Thansgiving or
Alaskans Native and Native American
Submit6ted by Artetta
Make a Totem Pole from a paper towel tube or Pringles can.
Alaskans Native and other Native American make totem poles. Traditionally,
each Totem Pole tells the story of a Native American family's ancestral
spirits and family history (pictured in human and animal form). They
depict the spirits as people, mythical beasts, and wildlife treasured
by the Tribe. These huge, wooden poles often show the bald eagle, grizzly
bear, moose, beaver, otter, mountain goat, wolf, whale, porpoise, seal,
sea lion, and salmon.
Paper towel roll or Pringles can (1 per child)
Brown construction paper
Brown paint
Glue
Pre cut circles multicultural (1 circle per family member who lives at home small)
Hot glue, Popsicles sticks, or a rock
Children make faces on pre cut circles multicultural. Glue faces on construction
(Fold construction so child glue the faces going down) paper. Unfold construction
paper wrap and glue faces around the Paper towel roll.
Cut 2 wings out of brown craft foam or (construction paper) glue on the back
of roll so that the wings stick out from the sides.
Glue a picture of the child on top of the Paper towel roll.
I also send home slips of paper so every time some one do a good deed
they write their name on slip in put inside the totem pole. this work better
if you use Pringles can. Also put a rock in side to keep stable
Hot glue 2 Popsicles stick on the bottom of the paper towel roll...this
way will make it a 2 day project
Paint can/ or roll let dry. Children make faces pre cut circles multicultural. Glue
faces going down a strip of brown construction paper. Glue strip to roll
or can
PRESCHOOL POW WOW
Submitted by Sherri
This preschool version of a Native American village is sure to be
a hit. Tape a large tagboard cone to the top of a round table;
then cover both items with a sheet to resemble a tepee. Inside
the tepee place beads and laces for stringing necklaces. Provide
craft feathers, construction paper strips and tape for making headdresses. "Light" a
fire by arranging rocks (or crumpled pieces of dark colored paper)
in a circle; then tuck red and orange tissue paper into the center
to resemble flames. Be sure to include a drum and some bean
shakers for the children to use as they chant and dance. If
desired, obtain some real animal skins for your tribe to examine. Look,
over there. It's Little Running Bear!
INDIAN GAMES AND CRAFTS
Corn Cob Darts played by Chippewa's
Shuck an ear of corn and then scrape off the kernels. (Do not cook
the ears). In the blunt end of the corn, poke four holes in the shape
of a square. Into each hole, put a drop of glue and then stick a
feather in each hole. When it has dried, children take turns throwing
the dart towards a target (traditional bull's eye target) which is
laying flat on the floor. A scorekeeper near the target watches and
keeps score.
Guessing Game ... this game was a time-passer
among Plains Tribes.
They used sticks for this, but I think I would use simple straws. Take 8 straws
and and in the center of each color or tape a piece of bright electrical tape
around the middle for maybe a couple of inches. Do this on all 8 straws. On
the ends of 1 straw, wrap the tape or paint the ends about an inch towards
the center. Now to play: 2 kids are a team and use only 8 straws. Each
child holds 4 straws using both hands so that the ends of the straws are covered
and they are holding them horizontally. A second team of 2 kids tries and guesses
in which bundle the straw with the taped ends is located. Score points according
to correct guesses.
Bowl Game ..... played by nearly every tribe in the
country
One player holds a small wooden bowl or woven basket. In the bowl are
6 peach or plum pits. These pits have been spray-painted or tempera
painted on one side only. The player tosses the pits into the air using
the basket as the catapult and then catches them as they fall. The
player counts how many pits in the basket have landed "colored side
up".
NATIVE AMERICANS THEME
Indian Leather Painting
need:
brown paper bag-any size
newspaper for drying on
1)Soak the bag in water.
2)Carefully cut/tear open into one flat piece.
3)Crush the bag into a tight ball to wring out water.
4)Carefully smooth out the bag and let dry on newspaper.
5)Color figures and geometric designs on the bag.
6)Fringe the edges to look realistic.
7)Extra: paint over the crayon with thinned brown paint.
8)Older Kids: use dried creation to make Indian forms: teepees, headbands,
etc.
Another idea
Take a toilet paper roll or a paper towel roll and cut it with scissors
down the side so you can lay the cardboard flat. Make a few small
tears along the sides. Soak the cardboard in water, then place it
outside flat to
dry. When dry, you draw on it with markers. It turns out best if you make many
little drawings like plants or something on it, and one big drawing like a
bird or something on it. Your finished product will look like old leather (wrinkled
and torn a little) that was decorated a long time ago. I hope
Cucumber Canoes
you'll need:
cucumbers
carrot
low fat yogurt/ dip ( or regular "fat" is fine too)
tomato
radishes
lemon juice
Wash and peel cuc's. Cut in half lenghtwise. Hollow out the pulp from
each half. Wash the other veggies. Peel carrot, and trim greens from
the radishes. Chop the tomato, carrot, and radishes on a cutting board
--as
finely as possible. Mix the chopped veggies with the yogurt add a little lemon
juice and mix-- spoon the mixture into the canoe and away u go I used
the extra veggies to dip into the mixture also good w/ chips/crackers
Mush
add to a pot of salted boiling water, enough cornmeal to thicken and
this should cook until meal is thourghly done and mushy. Serve with
milk or butter. Or may be sliced and fried when cold.
Indians ate this alot, they also ate it with meat.
Indian matching designs--
make Indian symbols on tongue depressors, two of each kind. The children
can play a matching game with them.
Nature's Paint Box
Paint using natures paint -
you need -
salt
vinegar
measuring cup and spoons
strainer
bowls
spoon
small jars
To Do -
1. Put 1/2 cup of berries in the strainer. Hold the strainer over a
bowl. Press out all the juice with the back of a spoon.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of vinegar to the berry juice.
Mix Well.
3. Repeat with different kinds of berries to make different colored paints.
4. Store the paints in small jars with lids.
Experiment - to make brushed try -- feathers, ferns, hay, pine branches and
twigs.
Hopi Rattles
Materials -
paper plates
makers
craft sticks (for handles)
masking tape
rice
stapler
glue
decorative materials such as feathers, ribbon, raffia or crepe paper
Steps -
1. Decorate the BACKS of two paper plates.
2. Tape the sticks to the right side of one plate to form the handle.
Place a large handful of rice on the plate. Fit the other plate exactly
on top and tape around the outer edge so that no rice leaks out. Put
extra tape around the place where the handle sticks out.
3. Add decorations to the stick and to the edges of the rattle that will flutter
as the rattle is shaken.
After the instruments are made, invite the children to work together to make
up their own dances and creative movements. Some children could provide
rhymic beats while others dance. Or you could do lead- and - repeat patterns.
Snake Stick Game
Object - to accumulate the highest score. Any number can play.
Supplies -
3 flat sticks (i.e. tongue depressors)
markers
Preparation - Make a snake design on one side of two sticks Make dots
on one side of the third stick to stand for a
child.
Scoring - (note with my younger children we did not need all this because we
did not "keep score" - we just used it for "counting")
1. Hold all three sticks in one hand Toss them into air and let them fall,
like pick-up sticks.
2. Score - according to how the sticks land:
3 blank sides or 3 painted sides = 5 points
2 blanks + 1 snake = 7 points
1 blank + 1 snake + 1 child = 0 points
3. play for 10 min and the player with the highest score wins.
Zuni Rain Birds
The Zuni live in New Mexico. A design that they use is called the rain
bird. They are made out of Triangle shapes.
To do -
1. draw your shapes on a sheet and let the children cut out the shapes
(I have the pattern but it is really just 4 different triangle shapes)
2. Paste them onto a colored paper
3. Add details to your birds.
Question to ask - why do you think rain is so important to the Zuni?
Make Native American Ceremonial masks
Using paper plates and popsicle sticks. Make a sun out of the paper
plate--Not a regular sun but with long rectangles coming off the plate-
maybe
make it wild colors instead of just yellow. Maybe one with a lightning
bolt
all the way down the the middle of the mask-
NATIVE AMERICAN THEMED UNIT IDEAS
The Indian people give their children names that have special meanings.
(Running Bear, Morning Star) Give the children Indian names that
has special meaning to them. Use these names in the classroom.
Explain to the children that the Indians used a different kind of
writing than we use. Some of the Indians used small pictures in their
writing. Draw some examples. Maybe they can use these symbols
on art projects,like headdresses, blankets, tom-toms, or teepees.
Sing this song about the teepee.
(use the tune of The Farmer in the Dell)
A teepee is my home.
Of deer skins it is made.
A place on top where smoke can go,
It stands in forest shade.
The river runs nearby
and there is my canoe.
I paddle up and down the stream,
beneath a sky of blue.
Make cornbread. Tell them the Indians would grind the corn to make
it. You could show them how to grind corn if you wish.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND the book Through Indian Eyes, The Native Experience
in
Books for Children (edited by Beverly Slapin and Doris Seale).
Make necklaces using various materials.
Cut up different colored straws & let the children string them
onto yarn.You can use bobby pins as needles.If you use curling ribbon,
you won't need a needle.
Make medallions. Last year we used plastic "Cool Whip" type container
lids. The children glue birdseed and colored rice to inside of lid
then we attach a string. One year, I cut shapes with pinking shears
(butterfly, cloud, fish, etc) from black posterboard and had the children
glue the seeds and rice onto the shape, then attached the cord.
We did a Native Americans theme last year. My favorite craft project
was making totem poles. First we talked to the kids about totems and
what they mean to Native American people. We live right by a reservation
so we had a man come by who was a chief. To make the totem poles,we
used toilet paper rolls, cut in half and each child got 5 halves to
decorate. When they were done, we glued them together stuffing them
with scrap paper. For decorating them, we used felt scraps, tissue
paper, glitter, buttons, feathers, and alot of other scrap items. When
the kids were done with their totem poles, they
talked about each section and why they liked it or what it meant to them.
Games--Native American matching designs--make Native American
symbols on craft sticks, two of each kind. The children can play a
matching game with
them.
Food--Indian frybread--Large bowl, mix 4 cups of flour, 3 tablespoons
baking powder, 2 tablespoons powdered milk, and 2 teaspoons salt. Mix
and add 2 cups of warm water, one at a time. Knead until a stiff dough.
Add more
flour if too sticky. Let children roll dough into two balls and then flatten
them and stretch them thin. Poke a hole in the middle of each and fry in deep
fat at 375 degrees, two at a time, until golden brown, Serve warm, either plain
or with honey.
HORSES--talk about how important the horse was to the Native
Americans.
Cut out a large head/profile of a horse using brown constr. paper. Have the
children draw on details & glue on yard pieces for the mane.
Cut out full body of a horse & let them add designs on the horse. Get books & show
the children how the horses were painted up with symbols/designs to copy.
SYMBOLS
Draw the various symbols & let them guess what they might mean.
Often they figure them out. Post the symbols & let the older children
make a book of the symbols & meaning.
Rocks
I saw a rock upon the sand.
How did it come to this great land?
If rocks could talk, what would they say?
What other children had come to play?
Were they settlers in this new land?
Or Native Americans on the sand?
If rocks could talk, what would they say?
About long-ago children who came to play?
Rock Faces
Materials:
rocks, brown paper bag, felt, non-toxic glue, poster paints and paint
brushes, pie tins or other sturdy containers for glue and paints, adult
scissors, craft sticks to apply glue.
Take the children on a walk in a park, in the woods, by a river or stream,
or at the beach. Help them gather rocks. Hand -size rocks work best for these
rock face paperweights. Take the rocks home and wash and dry them thoroughly.
Provide poster paints and paintbrushes for the children to paint faces on the
rocks. After the paint is dry, cut felt
circles and glue one to the bottom of each rock to make a paperweight. The
only portion you need to help with is the cutting of the felt circle for the
bottom of the paperweights. Let them take them home, or give as an easy to
make present. They work really well as paperweights.
Rhythm Rattle:
Take the lid off of a small empty margarine tub. Punch two holes thru
the plastic bottom. Run elastic thru the holes and tie it or staple
it inside. Put some dried beans or rice in the tub. Replace the lid.
You might want to use clear tape, and tape the lid on good around
the edges. Have the child slip his or her hand under the elastic,
and shake it to a rhythm. This is very quick.
Make Wigwams:
Cut a triangle from a piece of white construction paper. Cut a small
triangle for the door. Decorate with Indian designs. Cut three small
feather shaped pieces and paste at the top of the wigwam. (Even better,
use real feathers!)
The Brave Little Indian:
Little Scout was an Indian boy. (Hold two fingers at back of head for
feathers.)
He was so brave (Fold arms across chest), and strong.(Show muscles in arms)
He took his bow and arrow. (Hands holding a bow and arrow ready to shoot.)
And hunted all day long. (Put hand over eyes to shade them from the sun.)
He wanted to catch the grizzly,
A great ENORMOUS (Loudly) bear, GRRRRRRRRR (Loudly) (Hold hands up like claws,
spread fingers and growl.)
He took his bow and arrow, (Holding the bow and arrow ready to shoot again.)
And hunted everywhere. (Shade eyes again.)
He looked along the river,
As he paddled his canoe. (Paddling holding canoe oars with hands.)
He climbed up on the hill. ( Moving arms and feet like climbing.)
To get a better view. (Shade eyes like looking all around.)
He saw a furry rabbit, with his cottontail (Both hands wiggle behind their
bums.)
and tall ears. (Hands make tall ears.)
And there, with great huge antlers, (Spread fingers on either side of their
heads.)
He could see a pretty deer.
And suddenly from behind a rock came Mr. Grizzly Bear (Say this progressively
louder, and growl, raise hands like claws and look mean.)
Little Scout took one look, (Shade eyes and look) and ran away from there!
(Turn and Run!!!!!)
Game: What Feather Is Missing:
Cut Indian feathers from assorted construction paper, or if you can
get different colored "real" feathers, use these. Have the kids sit
in a circle. Place four or more feathers in the middle of the circle.
One of the children will hide his eyes, while another takes a feather
away. The other child will try to guess which color is missing, and
which child has the feather. Play this game until each child has
a chance to guess the missing color.
Game: Feather Hunt:
Cut feathers out of various colors, or use "real" colored ones. Hide
these all around the room. Have the children hunt for the feathers
and see how many each child has found. This is good for counting and
also for identifying the different colors.
Recipe: Indian Popcorn Treat:
Follow directions on the package of popcorn. Show the kids how the
corn kernels look before cooking. Pop the corn. Just as the Indians
did for Pilgrims, pour maple syrup over the corn to make a tasty
treat.
Math: Is popped corn larger or smaller or equal to the unpopped
corn?
Song: Five Little Indians
Tune: I found this song in an old music book.
Five little Indians in a teepee
Sleeping quietly as can be
Along came the chief and what do you think?
Up jump the Indians quick as a wink!
PAPER DREAM CATCHER
Paper Dream Catchers
Give each child one brown coffee filter (the natural ones). Give them
a
supply of markers in fall colors. Let them decorate their dream catcher
with
these markers. Then they can trim the edges with those scissors that have
the
design blades (like pinking shears). Glue the filter onto a piece of
construction paper (glue sticks work best). Add feathers or beads or
macaroni...whatever!!! They really look great up on the wall!
RAIN STICKS
Take a paper towel tube and cover one end with tape or contact paper. Fill
it up with styrofoam peanuts (that annoying packing material) add a
couple of tablespoons of dry rice and cover the other end. Decorate
with yarn feathers
what ever. When turned over the rice falls slowly from one end to the
other making a sound like falling rain.
Native American Headband (Patterns)
Submitted by Mary
Premeasure students head for headband. Discuss patterns with students
before you do this activity. Have students create different patterns
such as ABAB
ABCABC and etc with cubes. Tell students that they are going to create a Native
American design pattern on the headband. Students can use precut triangles
(colors is your choice), rubber stamps, and stickers.
INDIAN CROPS
Submitted by Elberta
To illustrate how the Indians showed the Pilgrims to grow corn, have
the children crumble chocolate wafers into a cup. "Plant" a
piece of candy corn, and then add a gummy fish. This
emphasizes how the Indians used the fish as fertilizer to help the
corn grow in the sandy soil of Jamestown. Use for snack.
INDIAN CORN
Submitted by Kim
We make Indian corn using tri beads in brown, orange, and beige on
3 pieces of brown pipe cleaner. Tie them together with a ribbon.
Another way we make Indian corn is to cut out corn shapes and paint the kernels
using fingertips. For Indian corn, we use the colors yellow, brown, and
orange, but if you want to make regular corn, you could paint in yellow. We
also cut out the husks from brown paper and glue them on.
Indian Morracas
Submitted by Carol
Materials
plastic salad dressing bottles with cap
colored tissue paper cut into approx 1"-2" shapes
white glue
glue brushes
Plastic lanyard thread - 2 pieces ea. 7"-8" long
colorful beads
feathers
beans
We set dowels into pieces of 2x4's to hold the salad dressing bottles
up-side down.
We made enough so 4-6 children could do their project at the same time. I hot
glue a feather to the end of each lanyard piece before class.
Have the children paint their bottles with glue and apply the tissue pieces.
Encourage them to overlap the pieces slightly. The next day the children can
thread several beads to two pieces of lanyard with feather at one end. The
children then put some beans into their bottle and I hot glue the two lanyards
to the threadl of the bottle leaving room to still screw the cap on, which
is also hot glued on.
This makes a wonderful morraca that the children can use at music time.
NATIVE AMERICAN CUSTOMS
Submitted by Betty
We discuss how the Indians might have gotten all their beautiful
colors to dye their clothing and paint their faces! I bring
blueberries in and show them what happened when I put a piece of
fabric in the juice. Beets work real well, too. We talk about
things that stain our clothes and how do we get colors in our world? Brainstorm
and chart! THEN, the follow up activity is to let each child
take a white paper towel and fold it small enough to fit the corners
in a cup or bowl of food colored water ( might try liquid water colors
this year) and of course, some of the blueberry juice. Let
the child carefully open up his paper towel (it will be drippy and
easy to tear). Lay flat to dry. These make a beautiful diaplay
against a red backround.
INDIAN BEAD NECKLACE
Submitted by Peg
Materials:
1 c. flour, I tbs. Alum, 1 c. salt, water, thread, felt tip pens,
and staws.
Put the flour, salt, alum in a bowl and add enough water to make a stiff dough.
Using the clay mixure have the children make clay beads. Encourage the children
to make different shapes and sizes. Help each child punch a straw thru each
bead and leave overnight to dry.
After completely dry children can decorate beads with felt tip markers; string
beads together to make a necklace!
I'm A Little Indian
Submitted by Kris
(I'm a little teapot)
I'm a little Indian on the go,
Here is my arrow, here is my bow (act like
pulling arrow from quiver, set on bow)
When I go out hunting hear me shout
BEARS AND BUFFALO BETTER WATCH OUT!
Vests
Cut brown paper bags so child can wear them as a vest. Discuss various
Indian signs and encourage child to add a few to the vest.
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