How did the Wampanoag Use Animals?

We have been studying how life during the Pilgrim Times was much different than how we live today.  This week we spent two days studying how the Wampanoag Indians used animals in everyday life.  I designed this lesson when taking a class on Museum Resources at Miami University two years ago.

This guided inquiry lesson has students observe, question, and make predictions using their schema before diving into "research" materials.  The class was divided up into several groups.  Each group was given a bone, skull, or body covering to investigate.  All items were borrowed from the Hefner Zoology Museum at Miami University.  Thanks MU!

I wish you could have heard the "ooohs" and "eews" from the kids!  After reviewing what scientists do, these little scientists jumped right in.  They observed, then recorded their observations.  The scientists also had to record questions before writing a prediciton.

 

These boys wondered when the animal died.

These girls predicted that their animal was a bear.

This student predicted that the Wampanoag put feathers in their hair.

This boy predicted that the Wampanoag used skunks to make a hat.

I just love their thinking!!  Day one ended with a gallery walk to look at all the objects we were investigating.

They next day we reviewed what we had done and shared our questions and predictions.  Then I read Tapenum's Day.  We closely looked at the photographs and made connections to the book with the objects we were investigating.  I also read parts of a smaller book on the Wampanoag.




We had a lot of fun with this lesson!  Students developed an understanding of how the lives of the Pilgrims were different than the Wampanoag.

Up next...turkey fun!!