This month, School Age 3 recognized National Indigenous History Month through creative art experiences that helped the children learn, explore, and express themselves. We designed personal storytelling poles made from cardboard tubes and talked about how different animals can represent special characteristics. For example, the owl represents wisdom, the bear represents strength, the eagle represents courage and vision, the wolf represents loyalty, and the beaver represents hard work. The children decided which animals they wanted to include on their poles, while some chose to create their own characters and designs instead.
To make the experience more engaging, we turned it into a friendly storytelling pole making contest. This encouraged the children to focus, try their best, and take pride in their own creative choices. The children explored different materials to bring their poles to life. Some chose to paint their cardboard tubes, while others preferred using colored paper. A few children combined both paint and paper to create unique designs. They carefully selected their materials and worked thoughtfully on their creations.
We also had conversation about other traditional practices such as dream catchers and their significance to indigenous people. We talked in a simple way about how they are traditionally believed to protect sleep by catching bad dreams while letting good dreams pass through.
Overall, the children were deeply engaged in the learning of indigenous history. They enjoyed exploring new materials and techniques while learning about important cultural symbols in a respectful and age-appropriate way.
