This lesson plan requires either the book The Gift of the Great Buffalo, written by Carole Lindstrom and illustrated by Ally McKnight or a video read-aloud of the book.

Book Summary

This is a historical adventure of Rose, a girl from the Metis tribe, who lived in the late 1800s. The Metis practiced biannual (twice a year) buffalo hunts. Although traditionally girls and women are not part of the hunting group, Rose wanted to help her father because they had difficulty locating the buffalos. Tracking the buffalo, Rose found them with the guidance of Buffalo spirit, and heard the spirit speak to her, “We offer our lives for our relatives.” The people then held a feast and honored the buffalo’s life by offering a plate to the sacred fire.

Warm-Up Activity

Before reading the book, ask students to reflect on what they know/ideas they have about buffalo hunting, and from where they learned their knowledge/ideas. In small groups, ask students to compare, contrast, and reflect on their knowledge/ideas

After Reading the Book

Allow students to think about what aspect of the story they found interesting/what they are wondering about.

You can guide student discussion using the question on the Discussion Questions tab.

Optional Additional Activity

Show students the video interview with the author (from the Video tab).

The author said one of the reasons she wrote this story was because she struggled with the portrayal of her people as “savages” in the stories she grew up with, such as Little House on the Prairie. You might ask students what they think about this and how they see cultural portrayals in the movies they watch and books they read.