STEAM Challenge: Build a Native American Home

 Challenge: Can you build an accurate model of a Native American home using the "natural resources" provided?

The resounding answer was YES!

And in the process, we learned about the diversity of North America and the the diversity of the Native Americans. 

Can you build a Plains Native American tepee (tipi, teepee)?

Can you build a Southwest Native American hogan?

Can you build a Southeast Native American chickee? 

The second grade Treasure Seekers also took up the challenge:

Can you build an Arctic igloo? 

Can you build a Northwest Native American plank house?

Can you build a Southwest Native American Pueblo?

Can you build a Northeast Native American wigwam?

Can you build a Northeast Native American longhouse?

 

Each group took up the STEAM challenge 

and  showed that 

yes, they could build a home

and add a lot of accessories! 

And we all learned a lot from each other in the process.

First Grade Botany 101: Photosynthesis in our Science Lab

What is photosynthesis?

How do plants "breathe"?

These were some of the questions of the week 

for the first grade botanists.

We went to our classroom science laboratory to find some answers.

Our class lab complete with a plant light

We had read in a book that there are stomata (tiny holes) on the bottom of leaves. 

We went outside and found a variety of leaves. 

We looked up close with a microscope but  couldn't really see holes. 

So we tried submerging the leaves in warm water with our plant light shining on them. 

And voila!

After a few hours, tiny bubbles began to appear 

on the bottom of the leaves!

What could it be? 

Air coming out of the stomata!

What kind of air? According to our book, oxygen!

We then filled out our lab reports. 

Here are some of our "I think" portions of our lab report. 

This is such an important part of the developmental stage of scientific thinking.

I think this happened because:

• When the plant was breathing, the water didn't let the air bubbles through so they stayed on it.
• We need the oxygen from the plants but only a little bit comes out at a time.
• [The plants] have been breathing through the holes and when they see the sun, they race up to it.
• [The plants] make the water, sun, and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen.

Quite insightful for first graders, wouldn't you agree?!

We then went on to talk more about photosynthesis 
and how plants make their own food.

#bigideasforlittlepeople

#we💙science@seaburyschool

Ohop Indian Village Part 2: A Nature Walk Through the Forest

Our field trip to the Ohop Indian Village tied together at least four of our topics of study this year:  botany, zoology, geology, and Native Americans. 

Our guide took us on an hour and a half hike through a forested path in the Ohop Valley.

Botany:

We learned that the shaman was an expert on all plants. 

But each person was responsible for developing 

their own "special eye" for a specific plant. 

This was a way to keep the community healthy and safe. 

Trillium

We learned about the native plants and how they were used for nutrition, medicines, tools, and clothing. 

Thimble Berry

We learned about plants 

that stimulate appetite and plants that suppress it,

plants that are edible and full of good vitamins 

and evil twin plants that are poisonous,

plants that sting us (stinging nettle) 

and plants that take the sting away (fern),

and much more.

The thimble berry plant above 

was ultra-soft but perhaps not ultra-strong. 

We'll have to ask the Charmin bear cubs. 🐻🐻🐻

Zoology:

We witnessed the symbiotic relationship between ants and aphids. The ants were taking care of the aphids. 

We watched this swarming ant hill in amazement. (Click above or here.) 

Geology:

We sat on huge rocks that had been deposited 

on the hillside by a glacier.

We knew the names of the rocks our guide pulled out of his pouch: obsidian, slate, sandstone, soapstone...

Native Americans:

The cedar tree is known as the "tree of life" 

by Pacific Northwest Native Americans.

This tree is over 250 feet tall and is therefore over 250 years old. 

These eager six, seven, and eight year olds have learned so much this year about the earth we treasure. 

And this is only the beginning of their life long adventure of learning, treasuring, and making a difference!

At Home in the Forest: The Ohop Indian Village Experience

The Seabury School six through eight year olds recently had a delightful visit to the Ohop Indian Village where we used all of our senses to experience the Northwest Native American life. 

We have done a lot of reading and activities at school but there is nothing like rolling up your sleeves and experiencing it!

Ready? Set? Touch everything!

(Except for the poisonous plants!)

Welcome to the Ohop Indian Village

The Valley of the Sound of Rushing Water

The Navigators and Treasure Seekers went back in time before

Walmarts and Costcos

Electricity and running water

Iphones and Ipads

and learned how to survive and thrive

as Ohop Native American children.

To the Native Americans, the forest was their home, their play ground, their school, their grocery store, their pharmacy, their lumber yard, their hadward store, their everything! No wonder they highly respected it and took good care of it!

The spring home

Sitting on our chairs and listening carefully.

Smelling the sweet grass

Play was an important way to learn the skills necessary for survival.

An impromptu ring toss game

Making the "friendship" mark on his face

With this mark, others knew you were friendly 

and would talk to you.

All of us chose to be friendly!

Using ironwood tongs to put hot rocks into a waterproof basket to boil water

This basket, called the Mount Rainier basket, is made from bear grass, a light colored grass that dyes well. We were asked to not touch this 300 year old artifact.

Matching furs and tracks to the forest animals

A stick, a rock, and a bone make a fine working drill.

Sweet grass, cattail, bear grass and cedar strips

Learning how to be still, aim, and hit a target

Aiming at the BEAR!

The summer home

Making music on a plank drum

Braiding is another skill to learn.

Spear throwing practice

Sharpening a slate arrowhead

Hollowing out a canoe

The winter home would have been a long plank house with beds along the sides for sleeping.

Making ornamental jewelry

Grinding corn using a stone mortar and pestle

Pounding soaked cedar bark into soft fibers

Cedar bark fibers could then be twisted into cordage 

and made into cloth.

Diapers, stuffed with cattail fluff, were made this way!

Dressing up and carding mountain goat wool

Rolling the wool on his leg and using a spindle 

to make mountain goat yarn

Weaving the yarn - over, under, over, under

Tanning a deer hide

Making her mark for the future - a harbor seal petroglyph

Even this teacher gets in on the immersion experience.

And look, she's friendly, too!

Thank you, Ohop Indian Village, 

for such a rich immersion experience!!