Native American Powwow and Field Trip Ideas
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Native American Unit Study: Powwow and Field Trip Ideas
After our 4 week unit study on Native Americans, our culminating activity was a powwow. Each child presented on a different tribe and brought food from that tribe for us to share. I am also including where we went for field trips during this unit.
My lessons are geared toward 3rd-4th grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 ½ hours and have 17 children between the ages of 1-13. Even if you're not meeting with a co-op, you can still use these fun lessons with your family or classroom!
If you'd like more information on how you can start your own homeschool co-op or if you're curious how I operate my co-op, check out my lens: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op.
My lessons are geared toward 3rd-4th grade level children and their siblings. These are lessons I created to do with a weekly homeschool co-op. We meet each week for 2 ½ hours and have 17 children between the ages of 1-13. Even if you're not meeting with a co-op, you can still use these fun lessons with your family or classroom!
If you'd like more information on how you can start your own homeschool co-op or if you're curious how I operate my co-op, check out my lens: How to Start a Homeschool Co-op.
Order of Powwow Events
1) Feast around the campfire2) Tribe Presenations
3) Song
Our powwow was our culminating activity for our 4 week hands-on unit on Native Americans. Children dressed as members from various tribes and brought along reports, paintings, house replicas, and more to help them as they presented on their assigned tribe. They also brought food from their tribe. We feasted around a campfire surrounded by our teepee totem poles. When the moon came out, children began telling their "legends" (tribal report presentations) followed by a friendship song (our Native American Tribes song).
Tribe Assignment
Our evening Powwow will be from 6:30-8:30PM on Friday. Please have each of your children dress up and be prepared to give a report on his/her tribe. Please also bring a food item similar to something that tribe may have eaten. If you have one child, please bring at least a main dish. If you have multiple children, please bring at least one main dish and the rest can be main dishes, side dishes, bread, or desserts. If desired, you can also make an example of your tribe's house and/or a craft.This will be an outdoor event, so please bring camping chairs and/or blankets.
Each child was assigned one of the below tribes or tribal groups:Iroquois
Algonquian
Cherokee
Seminole
Sioux
Comanche
Pomo
Nez Perce
Tlingit (Northwest Coast)
Inuit/Eskimo
Apache
Pueblo
Navajo
Hopi
Helpful Links for Reports
The links may be helpful as your children prepare their reports and costumes:Examples of student reports and homemade costumes
Easy printable Tribe Report form for children to fill out
Drawings of clothing from each tribe
Information about each tribe
Information about each tribe
Photographs of each tribe
Food & Recipe Ideas
Our menu consisted of Iroquois rice, Algonquian fruit and nut salad, Powhatan deer and potato stew, Wampanoag corn casserole, Seminole Hominy and Chicken Stew, Cherokee Pepper Pot Soup, Seminole Cabbage and Wild Boar (bacon), Sioux Pemmican, Pueblo Popcorn, Apache Sunflower Cakes with Wild Dessert Fruit Jelly, Nez Perce Salmon with Wild Greens, Nez Perce Imitation Sweetened Dough Root (marshmallows), Inuit Sour Dough Bread, and Sweetened Aztec Xocoatl Bars (brownies).Here are some links filled with authentic recipes to inspire you:
Native Recipes
Native American Recipes from ocbtracker.com
Native American Recipes from pgsuite.com
Native Tech: Indigenous Food & Traditional Recipes
Native American Recipes from Food.com
Native American Recipes Using Commodity Foods
Many Recipe Links
Field Trip Ideas
During this unit our family took many field trips. We visited our local Museum of Science and History, Museum of Natural History , and State Museum of History to see their exhibits on our state's Native American Tribes. We also visited our local Spanish mission, Indian Mounds, and Historic National Preserve. Native American Tribes Song
After the children gave their individual reports, they sang the Native American Tribes Song that we've been learning during this unit. The youngest children accompanied us on homemade drums."Tribes of America" (tune "10 Little Indians")
Eastern Woodlands/
Northeast, Southeast:
Iroquois, Algonquian,
Seminole/Creek & Cherokee
All lived in the East
Blackfoot, Lakota, Sioux, and Comanche
Cheyenne, Crow, and Pawnee
All hunted buffalo on the plains.
They are the Plains tribes!
On the Plateau-Basin is the Nez Perce
And Sacajawea's Shoshoni.
Head to the Northwest to find the Haida
And the Inuit.
Pueblo (Hopi and the Zuni),
Apache and Navajo,
Housed in adobe in the desert
Wow, those Southwest tribes!
One little, two little, one-hundred little native tribes,
Covering the expanse of our land,
All created in God's image
They are Native Americans.
Lessons in My Native Americans Unit
Konos Curriculum
Would you like to teach this way every day?
Konos CurriculumI use Konos Curriculum as a springboard from which to plan my lessons. It's a wonderful curriculum and was created by moms with active boys!
Konos Home School Mentor
If you're new to homeschooling or in need of some fresh guidance, I highly recommend Konos' HomeSchoolMentor.com program! Watch videos on-line of what to do each day and how to teach it in this great hands-on format!
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by iijuan12
I was an 8th Grade American History teacher and now I am a homeschooling mom of 5. I love finding activities that appeal to kinestic learners, storybo... more »
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Indian Choker Child (One Size)
Amazon Price: $2.50 (as of 06/03/2012)
This is a great costume piece at a great price!
Pow Wow Songs: Music of the Plains Indians
Amazon Price: $12.15 (as of 06/03/2012)
This is a great CD to play while you eat!
