Top Fourteen Books for Native American Studies for Waldorf Grade 3

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I'm a member of The Homeschool Club

I am a Waldorf homeschooling mom and spent this past year, my son's third grade, focusing on several of the recommended courses of study, one of which was Native American studies. What follows are ten books that we used and loved during the year, one of which we are just finishing.

If you are a Waldorf homeschooler, you will love these books, which support the rhythm of our Waldorf way. But even if you are not, but you plan to include a Native American unit, I think you will be delighted with these books.

Waldorf Philosophy

"Waldorf education was developed by the Austria philosopher and metaphysicist Rudolf Steiner in the 1920 and is based around his views on Child development. Steiner believed that the development of children paralleled world history and the development of mankind and tailored the Waldorf school curriculum to compliment that."-Homeschool Learning

"An important aspect of the Waldorf philosophy is that if the curriculum is properly laid out that the children will learn the main concepts on their own. Students are not told the main concepts, but guided to discover them on their own thus stimulating their creativity and higher thinking skills."~~homeschoollearning.com

Native American Spirituality

Animal Medicine

type=textIntro to Animal Medicine

In Native American spirituality, "animal medicine" refers to the empowerment that each animal offers us and is based on the belief that we are all connected to every living thing, to all that is. That we are all family.

As loving family members, animals come to us in spirit, as power animals, and stay for a lifetime, or as spirit animals, and stay for a while. They offer us their strength, their wisdom, their character, their essence.

"Every animal is unique unto itself. Each species has its own characteristics, its own strengths and its own weaknesses. "-Ted Andrews, Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small

In addition to accepting their gifts to us, we can request what we need from them.

"When you call upon the power of an animal, you are asking to be drawn into complete harmony with the strength of that creature's essence. Gaining understanding from these brothers and sisters of the animal kingdom is a healing process, and must be approached with humility and intuitiveness." --Jamie Sams and David Carson, Medicine Card

Keepers of the Animals

Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children

Amazon Price: $18.95 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Keepers of the Animals Teacher's Guide

Keepers of the Animals: Teacher's Guide

Amazon Price: $7.93 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Keepers of the Earth

Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children

Amazon Price: $15.08 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Keepers of the Earth Teacher's Guide

Keepers of the Earth: Teacher's Guide

Amazon Price: $16.06 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Keepers of Life Teacher's Guide

Keepers of the Night

Keepers of the Night: Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children (Keepers of the Earth)

Amazon Price: $138.92 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Native American Gardening

Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects, and Recipes for Families

Amazon Price: $9.34 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

The Medicine Wheel Garden

The Medicine Wheel Garden: Creating Sacred Space for Healing, Celebration, and Tranquillity

Amazon Price: $10.26 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

American Indian Healing Arts

American Indian Healing Arts: Herbs, Rituals, and Remedies for Every Season of Life

Amazon Price: $9.95 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Finding Sanctuary in Nature

Birchbark House

Birchbark House, The

Amazon Price: $5.77 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back

Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back

Amazon Price: $0.34 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

The Earth Under Sky Bear's Feet

The Earth under Sky Bear's Feet

Amazon Price: $3.10 (as of 06/03/2012)Buy Now

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Native American Spirituality

Find Your Power & Spirit Animals

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"To make and activate a simple Medicine Wheel all you have to do is place five rocks, crystals or anything you wish to use from nature in a circle while calling in each of the Spirit Keeper Power Animals. Start in the East, place a stone and visualise Golden Eagle, in the South is Coyote and the West is for Grizzly Bear. The North is for White Buffalo and then place the last stone in the Centre to represent Creator - this can be any animal you wish."-Samantha Britt Williams

Native American Crafts

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More Great Native American Books for Homeschooling

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Waldorf Grade 3 Curriculum

The Nine-Year Change

"Grade Three is typically a time when children go through profound neurological and psychological shifts that occur between 9-10 years of age. We refer to this time as the 'nine year change'."--Toronto Waldorf School

These links are mostly from Waldorf schools but they provide a good guide for Waldorf homeschoolers wanting to know more about the emphases for third grade.
Grade 3 Curriculum
The stories in the Hebrew Scriptures reflect the child's psychological experience. Like Adam and Eve, the children are leaving the paradise of childhood behind and having to go out into the world and discover how to live with other people and with the land. The study of gardening and shelters around the world meets the students' needs to relate concretely how they will make it one day on their own. Farming, gardening, food preparation and house building are a central focus of the curriculum.
Grade 3 | Curriculum | Linden Waldorf School of Nashville
As students in 3rd grade, children recognize themselves as individuals. They begin to see differently, are more critical, and question everything. Their need to experience is met in our curriculum through the study of farming, gardening, food preparation, house building and clothing. They begin to study subjects in blocks of 3-4 week each.
The Waldorf School of Atlanta
Noticeable physiological, psychological and cognitive changes take place in the child this year. The nine/ten year threshold represents a very significant step in self-awareness. Children realize they are separate from their surroundings and meet the world as individuals, often resulting in increased questions, self-doubt and wonder. The curriculum is intended to foster inner security and teach respect for the earth, while helping children to develop a new relationship with their surroundings.
Waldorf School of Orange County - Where Education Comes Alive!
Waldorf School of Orange County is an independent school embracing the Waldorf curriculum that has its wellspring in the spiritual insights of Rudolf Steiner.The nine/ten year threshold represents a very significant step in self-awareness. Children realize they are separate from their surroundings and meet the world as individuals, often resulting in increased questions, self-doubt and wonder.
A process begins to unfold through which the child experiences, with increasing strength, a sense of objectivity alongside growing subjectivity. Subjective inner experiences and objective world reality stand at odds within the child's soul. Questioning, doubt, aloneness and a dawning tendency to criticize are emergent feature in the child's psychological landscape.
Curriculum, Third Grade :: Eugene Waldorf School
Quickened physical growth takes place during this transition period in which the age of dream is passing and a new age is beginning to dawn for the children. Now there is a shifting emphasis as the child's relation to the world around her changes: to the extent to which the child feels separate from the world she seeks knowledge of it and her studies will now have a more realistic, practical character.

"The Grade 3 curriculum brings a healing element to the psychological uncertainty the child feels at this time by teaching many practical life skills. These skills reassure the children that they will be able to take care of themselves one day."~~Toronto Waldorf School

Waldorf homeschool blogs

Welcome to A Little Garden Flower & Waldorf Essentials
This is the business blog for A Little Garden Flower dot com. We write homeschooling guides for those on the Waldorf journey. The blog is dedicated to being our newsletter for us to reach customers and homeschooling families worldwide.
Waldorf Curriculum
This is a very informal page with my personal notes as to how homeschooling is going for my family.
Dreaming in Green
Grab yourself a cup of tea and enjoy. I'm a 38 year old country living, homeschooling mama. I run a small herbal school out of our farm house. We spend our summer days growing medicinal plants and making medicine. I also love crafting...most anything.

Comments on my page?

Thanks for reading!

  • EverythingMouse May 27, 2010 @ 6:05 pm | delete
    A great resource
  • IntuitiveHealer May 27, 2010 @ 8:23 pm | delete
    Thank you! I was hoping it would be. ~~Jeanine
  • sandyspider May 26, 2010 @ 3:09 pm | delete
    Nice selection.
  • IntuitiveHealer May 27, 2010 @ 8:22 pm | delete
    Thanks, Sandy!! I *love* these books! I wish we could do third grade again ( and I'm already looking for ways to use Native American resources for 4th). ~~Jeanine
  • IntuitiveHealer May 27, 2010 @ 8:22 pm | delete
    Thanks, Sandy!! I *love* these books! I wish we could do third grade again ( and I'm already looking for ways to use Native American resources for 4th). ~~Jeanine

P.S. What is The Homeschool Club?

THE HOMESCHOOL CLUB is real parents and kids sharing their best resources for great homeschooling. Each day we celebrate learning by opening doors to a world of creativity, knowledge and discovery. In the car, at the kitchen sink, and down by the frog pond - the whole world is our classroom and we explore it with creative projects, games, and activities. This club is a place to share, organize, and discuss how and what we learn in the world. Make a free page to tell your own homeschooling story and share your favorite resources. We can't wait to hear from you!

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IntuitiveHealer

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