Plains Native American Tribes Lesson Plan

1. Stretch & pray.

2. Discuss Romans 10:13-15. Quickly discuss some of missionaries to Sioux and show pictures.

3. Show a few pictures of teepees from a book. Point out the designs and colors.

4. Go outside and let children paint the 2 sheets that we will use for our teepee.
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: 2 light colored flat sheets (queen or king size) that you don't want back, poster paints in yellow, blue, red, and brown, paintbrushes of various sizes, and baby wipes/wet wipes

5. Review what we learned about the Woodlands/Northeast and Southeast Tribes.

6. Point out tribes on map. Sing the "Tribes of America" Song: (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!

7. Read Plains tribes section from "Famous Indian Tribes" by William Moyers.

8. Quickly discuss traits of Plains tribes versus Northeast & Southeast tribes.

9. Discuss clothing and significance of feathers. Make headdresses.

a. Give each child one 14" x 1 1/2" rectangles and two 2-inch diameter circles. Let them use markers to color designs on 1 side of one of the rectangles and on one side of each of the circles.
b. As they color those, use a hole punch to punch a hole in both sides of the rectangle so that it will be approximately just past their foreheads on each side.
c. Give each child 2 pieces of yarn. Have them tie one end of each piece of yarn to the holes. (Younger children will need help with this.) Then pass out 6 beads to each child and let them string them on the yarn and then knot off the bottom.
d. Have children glue the circles over each of the punched out holes.
e. Pass out 7 large craft feathers and let them glue them to the back (uncolored) of the rectangle strip. Then pass out the 2 small feathers and have them glue one on each side.
f. Pass out a second rectangle strip and have children glue this over the feathers. It will make the warbonnet more comfortable to wear.
g. Set the warbonnet aside to dry.
h. After children have finished making their war shields (the below activity), staple the rectangle warbonnet so that it forms a circle and will fit on each child's head.

If you are not limited by time, make a more realistic looking headdress by following the directions found at this link.
MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: (per child) 2 pieces of posterboard cut into 14" x 1 1/2" strips, two 2-inch diameter circles cut from posterboard, two pieces of yarn/string each 12 inches in length, hole punch, & stapler
MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: (per child) 7 large craft feathers, 2 small craft feathers, 6 pony/craft beads (2 of each color), hole punch, & stapler

10. Look at pictures of buffalo and quickly discuss buffalo hunts and uses for buffalo.

11. Discuss what war shields would be used for and look at pictures from books. Make War Shields.

Have children use markers to draw animals on the back of a paper plate. Punch 2 holes, one on each side and string some yarn through the holes. String some beads through and tie a feather to each side.

You can see other examples made by children at this link. If you are not limited by time, you can make a more intricate war shield by following the directions
at this link.
MOM 2: YOU WILL NEED: (per child) 1 sturdy paper plate with a hole punched on each side, 2 pieces of string/yarn each 8 inches in length
MOM 3: YOU WILL NEED: (per child) 2 craft feathers, 6 pony/craft beads (2 of each color)

I did briefly mention the use of cradle boards for carrying babies, so I wore my baby today. I used a "modernized" cradle board. If you are not limited by time, you can allow the girls to carry their own babies (baby dolls) by using a shoe box without a lid. Having the girls use hole punches to punch holes on each of the long sides of the box (about 1/2 an inch from where the lid would have gone. Have them wrap some moss (or strips of cloth) around the doll for a diaper and then place the doll in the box. (If the doll is too big for the shoe box, cut off one of the shorter sides.) Use yarn or leather string and thread it across to hold the baby doll in the carrier. You can see a video of this on the website for Konos Curriculum.

12. Discuss how to make a real teepee. Lead the children in setting up the teepee outside.

Tell them to pretend to chop down small trees and pull off the branches. Have six of the children collect a PVC pipe that you already have laying in the yard. Tell them you'd then use sinew to connect the poles at the top. We will use rubber bands. Use a rubber band to attach 3 of the PVC pipes toward the top. Set those up like a tri-pod. Place two of the PVC pipes between the other poles. Attach the tip of one sheet that we painted to the last PVC pipe using a rubber band. Place that PVC pipe between the last gap of the teepee. Wrap the sheet all the way around the teepee and tuck it back inside once you've wrapped it around once. Then tie the second sheet to where you tucked in the first sheet and wrap it around and tie it at the tip. (I would recommend practicing this once ahead of time. It's really easy to do once you've got the hang of it.)

MOM 4: YOU WILL NEED: six 10' long x 1/2" PVC pipes (We purchased them at Lowes. They were about $1.50 each.) and at least 6 strong rubber bands

13. Before letting the children get inside the teepee, discuss teepee etiquette. While children sit inside the teepee, let them eat dried "buffalo" (beef jerky) as one of the moms tells a legend. We re-told "Crazy Horse" by Bruchac without using the book.
MOM 1: YOU WILL NEED: (per child) 1 piece of beef jerky

14. Five minute review on what we learned

For each of the main tribes we studied, my sons and I completed an "Indian Tribe Report" page from this link. This week we did reports on the Sioux and Comanche.

We also completed a missionary report page using the form from this link. This week we did a report on Stephen & Mary Riggs, missionaries to the Dakota/Sioux in the late 1800's using the information we got from "The Adventures of Missionary Heroism." We also did a missionary report on
Henry Benjamin Whipple, missionary to the Dakota/Sioux and champion for their rights in the US, using information we got from Wikipedia.org, Anglicanhistory.org, and Aftononpress.com.

If you would like to make a Lapbook for this lesson, dynamic2moms has created a really nice one you can print off free. Homeschoolshare.com also has a free one based on the book, "Where the Buffaloes Begin."

Konos Curriculum
I 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!