Native American Culture (Part I)

Week 8: Native American Culture (Part I)

 READ:  K – 4:  Small Wolf  by Nathaniel Benchley

5 – 6:   Indians of the Woodland (Before and After the Pilgrims) by Beatrice Siegel (read up to page 49 “What were the children like?”) OR Indians of the Northeast Woodlands by Beatrice Siegel (Note:  Parents, this book contains drawings of Native American men and women wearing very little clothing.  You may want to flip through the book first, before assigning it to your child.)

7 – 8:  The Wigwam and the Longhouse by Charlotte and David Yue (Chps 1 – 4 only)


This images were obtained from Amazon.com.

DISCUSS:

• What were some of the foods the Native Americans ate? (corn, deer, bear, fish, eels, clams, oysters, birds)
• How did they use animal skins? (made them into clothes)
• What types of tools did the Native Americans make? (canoes, bows & arrows, baskets, nets)
• Name a typical pet of Native Americans? (dogs)
• When did Native Americans wear feathers and paint? (special ceremonies & occasions, sometimes for war)
• How did Native Americans and white men differ in their views of the land? (Native Americans didn’t believe people could own land; they thought all could share, didn’t believe in fences)
• How did the white man’s way of life affect the Native Americans? (their animals ate the Indian’s crops and trampled on their fields, more and more white people came – taking up the land, sometimes they fought with the Native Americans, sometimes they stole their food.)
• How did the weapons of the Native Americans and white men differ? (Indians had bows and arrows, spears; white men had guns)
• Why did the Native Americans move? (sometimes they were forced off the land by white men; sometimes they chose to move)

ACTIVITIES:

K – 3: Make an Indian headdress similar to this one from freekidscrafts.com by clicking HERE.   You’ll need construction paper, scissors, glue, and a stapler.

4 – 6: Make a Native American Teepee using instructions from enchanted learning.com by clicking HERE.  You’ll need twigs, a brown, paper grocery bag, a rubber band or string, scissors, crayons, a pencil & tape.

7 – 8: Write an essay: “Three things I really appreciate about Native American culture”.  5 paragraph – 3 proof essay.

Copyright September 30, 2012 by Gwen Fredette

To reach next week’s post, Native American Culture (Part II), click HERE.