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This year, Thanksgiving Day, the fourth Thursday of the month, gets here in a hurry—November 22nd to be exact! As y’all plan Thanksgiving-related activities and celebrations, I’m wondering how you respectfully acknowledge the contributions of early Native Americans. What kinds of activities do you plan? What steps do you take to ensure young children are not left with stereotypical thoughts or images? Please share!
Thoughtfully, |
I teach 3 different pre-school levels: 2 yrs. 3 yrs. and 4 yrs. I teach English at the French Academy of Bilingual Culture (FABC)in New Jersey.
first, i make sure that we use the words Native Americans NOT Indians and I explain the difference to the 4 yrs. olds.
as far as activities, with my 4 we read: Giving Thanks: a Native American Good Morning Message by Chief Jake Swamp and we weave a placemat with construction paper then I laminate for the children to actually use. we also do a worksheet Then and Now where we sort housing, clothing, and tools(from mailbox). we also create Native American names for ourselves based on something we can do very well or something that is distinctive about us (ex: Fast Runner, Flower Girl, Great Frickles…)
with my 3, we read: What is Thanksgiving? (can’t remember the author) and we do collages, and sort foods, and taste cranberries (jellied and juice) and we do a patterning activity by making native american headbands to wear at lunch and a vest (made with large brown paper bag) where we glue our favorite food from magazines.
I have yet to find an appropriate Thanksgiving activity for my 2, so we just focus on food where we taste sweet potatoes (they help mashing them), small corn on the cob, and cranberries.
thanks for sharing your ideas, Line!!
I was wondering if there was any preschool issue with a section on Native Americans from previous years. I live close to a teachers’ college, which keeps years of Mailbox Magazine on its shelves. I would really love to look at any preschool level issue from years past that deals with Native Americans.
Amy, I can’t recall a specific thematic unit about Native Americans in past issues of the preschool edition The Mailbox. However by checking out the October/November issues of the magazine I feel certain you’ll find timely ideas within the different departments that you can use!
I do NOT understand why American Indians are referred to as Native Americans. Is not a Native American someone born here in America? This is the most ridiculous political correct term I have ever heard of. I am NOT an American Indian, but I AM a 2nd generation Native American.
If you speak to American Indians, many refer to themselves as such. My children will learn of the wonderful history of the AMERICAN INDIANS, as all of my children are Native Americans.