Native American Drop-Out Rate Activity</b>
By: Jeni McDaniel, Jessica Freeman, and Heather Spear
Materials:
Paper
Markers (7 Colors)
Goal:
To visually show how drastic the drop out rate is, then create ideas, based on our PowerPoint presentation, how we as teachers, the school, or the community can help to reduce the rate.
Activity:
Pass out a piece of paper and a marker at the beginning, before the presentation. Have every student draw something that they associate with Native Americans they must only use the color they get handed. Then begin the presentation. After the presentation is complete students will broken up into groups based on their colors.
1. Blue: Dropped out in 4th grade (1 Student)
2. Green: Dropped out in 8th grade (10 Students)
3. Yellow: Dropped out during High School (5 Students)
4. Red: Completed High School (3 Students)
5. Purple: Go On College (2 Students)
6. Black: Dropped out of College (1 student)
7. Orange: Graduates College (1 Student)
Based on the colors handed out in the beginning we will split the class starting with the fourth grade drop out. Once we show who dropped out we tell the students why they dropped. They must then, based on our presentation, explain what we as teachers, or the school, or even the culture could have done to prevent that students drop-out. The class will discuss ideas out loud at this point. We will continue this process until we discuss every student.
The reasons why the students drop out and what can be done:
- Lack of Transportation (Distance of Schools, Not being able to afford to drive, Parents lack of involvement)
- a. Community Level
- b. Parental Level
- c. School Level
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- School (Uncompassionate, Stereo Types put in the students, Passive Teaching, Inappropriate curriculum, unfair testing, Large-Factory school
- Teacher Level
- School Level
- Parental Level
- Community Level
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- Culture (pregnancy, drug use, gangs, ect…)
- Teacher Level
- Parental Level
- Community Level
- School Level
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- Loss of Culture (Taught on way at home and not being carried to teachings at school, generations of drop outs-parents, siblings)
- Teacher Level
- Parental Level
- Community Level
- School Level