Grade 1 – Lakota and Dakota Ancestor Stories with Coloring Pages & Activities

Book 1 – Lakota and Dakota Ancestor Stories with Coloring Pages & Activities workbooks have been developed for first graders is a continuation to giving our children the timeless values, virtues, and worldview that were important to our ancestors. This will give them a healthy strong Lakota/Dakota identity that will empower them throughout their lives.

Book 1 – Lakota and Dakota Ancestor Stories with Coloring Pages & Activities workbooks have been developed for first graders is a continuation to giving our children the timeless values, virtues, and worldview that were important to our ancestors. This will give them a healthy strong Lakota/Dakota identity that will empower them throughout their lives.

1. Target audience: Primarily kindergartners, but adaptable for other ages
2. Format: Designed to be read aloud by a teacher each day while the child is coloring or drawing a picture of the story. This practice of art takes a brain from stress/trauma to learning/creative brain.
3. Main goal: To help our children see the importance of the virtues and values of their ancestors and to give them a strong, healthy Lakota identity.
4. Cultural focus: Lakota/Dakota culture-based curriculum
5. Key concept: “Wakanyeja” – child who is a sacred being

Lesson structure
1. Reading an ancestor story
2. Students color or draw a picture of this story while listening to the teacher read it each day.
3. Re-telling the story each day with a focus that at the end of the week they will be able to share the story to their class, so that our children will be able to share these stories to the next generation coming
4. Activities of learning how we each can practice these virtues: inside cover has examples to share with the students.
5. Acting out the story
6. Highlighted Lakota/Dakota words for them to start learning and practices
7. Each lesson focuses on virtues and values for students to practice throughout the week

This curriculum is a holistic approach to education, combining cultural teachings, language, storytelling, and various learning modalities to engage young students. It focuses on building self-esteem, cultural pride, and life skills in a way that’s developmentally appropriate for first graders.