Lewis Center students study Native Americans
By Cheryl Thompson, Special to the Daily Press
"I never knew there were so many different Native Americans houses," stated an excited third grader in Karen McGrath's class. The third graders at the Academy for Academic Excellence charter school in Apple Valley have been studying Native American Tribes in the United States for the past four weeks. Each student chose a tribe to study and built a village representative of that tribe.
The students enjoyed presenting their villages to classmates and parents. Recently I visited Mrs. McGrath's classroom and was amazed at the beautiful handiwork, not only of the villages, but totem poles and masks displayed on walls around the classroom as well as the pride evident on the faces of students of their accomplishments.
Third grader Mikhael Fenelon enjoyed sharing his Lakota heritage with the class. His father is from the Lakota tribe in North Dakota. A photo of Mikhael's grandmother, Unci, graced the front of his village display. Mikhael said he "...wanted to show the others that there are still real Native Americans alive today."
A spirited class discussion ensued about the different details each student learned regarding his or her chosen tribe. As the end of the Native American unit came to a close, a student in Mrs. McGrath's class raised his hand and said, "Did you know that Apaches danced in zigzag lines to massage the earth?" I realized how little I really know about Native Americans.