A guide for using our resources

Children will study a Seneca tradition.

Vocabulary: equipo, tradición

Social Studies Focus: Native American Heritage Month

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• Rainbow Weaver / Tejedora de arcoíris por Linda Elovits. Itxel wants to follow the Mayan tradition of waving on backstrap looms and will find a solution to the plastic bags littering her town at the same time.
• Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard. This beautiful book is not only about the traditional food but also about history, memory, and community.
• First Laugh Welcome, Baby! by Rose Ann Tahe and Nancy Bo Flood. In Navajo families, the first person to make a baby laugh gets to host the First Laugh Ceremony. Who will  make the baby in this story laugh?

• Lacrosse is just one Seneca tradition. Another tradition is storytelling! This month we’re offering a special freebie from Storyworks 1. Go to the digital issue page to see La carrera de Tortuga y Oso: Una fábula séneca.
• Before reading, tell kids that folktales are stories that have been passed down; they have been told for a long time. Then read the story aloud, using the Pause and Think questions to check comprehension as you go.
• After reading, discuss how Turtle and her friends worked together to teach Bear a lesson.

• ¡Lacrosse comienza con L! Together, find and circle the words in the issue that start with L.

Skill: writing and drawing

Materials: Lo que aprendí de mi familia skill sheet, pencils, crayons

• Traditions are passed down from older people to younger people. Jheneli learned how to play lacrosse from her mom. What is a special skill that kids learned from their family members?
• Pass out the skill sheet and have kids write and draw about something an older family member taught them. It could be how to make a certain food, play a certain sport, or anything they choose.
• When children have finished, display their work on a bulletin board under the heading “Lo que aprendimos de nuestras familias.”