?

Read the Article
PDF
Lesson Plan
A step-by-step guide to teaching this article
Download
Behind the Scenes: "The Mystery of Roanoke"
Friedman discusses how she researched and wrote her article
PDF
Research Kit
Choose an exciting project related to the story
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Art Credits: Fancy Dancer: Art by Marlena Myles; Autumn: Art by Leslie Stall Widener; Remember: Art by Raphael Lopez; The Save: Art by Natasha Donovan; More Than a Sport: Courtesy of family; The Vanishing Beast: mykuhlsphotography; The Mystery of Roanoke: Shane Rebenschied; Code Talkers: Art by Randy Pollak; U.S. Marine Corps photo by Brian Leddy