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Perspectives

The Seasons of Thanks

Northeast Native American Perspectives through Stories

Grade Level : 3

Objectives

  • Children will understand the Native American cyclical concept of time
  • Children will understand the Native American concept of many thanksgivings
  • To combat negative stereotypes about Native Americans
  • To explore some Northeast nation's perspectives of history and culture
  • To explore the seasonal feasts where Northeastern Native people give thanks

Vocabulary

The following are words and terms that children will encounter during the unit. Some are used only in the Wampanoag/Algonquin language group.

Wampanoag--people of the morning light or dawn.

regalia--decorative clothing worn for ceremonies

Quaqusquan--the summer season

Taquonk-- the fall or autumn season

Weachimin--corn

Kiehtan--the creator

Papone-- the winter season

Sequan- the spring season

cycle- a series of events that happen one after another in the same order.

environment-- surrounding in which a person, plant, or animal lives

nature--the physical universe; all things not made by humans

Nickommoh-- the celebration of giving away

Thanksgiving-- a celebration where people give thanks for what they have

Spirit-- a supernatural being that lives in a person or a thing

Powwow--an old term for medicine man, now used to name a large group or gathering.

Sachem-- a chief or spiritual leader of a group or tribe. (Sometimes a political leader)

 Pre-assessment

Prepare an K-W-L chart for use throughout the unit. Ask children to explain what "Thanksgiving" is. List their answers, including any misconceptions. Display the chart during each lesson in the unit. At the end of each lesson, ask children if they have had their questions answered or if they can discard or change any thing they previously listed.

Reading

Sequan-Quaqusqan/ Spring or Summer

Giving Thanks by Chief Jake Swamp

 

For what are we thankful? Why do we say thanks? This beautiful book is an actual good morning address that details the parts of nature that everyone should take the time to give thanks.

Activity

#1 Make Giving Thanks Posters:
In a large group setting, read and share the book with the children. Discuss the illustrations and the details of each page.

Materials:

  • 11 x 17 inch white paper. 
  • multi-colored construction paper, cut into various sizes
  • glue 
  • scissors 
  • pencils
  • rulers 

Procedure:

  1. List the various things that were mentioned in the book for which to be thankful (see list).
  2. Pass out the 11 x 17" white paper. Ask the children to fold it in half. 
  3. Use rulers to draw lines for writing on half of the page. 
  4. Ask children to cut the construction paper into 1 inch strips. 
  5. Have the children paste the strips creating a nature scene.
  6. The scene can be from the book or a made up by the children. 
  7. Check to make sure that children include natural details, such as trees, grass, sun etc... 

As the children are working, circulate to help those who need assistance. You may find it helpful to have Northern Native American flute music playing in the background. It is also helpful to have the construction paper cut into a variety of sizes. The finished products could be displayed on a bulletin board or put into a book format for children to enjoy later.

Reading

 Autumn/Taquonk

Circle of Thanks: Poems and Songs of Thanksgiving retold by Joseph Bruchac

Nature gives us the sun, earth, moon, stars and many other things for which to be thankful. We could not survive without the help of the gifts that the creator provides. This book of prose poems from various Native groups shows us some of the ways to say thank you for all these gifts

Activities

#2 Making Circle of Thanks Poems
Read aloud and discuss at least two of the poems in this book. Create a poem based on Circle of Thanks using words from the Micmac of the Northeast Coast. Two of the most relevant poems to use are Circle of Thanks and Thanks to Mother Earth.

Materials:

  • planning sheet
  • pencils
  • Native American flute music tape

Procedure:

  1. Read aloud first two poems in the book
  2. Ask children to brainstorm list of natural things mentioned in both poems.
  3. discuss elements used in poems such as repetition, personification, assonance, and rhythm.
  4. Create a class poem using the brainstorm list and display it on the board.
  5. Give each child a copy of the worksheet.
  6. Ask them to create a poem based on things that they personally appreciate in the natural world.
  7. Once children have filled in the sheet, edit them for spelling and content.
  8. Have children present the final drafts to their classmates.

#3 Drawing A Nature Scene
Children work in small groups or as individuals, using concepts from Murv Jacob's illustrations, to show what in nature is beautiful to them.

Materials:

  • markers
  • multi-colored construction paper
  • 8 1/2 x 11 pieces of heavy, white paper
  • crayons
  • overhead slides of the pictures from the book or photocopies of the pages containing some pictures to show as models

Procedure:

  1. Ask children to share the various slides or photocopies of pictures in the book. For example: the sun, stars, wind, and the moon.
  2. Ask each child to draw a picture using the dots, swirls, and patterns like the illustrations in the book.
  3. Make sure the children fill the page so that there are no empty spaces.
  4. Use the crayons to go over the marker drawings.
  5. Mount on construction paper for display in the classroom or in the hallway.

Reading

 Winter/Papone

Nickommoh!: A Thanksgiving Celebration by Jackie French Koller

Did you know that you can celebrate Thanksgiving at any time of the year? Thanksgiving is an American term popularized after the 1930's. Nickommoh! celebrates the season of winter through a festive prose poem describing this tradition of the Narragansett Wampanoag

Activities

# 4 Group Discussion
Discuss the concept of giving away one's wealth to help others. Children and teachers make comparisons between the Native American feast of giving to others and other winter holiday traditions.

Materials:

Procedure:

  1. Give each child or small group a copy of the questions for discussion.
  2. Assign partners or have children pair up.
  3. Ask them to think of possible answers and share ideas with their partner.
  4. Come back together as a large group.
  5. Share each group's answer to the questions.
  6. Discuss any differing opinions.

#5 Class Nickommoh Feast (Week long project)

Procedure:

  1. Designate a day as Nickommoh Feast Day.
  2. Ask children to make something that they would like to receive as a gift for an exchange : For example: friendship bracelet, model plane, or an origami animal.
  3. Have children gather in a circle to retell the story from Nickommoh!
  4. Gather in the circle in class after retelling the story in the book.
  5. Have each child exchange a gift with another child.
  6. Sing a friendship song suggested by the music teacher or the school song as a group.
    (This idea could be extended as a community service project for the whole class. See if the children are able to make and send a small friendship gift to another class, children's hospital ward, or nursing home.)

Reading

 Summer/Quaqusquan- Green Corn Thanksgiving

Corn Is Maize: the Gift of the Indians by Aliki

Corn has always been a very important part of Native American life. It is a food staple and life-sustaining crop of many uses. This book explores the legend of how Native people were the first to use corn and its many products in different ways.

Activities

#6 Book Discussion and Brainstorm
Discuss the corn plant and its significance to Native Peoples of the Northeast. Discuss the parts that people used and what they used it for.

Materials:

  • Book
  • Black board, white board, or chart paper
  • Dry erase markers, markers, or chalk

Procedure:

  1. After reading the book with the whole group, discuss what corn or maize is used for in the book.
  2. Ask children to brainstorm the many ways we use corn today.
  3. Ask children to think of some ways people might never think of using corn and corn products.
  4. As a whole group, generate a list of corn products we use. For Example: corn oil, popcorn, tortillas, chips, corn cereal, ethanol, etc. S ave the brainstorm for later comparisons

#7 Web Research and Comparison
Use two websites to compare and brainstorm uses for corn and corn products. See how many of the brainstorm ideas are also on the websites.

Materials:

Procedure:

  1. Give each child or small group a copy of the questions for discussion.
  2. Ask them to answer the questions in short, written sentences.
  3. Come back together as a large group.
  4. Share each group's answer to the questions
  5. Discuss any differing opinions
Websites

Celebrations: A lesson plan for the book Strawberry Thanksgiving. [Utah State Department of Education]

How Indian Corn Came Into the World : Legend of the Indian Corn. [Friends of the Rouge River Watershed Association]

All About Corn: [Ohio Corn Marketing Program] Kids activities are also available at this site, including readings comprehsion, math, science and geography activities related to corn.

Teaching About Thanksgiving: Lesson plans that look at the traditional Thanksgiving Holiday from a new perspective and discusses how to avoid old stereotypes. [Center of World Indigenous Studies]

Wamponoag History: Extensive background information on this tribe with links to Abenaki, Mohican, Massachuset, Narragansett, and Nipmuc Tribes. [First Nations Compact Histories]

The Wapanoag:People of the First Light : Teacher resources on Native American History and Culture. [Boston Children's Museum]

We're Still Here: Take a virtual field trip through the Boston Children's Museum Exhibit

Booklist

The Children of the Morning Light : Wampanoag tales as told by Manitonquat (Medicine Story). Fourteen poems with themes of thanksgiving and appreciation of nature, based in part on traditional Native American songs and prayers.Macmillan, 1994. (398.2)

Circle of Thanks by Joseph Bruchac. Fourteen poems with themes of thanksgiving and appreciation of nature, based in part on traditional Native American songs and prayers. Bridgewater Books, 1996. (811.54)

 Corn is Maize: the Gift of the Indians by Aliki. A simple description of how corn was discovered and used by the Indians and how it came to be an important food throughout the world. Crowell, c1982. (633)

 Cranberry : Fruit of the Bog by Diane L. Burns. Photographs of the process of growing and harvesting cranberries. Carolrhoda Books, c1994. (634.76) 

Giving Thanks : a Native American Message by Chief Jake Swamp. This story is based on the "Thanksgiving address," a Native American message of peace and thankfulness for all the blessings of the earth. Lee & Low, 1997.(299.74)

Ininatig's Gift of Sugar : Traditional Native Sugarmaking by Laura Waterman Wittistick. Describes how Indians have relied on the sugar maple tree for food and tells how an Anishinabe Indian in Minnesota continues his people's traditions by teaching students to tap the trees and make maple sugar. Lerner Publications, 1993. (338.1)

Nickommoh: a Thanksgiving Celebration by Marcia Sewall. Describes a typical Narragansett Nickommoh, or harvest celebration, as it has been performed since before the arrival of the first Pilgrims in New England. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1999. (394 )

Powwow by Jacqueline Dembar Greene. A day in the life of a young boy at a Native American powwow. Franklin Watts, 1999. (394) 

Strawberry Thanksgiving by Paulla Jennings. Encourages awareness and appreciation of Native American cultures. Modern Curriculum Press, 1992. (394)

Thirteen Moons on Turtles Back by Joseph Bruchac. Celebrates the seasons of the year through poems from the legends of such Native Tribes as Winnebago, Micmac, and Huron. Philomel, 1992. (811.54)