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Celebrate
Native American Heritage

November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. Education World offers 12 lessons to help students learn about Native American history and cultures. Included: Activities that involve students in dramatizing folktales, learning new words, preparing traditional foods, and much more!

How did National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month get started? A brief time line illustrates some of the key events on the way to that designation:

• At the turn of the 20th century, people began making proposals for a day to honor Native Americans.
• In 1914, Red Fox James, a member of the Blackfoot tribe, rode horseback from state to state in the hope of gaining support for a day of tribute.
• The following year, Dr. Arthur C. Parker, a member of the Seneca tribe, persuaded the Boy Scouts of America to designate a day of recognition for Native Americans.
• New York was the first state to observe American Indian Day in 1916. Over the years, other states followed suit in designating a day to honor Native Americans.
• In 1976, Jerry Elliott (High Eagle of the Cherokee/Osage tribe) authored congressional legislation that was signed by President Gerald R. Ford. The legislation declared the week of October 10-16, 1976, as Native American Awareness Week. Elliott served as national chairperson of the event.
• The celebration was expanded to a month in 1990.

Education World offers a dozen activities to help teachers celebrate and study Native American traditions and cultures! A brief description of each activity is provided below. Click any headline for a complete teaching resource!

Dramatizing Folktales, Legends, and Myths
Students read and act out folktales from a variety of Native American cultures. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

By the Numbers
Students learn about the populations of Native Americans in different states and practice reading a table. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

Native American Recipes
Help students follow recipes to prepare foods that are popular in some Native American cultures. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

What's in a Name?
Students learn the origins of the names of U.S. states, focusing on names that were derived from Native American words. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Code Talkers
Students learn about the Navajo code talkers and have fun using a Navajo code talkers' dictionary to create and decode secret messages! (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Native American Misconceptions
Highlight American Indian stereotypes in students' drawings of an Indian child at home. (Grades Pre-K, K-2, 3-5)

Ball and Triangle Game
Students create a modern-day version of a game that was popular among some Indian children. (Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8)

Design a Navajo Rug -- A Lesson in Symmetry
This extensive lesson explores different types of Navajo rug designs. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

Native American Glossary
Help students create a glossary of words used in the English language that have Native American origins. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

Oral Histories
Students interview local Native Americans to learn about their history, culture, and contributions to the region. (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)

Fun With Numbers
Students write the Lakota Sioux words for number sentences. (Grades 3-5)

Native American Word Search
Students search this puzzle for the names of 20 of the most populous Native American groups in the United States today. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

ADDITIONAL RESOURCE

Native Americans and Other Indigenous Peoples
Social studies curriculum links from the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools.

Read More About It! Don't miss Education World's special Native American theme page and our Thanksgiving theme page!

Lois Lewis
Education World®
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