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)

Lois Lewis
Education World®
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