Since Morgan's surgery and the CAG conference last week, my posts have been rather impersonal. I hate it when life gets so busy that my posts lose their life. But never fear, I'm here to reserve that trend.
Seth has a social studies project in a couple of Fridays, but we finished it early. Why? Well, partly because it was hanging over my head, and I had to get out from under it. But the real draw factor was the subject matter. The project was to create one of several varieties Native American . We picked the tepee. Not!
Naturally, we chose the Southeastern round house. The Creek winter house would have been rectangular, but we had to make it round, which would be Chickasaw or Choctaw. Close enough. :-)
Our little "Chickasaw" warriors are dressed more like the Plains Indians than Southeastern, but we won't tell if you won't. ;-)
Now that the Native Dwellings project is finished, it's on to the science project....
The Planets!
To learn more about the Southeastern Natives, check out my award-winning novel, Wounded Spirits.
Seth has a social studies project in a couple of Fridays, but we finished it early. Why? Well, partly because it was hanging over my head, and I had to get out from under it. But the real draw factor was the subject matter. The project was to create one of several varieties Native American . We picked the tepee. Not!
Naturally, we chose the Southeastern round house. The Creek winter house would have been rectangular, but we had to make it round, which would be Chickasaw or Choctaw. Close enough. :-)
Beginnings of our round house.
Hubby helped us cut a piece of ply wood, and Seth painted it brown to simulate the dirt ground of the Chickasaw village. The clay we bought from Hobby Lobby for under $5.00 and we have tons left. Anyone need some clay? Come and get it. The kids found thick twigs from the backyard. We coated the tips with Elmer's spray glue, then pressed synthetic greens (from the diorama aisle of HL) against them. Tip: Do not spray your hands. They will be sticky for the next five hours.
Completed round house
The thatching was tricky, because the Chickasaw made their roofs by weaving the grass in a circular pattern around the conical shaped roof. We made a roof out of poster board, then I used a needle and a single piece of raffia and sewed chunks of raffia onto the paper one section at a time. The house looks short, because the Natives dug down into the earth several feet before erecting their mud walls. It gave the appearance of a short building from the outside.
They used their round houses for winter councils and to house their elderly. Early white visitors complained about how hot, smokey, and dark it was inside these houses.
Our little "Chickasaw" warriors are dressed more like the Plains Indians than Southeastern, but we won't tell if you won't. ;-)
Now that the Native Dwellings project is finished, it's on to the science project....
The Planets!
To learn more about the Southeastern Natives, check out my award-winning novel, Wounded Spirits.
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I love this and I learned so much in this short blog! Seth should get an "A!"
ReplyDeleteThanks, Elaine, my fellow lover of all things history. :-)
ReplyDelete