• You are to design a project for yourself which will extend and express your knowledge of Native Americans. Remember, you always get as much out of an assignment as you put into it--so challenge yourself!!!
• Think back to the "personality-work" survey we did in class earlier this year and base your project design on your strengths/activities you enjoy. For example, if you are a. . .

• Sew a doll-size dance costume (or life size and model it).
• Make a bead, leather, pottery item--use only authentic designs to decorate your piece.
• Create a book of Native American quotations and illustrate it..
• Research several traditional Native American children's games. Make game supplies and have our class play the games.

• If you are of Indian ancestry, research your family history. Find out more about your nation, your relatives-create a family album or tree, interview your relatives and create an oral history of their memories.
• Research the history of Haskell. (Be sure to tour Haskell's Cultural Center)
• The theme of man’s inhumanity to man is one commonly found in literature, movies, and life. Explore incidents of this theme both hisorically and in present day. Why does this happen? Are there any solutions? What can be done?

Artist:

• Illustrate a Native American folktale or story.
• Illustrate a collection of Native American poems.
• Create a pastel, charcoal, acrylic drawing of a Native American whom you admire. On the back of the art work, attach a paragraph about the person.

Detailer:

• Study the language of one Native American tribe. Transcribe a story.
• Study one Native American tribe from Plains Woodland times to present day. Make charts to illustrate data collected.

• Ask your parents to take you to one of the following museums. Tour its prehistoric or historic Native American collection. Pick at least one artifact, painting, or Nation about which you would like to know more and do follow-up research; or create a tour "scrap book" explaining/showing what you observed on your tour.
  • -Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City
  • -Kansas Museum of History in Topeka
  • -Watkins Community Museum in downtown Lawrence
  • -Haskell's Cultural Center
    
• Be a movie critic. Watch a movie about Native Americans and research the historical accuracy of the movie. (Dances With Wolves, Last of the Mohegans, Pocahontas)-If the movie is not PG 13, you must show me written parental permission before viewing.

• Research a current issue involving Native Americans. (South Lawrence Trafficway, Indian school mascots, reservation life, toxic waste dumps on reservations, current perception of Indians, casinoes on reservations). Write a letter to the editor, to a congressman, or find a way to get involved/educate people.

You are to decide how your project/what you have learned will be conveyed to me. If touring a museum or gallery, you may choose to write up your knowledge as an opinion paper, traditional research paper, photo album--or perhaps the tour will inspire your to draw a picture or write a poem or story.

Please keep track of how much time you spend on your project. My main concern is that you learn more and have an opportunity to express your knowledge in a way that is meaningful to you.

For maximum credit projects must be of museum display/publishing quality.

Yes, you may work with other students, but remember that I will expect even more from groups than from individuals. I would not recommend working with more than a partner or a group of three. Larger groups often spend too much time "planning" and too little time "doing".

Work schedule: We will spend only 1 class period in the library. If you need further library time, I will write you passes from study seminar. By the very nature of this assignment, most work will need to be done outside class.

Due date: B Day Blocks--Tuesday, April 6; A Day Blocks--Wednesday, April 7

Possible points: 100

11. Navajo code-talkers.

12. Native American artists and their artwork.

13. Click here to see flags of various Native American tribes.

14. Site of most Native American nations.

15. Decipher the story found on a buffalo hide and discover all the uses of the buffalo.