Journeying into History

Social studies came to life for fifth graders at Bellmore’s Shore Road School as Journeys into American Indian Territory, an organization that specializes in teaching students about Native American traditions, visited the school.
    
During the two-day program, the students were given the opportunity to explore a museum of Native American artifacts. Some of the many interesting objects on display included clothing, tools, and a full-sized family tipi. The organization also conducted various activities including storytelling, native games, arts and crafts, and songs and dances, which provided students with first-hand experiences that reflected the depth of tribal history.
    
As a culminating event, the students in each fifth-grade class participated in their own vision quest, a turning point in a young Native American’s life taken to find oneself and one’s intended spiritual and life direction. During their quest, the students pictured themselves in a forest surrounded only by nature. Following their quest, the fifth graders created a shield craft using paper plates in place of shields, Q-tips in place of buffalo bones, and paint to depict what they experienced on their individual quests.

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