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Plants
Have students pick one plant that the Native Americans used for food (teas, maple syrup, etc.), medicine, religious purposes, dyes, clothing, tools, etc. Have students demostrate how the Native Americans used this plant during the presentation. Some helpful sites are as follows:
Plants that are used to Make Teas
Traditional Herbal & Plant Knowledge Identification
2. How did the Naive American measure the height of a tree?
Simple Machines
Have students choose a tool used by Native Americans and demonstrate how the Native Americans used it. Some suggestions of tools are listed below. Investigate each tool to see if simple machines are "hidden" in them.
canoes oars
travois hoes, gardening tools looms seed beaters arrows, bows, spears animal scrapers, skinning frames games pieces such as lacrosse playing sticks, etc
Food Preservation
Have students demonstrate ways Native Americans preserved food.
Dehydration
Salt
Sugar
Acid
Smoking
Conservation
Compare one room in your house to a room in a Native American home. Describe furnishings including beds, utensils, lighting, storage, etc. of both rooms.
Compare a typical day in your life to a typical day in the life on a Native American. What items do you use? How does this compare to the items a Native American would have used?
Have students show how each part of an animal was used by the Native American. Suggested animals:
buffalo
elk
deer
moose
bear
Astronomy
How did Native Americans use the sky for:
determining the seasons? |
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planting? |
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traveling? |
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time of day? |
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everyday life? |