A guide for using our resources

Children will study a Seneca tradition.

Vocabulary: equipment, tradition

Social Studies Focus: Native American Heritage Month

Simple, spectacular ideas to boost your lessons.

• 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?
• You Hold Me Up by Monique Gray Smith. Simple text and gorgeous illustrations grace this book about empathy, respect, and love.
• Sometimes I Feel Like a Fox by Danielle Daniel. The Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals comes to life in this delightful and simple book.

• 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 Turtle’s Race With Bear: A Seneca Folktale.
• 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.

• L is for lacrosse! Together, find and circle the words in the issue that start with L.

Skill: writing and drawing

Materials: What I Learned From My Family 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 “Things We Learned From Our Families.”