THE SERRANO INDIANS

            This informative kit was created to introduce students in grades three through five to our local tribal neighbors, the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians of the Serrano people.  Produced with the assistance of San Manuel tribal members, the study kit is designed to teach students about the historical, ethical, cultural, geographical, economic and sociopolitical issues that the Serrano Indians experience.  The enclosed artifacts will help spark interest in these People of the Pines.  Students will gain respect, appreciation, and understanding of the first people of the San Bernardino Valley, and learn that the people still live, work and play here.

            The kit contains an extensive Teacher’s Guide replete with specific goals, objectives and California State Standards.  These activities have complete lesson plans.
            1a        Do you see what I see?
            1b        Let’s sort it out!
            2          Getting to know the Serrano Indians
            3          Back in time
            4          Let’s make a map
            5          Legends and myths
            6          What’s the point?
            7          Rock art
            8.         Music lesson
            9          The Serrano Indians from A to Z

            The kit includes a CD developed by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.  This CD offers an assortment of topics including history, environment, culture, and cultural identity as well as activities specific to the classroom.  Another presentation by the band includes the People of the Pines, a study guide workbook.  This can be used alone or in conjunction with the teacher’s guide.  Both the book and the guide contain a number of reproducible sheets.

            Other kit inclusions are a Tools, Baskets and Utensils poster; a video, The Serrano Indians: People of the Pines; numerous artifacts including stone tools and necklaces; a series of historic artifact and petroglyph photographs; a Food Information notebook with reproducible copies of edible plant drawings and plant information; and other items.

LEARNING STYLES ADDRESSED IN  THE SERRANO INDIANS  INCLUDE:
Visual-spatial – The kit contains many visual features including images and a beautiful 18 minute video.
Verbal-linguistic – Shared orally or in written format, background information provides much detail. 
Physical-kinesthetic – Careful handling of the artifacts (NOT the boxed necklaces) will allow students to correlate historic Serrano life with kinesthetic learning.
Logical-mathematical – These students will enjoy the dimensions of the Serrano kitch as well as the differences in years.
Auditory-musical – All students should enjoy the singing and translations found on the CD. 
Interpersonal – Students will find many things to share.  Many of the activities are appropriate for group work.     
Solitary-intrapersonal – The intrapersonal learner can learn by working alone.  This learner may be interested to know that the Serrano and other tribe members needed to work together to accomplish their duties.

STANDARDS-BASED ANALYSIS SKILLS of The Serrano Indians kit
Historical and Social Sciences
Chronological and Spatial Thinking – placement of key events and people in chronological sequence and interpretation time lines; time-oriented terms applied correctly; connection of present with past; map skills including absolute and relative locations; judging the significance of the relative location of a place and analyzing how relative advantages or disadvantages can change over time
Research, Evidence and Point of View – differentiation between primary and secondary sources, relevant questioning of sourced events as well as artifacts; distinguishing fact from fiction by comparison of sources; discussing various Serrano stories with other explanations for the events
Historical Interpretation – summarization of key events of an era, identification of human and physical characteristics of places; explanation of how those features form the unique character of a place; analyzing the cause and effects of historical events;

CALIFORNIA CONTENT STANDARDS of The Serrano Indians kit