Research Project #2:
Native American Indian Museum
NOTE:
Students are encouraged to use the internet at home, but only with adult supervision. If using the internet at home is not possible, our classroom and school libraries have internet access and other reading material that may be helpful. Students should be responsible for seeking help and asking questions.
Native American Indian Museum Project
Supporting Questions:
Where in New York State did early Native Americans settle and how did the physical features affect their settlements?
How did the early Native Americans in New York State interact with their physical environment to meet their needs?
Long ago around the year 1300, many groups of Native Americans settled in the Eastern Woodlands of what is now called New York State. The Algonquian (Algonkian) inhabited some of the parts of the Eastern Woodlands that we now know as the Hudson River Valley, New York City, and Long Island. Other Native Americans of the Eastern Woodlands included the Iroquois (or Haudenosaunee). They inhabited parts of Central and Western New York. These first inhabitants explored and named the areas they settled in. They were the first to know the geography, including the physical features (landforms and water bodies), climate, and the natural resources of our great state of New York. The Native Americans made use of the land’s physical features (landforms and water bodies), climate and natural resources. These affected their settlements. The landforms of New York included different regions (areas) with woodlands, mountains, plains, and plateaus, as well as an ocean coast. Forests, fields, hills, valleys, moraines, and drumlins were just a few of the landforms in New York. Water bodies such as the lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, tributaries, and ponds were also found in the Eastern Woodlands of New York.
The climate including the temperature and weather of the four seasons also affected the lives of the Native Americans. Natural resources included plant and animal life found in the Eastern Woodlands. These resources included seeds, berries, and nuts for gathering. They also planted and cared for crops (corn, beans, squash…”The Three Sisters”). They made tools including traps, bows, and arrows for hunting. They hunted or trapped deer, bear, turkey, rabbits and other woodland animals. They fished, learned to cook, and hand-made pottery and clothing. The Native Americans used the natural resources they found in their environment to help meet their needs.
As part of our Social Studies curriculum, our class will make and present a Native American Indian “Museum” project that will describe some type of feature of early Native American life. The project should consist of two parts.
The first part will be a visual-artwork piece. The artwork should represent a feature of Native American life. The artwork should be original, creative, and hand-crafted. The artwork may be presented as a display, diorama, object model/replica, etc. Some suggestions for Native American life features include (but are not limited to): wigwams, totem pole, dream catcher, canoe, long house, clay pot, moccasin, papoose, wampum (beaded design) belt, or a rain stick. Students may use natural materials and/or art supplies. These may include (but are not limited to) tree bark, twigs, stones, string, paint, clay, beads, markers, paper, cardboard, glue, etc.
The second part of the project is a written summary.
The written summary should:
- be written neatly on the paper provided
- be 2-3 paragraphs long (no more)
- have appropriate sentence structure, spelling, grammar, and punctuation
- describe the feature of Early Native American life that was represented in the artwork
- include a response to both supporting questions (see checklist)
Students are encouraged to ask questions and research for the project. Parents may assist their child at home with gathering the necessary materials and supplies. They may also help with actual construction of the visual-artwork piece.
All visual artwork museum pieces and summaries are due Friday, December 4th. We will showcase our projects at our Native American Indian “Museum” at school on Tuesday, December 8th. More information will be sent home about this event.
Native American Indian Museum Project Summary
Written Summary Checklist:
- I have neatly written a 2-3 paragraph summary.
- I have used appropriate sentence structure, spelling, grammar and punctuation.
- I have described the feature of Early Native American Life represented in my visual artwork.
- I have responded to both Supporting Questions:
1. Where in New York State did early Native Americans settle, and how did the physical features affect their settlements?
2. How did the early Native Americans in New York State interact with their physical environment to meet their needs?
Helpful Resources
Information on Haudenosaunee clothing: http://www.tuscaroras.com/graydeer/pages/childrenspage.htm.
Information about Haudenosaunee food and hunting: http://www.haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/foodandfarming.html.
Information about Lenape culture:
http://www.lenapelifeways.org/lenape1.htm
Information about the project: http://www.oneontacsd.org/webpages/vlyall/fourth_grade_social_.cfm
Other resources:
http://www.oneontacsd.org/webpages/vlyall/fourth_grade_social_.cfm
NOTE:
Students are encouraged to use the internet at home, but only with adult supervision.If using the internet at home is not possible, our classroom and school libraries have internet access and other reading material that may be helpful. Students should be responsible for seeking help and asking questions.
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