Kindergarten Native Americans Lessons: Monday

In this installment of the harvest lesson plan series, the class will be study about Native Americans (the Indian Nation or People) and their contribution to the first Thanksgiving. The story of the first Thanksgiving can beyond the Kindergarten children when presented in a "history lesson" style that includes names, dates and events. As important as those facts are to the history of America, Kindergarten children will have the next 12 years of their schooling to learn those things.

For now, in this lesson, we will learn about the fun things that the pilgrims and Indians did. Here are some things that you will need for today's lesson:

• Colored photos of Native Americans (these photos can be found in picture books located in your local library)

• Brown construction paper

• Assorted colors of construction paper, cut into the shape of feathers

• 3 ft. yarn pieces or shoe strings

• Colored tiles

• Small bowls or tubs

Show photos of the Indian People.

Explain to the children that Native Americans lived in North America long before the Pilgrims came.

Explain that Indian People lived in villages, in homes that differed in each area. Indian People from the east lived in wigwams, Indian People from the west lived in homes made of bricks of dried mud called adobe. (Show pictures of different styles of Indian Nation homes.)

Using a map of the United States, point out to the children where the "East" is and where the first Thanksgiving took place.

Tile Count-counting by tens

Provide a dish or tub.

Instruct children to create pattern with the colored tiles.

Teach children to count by ten's.

Discuss the differences between the Native American Indians who lived in various places around America.

Examine the map of the U.S.

Where did they hunt?

Where did they fish?

What did they live in?

What did they eat?

Write all of the words and terms on a chart for discussion in a later lesson.

Keep the map of the United States available for the children to view at their leisure.

Little Indian by Peggy Parish

Let's Find Out About Thanksgiving by Martha and Charles Shapp