native american exploration

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Task 1: country

Looking at our country, we can break the land up into different areas where the first Native Americans lived. With the help of your troop leader, label the culture areas below.

The first people that lived on this land we call the United States of America lived a much different life than most of us do today. As we explore their customs and traditions, put yourself in their moccasins and think if you would have enjoyed survival in those first days.

To earn the Native American Exploration emblem, you must complete FOUR tasks.

Word Bank

Northwest Coast

Eastern Woodlands

Arctic

Californian - Intermountain

Southwest

Plains

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Task 2: tribe

Each of the areas across our country were made up of many tribes. A tribe is a group of people or families that live together or close by each other. They all have things in common such as food choices, work, religion, and language. List 10 Native American tribes below.

1. _________________________

2. _________________________

3. _________________________

4. _________________________

5. _________________________

6. _________________________

7. _________________________

8. _________________________

9. _________________________

10. _________________________

Now think about where you live. Who lives in your home? Who are the people that live around you that you spend the most time with? List people in your “tribe” below:

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Task 3: housing

In early history, Native Americans lived in a variety of dwellings. Create one of the projects provided by your leader to resemble a housing option that would have been used by the Native Americans. Take a picture of your project for your Explorer notebook.

LonghousesThese structures were seen mostly in the Northwest Native Americans. They were built of long poles of cedar. There was a small hole in the center of the roof to allow smoke to escape from the fire inside. Many people could share the home. Make a model of a long house.

Materials• Long pretzel rods

• Graham crackers

• Icing

InstructionsUse the icing as mud to stack the pretzels to make the walls. Use the graham crackers for your roof. Don’t forget to leave space for the smoke to filter out.

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TepeesThese dwellings common in the Great Plains were used by the Native Americans who traveled following and searching for food. They were portable dwellings. That means they could be taken down and carried easily from place to place. It was usually made of animal skins and long poles.

Materials• Brown paper bag

• Crayons

• Yarn

• Scissors

InstructionsDraw designs on the paper bag. Using your scissors, cut strips three inches deep and one-half inch apart around the top of your bag Draw a triangle or half circle at the bottom of your bag front to be the door. Cut across the bottom and one side so your door will open. Open up the bag. Gather the top where the bag has been fringed. Tie a piece of yarn around the gathering.

PueblosThese homes were built using adobe mud, stone, and other materials that the Native Americans could find in the area. They were like our modern day apartments because homes were often stacked on top of each other or connected side by side.

Materials• Popsicle sticks or small twigs

• Clay or salt dough

• Glue

InstructionsUse your sticks to form a ladder. Glue the pieces together and set aside to dry. Form the clay into a large cube and another cube half the size. Use a popsicle stick or pencil to form doors and windows into the cubes. Stack the small cube on top of the larger one. Add the ladder to your building.

Now draw a picture of the kind of home you live in. Is it an apartment, loft, studio, house, cabin? Show details in your picture.

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Task 4: traditions

The cultures across this land in early Native American days had different forms of celebrations, religion, languages, and lifestyles. One group, the Northwest Native Americans, had a large amount of resources. There were many food sources and abundant building supplies.

They developed many traditions during their free time to show how they valued and celebrated life. One example is that they built totem poles. Totem poles were carvings of animal spirits arranged in a tall column or pole. They often told stories of a hunt or event that happened in the tribe.

Add details to the boxes to make your own totem pole.

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Task 5: food

Where the Native Americans settled determined their sources of food.

Hunting and GatheringThese people moved around often. They would follow the animals that they hunted from area to area. When they settled in a new area, they would gather vegetation, berries, and nuts that grew around them.

FarmingSome tribes who lived in permanent homes learned to work the ground and grow crops.

FishingGroups that lived by waterways and oceans would fish and harvest food from the waters such as salmon, other fish, oysters, mussels, whale, and more.

Many tribes would have celebrations at certain times during the year or after a great hunt. Read and prepare the recipes below with your troop, or you can research and prepare other Native American foods.

Blueberry soupIngredients

• 3 cups of berries

• 1⁄4 cup of sugar

• Water to cover berries

Directions

1. Put your berries in a pot and cover with water.

2. Bring the water to a boil for three to four minutes.

3. Little by little, add the sugar while you are stirring the soup.

4. Serve warm.

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Fry Breadingredients

• 2 cups flour

• 1⁄2 tsp. salt

• 1 Tbsp. baking powder

• 2 Tbsps. powdered milk

• 3⁄4 cup water

• Oil

• Honey (optional)

Directions

1. Mix flour, baking powder, powdered milk, and salt. Add water until mixture becomes a dough.

2. Cover with a towel for 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle flour on the counter surface and place dough on the area. Pull off egg-sized sections of dough and pat them into flat pieces of bread.

4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Place cakes in oil and cook two minutes on each side. Remove from oil to a tray lined with paper towels.

5. Serve with honey for dipping; enjoy it as a side for soups, or all by itself.

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Task 6: writing

Communication for the Native Americans was not as easy as it is for us today. However, they did have symbols that stood for typical things that happened in their life. Below are a few symbols that have been found. Use the symbols below in a story you write. Instead of writing the word, replace the word with the picture.

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Task 7: local

Before settlers came to this country, Native Americans lived in areas across this land. With your troop, research what tribes lived in your area. How did they live? What foods did they eat? What traditions did they have?

Three things I learned about the Native Americans that lived in my area:

1. _________________________________________________________

2. _________________________________________________________

3. _________________________________________________________

Task 8: tour

If there is a museum or reconstructed village in your area that shares information about Native Americans, visit it with your troop.

Where we visited: _________________________________

Date: __________________

bible time

Leader’s or Resource Person’s Signature

Date Completed

Emblem Completion

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ON TARGET!What can you do to help out at your corps? There are jobs big and small that need to be completed so that the working of the body of Christ can move forward and be successful in sharing Jesus’s love. Ask the corps officer or pastor today how you can help.

1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV

“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”

reach for the stars

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Date Completed

Leader’s or Resource Person’s Signature

Star Completion

To complete the Reach for the Stars project, finish one of the choices below.

The Native Americans traveled around this land without the conveniences we have today of cars, bikes, planes, and trains. One way they would get from area to area was canoes. Go on a canoe ride. There may be a tour or rental near you. Never go on a trip like this without a supervising adult!

– OR –

Read a book or watch a movie about “The Trail of Tears.” This story is a sad part of our history as a country, but it is important to know our past so it is not repeated. Share with your leader what you learned.

leader resourcenative american exploration

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Task 1: country

Label the areas on the map with your explorers.

There are many tribes that lived on the land that we today call the United States of America. Before you teach this lesson, research which tribes lived in your area. Below, you will find a short list of some of the tribes that lived in the U.S.

Eastern Woodlands: Timucuan, Natchez, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, Powhatan, Illinois, Shawnee, Delaware, Narraganset, Iroquois, Wampanoag

Plains: Comanche, Osage, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow, Dakota, Blackfoot

Northwest Coast: Inuit, Chinook, Tillamook, Eskimos

Intermountain: Nez Perce, Paitue, Pomo, Ute, Tillamook

Southwest: Navajo, Hopi, Zuni, Anasazi

Arctic: Aluet, Eskimo, Ingaliks, Tanainas, Kutchins

Task 2: tribe

To complete the Native American Exploration emblem, Explorers must complete FOUR tasks.

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Task 3: housing

Provide supplies for the Explorers to create a Native American home. There are three choices in the Explorer Handbook, but feel free to make a different model if it works for your troop.

LonghousesThese structures were seen mostly in the Northwest Native Americans. They were built of long poles of cedar. There was a small hole in the center of the roof to allow smoke to escape from the fire inside. Many people could share the home. Make a model of a long house.

Materials• Long pretzel rods

• Graham crackers

• Icing

InstructionsUse the icing as mud to stack the pretzels to make the walls. Use the graham crackers for your roof. Don’t forget to leave space for the smoke to filter out.

TepeesThese dwellings common in the Great Plains were used by the Native Americans that traveled following and searching for food. They were portable dwellings. That means they could be taken down and carried easily from place to place. It was usually made of animal skins and long poles.

Materials• Brown paper bag

• Crayons

Talk with your troop about the people that are around them that they spend the most time with daily. The case may be that they only really know about the people living in their home, but others may feel like all the people at their church are close, or all the families that live on their street. If we made tribes today, who would be in yours?

Online Resources:http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-tribelist.html

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• Yarn

• Scissors

InstructionsDraw designs on the paper bag. Using your scissors, cut strips around the top of your bag three inches deep and one-half inch apart. Draw a triangle or half circle at the bottom of your bag front to be the door. Cut across the bottom and one side so your door will open. Open up the bag. Gather the top where the bag has been fringed. Tie a piece of yarn around the gathering.

PueblosThese homes were built using adobe mud, stone, and other materials that the Native Americans could find in the area. They were like our modern day apartments because homes were often stacked on top of each other or connected side by side.

Materials• Popsicle sticks or small twigs

• Clay or salt dough

• Glue

InstructionsUse your sticks to form a ladder. Glue the pieces together and set aside to dry. Form the clay into a large cube and another cube half the size. Use a popsicle stick or pencil to form doors and windows into the cubes. Stack the small cube on top of the larger one. Add the ladder to your building.

Following the model making, discuss with the Explorers their different homes. Give them time to draw a picture of their home in the box provided in the Explorer Handbook.

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Task 4: traditions

You may want to research traditions of Native Americans that lived in your area. The tradition that is focused on in the Explorer Handbook is from the Northwest/Intermountain area. Totem poles were very detailed. Often after carving the wood, the Native Americans would decorate the totem poles with colors, shells, and more.

Task 5: food

There are so many recipes that originated from Native American cooking. There are a few in the Explorer Handbook to review or research and find one that works for your troop. You can also just bring in a fresh berry or greens that grow in your area that the gatherers or farmers may have harvested. There are plenty of choices when it comes to the food of Native Americans.

Blueberry soupIngredients

• 3 cups of berries

• 1⁄4 cup of sugar

• Water to cover berries

Directions1. Put your berries in a pot and cover with water.

2. Bring the water to a boil for three to four minutes.

3. Little by little, add the sugar while you are stirring the soup.

4. Serve warm.

Fry BreadIngredients

• 2 cups flour

• 1⁄2 tsp. salt

• 1 Tbsp. baking powder

• 2 Tbsps. powdered milk

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Online Resources:Recipes: http://www.food.com/topic/native-american

Food Information: http://www.tahtonka.com/food.html

Task 6: writing

Looking at history will teach us that Native Americans passed down their stories and legends from generation to generation. Not often did they write out full stories or even have a written language. Many forms that were scratched into walls, vessels, and containers have been collected. There are several in the Explorer Handbook for the boys to review and use. Have them write a story using the pictures in their handbook. It will be a great way to give them time to be creative and learn about Native American culture.

• 3⁄4 cup water

• Oil

• Honey (optional)

Directions1. Mix flour, baking powder, powdered milk, and salt. Add water until mixture becomes a

dough.

2. Cover with a towel for 15 minutes.

3. Sprinkle flour on the counter surface and place dough on the area. Pull off egg-sized sections of dough and pat them into flat pieces of bread.

4. Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Place cakes in oil and cook two minutes on each side. Remove from oil to a tray lined with paper towels.

5. Serve with honey for dipping; enjoy it as a side for soups, or all by itself.

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Task 7: local

Research with the boys what tribes lived close to your area. Learn about their traditions, customs, food, housing, travel, and music. Online resources below have breakdowns of the sections across the land of the continental U.S.

Northwest http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Northwest-Coast-American-Indian-Facts/Northwest-Coast-American-Indian-Facts.shtml

Intermountain/California http://native-american-indian-facts.com/California-American-Indian-Facts/California-American-Indian-Facts.shtml

Great Plains http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Great-Plains-American-Indian-Facts/Great-Plains-American-Indian-Facts.shtml

Woodlands http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Northeast-American-Indian-Facts/Northeast-American-Indian-Facts.shtml

Southwest http://native-american-indian-facts.com/Southwest-American-Indian-Facts/Southwest-American-Indian-Facts.shtml

Task 8: tour

Check your area for museums, centers, or reconstructed villages that would allow your boys to learn more about the Native American life style.

bible time

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Leader Resource: native american exploration - Bible Study

1 Corinthians 12:12 NIV“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its

many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.”

Introduction: We have been learning about Native American culture and tradition. One thing that is true about this culture is that they would all work together to do what needed to be done in the camp or village. Everyone would have a job or chore to do. They were responsible for completing that activity and making sure that it was done for the whole tribe. What do you think some of the responsibilities were? (Hunting, getting water, gathering berries, nuts, and roots, farming, working the hides, cleaning the homes, preparing foods, teaching, sewing, making tools, and more.) Everyone was important in the tribes. They all brought something to the tribe family. If one person was missing, his or her part was not fulfilled, and someone else would have to fill in. They all worked together to make sure that everyone’s needs were met and the tribe had what it needed.

Scripture: There is a passage of Scripture that tells us the church should function the same way. I’m going to read to you 1 Corinthians 12:12–27. Listen to these words about working together. (Read the Scripture to the boys.) This Scripture tells us that we are all important. We all have a job to do in the body of Christ.

ON TARGET!

What can you do to help out at your corps? There are jobs big and small that need to be completed so that the working of the body of Christ can move forward and be successful in sharing Jesus’ love. Ask the corps officer or pastor today how you can help.

PRAYER

Dear Jesus, It is super cool how we can work together to form something great! We want to be part of Your body to do what needs to be done. Show us ways we can help. Bless our church, our family, and each one of us. Thank you for all You give to us and the blessings You share. In Your name, amen.