We dove into our Native American study with gusto and it did not disappoint! There is truly so much to discover and learn about the many people groups that were the first Americans. Some of the main points we landed with the kids were that we should not lump all Native Americans into one people group as there were many tribes who had their own culture and way of life. We tried to go into specific tribes and discover how they had adapted to their specific region. We looked at where they lived, their dwellings, how they dressed, how they wore their hair, what they ate, how they hunted, and so much more! In this blog post you will see books, products, and activities that were key in imparting knowledge, inspiring us, and capturing our imagination.
Picture Books:
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tommie dePaola
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tommie dePaola
A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac
Thanks to the Animals by Allen Sockabasin
Non-Fiction:
A Kids Guide to Native American History
Resources:
Native American Fandex: I love this Fandex as a way to exemplify how diverse the Native American tribes really were. You could let the students pick a card that stands out to them and read it as a part of your morning time and then see if you can find the tribe on this map. Let this be a launching point to deeper study into tribes that catch their attention.
Native American Map: This map is an excellent visual aid to complement your Native American study. Anytime you read a book that mentions a tribe, you could reference the map to see where that tribe resided. It leads to great higher thinking questions like: What food sources were available to them and what challenges would they have faced living in this area?
Hands on Activities
Paint Animal Hides
We read about how Native Americans would sometimes paint the hides that wrapped their tipis with images that reflected their lives. We used flat bed sheets and these paint pens to make our own pictographs (pictures painted on walls of caves, rocks, or pieces of hide). I encouraged the students to draw pictures that reflected their own lives. They loved it!
For added learning look up pictographs that have been found in your area and go see them! If you cannot make the trip you can see if there are any virtual tours you can take or video footage of the site like this one in Painted Rock, Texas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vijGe-gSjUg
Make a Tipi:
We had a blast concluding our Native American unit by constructing tipis outdoors. Our first step was to explore the Lakota Sioux tribe and locate them on our map. Following that, we read a brief passage about tipis in our Native Homes book. We then gathered our supplies and headed outside to set up camp. As per tradition, the women of the tribe were responsible for transporting the tipi equipment from one location to another, so we had the girls bring the supplies outside. After we had erected the tipis, the children immediately began building campfires, making weapons, gathering food, and establishing their settlement. It was heartwarming to observe the knowledge we had acquired about Native American living being expressed through their play.
How to make a Tipi: Get four dowel rods (¾”x72″) and attach a hefty rubber band at the top. Put the rubber banded end towards the top and spread the four legs out underneath it. Then we wrap it in a sheet and secure the the opening with clothespins or binder clips.
Encounters:
Visit a reservation or a cultural center near you. This website has a bunch of Native American experiences listed by region: https://nativeamerica.travel/
Go to a Powwow: Go to Powwows.com to see if there is one coming up near you.
