Fourth-grade students at Unqua Elementary School in the Massapequa School District learned about Native Americans as the Journeys Into American Indian Territory traveling museum came to the school on Nov. 28-29.
The program began with a video focusing on different aspects of Native American culture. Presenters Maddi Cheers and Richie Cornacchio then led a follow-up discussion and answered questions about Native American life past and present.
As part of the traveling museum, students were able to walk through a model of a longhouse, view artifacts such as clothing, baskets and dolls, bang on a drum and use a corn pounder. They learned how hunting parties were formed to gather food and about the origins of a popular Native American sport—lacrosse.
In another room, students played traditional games. They learned Atenaha, a game of chance which involved throwing dice onto a piece of deer skin, and Ring and Pin, which had a small circle attached to a stick by a string and was designed to improve hand-eye coordination.
The Journeys program is held at all elementary schools in the Massapequa School District throughout the school year. It supports the fourth-grade social studies curriculum, which centers on the history of New York state and Long Island.
