Focus on Native
American Culture

November is National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, designed to recognize the contributions the First Americans made to the development of the United States. The month is also a time to celebrate American Indian tribal culture and tradition including art, history, and story-telling, which was an important part of life for Native Americans. In November, lessons often focus on Native Americans in relation to Thanksgiving, but it is valuable to teach other aspects of American Indian history as well.

A great Playbook® story to incorporate into your lessons on Native American culture is The Hidden One, an American Indian version of the familiar Cinderella tale. In the story, Little Scarface endures the taunting of her beautiful yet cruel older sister. Everyone thinks she is ugly because of her scars and the rags that she wears, but she is determined to take her turn to visit the Hidden One in hopes of becoming his bride. This story of compassion and self-discovery reveals Little Scarface's hidden beauty. View the story characters and purchasing information here.

Events in celebration of American Indian Heritage Month include an organized PowWow and Story Telling session. You may consider compiling a collection of Native American stories including the Playbook® described above and having your own story-telling day in your classroom. You may also have your students find Native American stories on the Internet for this purpose.

Visit the event homepage to learn more by clicking
on the image above, or by clicking here.