Recently, our Kindergarten class enjoyed a field trip to Hidden Oaks Nature Center to learn about The Eastern Woodland Indians. Then we continued our study back in the classroom.

As we studied that many tribes had their own languages, they communicated with signs as well as pictographs on materials found in nature.  The children created their own stories with one another with symbols on rocks.  They also made their own clay necklaces and water colored them.  We discussed how the Native Americans would use crushed berries and flowers to create these same colors.  The children also created their own clay pinch pots and used shells and corn cobs to imprint on them.

We then moved on to learn about the Sioux Indians in North and South Dakota, and discussed the similarities and differences in their way of life and how they lived compared to the other tribes.  We then brainstormed how we would create a village to represent each way of life.

We provided clay to make food, and animals, canoes, berries.  Paper towel tubes, and straw to create long houses. We also put out wikki-sticks  to create baskets and nets for fishing.  We also provided glue sticks. scissors, construction paper, cotton balls, pebbles, straws, etc.

The children had a great time creating their village. A teacher was just there to help facilitate the project.