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Summary and Objective
Corn ("our life," as it was called by the Iroquois), was a major crop of the Northeastern Woodland people. We will discover how they grew corn, celebrated it through stories, and fashioned it into objects.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Pre-activities: If possible, visit corn fields during growing season (including those planted in a Native American style, if possible) to observe how they are planted. Ask a farmer for husks for doll making. Read creation stories about corn (on the "earthbow.com" web site listed below).
Step 2.
Have students examine the images of the tools on the PVMA American Centuries web site that are linked to this lesson, to learn about the tools used to process corn. Discuss information provided about these tools related to growing, caring for and harvesting the crop.
Step 3.
Read the Seneca "Story of the Corn Husk Doll" (on the "nativetech.org" doll story web page listed below). Have the children examine closely the doll on the PVMA American Centuries web site.
Step 4.
Divide the class into smaller groups that will each work with an adult to make dolls following the method described in the "nativetech.org" doll instruction web page below. (Be sure to prepare husks ahead according to the instructions.)
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